Wednesday 06.07.2011

Waited all day for the threatened deluges which never really arrived: bit of gardening, bit of baking, then suddenly a power cut so set off for a walk..........and then down came the rain ........
Very pretty in the grey though, the vetches and creamy elderflowers.

Not cold either. Walking in warm(ish) rain has its pleasures: we kept to the road and just scampered up and over the hill and back again, dripping wet but braced up.
Skies cleared this evening but by then power was back on so baking to finish...and a small matter of a wine tasting.............
and there may be blackcurrants to pick this weekend, just as last year`s jam is running out.

Friday 01.07.2011

Dog away for a sleepover,missing out on the long journey south tomorrow for family nuptials on Sunday.
She and I had one last tramp round the woods yesterday evening, setting off at around quarter to ten in the brightness of a clear Scottish summer night.
Fresh, cool air, the grasses, cow parsley - and nettles - shoulder height in places making for hard going and soaking our feet and legs.

Some of the grasses have taken on that beautiful purple hue: one day I`ll get round to identifying them all.

Swallows and martins swooped over our heads while the evening chorus of songbirds echoed across the trees at first, gradually diminishing as the light began to go and the bats emerged to take over the insect hunt.

Saturday 25.06.2011

Well, michty me, as a friend is wont to say.
Last weekend: what indolence...what gluttony...what a perfect way to spend a few days. Not forgetting the yurt. And the music. And the champagne and chips. Happy Birthday A! Michty me indeed.
Three long work days later and needing to re-establish a little equilibrium, made for Bennachie, able to discard jumpers and woolly hats because a rainy cold morning had transformed into a beautiful summer`s afternoon.

The woods unspeakably pretty, warm and still, dappled shade, mossy banks, babbling brooks - the whole works.

Then we were above the tree line with a welcome breeze which got progressively stronger as we reached the top and cooled us down perfectly.

So,fully restored and almost ready for the next family bunfight in a week`s time. Happy Days.........

Wednesday 15.06.2011

Tranquil in the woods this evening: no stampeding deer and plenty good cloudscapes.

Warm, still and quite close, the bird song resonating and moths beginning to flutter through the long grasses.
Nobody throwing stones at me though - or shouting at me to stop.......stark contrast to Mark Thomas`s Extreme Rambling along the wall between Israel and the West Bank.
Went to see him at Woodend Barn last night: highly recommended - both his book and his show.

So "to the South", as the song goes, away for a few days on family duties.

Sunday 12.06.2011

Life`s full of surpises. This morning dog and I were nearly trampled to death by two stampeding deer. Well, not really. But they did tear towards us before swerving away and galloping off, one up and over the hill and the other disconsolately barking at it to come back. Never knew deer barked.
Otherwise a bright June morning, standard issue blue sky, fluffy clouds, birds, bees and butterflies.

Cow parsley up to elbow height, the wild raspberries over our heads and much dappled shade and greenery.

And finally -an excerpt from the sainted Frank`s latest CD*:


"Not everyone grows up to be an astronaut,
Not everyone was born to be a king,
Not everyone can be
Freddy Mercury,
but everyone can raise a glass and sing.

Well I haven`t always been a perfect person, and
I haven`t done what Mum and Dad had dreamed,
but on the day I die
I`ll say `At least I f*****g tried`
And that`s the only eulogy I need."

Quite.

*England Keep My Bones

Friday 10.06.2011

Away days in "Auld Reekie" and Edinburgh couldn`t have lived up to the old name less. Rather it was at its best, the Castle completely stunning on a clear summer`s night, the old streets and alleyways atmospheric.
Watched dancing on one night, went dancing the second and in between walked down by the water.
What a classy city.

Thursday 02.06.2011

Hard - no, let`s face it - impossible to convey the full magic of tonight`s walk after a long hot day at work and the inevitable chores at home. A warm, still,June night as we set off through the woods at about 10 to 10, deer and rabbits everywhere, the bird song loud and clear, buttercup, cow parsley and forget-me-nots making patchwork patterns under the trees and dog chasing wildly round at all the delicious scents.
Out of the woods and back down the road at the top of the hill at quarter to 11 and still light: over the next few weeks the sun will simply kiss the horizon before lifting off again for the new day - magical time of year indeed.