Hot weather and another barbecue

Last night we had yet another barbecue in the garden. The fourth of this year if I am correct, which is pretty good going before the end of May. I enjoyed sitting in the (mercifully) slightly cooling air as we munched our veg and non-veg sausages, looking around at the dear faces of James, Davie, Ally and Cat. It was so warm that there was no need to go inside and we sat chatting in the garden for ages. There’s something lovely about a barbecue. It’s a family tradition that started with my parents, who had various barbecues in the 1970s including a marvellous little terracotta one. My Aunt Hilary gave us a lovely red and black barbecue as a wedding present in 1985, which was a really brilliant idea among all the more sensible (although very much appreciated) presents, and it was well used in the wee garden of our “four-in-a-block” in Burnside (described more poshly by the estate agent as a “quarter-villa”)
Our first barbecue has long since rusted away but the tradition has continued. We have a large barbecue with wheels at one end, which is kept handily in the shed (not my shed of loveliness, the more utilitarian shed at the side of the house). We also use a wee portable barbecue that we can take to the beach or on holiday. Memorably, we have used public barbecues on holiday, in Australia, and once beside Kettle Lake in western Canada, with all the boys. So it all brings back great memories which more than make up for the often rather charred quality of the food!
After dinner, Ally and Davie turned their attention to the stump of our demised plum tree, which James proposed to leave for the time being because it had broken off at ground level. However the boys were concerned that as it rots it could cause a dangerous hole to form under the grass, so out came the axe and a spade and they set to it with great enthusiasm. They really are strong, fit young men, and after much digging and wood splitting the remaining part of the tree trunk was removed in several pieces. Of course the roots are still under there but they will be absorbed back into the soil in time. Ally and Davie then filled in the hole with soil and packed it down. You can hardly tell that there was ever a tree there at all, which left me feeling slightly wistful. Où sont les plum trees d’antan?

Farewell to our plum tree

It’s the end of an era at Casa Anderson. Our plum tree, which already graced our back grass when we moved in thirty-one years ago, has finally given up the ghost. We have known for a while that it was dying, but thought we should let nature take its course. It produced a few flowers this spring and there were even a few tiny plums growing on its branches.
This afternoon James attached his hammock between it and one of the pear trees, as we have done for many years. However, as he climbed into it there was a loud creaking sound and the plum tree came crashing down and James landed on the ground in the hammock. The hammock of course pulled the tree towards James so as he sat on the ground he saw the tree falling towards him. James rolled out of the way just in time, like in a James Bond movie.
Meanwhile Cat, who was sitting in the garden on a Birthday Zoom call to her Mum (and her Dad too), heard the commotion and came running up the garden to see if James was ok. David heard it too and fetched Ally and me. I feel rather sad for our plum tree. It has been part of all of our lives for so long; we have eaten its fruit and the cats have climbed on it, and it features in many photos of family celebrations in the garden, going back to when the boys were babies. Farewell noble plum tree.

Phase 1 - moving out of lockdown

The weather today was absolutely glorious, and, apart from some essential housework, I spent most of the day outside. We put up both hammocks in the garden and we all had lunch outside. James and I went for a walk at the Cuningar Loop in the morning, where we saw lots of other people out enjoying the sunshine, but they were all behaving themselves and keeping well apart.
This evening we all went outside to clap for the NHS for the last time; it has been ten weeks since it started and the person who started it has suggested that ten weeks is sufficient and that we should stop rather than tail off. As hoped, tomorrow Scotland will be moving into Phase 1 of easing the lockdown. The biggest change is that sitting down or picnicking in parks will be permitted, as well as socialising in parks or even in people’s gardens, as long as social distancing is observed.
The evening was so warm that we stayed out in the garden for ages, chatting and reading. Alasdair and Cat, however, appeared outside with a barbell set and embarked on a vigorous weights session on the grass! Oh to be young! Not that I used weights even when I was young!

My Cotoneaster is Buzzing

Some of my book club friends have commented on our “group chat” that the cotoneasters in their gardens are covered with bees. I took a look at ours today and sure enough it was full of bees, who were buzzing very loudly. Our friend and bee expert, Doreen, explained that its little flowers are nectar and pollen rich. The bees certainly love it!
It was very mild today and I had a pleasant walk around the streets; the trees and hedges are so green and summery now. James mentioned the saying “Ne’er cast a clout till May is oot” which means don’t take off your warm clothes until the May tree has bloomed - the May tree is the hawthorn, of which there are plenty blossoming beautifully around here. Later I had a chat on Zoom with my lovely school friends - more than fifty years since we met and we still have plenty to chat about!

