JUNE ROUND-UP: SUNDAY MEAL IN THE GARDEN AND BIRTHDAY TIME

The rhododendrons are in full bloom and the gardens are looking lovely.  

Tannoch Loch Milngavie in May

Harriet's 13th birthday

Alastair aged 18 years

Ellie aged 11 years

Harriet 13 years

* * * * * * The Garden * * * * * *

Peonies from Anne

Clematis growing over the birdhouse (which I built several years ago). After many attempts the is the the first time clematis has flourished...not sure why.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026

The year has turned and with it Ishbel has now had her 19th birthday.  She's now in second year at Stirling University being trained to be a paramedic.

She has a car and this is my AI effort to make her a birthday card.

Ellie, Alastair and Harriet were in Edinburugh during the Christmas break.  Here they are at one of our family faviourite spots at the east end of George Street.  The fellow seated on the pedestal is James Clerk Maxwell, with his dog at his feet.  This sculpture is the one which Iain was involved in getting commissioned about 25 years ago.  Jamie Stoddart is the sculptor.  We attended the unveiling along with other good folk of Edinburgh and beyond.  Every time any of us are in Edinburgh we pass by Himself on his plinth and give the wee dog a pat.

And here are the threesome on another occasion in Edinburgh over Christmastime.

Ellie has now had her 11th birthday.  This is another AI bit of art. 

The birthday girl with her rainbow hat.  Mairi in the background.

Alastair who is at Andrews University is still with us during most of January because his classes haven't gone back yet.   These 'ancient' universities operate differently from the others. The academic year is called a session and

"is divided into two main semesters named after traditional Scottish Term and Quarter Days: the Martinmas semester (Setptember to December) and the Candlemass semester (January to May)."

He was back home the week before Christmas and back to classes this week which stated on Monday January 26th.  It will be May before the next break.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIME TO RE-GROUP - ALASTAIR'S OFF TO UNI; ISHBEL GETS HER KEYS

It is now young Alastair's turn to leave home. He's 17 years old.  (They start school in Scotland at 5 years old.)  He has been accepted to study medicine at St Andrew's University which is in the north-east of Scotland.  

This is a country with many institutions for tertiary education: universities, colleges, The Conservatoire (music and drama in Glasgow), technical institutions, agricultural colleges etc etc.  I know he'll find St Andrew's a good fit; it's a university town with bookshops and an interesting history. It's one of the earliest universities established in the UK.  Alastair is interested in history and is a great reader.)

Time of head off!  As Iain used to say, "The best view is looking back!"

 Outside his dormitory door with young Ellie (10.5 in her last year of Primary School)

And things just keep getting better...Ishbel (18 3/4 yrs) now has her own flat.  She is going into her second year at Stirling University to be a Paramedic.  Here she is with her keys outside her new abode which is located in 'downtown' Stirling.

Harriet(12)  in June with her tea-bag hat.  She started her first year of high school last week.

* * * * * * * * * 

It is so good to follow their movements as they head off into their new lives. It certainly reminds me of heading off at roughly that age.  Yes, there were a few differences: I had a car; I had only one university to go to and it was a day's drive away in the big city of Vancouver.  I lived in dorms for the first year which I greatly loved and remember the joy of making new friends many of which I kept all my life.

However, sadly, some of these people are no longer with us.  Indeed, this is now a fact of life at my great age of 81 years. Folk are suffering from dementia (or their spouses are), some are undergoing cancer treatment; some, sadly, have died.  

Keeping up on the lives of the grandchildren certainly helps offset these sadnesses around me at the moment (like buses, everything seems to come along at the same time).  Luckily I inherited my mother's method of offsetting such times by keeping busy. She was a great one for 'kitchen therapy' i.e pull out the baking tins.

To that end here is something from my 'test kitchen'...Hobnob biscuits from the Great British Bake Off episode this week. The recipe is under the photo.

