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Today, did start out great. It was clear and sunny (see the photos below) and we had a lovely breakfast in the fabulous breakfast room at the Woodside B & B. There was even a menu! The garden wraps all the way around the house, which gives plenty of room for the two spaniels to run and stay healthy and for the grandkids when they come over. For us, it was just nice to look at green grass and flowers growing.

We were invited to leave by 10 am so that the house can be vacant and the owners can do their own thing for the day. So off we went to the great and wonderful Dunbar Golf Club. We’ve played there three times before and remember it well, well…pretty well. Now, the clubhouse has changed. It used to be down on the water in a quaint old fisherman’s house, all white with a flag on top, now about to be razed to the ground. Now, almost open is the great and glorious new clubhouse— not at all like a fisherman’s house, now a splendid metal and glass structure, sure to keep out the rain and cold. We stopped in to the temporary show that is functioning until the new one opens, any minute from the looks of it! And it wall be splendid if not quite as charming as the old one. We learned all about the remapping of the course, which surprisingly did not involve any alteration other than renumbering. Good job, designers!

We were paired with two Scotsmen about the ages of our kids, both excellent players. We did our best to keep up. I did a great job on the way “out” with the wind at our back, and fought like crazy on the way back “in.” But what a sparkling day and terrific companions…not only were they good players (with the occasional lost ball), but they were conversational and truly interested in our trip and world views. They walked along with John a lot, chatting as they went which always helps a golf game.

Afterward, we invited them to have a drink with us. Since we were all driving and Scotland is so strict about drinking and driving, we all had sodas, chips and soup. Perfect. Then Wayne, one of the fellows, invited us to play his course on Sunday. We’ve never played Ladybank Golf Club before, but now have an invitation. We’ll see him again on Sunday, it looks lie. Good people, good connection.

Dinner tonight was very special because we were meeting Karen and Anne after not getting together for a year. We met at the lovely Waterside Bistro and parked across the bridge. What a lovely walk up and over the river with the brightly lit restaurant on one side and the church with steeple and gardens on the other. And inside were Karen and Anne waiting; Hugs and quick conversation then upstairs to our own quiet room with a great view of the river, a swan swimming by occasionally. We ordered drinks, caught up, laughed, ate everything on the menu, and drank so more—except for the sober drivers who paid careful attention to the legal limit of zero tolerance.

From there, it was back to the car so nicely parked in an area whee there are no turn arounds so John had to back all the way down the street until he got to a wide enough area that we could just go. Charming towns come with narrow roads but it all worked out. Good night.