35th Wedding Anniversary Celebration

Ally dropped me off at Carmyle today and I had a beautiful riverbank walk eastwards before heading through Greenoakhill Community Woodland and across the motorway bridge, then via Thornwood Woods to  the centre of Uddingston. By the time I got there I didn’t fancy walking back so I phoned James who kindly came to pick me up. On arrival at home we were surprised with a formal written invitation to our 35th wedding anniversary meal which was to take place this evening in the lounge. The young ones had made a gorgeous invitation, which included the menu and was illustrated with a photo of our own front gate. When the appointed hour arrived, James and I were served drinks by our waiter Alasdair, who was smartly dressed in trousers, shirt and waistcoat. They had set up a little table in the bay window of the lounge with a candle and it was a lovely sunny evening. Meanwhile our chefs Cat and David were working hard in the kitchen to produce a delicious three course meal that was to the standard of professional fine dining. We started with pea and mint soup that was top notch, then James was given a massive steak with all the trimmings and I had spaghetti with goat’s cheese and asparagus. Both dishes were cooked to perfection. Dessert was chocolate fondants with ice cream, which were delightful. We put on some French music and even had a little dance between courses. James and I really felt as if we were dining in a restaurant. It was such a special evening and they treated us like royalty - they didn’t even let us clear up.
It was particularly kind and well-timed because I have been feeling a bit down for the past couple of days. Our lovely anniversary meal was so thoughtful and tonight I feel very loved and happy.
A reason for my recent malaise may have been reading a book called Motherwell by Deborah Orr, who was almost exactly my age (just three months older than me) and was brought up in Lanarkshire just a few miles away from me. It’s very well written but I found it really quite disturbing and extremely sad! The antidote was to start reading another Ruth Galloway murder mystery - there’s nothing like a bit of murder, archeology, and of course a simmering sexual tension between the two main characters to cheer me up!
It has been a truly lovely day.

Lilac Tree

Today there has been a bit of an update about quarantine in Scotland. All being well, that is if the amount of cases continues to fall, on the 28th May we will be allowed to sit down in parks, visit garden centres, and even meet friends / family outside (but not in houses.) This is definitely a step in the right direction. England already has this level, being a couple of weeks ahead of us in the progress of the virus. No word yet on when we will be able to head to Ullapool, although in another bit of good news, our sofa bed and a chair were delivered to our house there this morning by Ikea, and the delivery man was willing to leave the furniture in the garage even though we were not able to be there to sign for it. So when we eventually get back to Ullapool, which I hope will be in weeks rather than months, we will have somewhere more comfortable than the air bed upon which to sleep.
Life continues quietly but pleasantly here in our lockdown routine. This past couple of days have been particularly warm and sunny so last night we seized the opportunity to have another barbecue and it was very pleasant. It was a wee bit showery this morning but heated up by lunch time so I am blogging from my hammock. The hammock is right beside the little lilac tree that we bought almost exactly a year ago in Doncaster, in the heady days just after James’ retirement when we celebrated rather copiously with day trips, lunches, and several short holidays and weekends away. With hindsight I’m rather glad that we did so; little did we know that less than a year later we would be locked down due to a pandemic.
Anyway, I remember that the lilac tree filled the car with its fragrance as we drove north, but only bloomed for a further few days after we got home. A year later it is still quite small, but thriving, and it is covered with large delicate clusters of pale pinky purple blossom. It looks beautiful, and even better the gorgeous scent wafts around me with each breath of breeze.

Nature Walk

I received a book today that I ordered recently, called “What’s that flower?” It is intended to identify wild flowers, so James and I went for an afternoon stroll down to the Clyde Walkway to try it out. We successfully identified wild garlic (we knew what that was already so it was a good way to check that the book works) and also common comfrey, which we saw in both white and pink. We spotted some creeping cinquefoil and saw lots of giant hogweed, which James warned me not to go near because it’s poisonous. We saw broom and gorse, and lots of hawthorn trees in beautiful full bloom, their branches heavy with white blossom. James is so knowledgeable about these things and told me lots about plants and trees that we saw on our walk. As we were scrutinising a delicate pale lilac flower, a cheerful lady passed us on the path and called out, “I think that’s a cuckoo flower!” We checked our trusty flower book and she was right! I enjoyed our nature walk.

