SUMMER SOLSTICE: TREE PLANTING, BIRDS AND BEES

Tree planting at Balloch Castle Park.  Loch Lomond can be seen in the distance. Chivas Whisky put up money to have trees planted here.  Employees were given a day off with pay to do this and other projects in the park. We who are regular volunteers were there to help them along... great fun... nice people!  60 trees went in!

This means rowan tree.

 I have been following several osprey nest sites where webcams have been installed.  This nest is in Perthshire and the 3 chicks are surviving so far.

* * * * * * * * * * * THE GARDEN * * * * * * * * * * 

PLATINUM JUBILEE ACTIVITIES (20 - TEA PARTY, STREET PARTY AND PIPES PLAYING

The Platinum Jubilee 4 day holiday was great fun.  From the Thursday to the Sunday we enjoyed friends coming to us as well as all of us going out into the park behind our house for the Street Party in the park.

Val's photo of us in the garden.

Iain got the bunting off the boat and rigged up a flagpole onto which he ran 2 long ropes of flags (courtesy and signal), pennants and a couple of Club event flags thrown in to the mix.

Here are the photos, starting with some preparation in the sewing room.

We had great fun with hoisting the British Columbia flag on the flagpole.  As it happens it is by far the biggest flag of the bunch.  Folk just couldn't figure out its identity.  The irony is that people in Scotland don't think much about the British monarchy or the Union Jack but for people from the Colonies (as I was) there is... well, there used to be... much interest!

Be that as it may it engendered much discussion e.g. where does the sun set? 

Iain played the pipes (not shown here) .. "There's no show without Punch"  as they say!

That flag on the left is the old red duster from the boat.  It is torn from flapping in all weathers but somehow I never threw it out.  And the same goes for the (even older) Union Jack above which still has its toggle and cord intact. I think it came from Iain's parents' belongings 40 years ago.

PLATINUM JUBLIEE ACTIVITIES (1) EVERYTHING STOPS FOR TEA

It is holiday time: 4 days have been allocated as celebration time for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee (70 years on the throne).  Plans are afoot for a street party, some baking with the children and meeting up with some people not seen due to lockdown.  We plan to get the bunting off the boat (presently in Inverness having come down from Orkney) and tune up the pipes (by popular request)!

You have to start somewhere .... so....

Morning coffee with fresh scones in the garden today.  No photos (except for these left overs)..... due to catching up with Nancy, Val and her mum Rose, Mairi.   

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  RIVER LEVEN * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Out and about with clean-up and tree planting groups respectively:

cleaning up the river banks and pulling stuff out of the water

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  BALLOCH PARK * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Spent the time planting wild flower plugs and labelling/documenting young trees on the grounds of the estate (park).