July 25, Eyemouth but not to Berrick

I was really looking forward to  walking the Berwickshire Coast Path from from Eyemouth to "Berrick" today.  But it was not to be!  When I started out it was windy and the wind got worse; in fact it got very very bad.  I could barely move against it.  "This is crazy," I thought.  I checked the wind velocity for Eyemouth and it was 39 mph, only I was up on cliffs, so it might have been higher than that (see safety tip #1 below).  Do instruct yourself on Google's take of walking in high winds: see just below.  I couldn't say it better!

Walking in a 40 mph wind is arduous, affects your balance, and can make steady movement very difficult. Gusts at this speed can easily push you off course or off your feet, making it a hazardous situation. 

What It Feels Like

• High resistance: You must lean forward or into the wind just to move forward.
• Unsteady steps: Your feet may not land where you intend, and walking straight requires a lot of extra effort.
• Debris hazard: Small twigs, dust, and grit blown by the wind can sting your face and eyes.

Safety Tips

• Avoid open spaces: Stay away from exposed hill ridges, cliffs, and tall buildings where gusts are stronger.
• Watch out for trees: High winds break branches easily, so avoid walking under large trees.
• Lower your center of gravity: Take shorter steps, use walking poles for support, and crouch down slightly if a heavy gust hits.

Before proceeding with the wind factor, we have to look at another weather issue:  the clouds.

Sun and clouds were in competition:

If you get my drift:

There was a golf course to traverse:

I just love that warning because I would love to know how one can actually beware of a golf ball that would knock them unconscious if it hit them in the head. I thought that was one thing I did NOT have to worry about because no one is going to be on the 14th tee at 6:00 a.m. And besides, who would be crazy enough to play in this horrendous wind? 

There was a wide red line painted around the periphery of the course. 

I will stay on the INSIDE of that line whether I am trespassing or not lest I be blown into the North Sea:

To be fair, the path, so far, was safe from the edge of the cliff, but I said to myself, "If I get to a place where it is scary, I will turn around.  Of course, I did get to a place that was scary (way too steep and too narrow) and I looked up to see a large, dark grey, low-hanging cloud.  This is definitely a message from God!!  Since I was utterly exhausted after only about two hours, and could barely stand against the wind, I decided to head back.  It was disappointing, but I knew I could not manage the distance and the hazards of cliff walking. under those conditions.

The excursion, short as it was....maybe three and a half hours left me utterly exhausted, more than any other challenge so far.  So I went to the famous gelato shop in Eyemouth and had a cone.  I was only sorry I did not order two scoops; it was that delicious.

Then I decided to drag myself on a different walk, which, for the most part was poorly designed, but it did pass through the harbour, where I had wanted to walk, anyway.  

You are posing so nicely!

Fishing traps:

There was a museum in town, so I went.  It had good displays and explanations of some ordinary items that people used to use in farm communities, such as the forging of horse shoes, and what is involved in making a wagon wheel, and barrels, and millstones, fishing nets and lines, and other implements.  I hd no idea a bellows for  a forge was so BIG:

Maybe the item that impressed me most was the wagon wheel.  It was huge, made of several kinds of wood, and had a metal exterior rim.  It makes you realize what a big deal it was when an axel or some other component broke.  

It turned out that this is a big day in Eyemouth.  There was a queen to be crowned.  I asked a woman down near the beach, "What sort of queen is being crowned today?"  "The Herring Queen."  "Herring Queen?  What are the qualifications for that?"  "You have to e under 18, a good student, and be a scout."  At 2:30, boats, ferrying the queen and her entourage, make their way from St. Abbs to Eyemouth:

Pipers piped:

And drummers drummed:

And at 4:30, the queen was crowned.  I was too done in from the morning's exertions to wait for the big moment, so I went to the Co-Op, bought a Sprite Zero, and came back to the B and B.  No doubt it was a splendid ceremony.