Cooking and Baking

As a recently signed up vegetarian (that’s three months now) I have been concerned that my vegetarian meals would seem like a poor second best to what James, Ally and Davie were tucking into. For example, James and I pride ourselves on our delicious chilli con carne, which we make using a recipe that we have been using for the past thirty-five years. I don’t want to be watching the boys scarfing it down while I’m eating a completely different meal, no matter how tasty. I don’t mean that my vegetarian meals always have to be the exact equivalent of a meaty meal, but sometimes it’s nice to have a similar look or theme.
So this afternoon I spent a bit of time concocting a vegetarian chilli. I used M & S vegan mince, which is made with seasoned soya protein. It has a good texture and browned nicely before being added to the onions, tomatoes and kidney beans. I was very pleased with the results; it really had the taste and texture of our chilli con carne. I had made plenty so was able to divide it into portions for freezing. I also made kedgeree for dinner for James, Ally, Cat and Davie. It turned out well although for some reason the rice took ages to cook.
Cat decided to bake cupcakes in the evening, I think that I have mentioned before that she is an excellent baker. She had noticed that we have rather a surfeit of lemons at the moment, so she made lemon and blueberry muffins. Oh my goodness, they are delicious! I had one after watching “Grayson Perry’s Art Club” * and it was bursting with flavour.

* I am loving this quirky wee art programme, which is aimed at helping us get through the lockdown through creating and enjoying art. It’s particularly of interest to me because I have been doing a bit of drawing recently. It’s interesting as well as fun.

Corona Manners

I have noticed a quarantine etiquette during my many walks around our neighbourhood over the last month and a half. People politely swerve to opposing sides of the path to distance themselves from each other in the park. In doing so, we nod and smile ruefully at the situation in which we find ourselves. When we pass people on the streets, the convention is for one person to step onto the road as we pass, providing that it’s safe without traffic whizzing past, or even to cross the road to the opposite pavement. The person who has stayed on the pavement says “Thank you” or at least mouths it with a smile. Sometimes a short exchange of pleasantries takes place; “What’s this like?” “That’s me taking my daily exercise!” “At least the weather’s good!” concluding with “Take care!” or “Stay safe!”
Yesterday as James and I passed the care home at the top of Greenlees Road, we noticed a couple of about our own age standing outside, talking to one of the residents through the window, which was cracked open just a little so that they could hear each other. While I found this very moving, I noted that I didn’t find it surprising. Families being separated by Coronavirus has become the norm for us now.
In other news, it’s summer duvet time at Casa Anderson! Always a moment for celebration, we have officially moved into the summer season.

French Film Friday

It was a bit overcast today but that didn’t stop James and me from getting out for a walk. We headed to Gilbertfield and then onwards to Dechmont Hill. We tried to find a more gentle slope up from the firing range but ended up climbing up a steep slope again! At least it was short, and soon we were taking in the views from the top of the hill. We walked home via the more civilised slopes of the golf course. It was very quiet, I think that other walkers had perhaps been put off by the rain shower that happened just before we set off. 

Last night Cat, James and I watched another French film; L’Appartement, starring Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci. It makes me so happy that Cat watches films with me; we have watched quite a few French films together over the years as well as during quarantine. L’Appartement was made in 1995, and in fact its two stars sparked up a romance, and later married and had two daughters, although they are divorced now. In the film you can certainly see a chemistry between them. The film had some good moments but the plot was very convoluted which was kind of irritating. James managed to stay awake throughout, which is not always the case when he watches a French film - and even pointed out that there were parallels between the film and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” - I was genuinely impressed because I hadn’t picked up on it myself and he was quite right. 

Later Cat showed me some YouTube videos about fashion; it’s a whole other world and it was fascinating. 

