Friday 28.10.2022

 Coming to the end of the week here in Lennoxtown and, the occasional deluge  and a bit of seasonal mist aside , it has been an autumnal treat to walk round those nascent woods and along by the river. And all week it`s been nothing short of warm.

And it`s clocks back tomorrow so walks may have to be a little earlier in the day from now on.

Monday 24.10.2022

 Once more billeted at Lennoxtown for a week with a chance to see how the trees are growing here:

Turns out they`re looking good and against a dreich day like today the autumn colours are looking particularly splendid.

In the woods back home there have been half a dozen late afternoon/early evening walks that catch the dying of the light,

the cool, still air enriched by the autumn scents of wet leaves, damp earth and bonfires: completely impossible to convey with a picture

but memorable anyway - especially as the clocks will have gone back by the time we next walk there and time outside will be more limited.

And talking of limited time, lately have discovered it`s possible to listen to something as you walk without it intruding on the pleasure of the walk. No headphones - definitely no headphones - and no music. Simply holding my phone, or having it in a pocket, my walks have increasingly become my podcast time which is not something I ever thought I`d say. It`s like having folk alongside making interesting conversation as you walk but without distracting from the surroundings: folk who can in fact be switched off or at least paused whenever you want and best of all walk at the same pace as you.

There are already way too many podcasts in the world but these three are currently keeping me entertained and informed and so I recommend:

The Rest Is Politics is micro-politics, follows national and international events (almost as they happen sometimes) and is an interesting take on "disagreeing agreeably" between two very different people, Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, who have both quite often been at the centre of things. 

Kermode and Mayo`s Take is a follow on from their slot on Five Live which they were basically chucked off and for anyone interested in films.

Empire does what it says on the tin: discusses the history and implications of Empires - all empires that is though they`ve started with the British Empire. One of its real delights is the relationship between the two presenters - William Dalrymple and Anita Anand. And if nothing else it`s worth listening to Episodes 8-11 about the Koh-i-Nor diamond which is particularly interesting given the upcoming coronation next year. (Episode 12 is also a fascinating story btw.)

There will be others to recommend no doubt -  Shaun Keaveney`s The Line-Up (for music geeks really) is a good one - but for now those three keep me marching merrily along while still being able to hear the birdsong and the wind in the trees.

Thursday 6.10.2022

 Another glorious, restless Octrober morning, the cool wind on the our hill battling it out with the warm sun - and winning mostly. Sometimes tend to forget how nice it is to have that bit of land to yomp through: not a "proper" striding out walk but nevertheless it takes nearly half an hour to stroll round and the dogs love to cavort about,burying their noses in the, not so much re-wilded as undisturbed, grasses failing to catch the little furry creatures that scuttle about and obviously taunt them.

                                                                                                                                                                              Late morning yesterday, the sun won out once we were in the woods, warming us up and casting a subtler autumnal light across everything.

Still more green than gold and the mushrooms proliferate - did a dry summer prompt them to be fruit so abundantly

?