whats in the pots?

some photographs from spring, these are now amongst the pots in the cold frame with their layer of stones and looking empty, well worth waiting for
iris reticulata 'harmony'
iris reticulata 'pauline'

on Sunday afternoon

the 'storm' did not appear though we did have some very heavy rain over Saturday night. Sunday afternoon was really nice out, not much to be done in the garden due to sodden conditions. I weeded these pots and replaced some gravel over their tops(this is meant to be an indicator to me not to throw it out as it contains 'something'). They will stay in this cold frame over the winter, there are some early crocus and daffodil bulbs, a couple of early iris reticulata and a couple of pots of shrub cuttings. I will cover the top when the weather gets very cold and wet(brr, even colder and even wetter! yuck!)

I covered my wooden bench to protect it from the wet too, although this means you can't sit on it when its nice enough to be outside. The first winter I used this cover with very strong rope and the wind lifted and pulled the bench right across the back part of the garden, like a big sail I suppose. There is now a padlocked chain attatching one leg of the bench to the fence, and the cover is attached with light string so it will break before lifting it. I swept round my brick paths after tidying the pots so everything looks nice and tidy.

waiting on the storm

The sun is shining and all seems calm, just waiting on the terrible forecast weather to hit, hopefully it won't!
I forget what this is, a climbing thing, hiding behind the greenhouse, amazingly with a couple of these gorgeous flowers on it today.
purple brussels sprouts, creating a nice colour if no actuall sprouts!!
the winter sun coming in low this morning and lighting up the leeks
the dew on the brussels sprouts leaves.

stones on Orkney

these pictures were taken on Orkney in October 2003,
as I transfer my pictures from PC to lap-top I am spending a lot time looking through them.
there's something about these that may have been the inpiration for a certain path. .
just the right kind of stones too, I should have taken a bucket with me. .

link to Smokey

Rosemary has posted some lovely pictures of Smokey on her gallery
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/gallery/?album=smokey&img=9

Broadband/visit to Alyth

well I have just conected to the internet with broadband for the first time, so these photographs are my 'see how it works' upload, four photographs in less time than it usually takes for one!

I went to my Dad's house in Alyth on Friday night. This is the view from the front of the house.
He has his flagpole out front, a Northumbrian flag for himself, a Saltire for Rosie and I visiting, and a St george for my sister, due to arrive.
Close up of a hand painted fruit bowl.
And Obbie, she is 12 now.

moan

I have just replaced four panes of glass in the greenhouse. One pane was broken about a year ago and has been duck-taped up all that time. The other three fell victim to three fist sized stones on Sunday evening.
bah humbug, grumble, bah humbug. (translate that as necessary!!!!!)
As the greenhouse is fairly aged it has unusuall sized glass, so I have to have it cut to order and have to pay over the odds too.
More grumbling, however the glass cutting man said, ah well, they were keeping him in a job. . .

gigs

nice day today , looking at some gigs for sale which should fit Smokey, this is very nice and needs a few minor touch ups.

this is the first one we looked at, its been nicely repainted by its current owner, very smart.

I'm quite jealous, it makes me wish I either had a horse or still worked with horses.

wooden buildings

these are two of the buildings from last weekend


this lovely wooden 'hut' is the compost toilet! its built on a slope so you enter the upper part to find one cubicle for pee, one for poo. I think the wet side goes to a soakaway and the solids are removed regularly , they are covered with wood shavings during use. lots of fresh air during use!

this shelter is built from green wood in a traditional crux style, the roof is beautifully done with oak shingles but unfortunatley I did not take a picture. it must be great building to work in during the summer, open and shady, not last week during the wet windy weather!

one of the joints in the building showing a split, its all done with traditional jointing and wooden dowals, no nails!!

aspirations

I may be posting intermitantly until I get the hang of the laptop. I've been on two hours and just manged to 'find' blogger dashboard. now just to transferr everything. . . I may be a while . . .

Barnluasgan

we are standing on Bellanoch view point looking towards Loch Crinan, you can see the Crinan Canal on the left of the picture
zoomed in on the same view, looking at the sea-state, gusting to gale force I think!

