The great escape, whizzing away from the rain
Last Friday I think. Mr P was free for a few hours and I was still riding (comparatively) high on the oomph from K's visit that I thought we could maybe take Lucy to the beach. Regular readers will know how I've been desperate to get to a beach for over a year but my damn health has thwarted every attempt. I was so determined to make it this time but within 10mins of getting things ready and collecting Lucy it was clear that I was already knackered and wouldn't manage the Yellowcraigs trip. I was so bummed till I realised we could go to Crammond instead. Yey for Crammond.
Lightened this so you could see her, the clouds were much darker.
Not the long sandy beach of my dreams, but only 25 mins by car and at least it has water and some sand. Heavy rain threatened constantly but as it never actually dropped on us we were able to enjoy the moody skies it brought as it approached. Looking East down the Firth of Forth...
Apparently Lucy likes to drink sea water, eat seaweed and then throw up at L's house the next day so L had asked that we not let her go in the water. I thought it would be difficult (she LOVES water) but there were so many doggy smells all over the beach she seemed very content wandering around snuffling at rocks and grasses while we sat on a log watching the world's maddest spaniel chase gulls through the water non-stop for about 40 minutes. Seriously, it literally did not stop running and when it passed us again later it was still doing it, full speed, soaking wet, happy as can be. It seemed to nicely balance out my own lack of motion.
Funny how things change. I was that spaniel for years, doing everything super fast, bundles of energy. When I went to school I walked so fast that the boys used to make a passing racing car noise as I overtook them- Neeeeeauw. The spaniel wasn't alone, it's owner had another older spaniel as well, he had a dodgy leg and plodded very slowly and carefully around the rocks on the beach. I never realised at the time that the dogs were the before and after of me. But I still have hope that I'll be a mad spaniel again, or something in between. Yes, in between is more sensible.
* just added, low quality 18 second clip of the spaniel!
Still taking this gently but realised I was neglecting the blog so some more pics from our trip to Inchcolm Island last week. The dull wet weather over the last few days has been leaving even the perkiest of people feeling a bit tired but today the sun is shining between the rain bringing much needed light and warmth. I feel a bit desolate about the almost total lack of summery-ness. It's such a key top up to the body and mind that makes getting through winter more bearable. I'm struggling with the realisation that the nights are getting darker and we only had 2 nights where the cloud lifted enough to appreciate the light in July.
It makes me glad I pushed myself during K's visit. I knew it would wipe me out long term, but I saw it as my opportunity to have a few days of 'holiday' even though I was at home and she was the traveller. I did all the things I do for a proper holiday, visit 'places of interest' - Roslin Chapel, Inchcolm Island and Habitat (it had to be done, though no purchases were made). I bought outrageous quantities of different fruits for us to munch on, used non-recycled toilet paper for a few days (wild crazy woman that I am! but oh, it was so comparatively soft I felt like I was in a hotel), I even flushed the toilet after each use - so decadent, though given our water situation I didn't actually feel guilty for a change.
It felt good to live like I wasn't poor for a few days. I'm particularly proud of myself for not breaking the allergy diet during the whole time, even though there were Tunnock's Tea Cakes and a box of Border Dark Chocolate Gingers (biscuits) tempting me daily. If you've never had a Choc Ginger Biccy this review would tempt you to buy, they are incredibly tasty. Instead I treated myself to the oft mentioned Ginger Cake, which is pretty much as good a treat.
I'm still not blog reading, hard to believe isn't it! If any of you have had birthdays, blogiversaries, births or other celebratory events while I've been absent then please accept my good wishes, felicitations, congratulations and any other 'ations' that seem fitting.
It's done, it's done!
The floor is finally laid in Mr P's room, and not a moment too soon as K arrives in 44hrs. See the cat as he climbs over the dangerously trailing extension cable... no time to re-wire! Still lots and lots to do, the original contents of that room are piled all over the house and goodness only knows where to put them all. But hey, who cares about that, finally there is a room where the cat shows up for photographs. Have fun on the weekend.
Seed Project 1992
Melanie, just for you, I had one more photo I took last week when I found the old portfolio. Some time in the future I'm sure I'll stumble on the full collection (there were 100's) and show more.
I remember swooning when I found this because they were held in a net and nets were such a key part of my work at the time. I'm a bit obsessed with nets really, to the annoyance of Mr P who isn't even allowed to throw out the net bags that fruit, onions and garlic come in.
I used to collect old fishing nets washed up on the beach (especially the blue ones) and after a trip to a museum in Germany I became fascinated with the craft of net making. Plus it tied in so nicely with my love of macramé, well, I was a 70's child after all and loved nothing more than going through my granny's macramé magazine's and making hanging plant pot holders. I started making a huge macramé room divider when I first moved to my new house but quickly realised I would need mountain and mountains of string, so I just hung lace panels instead. I still hoard string so maybe one day I'll have enough to make it.
Ok back to work, the floor is still not laid, wah, unforseen problems etc. but fingers crossed there will be progress today.
Some seed photo's from my studies at the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens in '92. I had never seen anything like these before, the ones above (8 in the original photo) look like little bats heads, or aliens (Yoda/E.T.), and are responsible for some of my stranger looking artworks. Crappy picture quality, I must get my negatives digitised.
Another page from that old garden sketchbook...
