Lockdown week 10 - Monday

We wanted a shorter walk today because we had things to do. So we went to the lower, less strenuous, Carrick Knowe course. Two and three-quarter miles.

I was interested in what Toffeeapple said about golf courses damaging the environment. I suppose that they indeed must, in places such as Florida, where presumably much watering has to take place. This, however, is Scotland, where it often rains. I think they probably water the courses occasionally if we have a drought, but it's been the driest April for ever so long and everything is still splendidly green.

And all round the edges of the courses are areas like this, with buttercups, campion and hawthorn. And lots of trees and birds, and wild flowers growing in most of the courses. Maybe they put weedkiller on the greens?

Edinburgh's a very expensive town as far as housing is concerned - not as bad as London (which is ridiculous) but still expensive, and the area round where we live is desirable, so frankly if the courses weren't there, the land would have got built on years ago. We're only a couple of miles from the town centre. So as far as these courses are concerned, I'd have thought they were good for the general environment. I've just looked up Google and it says there are 21 golf courses in Edinburgh alone, with quite a few others just outside. Naturally, the main benefit is to the members, who get the freedom of the huge acreage. But the rest of us get the advantage of fresher air blowing down from the green spaces. Or at least, that's how it appears to me. Golf courses in Dubai or Las Vegas, now... not so much.

Anyway, the allotments are doing well, and I came home and did some gardening. Thrillingly, I got a delivery from a garden centre the other day of begonia semperflorens, alyssum and lobelia, so I had a happy time filling some of my many pots. Gardening is very cheering, if exhausting.