Loch Barnluasgan at twighlight as we came back from our afternoon walk. We learned tree identification(difficult when they have no leaves!!) and looked at different lichens and mosses typical to old oak forest, we discussed and learned why these trees are where they are(slope, drainage, shelter, soil) and how man has shaped and changed these places; indications show this was a managed area of hazel wood, and other coppiced trees showing insustry and carful useage by the peoples of the past. Also we looked at areas destroyed by modern forestry and how long it will take for those areas to recover, if ever.

wise idea?

forecast for this weekend West of Scotland, Force 7, moderate galeforce wind(33mph), near freezing temperatures and scattered showers.
My plans? Sustainable forestry, permaculture, CAMPING OUT ON SATURDAY!!!

photographs from a kayaking trip to Loch Quoich in 2004.

Nandina domestica

this 'Heavenly Bamboo' has come from an established garden, round a caravan which has been given up. its nice to have the 'instant' effect a mature plant can give.
lovely colour of leaves and is meant to do the same in spring with new ed leaves turning to green in the summer and back to this red in autumn. It may not keep its leaves all winter as my garden is not sheltered enough. It is hardy and hopefully it will suvive being moved.
this is lovely crumbly leaf mould from last years leaves, not totally broken down yet but I am using it anyway.

Kelsey May

Kelsey with mum Kirsty
Godmother Donna and her daughter Kimberly with Kirsty and Kelsy.
baby fast asleep throught the christening!
Michael discovers the christening cake and can't resist some icing!!

new backrest

See one of the important things about kayaking is to look good , and the Nordkapp(origional mold thankyou, none of this modern altered stuff) helps in that department a lot. Yes, it is very yellow.

new backrest fitted, thankyou Forbes!! it has been fitted 'upside down' but I need it that way as its an ocean cockpit(wee) and I have to slide in off the back deck(big bum!)

I recently took the kayak to work, put it down in the car park and sat in it while one of the chiropractors stuck her hand down the back of my trousers to see what the old backrest(a 2" web strap) was doing. You need not get embarassed easily!! She decided it pressed too hard onto two particular vertabrae and was a large part of the 'sore back' thing that was happening at that time. The new backrest covers a much larger area(that'll be the big bum again) and is quite padded so its spreading the 'load'. I found it very comfortable today, I paddled by myself( which I dont usually do) along the splash(big wall along the esplanade in Greenock) and back, enough for a stretch and some fresh air. Very nice it was too.

No friends available to paddle with as they have all gone off to Loch Etive for the weekend, I have to stay at home as Kirsty's wee girl Kelsey is being christened tomorrow. I have been 'booked' to take lots of pictures so I better get my batteries and spares on charge before I forget.

recived e-mail

Being Scottish is about driving a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or aTurkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.
And the most Scottish thing of all? Suspicion of all things foreign!
Only in Scotland can a pizza get to your house faster than an>ambulance.
Only in Scotland do supermarkets make sick people walk all the way to the back of the shop to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
Only in Sotland do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a DIET coke.
Only in Scotland do banks leave both doors open and chain the pens to the counters.
Only in Scotland do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and lock our junk and cheap lawn mower in the garage.
Only in Scotland do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.
Only in Scotland are there disabled parking places in front of a skating rink.
NOT TO MENTION..
3 Scots die each year testing if a 9v battery works on their tongue.
142 Scots were injured in 1999 by not removing all pins from new shirts.
58 Scots are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of screwdrivers.
31 Scots have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the fairy lights were plugged in.
19 Scots have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas decorations were chocolate.
Scottish Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after Xmas cracker-pulling accidents.
18 Scots had serious burns in 2000 trying on a new jumper with a lit cigarette in their mouth.
A massive 543 Scots were admitted to A&E in the last two years after trying to open bottles of beer with their teeth.
5 Scots were injured last year in accidents involving out-of-control Scalextric cars.
and finally...
In 2000 eight Scots were admitted to hospital with fractured skulls incurred whilst throwing up into the toilet.
If you're proud to be a Scot, share this!

chilly

today is the first touch of frost I have seen in the mornings
it was feeling cold last night and yesterday the greenhouse themometer showed 1ºC. brr. . .