Hogmanay Memory Lane (Part 2)

Eerie landscape

I have made a gallery of the most evocative photographs of 2013 for me.  It was Pup’s year and so he features quite a bit.  I had a life changing experience over the summer – represented by two images not previously shared here – the misty morning view of Kirrie Hill was taken the morning I launched the Steps Tay Health walks; I shared that picture with a special person.  The following week I saw this strange start to a rainbow which went on to be a rare double rainbow; I did not find out for a few days but that was the day that special person died – totally unexpectedly.  Three days later there was what I can only describe as a Rainbow storm (15 rainbows in 3 hours many of them double and/or supernumerary).  Finally organising the Christmas Market is represented by the tree and finishing with my boys curled up with the Cairn over the Christmas break.

It has been quite a year all in all.  I am still not in work so financially life remains tough; including having to fight to keep my home and the bank complaint is still not resolved.  The boys have been fantastic company and I wouldn’t have found it as easy to keep going without them both.

I started some studies using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and have met people worldwide which has been both amazing and scary.  One of those people was that special person.  I am sad that he has gone but happy that in a few short months we had a friendship filled with sharing, laughter and open communication – we both knew that we chatted because we each wanted to and there were no taboo topics of conversation.  I finally succeeded in not placing any conditions on another person and I have never missed someone so greatly when we were not actually chatting.

After he died some friends seem to have faded away – not sure whether they cannot cope with my feelings or they don’t know how to respond.  I always miss friends when this happens but I am not chasing after them so if they are choosing to walk a different path I wish them well and hope they will be happy.

Overall I have  a lot to be thankful for and this song has really stuck out for me these past few days …

There are two people I would love to share this with … but one of them I no longer can and the other, having shared the journey through life and grief for  a few weeks has now struck out on his own path … I will let my thankful heart sing out the song in the hope that he might hear it and know it is from me.

“Thankful”

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can’t see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can’t see.
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There’s so much sorrow
It’s way too late to say
I’ll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It’s so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for 
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences 
There is a place we’re all connected
Each of us can find each other’s light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for 
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There’s so much to be thankful for

Part of the reason I am able to be thankful despite the struggles is because I set out to find and learn from Serenity.  It has helped immensely and I have  aboard on Pinterest to keep reminding me of this.  For 2014 my OLW is “Successful” and I already have a board to represent this.  My dreams and plans of starting the hostel are still there but so are the challenges to overcome in getting started – including someone else considering purchasing the building.  I have to focus on getting some income and then hope I can still proceed with the hostel but if that building goes I can at least adapt my plan to another community, although that will feel sad after I have fought so hard to stay in this community.

So farewell 2013 … and bring it on 2014.  And to each of you (as they say hereabout) Lang may your lum reek …

Catch Up …

It has been a catching up sort of a day!  Catching up on rest, sleep, and some of my online places.  The boys did catching up too – on sleep and more sleep!

So I thought I would post a few catch up photos …

 

I made some seaglass Christmas tree ornaments as a gift – think I might have to make some during the year and get them in my Etsy shop (Zendants) in time for Christmas 2014 …

 

The Town Christmas tree lit up just before Christmas … ahhh bonny!

Even in December I love the beach … this is south Ayr with my two boys … Pup’s first time on the beach and he adored every second (and was a very well behaved boy)

Tomorrow I will do a calendar of 2013 with my 12 favourite photos and look forward to 2014 – going from Serenity to Successful … if any readers are One Little Word (OLW) people would love to see what your words are for the coming year – why not leave a comment?

DesRes

I was going to tease you all a little longer but my secret has already been guessed – this will be Insect Marbella … a highrise of bits and bobs that will provide nooks and crannies, sheltered crevices and even food for the garden bugs.  Now I am not majorly enamoured with bugs but (1) they mostly do a good job n the garden and (2) I don’t feed the birds but this will give them some natural foods to hunt for.

I have chosen to put it against the block wall; it will be tucked in the back of the border, it will be shaded from most of the day’s sun but will get a nice warm on an evening to tuck the little creepy crawlies in for a good night’s sleep.  More to follow as it gets completed.

Pup is currently on hedgehog patrol … so I need to be vigilant and am up and down like a jack in the box.

This will have to be just a tease too because the other views have not finished rendering but this is a whole other sort of jungle inspired desres  – the ultimate tree house?