Cats in Quarantine

I wonder what the cats must make of James, me, Ally, Cat and Davie, being at home all of the time. The cats’ view of the world has long been a subject of debate between James and me. He tends to think that the cats very much live in the moment and are motivated to seek food, water, warmth, and the protection of their human / cat tribe. I, on the other hand, feel that in addition to all of that the cats feel affection, irritation, have a sense of fun, have habits and preferences, and understand much more than we realise. Flora for example often watches television attentively for prolonged periods. They also have favourite places around the house and garden to which they like to return; this is more than just finding the right temperature, Flora arrives in our bedroom ever morning to lie in a particular shaft of sunlight, it’s like her wee ritual. And she’s currently trying to train me to feed her on the utility room ledge instead of (more hygienically) on the floor. Why there, and why has she decided recently that this would be a good thing? They rotate around their favourite places too - sometimes Tom prefers the couch in my study, sometimes it’s our bed. Flora likes the sheepskin rug at the big windows in the back room, but also the back of the couch. There are also places that they both like; in winter there has been much conflict over the warm pipes under the floor of the top hall.
They also definitely have different moods - sometimes relaxed, sometimes loving, sometimes skittish and playful. Take for example the exaggerated double takes they do, for example when our much missed wee Ruby found a frog in the garden. She approached it then jumped back with her front legs straight and her eyes wide, before pouncing on it. But she had seen frogs in the garden before; I think her “what have we here?” body language was all part of the fun to her.
Cat says that some days Tom comes into the lounge and relaxes quietly on the couch while she is working, but other times he is naughty and stares at her then runs about.
Recently Cat noticed Flora behaving strangely at the lounge window. James had been posting a letter, and as he approached the house and walked up the driveway, Flora growled at him through the glass, and hissed loudly as he got nearer. We were all puzzled by this so decided to experiment by taking turns sneaking out of the house and then walking up the driveway. Sure enough, Flora growled at all of us. As soon as we entered the house she greeted us in a friendly manner. How strange. Some instinct regarding her territory being encroached upon perhaps?

Evening Walk

I spent quite a lot of today doing some useful tidying and housework, which was time-consuming but incredibly satisfying. In the afternoon I phoned Suzy’s Gran; my father’s cousin Janet. We had a lovely chat; she knew my Dad and my Aunt Margaret very well and remembers my Dad (who was thirteen years older that her) taking her out for a run on his motorbike along the old Edinburgh Road (before the motorway was built). She talked about her early life in Whifflet and about her siblings. We are going to keep in touch and exchange family information.
After dinner with the young ones I realised that I had hardly been outside all day, so James and I set off for an evening walk around the park. The sky was pale blue and the tree branches were lit warmly by the setting sun. It was a beautiful evening.

In the shed with Flora

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his partner, the musician “Grimes,” a seriously weird couple, have apparently named their new baby X Æ A-12. The last part of this, A-12, is named after a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft which was built under a secret project for the CIA. It was the predecessor of the SR71 Blackbird. Elon and Grimes say that it is their favourite aeroplane. I do hope that the American equivalent of Child and Family Services are keeping a very close eye on the Musk family.
It did get me wondering what our residents air enthusiast, James, would have named our children if he was going to name them after his favourite planes, so I asked him. It didn’t take him long to come up with the answers. They would have been Jaguar Jamie, Vulcan Alasdair, and Valkyrie David.
In other news, I spent a couple of hours in Susan’s Shed this afternoon being creative. I took Flora with me and was gratified that she chose to stay with me, even though I left the door open so that she could leave if she wished. She curled up and had a nap on a cushion; it was very companionable.

Hairstyle Sunday

Less than a week after I first spotted some down by the river, there are now bluebells everywhere. I saw plenty of them in the park during my daily walk, which I found much more pleasant today with a cool breeze to keep my temperature down. There are lots of bluebells in the garden too.
Twelve weeks after his last haircut, James’ hair has been getting rather long, so today he asked Cat if she could give him a trim, and she very kindly agreed. We thought that she would have to use scissors for the whole cut, however it turned out that Alistair has some electric clippers, so she was able to use them for the sides and the back. Cat took great care over James’ haircut; he must have felt relaxed because he fell asleep during the process! It looked great when she had finished - extremely neat and smart - and James was very pleased with the results. And then Cat went on to dye the grey bits of my hair with a hair dye that I had bought a couple of weeks ago from Sainsbury’s. I’m actually quite lucky that my hair is still mainly the fair / reddish colour that it has always been, but the greyest bits are at the front at the sides, which are quite visible if I push my hair behind my ears. Cat applied the dye expertly, and carefully followed the timings on the instructions, washed and conditioned my hair, and even blowdried it afterwards. It looked great and felt really soft, and the colour blended perfectly with my own hair colour. Flora lurked around the bathroom door, peeking in to see what we were up to, which I thought was very funny, she wanted to be with the girls!
We spoke to Heather and Ewan on Zoom later, it was nice to see them and chat to them. Ally and Cat got us our Sunday night curry and we had a convivial meal and chat. Boris Johnson spoke to the nation on television about slowly easing the lockdown; starting with unlimited exercise instead of once a day, and garden centres opening. Then more businesses opening, schools partially opening in June, pubs and restaurants maybe in July if infection rates don’t go up. Scotland however may well be slower to lift restrictions because we are further behind in the progress of the epidemic - hopefully we will find out more in the coming days.

