Monday 4 March 2024

Monday 04/03/2024

 Many signs of Spring on the way but few can be better than the first cool, still, early evening walks. Only a relatively short one last night but it smelt of Spring somehow. The sunset was spectacular, the birds were getting into top gear and the optimism in the air was tangible. 

But Spring rarely arrives overnight and there`s been a lot of two steps forward, one step back. Promises dashed and then tantalisingly proffered again:  grey, damp chilly days that seem to go on forever only to be followed by bright blue skies, warm sun and long shadows which turn overnight into wild winds and sleet.  The joys. 

There was a walk up Bennachie on a day so windy we were in danger of being blown off the top, though the walk up among the trees was deceptively calm. Longer circuits from home in the snow (am in "training" 😜 for another long distance walk of which more in a while), days where deep frost was  melted in the sun but hung on all day in the shade. 


Meanwhile there`s definitely something in the air as much dostadning* has been taking place, the only danger of taking lots of things to the charity shops being that it`s possible to end up buying stuff you really don`t need which sort of defeats the purpose. This though I justified as being cheerfully Spring like - also I do love a jug. 




 

*Swedish Death Cleaning: supposed to be about decluttering your life to "ease the burden" for the ones you leave behind. In this case not planning an imminent death (🤞)  but just because STUFF does my  head in - jugs notwithstanding obvs.


Wednesday 31 January 2024

Thursday 31.01.2024

 Beginnings and endings. Somehow arrived at the end of what seems to have been a hectic January. Hence none of those promised post-Christmas letters and emails have been written or sent - yet. 

There has been quite a lot of running up and down the country. In between a couple of work shifts.

There has been the arrival of a new family member to the great relief and delight of everyone. 

There have been the usual dog walks at home as well as dog-sitting elsewhere. 

There have been gigs: wild, iconoclastic and Irish*; live late-night blues (a brilliant all female trio that one**) in a newly discovered venue*** now earmarked for frequent returns whenever possible and an event billed as a Transylvanian Ceilidh, one of Celtic Connections events, which surpassed expectations on almost every level.

And behind (not to say beneath and above) there has been just about every type of weather imaginable: deep, disruptive snow; freezing ice; weirdly mild temperatures; bright sunshine; preternaturally still days; torrential rain and floods; named storms (a hooley currently blowing outside as I write -  this one named Storm Ingunn by the Norwegians ) and anonymous storms often no less destructive.  Dizzying transitions from one to the other often within the space of one or two hours. 

Reminds you that making plans is a good way to make the gods laugh yet we continue to do it....a "city break" including a couple of Celtic Connections gigs and an interesting author talk beckons this weekend - those same weather/transport gods being willing.🙏

Spring will arrive...eventually......but like a lamb, a lion or a unicorn? Who knows. 😉


* The Mary Wallopers  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXiepMEW-gDVnARydII_caA

** Deaf Judy 

*** Howlin` Wolf  https://www.thehowlinwolf.co.uk/     


Tuesday 2 January 2024

P.S.

 Forgot - Happy Hogmany!

My "resolutions" remain essentially the same:                     

1.Read more books

2.Plant more trees

3.Drink only good coffee

4.Swim in the sea whenever you can

5.Walk frequently

6.Strive to see live music regularly

7.Watch films

8.Use your local library

9.Read more books

10. Don`t sweat the small stuff

Might just tweak it a bit: did swim in the sea this year but not enough because it`s an hour`s drive away - so swim in a pool if you can`t get to the sea. 

And I`ve come across an excellent way of reframing resolution number 10 from a book* daughter No.1 gave me for Christmas in which it is suggested we might rearrange life`s priorities "by trivializing life`s trivia". Quite.

In the same passage we are encouraged to choose NOT to do the things we really do not want to do which I find gets easier the older I get. 😉

Here`s to 2024. 👍 

*Staring at the Sun Irvin D. Yalomi  Highly recommended for anyone contemplating life`s ephemerality, a particular hazard at this time of year perhaps. The contemplation that is, not the etc etc...😀

                        


 

Tuesday 2.01.2024

 Absolutely slashing it down this morning: grey and gloomy indoors - the outdoor Christmas lights the only cheerful thing on the horizon. And it all crept up overnight because yesterday was glorious - icy air, clear bright blue sky, not a breath of wind.....a `proper` New Year`s Day, a walk was irresistible.

