Wednesday 3.10.2018

Yesterday was such a wonderfully wild day: strong,cold, blustery, gustery (?) wind all day but bright and sunny. We leaned into it on the way up the road, the metal gates clattering and emitting their mournful wail ("winter`s not far awaaaaaay"),the telephone wires joining in the chorus and the starlings wheeling and diving and swooping, obviously having the time of their lives (not to anthropomorphise of course.)

But in the woods it was all about the trees, swooshing about up high, creaking and groaning as the wind buffeted them and just beginning to put on their autumn colours.




Today a much wetter, gloomier, quieter day: less inviting but no less autumnal.
A book reading day in fact and everyone, everyone, should read this gem: picked it up on a whim in the library despite having an already overloaded TBR pile and read it in the space of 36 hours because couldn`t put it down. Poignant, inspiring, warm and funny.....and her picture makes her look like somebody you would like to know. :)

Sunday 23.9.2018

Autumn, autumn and yet more autumn. How autumny (sic) can one season be?

And so we arrive at the autumn equinox, which, I discover courtesy of the BBC, "marks the day when day and night are roughly equal length" which I knew but, further, "everywhere on Earth experiences roughly 12 hours of sunshine and 12 hours of darkness"which I didn`t know. We are all poised on a "perpendicular axis" as I write, perpendicular, that is, to the sun`s rays before the descent into winter begins.

And this morning was such a perfect one, clear sky, crisp air, that we set off not long after 8 to enjoy it at its best. There is something very satisfying about breakfast after a good walk.


But all the walking over the last week or so have been golden. Well, not all. There have been strong, surprisingly cold winds and short sharp squalls but it`s all part of the shift and change and unsettledness that autumn is.


Mostly golden though:

seasonal jobs underway,



berries everywhere - a glut of everything this year -

and leaves just on the turn.

And the summer was as summery as the autumn has been autumny (I know that`s not a word really). Much ambling down south, morris dancing (watching), a birthday party in a park complete with brass band, some shambling @ Shambala Festival and a little bimbling back at the ranch (including a trip to see Mama Mia Here We Go Again: if you feel weary of this you`re probably weary of etc etc). Some sheep wrestling (again, mostly watching - don`t ask) and, rather gloriously, more time to think and read and write and walk and watch films and listen to music. Semi-retirement has (so far) been a very good idea.


And talking of reading - three really good books: two novels, both about survival and poetry and song, beautifully written but set in completely different worlds and one description of a journey which is not only funny and informative, not to mention encouragingly partisan in places, but also points up far too many dismal similarities between 1936 and 2018. A must read.

Take your pick. :)


So off to beat the bounds on what has turned into a squally, windy evening, make my obeisances to Mabon (www.thoughtco.com/all-about-mabon-the-autumn-equinox-2562286) and get settled back in front of the fire. And no work tomorrow!! :)

Thursday 9.8.2018

Real autumn feel to the day: on the way up the road this evening a cold wind and light shower, boots soon soaked from the wet grass in the woods but as we emerged an hour later the wind had dropped, and, despite the curtains of rain draped along the northerly horizon,the sky overhead was blue, the clouds white and fluffy and the sun still warm.

A smudge of rainbow in the distance slowly expanded to arc across the sky as we walked back down the road,a crow-y parade of honour adding the final flourish.

Tuesday 7.8.2018

So the corn might not be as high as the elephant`s eye but it`s very pretty just now

and the potatoes are as high as...well...a dog`s back.

Several glorious sunny days in a row with a hint of autumn, none of the muggy, breath-stealing, fly-plagued atmosphere that have made even the dogs reluctant to go out. Clear air, mountains in the distance,

birdsong and butterflies - could walk for ever.

Thursday 19.07.2018

Left work more or less on time for once, determined to make the most of another magical summer evening. Sun still high and warm this early evening, swallows and martins busy in the sky and zooming low across the fields that turn a little more golden every day.

The woods a delight of light and shadow, butterflies and moths everywhere and deer emerging cautiously to graze,disappearing back amongst the trees much more quickly as they sense us approaching.

And so the evening turned into what is now a chilly but perfectly still and silent night with a half moon hanging overhead. The deer are no doubt munching away quite happily, undisturbed.

Sunday 15.7.2018

A spot of shinrin-yoku with friends on an estate renowned amongst other things for being the home of Byron`s mother. The Gight Estate is now a wildlife reserve under the aegis of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. A very warm, muggy afternoon meant a slow stroll was the order of the day, in amongst venerable trees,

and interesting plants (the youngest member of the party being particularly interested in the numerous bugs).

Ruined buildings spoke of former pomp

while more pragmatic modern solutions had been found for what, in the winter, tends to be boggy ground

and for crossing the River Ythan which runs through the estate and beside which a picnic was taken. We even had a picnic blanket! (Thank you M)

Altogether a most relaxing few hours.

Sunday 8.7.2018

Overcast and cooler later this afternoon with spits and spots of...what`s that stuff called again...oh yes, rain.
It makes for better walking conditions though. Paths in and out of the trees were being mowed as we walked round the woods so the scent of new cut grass was heady, the crops in the fields are coming on apace

and it really feels like high summer.......









....which also means seaside, ice cream and Festivals. So last weekend it was a first visit to Largs, the perfect place to be on a blazing hot day with fabulous views across the Firth of Clyde

not to mention the famous Nardini ice-cream.






But then onwards and upwards to Kelburn Castle,just up the road, for the last day of the Kelburn Garden Party. All the usual fun and frolics of a Festival in the sunshine: stunning setting looking over towards the Isle of Arran,

beautiful grounds,

a new band discovered - new to us that is - Trongate Rum Riots - brilliant fun,

and last but not least a boat at the top of a hill. Naturally.