50,219

Me with Shetland pony at Kailzie Gardens July '07

Sorry for the wait, after 2 days of nothing at all my Clustr map finally gave an update around 3am. 50,219 visitors since 11th May '07, amazing. Mr P has is on a training thing so he'll pick a name from a hat when he returns in the evening and I'll post the result on monday. Thanks to those who commented, and for those of you who are new, I'll pop by and say hi on your blogs when my brain is less fuzzled :0)


The Scottish Borders are full of sheep and rolling hills

The photo's shown are from my attempt at a holiday last year, and by holiday I mean an afternoon in the car. I was really struggling with my lungs at that point and walking was hard, but after 6 weeks of rain the sun peeped out a little and we agreed the day had to be grasped. We drove south past the house I still think of as home, and beyond to Kailzie Gardens where we stopped briefly in hopes of reliving my childhood by getting a giant gobstopper (jaw breaker) in the gift shop. No gobstoppers, I guess some things just aren't meant to be. I was consoled by the ponies as I shuffled back to the car. Then on to the Grey Mare's Tail and along to the Megget Dam...


The Megget Dam built in '78, is disguised from below by grass with grazing sheep. At age 9 this was the most amazing 'green' project I'd ever seen. It made a big impact. This is also where I first saw a green car parking area (the old concrete with gaps type).

Then over the dam past the resevoir and down the other side where the beauty of the drystane dykes (dry stone walls) becomes more apparent. I remember feeling immensely proud as a child when my parents told me that the dykes in that area had been built decades and decades ago by one of our relatives, I think he was on my mother's side, I forget now, maybe one of her Great Uncle's or Great Grandfather, I must ask, particularly as they influenced my own work...


Piling stones is in my genes, this is a piece of my family history is still standing strong

Hope you are all enjoying the 1st weekend of February..oh! that reminds me, I've got Lucy for 3 days in a row starting today. Still not used to the fact that it's February already. Lucky I wrote this or she'd have been sitting 'till Monday needing a pee and a feed, though Mr P would have reminded me, I'm sure. Oh dear, now I'm seriously questioning the wisdom of being up blogging till 5.30am... but it's such a great distraction from aches and pains, a type of alternative therapy you might say.