I’ve been tied up with all manner of “stuff” of late and somehow March has slipped through my fingers. A catch up is well overdue and a combination of truly miserable weather and the blissful peace of an empty house (I have been largely deserted for various holidays, meetings, lectures and what have you) meansContinue reading “Mad March”
Category Archives: Highland cows
CARPE DIEM
Today I confronted mortality at close range. I had positively creaked out of bed with every muscle thrumming most unpleasantly, the inexorable after effect of two days of compost barrowing. Thinking that a few gentle pilates stretches would likely do the business I did the hamstring thing and limbered up to see if there wasContinue reading “CARPE DIEM”
And so it begins..
Gardening proper has started. Just a little bit, but definitely started. Keith and Mum have taken on the orchard pruning. It is like a scene from the operating theatre in General Hospital. Dr Keith surveys the patient then decisively calls out “Loppers”. Nurse Granny passes them up and stands by to mop up twigs. I would be a most unsatisfactory standContinue reading “And so it begins..”
The Zen of the Last Post
With the passing of the last sensible posting date and the annual Christmas party (when a few by-hands can be made) there comes, a brief period of seasonal zen. What could be done has been done and what could not be done can always be added to the list of interesting projects for next year. The finalContinue reading “The Zen of the Last Post”
Library musings
I was planning to start this blog with some musings about being rather sleepy and warm in the library, where mum has the wood burner stoked to thermonuclear levels. Nestling down in my seat, I patted myself on the head smugly for remembering to scan my recent “tree” blog to check for any photographic overlap.Continue reading “Library musings”
Gifted light
Today was the first solidly dry and sunny day for an age. This was a stroke of luck as I had entirely forgotten that Stuart (the Rat Man) was coming bright and early to spray the carpets against moths (Stuart is a chiel o’ pairts). This entailed chasing out the cats and taking Lyra outContinue reading “Gifted light”
Reflections on reflections
As the brightness of summer begins to fade, the woods around us grow ever lighter, gaining an almost fragile airiness. Windows appear in the canopy as leaves fall down into foosseling drifts below. Now there are just a few narrowly arched casements and tiny aureoles, but by November we will look through an astragal glazedContinue reading “Reflections on reflections”
September Songs
With Lachlan home again, mum and I have been rather rationed on the dog walks lately. Opportunities have had to be snatched when the bold boy is away on Landrover repair visits or social forays to Edinburgh for a little high life. Down by the river on a blustery day last week a monumental MayanContinue reading “September Songs”
Midsummer madness
It seems quite a while since I last sat down with an hour or so to spare…but here I am at last. It is ferociously hot. The laptop fan is is humming away, staving off meltdown, and in similar vein I am tooled up with a pint glass of ice and a mint ice creamContinue reading “Midsummer madness”
Inter Alia
A welter of birthdays, visiting offspring, family reunions yet more birthdays and sic like affairs have come between me and my keyboard of late. However, following yet another bout with mum’s insurers (the product was ironically entitled “RBS Elite” – god help those in steerage is all I can say…), I find myself with anContinue reading “Inter Alia”