Crampons, ceilidh and woodpeckers

Yes! My Kahtoola Microspikes arrived on Saturday morning, just as the thaw began and we set off to the ceilidh venue…

The ceilidh was fine. A late ‘Works Christmas do’, not postponed, just organised and booked too late. I didn’t drink as much as some, mainly because we had the children staying at the hotel with us and one of us had to be in a fit state to drive the next morning. I’ve been to worse dos, the ceilidh band were good, I just wasn’t feeling that Christmassy!

So, yesterday I went out for my regular weekly walk with my friend Louise. It’s usually just a 5-6 mile route, as we both have other things we should be doing and we went in search of ice. Wasn’t that difficult to find some. The track we usually take to enter the woods was thick with the stuff, so on went the microspikes.

They are my new favourite things. I love them. They are the dog’s doodahs, if you don’t mind me saying. If only I’d had them four weeks ago, my walking trousers wouldn’t be feeling quite so snug!

To top it off, we heard some great spotted woodpeckers drumming in the woods and saw one of them, right at the top of a very spindly tree. I’ve seen one before, but it was fantastic to hear the drumming. They might have been celebrating a break in the chill.

Little did they know, the frozen wastes had returned when I went for a stroll to Findhorn today. Sadly, not enough to whip my spikes out again, but there’s always more ice at some time!

I love my spikes. They are my new best friends.