Sunny Sunday in Edinburgh

After a week of total crap weather, including two days with winds gusting up to 70mph, it was wonderful to wake up this morning to a glorious, sunny day. We took Ozzy for his usual walk, around 9:00am (no sleeping in on Sundays--or any days really--around our house, not with Bossy Boots).

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Even with the tide out, you can see how still the water was this morning. It was so quiet, after the horrible winds, though there was definitely a chill in the air. And look at the sky. Not a cloud. It's days like this that I love living in Scotland.



Ozzy loves jumping up on the sea wall. I love how this photo came out.



The first glimmer of the leaves changing. We are climbing the hill, leading into the woods, which is halfway home at this point.



Hard to get the perspective here, but we've climbed way up the hill. With the tide out, you can't see much of the water, but wow, look at the sky. (Since we don't see much of the sky around here, I'm totally mesmerized when we do..!!)


Because it was so beautiful, when we got back from the walk, Alan and I decided to work in the garden. After pruning some roses, and taking out all the dessicated Sweet Peas, I picked some tomatoes for a salad.



That was an attempt at a fake out. Did you think they were nice, big tomatoes..?? Well, remember this is Scotland; with only 4 sunny days per year, tomatoes have a hard time. Here's what they really look like. And, yes, that's a teaspoon. Stop laughing...they still taste great even though they're small. OK, miniature. Shut up.




Nasturtiums are still growing, and look great. These are right at the front gate. I love the contrast with the gray stone walls.



And, last but not least: my work shoes. I love these shoes. I've had them for about 10 years, but sadly, in shoe years, they're about 387 years old and nearing the end of their days. The right big toe space is now worn through, they are spattered with paint, scuffed beyond any shoe polish help. Notice the left one is a different color..?? I was crawling on my hands and knees, painting the baseboard the other day and stuck my foot in the paint can lid. Then I had to use a scrub brush to remove the paint, which took off the top layer of leather. Oh well, I'm still not throwing them out. Clarks doesn't make this style anymore, so I'm doomed when these are totally wasted.

There's just nothing like a comfortable, perfect pair of old friends, is there..??

Bits and Pieces

April 26, 2009
(I started to write this blog on April 9th, lost track, and am just now publishing).

Good grief. I am just hopeless at finding the time to keep up with my blog..!! This is totally why I am crap at keeping a journal. I actually have a whole shelf filled with journals, all of which start out so full of promise and good intentions (and we know where that paved road goes, don't we..??), then peter out sometime around Spring. I haven't managed to complete a whole journal year since I was a kid with my diary. Sigh. Oh well, I'm doing pretty good with this blog if you consider I'm writing a couple times per month.

I took some really cool photos this month. We had the worst start of April here in Cramond. There's this bizarre Scottish weather thing called haar (not as in hardy har har, for sure..!!). It is the most ferocious, icy fog you can possibly imagine. It's not normal fog, it's something off the Arctic, combined with a wind chill that is unbelievably cold and bitter...a misery. Just before the haar settled in (for over a week), we had a wonderful, warm sunny better-than-Summer day and I couldn't resist taking a few photos of this phenomenon. The very next day the contrast couldn't have been more stark, so I took my camera when we went walking with Ozzy on the first of the haar days...and here are the photos.

This is one of my favorite trees along the route where we walk Ozzy. It's at the top of a hill, with a wonderful view of the Forth. On a good day you can see from Bass Rock down the coast, to the Forth Bridge up the river. I love this tree. It reminds me of a childhood tree that I used to climb to read my books, above and away from everything.


And this was the next day. Same location, same time of day, and check out that haar. Honestly, if I could send the cold through this blog, you would freeze to your chair. It was a completely bone-chilling week.





Here the Almond River flows into the Forth, and the Cramond Boat Club has just put out their boats for the season (first weekend in April). We've just walked along the river, and are starting the long trek along the promenade to the large hill where the above tree lives.




And, the haar sinks down to envelop everything in it's path. Alan and I decided it was actually colder that week than at the height of the frigid Winter. There's something about the haar that just permeates into your body like nothing else. Brrrrrrr...





Now, we're almost into May, the haar is gone and we've actually had some good days. Alan has spent a great deal of time working in the garden, and has done a brilliant job of getting everything looking just beautiful. I've taken a real leap of faith and planted all the pots around the house. I know for Scotland it's pretty early, but I just can't wait sometimes.