Family photos

It’s a very warm day today, but there is enough of a breeze that I thought my daily 5 km walk would be quite pleasant. How wrong I was. I had underestimated how overheated I would become, and the warm breeze just made me feel more dehydrated, even though I was swigging from my water bottle constantly. It wasn’t all bad though; it was nice to explore around Kirkhill and Westburn and then return along the river, where every day there are even more wild flowers. I like getting to know all the wee secret paths around our area that I have never found before, even though I have lived here almost all of my life. I was however very glad to get home and jump into my hammock, placed strategically in the shade, and slowly to cool down.

Suzy passed two copies of photographs through the hedge to me (keeping 2 metres apart of course!) Her Granny had looked them out for me. One was a photo of the five Russell brothers in 1919 (my Grandpa William and her father Andrew were two of the brothers), all looking very young and handsome. The other photo was taken in the mid 1920s, of my Grandpa William with my Grandma (Jen), my Aunt Margaret aged about seven and my Dad aged about five, looking extremely cherubic. They were lovely pictures which I have not seen before and I felt very happy, I love seeing photos of my Dad. I was impressed that my Dad was wearing a jacket and waistcoat with a pair of shorts; the family all looked very smart and must have dressed up for the photo.

VE Day 75 years on

Today it is seventy-five years since VE Day. It has been marked in a quiet way due to current circumstances because of course there can be no parades or concerts attended by the public. There have been some television programmes to commemorate it and we listened to the Queen’s broadcast at 9 p.m. I found it quite moving; she was a young woman in 1945, and slipped out of the palace to celebrate with the crowds. I know that my Mum was in Glasgow in her Dad’s car on VE Day, because I remember that she told me that he was furious when someone from the partying crowd jumped onto the car roof to dance in celebration! I don’t know what my Dad did to celebrate VE Day; he was still in the army in Italy at the end of the war.
Just after the Queen’s speech, someone let off some fireworks up the hill from us, and poor Tom must have got an awful fright because he came tearing down the garden, burst in through the cat flap and scarpered upstairs.
This afternoon I got out the family tree folder to show Ally something about the Russell family and I noticed some notes that I had written in the 1990s - some of my Dad’s family stories. I am so glad that I wrote these down when I had the chance. Among many other family members’ names, I had happened to jot down the name of one of my Dad’s cousins’ sons. I didn’t know this person at the time and didn’t even remember writing it down, but when I came across the name today I realised that it happens to be the exact name of my friend Suzy’s Dad, who I have got to know a wee bit over last couple of years. I immediately messaged her to confirm it by asking her what is her paternal grandmother’s name and was thrilled to find out that we are indeed related! Suzy’s Granny is my Dad’s first cousin and her Dad is my second cousin! It’s such a lovely surprise! I hope to meet with Suzy’s grandmother after the quarantine is over to have a good chat about the family.

Super Flower Moon

I have just been out in the garden looking at the Super Flower Moon. It is Super because it appears bigger than the usual full moon due to the moon being at its closest to Earth (which is called its Perigee - that word always reminds me of the spell that turns humans to animals in the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks) *. And it is called Flower because of all the May spring flowers. I hadn’t realised that full moon names like Hunter’s Moon or Wolf Moon depend on the month.
Ally came out onto the patio to watch it too, and it looked fantastic - very big and light with clouds scudding across its face very fast. It must be very windy high in the atmosphere, but in the garden it was strangely still, the bushes and trees were absolutely motionless. Needless to say, Tom and Floof joined us outside, strolling around companionably on the grass and the wall near us. The dark holds no fears for them, not that it was very dark anyway due to the bright moonlit sky and clouds.
Cat has been knitting a jumper for Tom and she finished it this evening while we watched a film starring the excellent French actress, Juliette Binoche. Cat and I have been watching some French films together during the lockdown, and I had assumed that, due to its star being Mme Binoche, this one would also be en français. But alas we realised quickly it was one of her American films! We watched it anyway (it was called Words and Pictures) and it was quite interesting in a quirky way. Anyway, Cat finished the jumper and David helped her to slip Tom’s front legs and head into it; Tom resisted a bit but he’s such a good-natured furry boy that he was soon resplendent in his teal and white jumper and looked very smart.

