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”
Tag Archives: countryside
Picking up the threads
I am coming up for air again after a tough couple of months, picking up the threads of normal life. Dad’s health started to decline badly last month and our days were filled with the trip to and from Galashiels and increasingly painful, powerless, bedside vigils. Ishbel and Lachlan came home and, as Ishbel tookContinue reading “Picking up the threads”
A reckoning…
The weather gives and the weather takes. In the end the reckoning comes…. Since the wind changed at the end of June we have been promised thunderstorms daily. Any yet, the days have continued hot and sultry, with barely the odd spit spot here and there during the day (though the lawns have welcomed someContinue reading “A reckoning…”
Summer catch up
Oh dear it has been an age since I waxed lyrical on the birds and (worryingly scarce) bees and hedgerow flowers. We have been locked on the gerbil wheel of garden open day preparation for well over a month, weeding and planting and generally faffing round the garden. whilst I have managed to squeeze inContinue reading “Summer catch up”
Tangles and twinings
The grass by the river bank is long and lush. Where they mowed the paths to the fishing beats a week ago there are now two good inches of springy turf underfoot and to either side the sward is long enough to hide a woolly dog. The heaps of mown grass have “matured” and LyraContinue reading “Tangles and twinings”
Trekking
Anyone paying attention (though why should you!) will note that I am now all out of order. However, having got a pressing cri de coeur about “stuff” out of my system and with an hour of luxurious spare time up my sleeve, I am now returning to the joys of our week in Glenelg. IContinue reading “Trekking”
Time and socks
In the great scheme of life you never have enough. Of course there are protective measures you can take with socks. They can be assiduously flyped before hitting the laundry bin. You can hang them on the line Ark style, pegged neatly two by two. In the end, if push comes to shove, Asda doContinue reading “Time and socks”
Four take a mini break
Author’s note: this is my fourth attempt at this blog. Versions 1, 2 and 3 were beset (all when nearly finished) with unscheduled crashing and unsaved text. I will not lie – I cycled through wry grins, petulant sighs and ultimately quite a lot of swearing. However, I closed the lid on it firmly lastContinue reading “Four take a mini break”
Out of Office
We have vacated the homestead for a week in the highlands (of which more anon) so this is the last report from Ruthven for a while. The days before we left were a welter skelter of trying to hoof out the worst of the shepherd’s purse and other muscular self seeders from the borders inContinue reading “Out of Office”
Coming around again…
It is daffodil season again in the Hirsel woods. The leaves are drifting down the slopes like blue green fur in the shadier stretches. Where the sun hits the flowers have begun to unfurl, a bright acid yellow, subtly scented. I’m sure I am repeating myself, this year’s words a perfect echo of last andContinue reading “Coming around again…”