Wednesday 25.05.2016

Cool - no, cold really - and grey skies but the grass is growing - almost knee-high already in places in the woods, the gorse golden, the beech that beautiful fresh green and the bird song deafening. Who needs the sun anyway?

Sunday 15.05.2016

The coos are oot!

Not the same coos as last year of course, something it`s easy to forget as they gambol about in a clumping snorting bovine imitation of lambs, but a marker in the change of seasons anyway.

More sheep patrolling than walking this last week while the shepherd-in-chief was away but not a bad job in what were near Mediterranean temperatures that made even the end of the day watch a delight.

Back to bracing winds this weekend though: at least yesterday there was some sunshine as well, the woods looked quite magical

and smelt of pine and coconut. Today ...back to unremitting grey, occasional spitting rain and brisk cold wind.......
but hey...at least the coos are oot!

Wednesday 4.05.2016

Back to cold cold blustery wind straight into the face on the way up the road. The skies full of busy clouds - yesterday huge blobs of white spun sugar, sitting so low it should have been possible to plunge a hand into them: today back to sombre and grey, holding back the blue and keeping the sun well hidden.

New printer arrived, wireless no less and actually installed with no bother: feeling very `techie`. Ha!

Monday 2.5.2016

Brisk and blustery, bright whites and blues overhead, fresh green underfoot: could have been in a washing powder advert.........
come to think of it the duvet covers were dry within a couple of hours this morning....perhaps we are in a washing powder advert.

In other news, discovered today that it is National Walking Month. Who knew?

http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/what-you-can-do/campaigns/national-walking-month-2016

Also, finished the last of the six Young Adult books shortlisted for the Grampian Children`s Book Award: everything from murders to split personalities, feral robots to demonic tattoos, bullies to killer rain. More twists and turns than.....a very twisty turny thing, all highly recommended. Be interesting to see who wins at the awards ceremony next week.

http://gcbookaward.wix.com/gcba#!2016-shortlist/ekpt5

Sunday 1.05.2016

Straight into the wind up the hill, big thick woolly jumper on, but at least it was a southerly wind and not the bitter northern blast we`ve endured for the last week or so. Spots and spats of rain, blobs and swirls of grey cloud with patches of blue and, once in the woods, with the sun out, it was shirt sleeves and almost ambling weather. First of May. Weird pagan doings down in that there England

but it`s too cold to be climbing hills at that time in the morning up here until at least the middle of June.......Well done to them though. :)