* Filigree, Apogee, Pedigree, Perigee.

Comfy

I was back out cycling with James this morning; we headed up the Clyde Walkway towards Blantyre and turned off the path near Newton to loop back to Cambuslang, about 11 km. The roads are still fairly quiet due to the lockdown so I felt quite confident about cycling on them, although I preferred the traffic free paths. The wildflowers were pretty beside the path, and near Newton, James spotted a deer down in a field near the river, although I couldn’t see it over the foliage because according to James I’m too much of a “short-arse!”
Talking of my posterior, it has never been so comfy when cycling as it is in the cycling shorts that I purchased last year. There is no bottom pain at all, it’s like sitting on a giant marshmallow. In the words of one of the reviews we looked at when browsing the various makes and models, “My arse and bollocks are in heaven.” This review was clearly written by a man so of course does not fully apply to me. I’m not actually quite sure whether the ones we bought are shorts or pants, because both descriptions are on the packaging. However I have chosen to wear them on the outside of my leggings, a bit like a cross between Superman and a baboon. Who cares about appearances when you have a happy rear end?

Priorities

The weather forecast informed us that today would be hot and sunny, and so it was. I got the hammock out in the morning and used it all day on and off. James was inspired to get out his macro lens and took photos of blossom and flowers in the garden. There was not a cloud in the sky and I was stunned by the beauty of nature. This put me into a reflective mood; although this pandemic is awful, I really think that this time of quietness has given me a chance to reevaluate my priorities. As I have mentioned before, I have had time to do various activities over the last few weeks that I would never have got round to under normal circumstances, just small things like collating Grandma’s recipes for her grandchildren, or updating my journals. But most of all I have spent more time recently with Ally and Davie and Cat than I could possibly have anticipated, and it has been great. I think that many of us will come out of the experience a bit changed. I think that I will value my time more and think more about how I want to spend it.
We had another barbecue for dinner and it was just delightful eating outside and chatting; Cat and I had spicy peanut burgers and the boys had chicken and beef burgers. For dessert I filled little tartlets with lemon curd, each topped with a raspberry (Cat’s suggestion) and they were very tasty.

Squirrel Tales

We have a number of grey squirrels who enjoy our garden and particularly our bird table and feeder. No doubt they are the bushy-tailed descendants of the squirrels whose antics David used to observe when he was a teenager and whom he descriptively named “Mr Brown,” “Mrs Grey,” and “Mr Thin.” To my knowledge, none of our cats has ever managed to catch a squirrel, though not for want of trying. *
The squirrels are just too fast for the cats, and once they run up one of the pear trees they can then leap to the branches of a tree in a neighbouring garden to complete their escape. We currently have a very cheeky squirrel who frequents our garden, and who has become so confident about his own agility and speed that he can hardly be bothered to flee when the cats appear. Tom, being older, has become rather jaded about chasing squirrels, as it has always ended in disappointment for him, so he often just pretends not to see them. Floof on the other hand still tries very hard to catch them and has come very close at times. She is particularly good at speed-climbing trees and once or twice we have seen a squirrel only just keeping ahead of her until it reaches the thin branches at the top of the tree and leaps away to freedom.
Yesterday the cheeky squirrel (let’s call him “Mr Bold”) was hanging upside down by his tail from the bird table, gorging himself on the seeds in the bird feeder, and didn’t even stop when Flora appeared below him on the slabs. He then rashly jumped down onto the low wall and Flora went for him very fast, oh boy it was quite a chase, across the grass and straight up the tree. We were all having lunch in the back room at the time, and we leaped to our feet, cheering and clapping. He escaped of course, but Flora acquitted herself very well and was given much praise and cat treats when she came back into the house. Shortly afterwards, Mr Bold appeared back on the bird table, unabashed. This time it was Tom who happened to pass by. He jumped up on the garden table, within leaping distance of the squirrel who paused in his munching to see what Tom’s next move would be. Tom’s move was in fact to lie down on the table and roll around on his back, clearly pretending that he hadn’t noticed any squirrel in the vicinity. Indoors, we were crestfallen and not a little embarrassed for Tom. Even Mr Bold looked nonplussed as he continued his meal before casually loping back up the grass to the trees.