Pru Leith's Recipe for Hob Nobs

JULY ROUND-UP

John and Debbie visited us in May.  Here is John's photo of us in the garden. (Mairi, Ellie aged 10, Alastair 17, Harriet 12, and me.  Below that is John's selfie taken on Costa Clyde which includes Ishbel 18, in the photo.  

* * * * * * Garden and Yard Work * * * * * 

The garden is flourishing mainly due to the very hot weather we have been having. 

Ishbel gave me a morning's labour where we glued linoleum to the garage floor.  lI am quite pleased with our efforts.  It was definitely one of those jobs where you need another person.

XXXX

CATCHING UP

I have now upgraded my computer to an iMac4.  Everything is OK except it's like trying to arrange your bookselves after the books have been knocked off the shelves and are needing to be put back in order.  

Alastair has now had his 17th birthday.  He is due to finish secondary school this June and is preparing to head of to university.  He's in the middle of interviews at the moment.  Ishbel (18 yrs) is already away to Stirling Uni so that will leave 2 still at home.

Even thought it's winter I have managed to get out...an absolute necessity for me!

Balloch Park on Loch Lomond suffered storm damage, about 100 trees over, as a result of Storm Eowyn at the end of January.

The good news is that the sapling tree planting down 2 years ago by Chivas workers was well done and the young trees all survived.

Some very big, old trees came down.  The problem is that the ground is soaking wet and the roots are shallow.  Some were paritially rotten as well.

A yacht from across the loch probably at Cameron House got washed ashore at the edge of Balloch Park.  While high and dry it doesn't appear damaged.

FEBRUARY ROUND UP

A quick round up of February photos before the month is out.   

Harriet, aged 9.75 years.  

Ellie, aged 8 years.  

A good concert this month.  I am enjoying meeting a greeting a few people I haven't seen since before the pandemic.  Certainly, we are all getting out and about more.  Trips into town concerts are not so popular now as we can attend these concerts locally.

Iain, young Alastair, Ishie and I drove into Glasgow University to attend the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow lecture given by Sally Beamish, composer.  (We parked below the Glasgow University tower as seen above.)  The lecture was, as is too often the case, a disappointment: couldn't hear for all the usual reasons mainly to do with technology; interesting person with interesting subject was boring, i.e. did not talk to advertised topic (emotional responses to music etc) but just gave a "next slice please" type of list of her compositions starting from the beginning..... boring.

Spent a day with Ellie who is off school with the teachers' strike out and about doing a Nature Walk.  She kept a journal; I took photos.  The birch bark reminded me of many times in my childhood I admired it, peeled it off, tried to make things out of it etc etc.

Gavins' Mill in late February sunshine.

Harriet eating the pancakes we made on the day she was off school with the teachers' strike.

Ellie in Lennox park midst the snowdrops.

Snowdrops I planted in the park behind our house. 

THE WINTER'S BRIGHTENING by NIALL CAMPBELL

This year's BBC Radio 3's Carol Competition is set to Niall Campbell's poem which he reads here:

Look Here the Winter's Brightening [click on this to listen]

LOOK HERE! THE WINTER'S BRIGHTENING by Niall Campbell* 

Turn up the lights of a light-filled room.

Outside the winter’s closing in.

The night is cold but here’s the tune:

Look here!  The winter’s brightening!

Down goes the sun like a honeycomb.

Up goes the storming winds and rain.

But here’s moon, its full white bowl.

Look here!  The winter’s brightening!

Love sets a plate and lays the meal.

Love is the winter’s welcoming.

Its snow white door, the turning key.

Look here!  The winter’s brightening!

[* I took the words from his recitation as I can't find them printed anywhere!]

Our back garden this week

Early morning light

Daylight but no sunlight in the back garden

Sunlight hitting the trees

Alley heading to Bearsden Cross through New Kilpatrick Churchyard

* * * * * * * Ish and I went to IKEA and passed this (which is near IKEA store at Braehead) * * * * * * * 

Cruise ship at King George's dock which is is docked there.  We noticed people on board...migrants being temporarily housed.

* * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile the elves are busy * * * * * * * * *