Didn`t set off until 2ish and already the sun was on its way down and casting long shadows........


There were misty patches rising from the grass in the woods, cones and diamonds decorated the trees

and we could hear ourselves breathe. Did the `double loop`, taking us to the far side of the woods, along the road a little way, returning via the crossroads and the other woodland, the one flattened by Storm Arwen which is only now, just over two years later, being sorted out, though who knows what the owners will do with it in the future.
Back down the road as the light faded, the winter trees silhouetted against the  clear winter sky:
could have walked on for ever...and absolutely no indication of the deluge we`ve woken up to. 


Thursday 28 December 2023

Thursday 28.12.2023

Up on the top field at roughly the same time as yesterday and the contrast was almost unbelievable: clear and calm, so mild there were even little groups of hovering bugs taking the air....and normal service had definitely been resumed for the sheep.

It`s stayed calm all day, a picturesque sunset this evening. Tomorrow looks as if it may continue to offer a breathing space but it`s heads down for another storm over the weekend. Love our changeable climate!

   

Wednesday 27 December 2023

Wednesday 27.12.2023

 Braved Storm Gerrit at lunchtime today......waterproofs over two layers of trousers and sweaters, woolly hat, hood tied over it, proper bad weather waterproof mittens, wellies. Up to circle the top field, sloshing and yomping through mud and floods, battered on one side as we headed over the top, buffeted along from the back as we went around the bottom of the field, the wind roaring through the two mature trees that sit there, battered on the other side as we turned back. Then straight into it on the bottom field, the wind spitting hail and sleet at us until we gained the relative shelter of the trees around the house.  And all the while the dogs running round like they always do, apparently completely unconcerned by the apocalyptic conditions, sniffing at everything, burrowing into the grass looking for a tasty little furry creature. They are nothing if not phlegmatic. 

 I saw what looked initially like a little brown mouse running ahead of me along the path but was actually a wren, a low-flying wren, obviously aware that trying to fly too high would end in disaster.Apart from that it was the sheep, huddled together in a neighbouring field, standing stock still with their backs to the prevailing wind. It has to be pretty bad for the sheep to stop eating. 

And could it have been more different yesterday? Hardly. We`d had snow on the evening of Christmas Day - yay, a white Christmas! - and Boxing Day dawned white and icy, but completely still. Dog number one and I set off about two o`clock to do a seven mile road circuit (walking in the woods on the snow would have been too much like had work) stepping out briskly to keep warm, gulping big lungfuls of the frosty air, vanquishing any lingering lethargy resulting from a Christmas Day spent eating (though not over-eating of course 😉) and binge-watching Dr. Who.





One car, one tractor but essentially no-one else about.  The sun was going down behind the hills as, at roughly the half way point, we headed towards the local wind farm.

Once the sun was gone the temperature began to plummet but the full moon appeared on cue, 
and guided us home. Magic.
To think we nearly didn`t bother.....two o`clock is quite late to be setting off at this time of year.....but so glad we did given we`ve been more or less grounded today. Carpe Diem!


Sunday 24 December 2023

Sunday 24.12.2023 Christmas Eve

Very strong cold wind, bright blue sky.

A particular kind of winter`s day to which the pictures really can`t do justice because it was all about the sounds of the wind making its presence felt. In the woods it was either a surging sea, as the tops of the evergreen conifers thrashed backwards and forwards or a huge roar as it gusted through the bare branches of the softwoods, scattering branches and twigs.
It was squelchy underfoot, the legacy of yesterday morning`s brief but quite heavy snowfall which  during the day turned to rain, leaving mud pools and patches of mushy snow.
Later, as the very nearly full moon rose casting long shadows and the first few stars appeared in a clear cobalt sky, we bowled, or were bowled, around the top field, the wind still raging around us, the lights in the distance dancing and shimmering, the last few cars on the road at the bottom of the hill scuttling home.
Dramatic and invigorating - which is not to say it wasn`t nice to get back indoors and in front of the fire!