Built to resemble a big hollow tree with a spiral of steel beams form a central ‘hollow trunk’ –  look at that cosy window seat just waiting to welcome us for a picnic …

Well I Never …

I have spent most of today doing maths!  I need to get some professional advice on some aspects of the Tick Tock plans but since I currently have no money to pay for that and I am looking for a ‘free’ initial discussion and then a delayed invoice until my business plan can be completed I am trying to do as much as I can so that the professional advice can be a ‘yes/no’ dialogue.

Eventually it will need the full formal consultation but at the moment I need some things so that we can put costs to the plans I draw up and so we can look at possible funding supports and so on.

So I have sat here with my plans and a copy of the Scottish Building Regs for non domestic buildings.

The Birds and the Bees!

It is okay you can open your eyes – no sex in this blog!  No photographs of birds either but we have had a bit of a day of it!  Dog breakfast time was visited by a curious blackbird who landed just behind Pup – who fortunately was busy with his breakfast and keeping an eye on Dog’s breakfast.  The blackbird looked sideways at me and seemed to realise it’s mistake before making a couple of nonchalant hops as if to say “I meant to do that you know” and then flying off.

The Crow

Although this blog post involves a dead thing – there are no close ups on gory so I have decided to include it here rather than Pup’s training blog because it was actually a lovely interaction:

We had walked about half way along the larch spinney when Pup discovered a prostate corvid.  Now there is something you need to know if  you are not familiar with crows – they apparently taste vile because of the oil on their feathers … many dogs will not touch them at all.  Dog however has no problem picking them up!  Looking at where it was I would guess it had hit the tree and broken it’s neck.

So Pup looked at the this poor dead creature and then looked at me as if to say what do I do? am I allowed?

Wind Damage Surveyed

A quick photo blog of our walk in the woods today surrounded by bluebells, unfurling bracken fronds, rubbish from the building site on Dog’s stubble field and a couple of trees pushed over in last week’s gales …

And then I went to the supermarket – it was fairly boring and tedious so you don’t need the details – except to say that I not only added it up right today but I managed some really quite impressive bargains and savings to make the most of my food budget.

And the day ended with another one of these …

Tomorrow is Community Council – and I have several tasks to do during the day to prepare for it …

British Bank Holiday Weather …

… in other words it has rained all day, been grey and dull and chilly!  So we have sheltered indoors (apart from when I had to go on poo picking duty and then that was hood up scurry out and back again!) rather like this wee rowan sheltering underneath a big conifer …

So now you have tree-porn on the blog too – cuddling in public open spaces whatever next!  not even like they are both deciduous it can only end in strife!

Daft Dog … Clever Pup

I had one of those adventures that happen to me sometimes today – but I didn’t get muddy at all; possibly because despite all the downpours we have had the ground is drying out and the small drainage dykes are dry too.

So this morning was fairly Sunday morningish except that my boys did not allow me a long lie today – Pup has started this week insisting on being in his bed between 22:15 and 22:30 so when he has had enough sleep he wants to be up and about in the mornings.  If I can get into a pattern I will start taking them out as soon as we get up because it is starting to get too hot for them in the middle of the day.  Anyway there was building going on next door making a racket so once I had had breakfast and done everything I needed to get done we set off for our walk.

Weird Weather …

I am pleased to say that after a really cloudy month at night the moon is back and in a position where I can more easily photograph.  It is really odd to stand outside with a still bright blue sky above and blackbirds signing away taking pictures of the moon.  And with the camera settings you don’t see the blue sky at all.

These past few days the weather has been changeable and most odd.  We have house of bright blue sky with white billowing clouds and bright sunshine, then suddenly it has become foggy or the wind has appeared from nowhere and we have horizontal rain!  I have had three duckings in the past week when out with the dogs … I try to travel light with them so I dress according to the weather when I set out and the immediately obvious possibilities … so if all I can see is blue sky I tend not to add a waterproof at this time of year.

Today we had got onto the estate, visited with the beasts (yes I still got growled at but he did get brave enough to almost touch my had – and they must quite like us because they stampeded from the far end of the field especially to visit with us!) and then we were on the way back when the squall hit.  I had taken the tennis ball thrower for Pup and he was asking me to throw his ball and I was trying to get in the lee of a large tree for a bit of shelter … but no Mr I have a thick coat like my Grandaddy wasn’t for hiding in the dry!