FLOWERS OF EDINBURGH

While in Edinburgh this week I gathered a few photo of flowers as I walked from the train station to visit Inger.  'Flowers of Edinburgh' is also the title of one of my favourite fiddle tunes.

The city was looking very smart and tidy especially after the prolonged period of construction relating to the laying of the tram lines (and all the other street facilities that were required).

A Nursery window below street level - very eye catching!

The water of Leith in Dean Village

Dean Village

 The North British Hotel at the entrance to Waverley Station.  I so enjoyed seeing the blue sky all day in Edinburgh!

 

 Waverley Station entrance

OPPIE SAILOR IN THE MAKING

Ishie has been learning to sail at Bardowie Loch near our home in Milngavie. She has got the hang of it now as these photos show:

 Rudder in place, dagger board in place ...

She's off ... daggerboard up ... but....

 with daggerboard down.

Time to catch the fleet! Everyone is roughly the same age as Ishie. That is them off for their first sail all on their own.

SUMMER 2015 SAILING SCHOOL AT BARDOWIE

Ishie, 8 years old, is learning to sail at Bardowie Loch.  Optimist boats are used to teach the children the ropes.  

There are about 24 youngsters who are in 3 groups of 8. Shore drill first, then it's on the water with 'mother boats' in attendance.
 

 A slate grey sky with fields turning golden in the distance.

Ishie capsized on her first day and sustained a bang on her lip from the boom swinging back on her.  Having been dunked she was given a spare wet-suit to use and finds she quite likes the whole rig-out.  She also like the sailing knowing that the idea is to point the pointy end forward without banging into anyone.  (Actually, as she pointed out to me, Oppies have a square pointy bit at the front.)

Grandpa came out to see how she was getting on.  I think the fact that this loch is a short drive from our house might lead to some serious 'training sessions' some evening or at the weekend (until things finish in September).

Bardowie is owned by Clyde Cruising Club of which we are members (40 plus years) so it's a resource which, while our children learned some 30 years ago, we might find we are going to start using again with the next generation.

APPLESAUCE CAKE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIEND

In our house, growing up, there was always ... and I do mean ALWAYS ... a bowl of applesauce on the counter or in the fridge as it was my father's 'daily bread' so to speak. 

And so this week ... 

Nothing beats wet weather better than turning on the oven and baking a cake.  I was telling my neighbour that this Applesauce Cake that I decided to make was a real standby of my mother's; nothing reminded me more of her kitchen than the smell of cinnamon and other spices as the cake was baking.

I had a little 2 year old helper.  Harriet just loves to be busy and nothing kept as busy as playing with a cloth and a squeezy bottle of washing up liquid!                              

The sun came out for a few hours at mid-day and for most of the afternoon.

And the finished product, that is, what was left of it. Tonight it was cold; we had the fire on as it feels more like October than July!