* Famously, Jack or Jill once brought in a frayed, wingless carcass that, upon closer examination, turned out to be a bat. Very Wuhan.

Bluebells by the river

This morning James persuaded me to go for a cycle along the Clyde Walkway with him. I had my doubts about the outing because James is much faster than me and also he wanted to ride all the way to Glasgow Green and back which I felt would be too much for my current level of fitness. We compromised by cycling the shorter distance to the Cuningar Loop instead - it was 16 km there and back. I have been walking down by the river a few times but I have to admit that it was very pleasant to whiz along on my bicycle. James had told me that there were bluebells on the riverbank, which I hadn’t seen on my walks to the east, and sure enough there were some bright patches of blue as we sped along. There was lots of wild garlic too with its strong scent, and we could also smell freshly cut wood from the timber yard at Clydesmill Industrial Estate. We saw a robin and a few blue tits and some crows. There were some goosanders bobbing about on the river and a crowd of seagulls sitting on a weir. James thinks that the seagulls have been driven out to the suburbs by the lack of food debris in the almost completely closed city centre. The trees are getting leafier and greener by the day and the views from the path were very pretty. The Clyde meanders in huge loops between Cambuslang and the City Centre, so although it is pleasantly traffic free it is a very indirect route. But we weren’t in a hurry and in due course we arrived at the recently created urban woodland park known as the Cuningar Loop. I have never crossed the bridge into the little park before and it was interesting to explore, it would be nice place to relax for a while on a sunny day like today. But of course due to lockdown restrictions we are not currently allowed to linger anywhere, so after a swift drink from my water bottle we set off homewards. I was tired by the time we arrived home but gratified to have been spotted by two different friends as I cycled past them. They might have assumed that I cycle regularly although my red face and heavy breathing may have given me away.

Yoga in the garden

It was another hot, sunny day. I had a really nice phone call with Jamie and then went for my daily walk. I headed past the park through Cairns and the back of Halfway, and then found a beautiful country path which skirted around fields planted with barley. I emerged near Flemington Farm and started walking up towards Nerston, but I ran out of water and felt very hot and bothered, so I phoned James who came and collected me by car. Yes I know, what a quitter, but in my defence I really was overheated on this fine day.
Back in the garden, Cat and I did some yoga together which was great fun, and it felt particularly great to do yoga outdoors, something that I have long intended to do. This made me think about all of the other things that I have done during quarantine that I usually don’t find time for, even though I’m retired. I have been drawing, sitting outside in the garden, walking much more than usual, exploring parts of the local area that I never knew existed, even a bit of cycling on the much quieter roads.

First cycle of the season

James very kindly checked over my bicycle today and made sure that the gears and brakes were working ok, as well as blowing up the tires. I then set off for my first cycle of the year. Normally I don’t like cycling on roads - which is partly why I don’t ride my bike very much apart from sometimes on holiday up north. However the current lack of traffic (due to the lockdown) was extremely pleasant. There were a few cars in the roads but not very many, and I actually enjoyed pedalling around the neighbourhood for about half an hour. I even dared to ride right down Greenlees Road towards the end of my trip, with no cars in sight at all on this usually busy road.
It was a gorgeously sunny day and I spent nearly all of it outside; I went for a walk by the river where there was lots of lovely sharp-scented wild garlic, and then I sat in the garden and did some drawing. The rest of the household also enjoyed the sunshine by going out for runs and relaxing in the back room and the garden. In the evening we had a bonfire and toasted marshmallows, watched intently by Flora from high up in one of the pear trees. Tom turned up too - they are such nosey cats.

A Shed with a View

Susan’s Shed is ready! At my request James has tacked bunting onto its eaves and nailed a sign (“Susan’s Shed” of course!) to the door. It looks very pretty, like a wee Swiss chalet. Without any heating or lighting it will be strictly seasonal, so I have started using it straight away. I spent some of this afternoon in it, drawing and writing, and enjoying the view of the garden. David arrived to have a look at the finished interior, and of course couldn’t resist locking me in. I didn’t realise that he had unbolted the door shortly afterwards, so I stayed inside for ages waiting to be set free. Finally I pushed the door and it just swung open!
Now that he has spruced up our garden and planted all of his vegetables, James has made a start on Grandma’s garden. He spent the morning digging the flower beds and I brought him a cup of tea at 11 and we sat on the garden steps with the sun heating our backs and had a nice chat.