I got a new greenhouse this year, which is twice as big as my old ratty one, so have potted 3 tomato plants and have them happily growing in their new house. I'm trying a mini-plot of corn this year in my raised bed, and though the packet of seeds said it was a variety suitable for rainy Summers, I haven't seen them sprout yet and it's been 2 weeks already. If the rule of thumb is "knee high by the 4th of July" I could be in trouble..!!

Here's another cool thing: I have a bonsai tree...!! We went to Dobbie's last week (my favorite garden center on the planet), where they were having a really good sale on plants, and as I was meandering in their specialty area I found this wonderful selection of bonsai. I have always wanted to have one of these little trees, so we picked out the one we liked the best, and lo and behold, here it is:



Is that cool, or what..?? Isn't that twisty trunk just amazing..?? It's, of course, much more beautiful in person as you can't quite see all the tiny little leaves in this photo. I just love it and am learning all kinds of things about trimming and watering and root cutting, etc.

It turns out Derek (across the street neighbor) has several bonsai trees so I went over to see them, and ask some questions from an expert. He has one in particular that looks exactly like a Hobbit tree, with a thick gnarly trunk and everything. Scott (brother-in-law) has one that my sister bought him years ago, and I've always loved it. So, now I have joined the ranks of the bonsai fanatics, and I'm thrilled...!! This tree is a Chinese Lacebark Elm and apparently (as I'm just learning), the weirder and more "barky" the trunk, the cooler the tree.

That's about all for the moment. It's time for Ozzy's afternoon walk, then BBQ ribs for dinner. I'm really going to try to be more on top of this blog, though famous last words, I know. Ah well, twice a month is better than none...right...??

Life in Scotland

I have some moments where I miss my old life in America. I miss graham crackers, Saltines, a really juicy hamburger and milkshake, good Mexican food, my mother's home cooking, and myriad other things too numerous to mention.

Then there are the other times when I realize what a wild, wonderful, ancient land Scotland is, and how much I love it here. But, with Thanksgiving approaching, I always get nostalgic for my first homeland, so I thought I would change my perspective today, and look at all the beauty around me here.

I live in a little area of Edinburgh called Cramond. The village of Cramond is about 4 blocks from the house. This is a picture of the local pub in the village. Honestly, could it be more picturesque..??

This is the actual village of Cramond, and dates back for centuries. The pub (in the previous photo) is behind this block of dwellings. The cafe in the foreground serves wonderful food, and delicious coffee. The view from the cafe is outstanding, with river and mountain views, though I don't seem to have a photo at the moment to show the view. Course, any view in Scotland also depends on good weather, which is in short supply most days.

One of our "walking Ozzy" paths, which leads eventually to the village, and to the waterfront. Cramond has the River Almond, which moseys into the Forth, which leads to the North Sea, so lots of water abounds. And that's not counting the rain, smirr, haar, rainy fog, lashings, torrentials, etc. Like the Inuits have 28 words for snow, I'm sure Scotland has the same for rain...

The bottom of the path (above) leads through the grounds of the Cramond Kirk. The church sits on Roman ruins from the 1st century. This was the farthest outpost for the Romans, and it must have seemed like the end of the world for them; they never went north of this point. The kirk has been on this spot since the 15th century. It has a Norman tower on the other side (not visible in this photo).

Edinburgh Castle, my most favorite castle in the world, and that's saying loads in a country filled with stunning castles of all kinds. I definitely have a Top 5 list (Edinburgh, Tantallon, Dunnotter, Urquhart, Drummond), but Edinburgh is somehow, I don't know, so mythical, I always have it at the head of the list. Nearly anywhere you go in the city, you can see it, rising above everything. It's beautiful.

Another view of the city, with the castle in the background. Photo taken from Calton Hill, looking across the city.

You can't come to Edinburgh and not see Greyfriar's Bobby. To the left of his statue is the church where he's buried. His little grave is always covered in flowers.

Well, I think that gave me a good shot in the arm...and the attitude. I have barely scratched the surface of Edinburgh, of course, but each of these photos remind me of other things around my house, the village, and the city. I will next have to refresh my mind by exploring the Scottish countryside, the abbeys, and other castles I've seen. Soon the Christmas Fair starts in Princes Street Gardens, with all kinds of events, crafts, gifts, food and music, so I will definitely get some new photos, and memories of my second home.