Group day

 This morning the garden group were meeting at the green near the doctors surgery and not at St Ninians garden. They wanted to tidy up the large flowerbed on the green before the Birnam games in a couple of weeks. i got there fairly early and said I would use the fork to dig the long grass away to make an edge for the bed. The council mow the lawn but don’t get to the edges so the grass had grown long and yu couldn’t actually see where the bed started. I was probably digging for about an hour and an half and you can certainly see where the bed is even though it could be tidier!

The ground was very hard and dry, and we have had a little rain but it hasn’t made much difference.

I was weary when I walked home, good excuse to take a break and take a photo of the progress at the Birnam hotel.

I had a rest and decided I would walk back and go to the afternoon group. I did a little more to the new embroidery.

Tina had been on reception for the art exhibition in Dunkeld so we walked back home together.

Quite enough hip exercise today, have done a little more to the embroidery.

Makers market and bowls

 Today has been quiet, there was a Makers market in the arts centre today and I had it in my head it was from 10am. 

Went across with Darren and they were setting up as it started at eleven! We had a drink while we were there and then came home for a bit, returning at just after eleven. I didn’t buy anything although there were plenty of temptations!

I check the trees every day. The three saplings I potted a couple of months ago are all doing well. Sadly the Birnam oak still looks more dead than alive!

I went across to the Makers market again with Tina, this time I bought some nice blank inside cards.

Then I went down with Tina to watch the end of the bowls match.

Darren seems to be really enjoying it.

For a while we were buying frozen Yorkshire puddings but the last couple of weeks I have gone back to making them. Haven’t forgotten hoe!

Have done a bit to the jigsaw today but not enough to warrant a photo!

Watching the last evening of the athletics now.

Indoor and outdoor gardening

 It has been a stay at home day today, haven’t even been to the local shop. I spent all morning getting all the indoor plants watered individually in a tray of water, in fact the final one is drinking as I write! I also did some rearranging and had to take down the ornamental bird cage I had to free up another stand! I don’t want to part with it so at the moment if is on the floor near the pants at least two need repotting but that is a job for another day.

I did have plants on the closed gate leg table but now there is space I have the house plant books and the journal on there.

This afternoon I weeded the long flowerbed and the square one as they had become quite overgrown and trimming and dead heading needed doing now. Didn’t take a photo but t looks a lot tidier. After dinner I went out and watered before coming in to settle down and watch the European athletics. We have both done some jigsaw today so slow progress is being made.

I imagine I will venture away from the bungalow tomorrow.

Surprise trip to Blairgowrie

 This morning a did some chores and the a bit of jigsaw before leaving to go to Blairgowrie with Darren who had something he needed to sort out there. Some different knitting in the little park, not so complicated but patriotic.

I made my way to the Nest and waiting to cross the road this enormous lorry was turning in a pretty narrow road.

I bought some bits in The Nest costing a whole £4.

We had a very nice lunch and went into a couple of shops before returning home. Loved this sign outside a shop, and very appropriate at the moment as it is exactly what was said to me.

Spent some time with Darren working on the jigsaw, not exactly racing through it are we?

This evening went grocery shopping with Tina and took this photo from the car on the way home.

Watching the European @Athletics Championships now, finger crossed ther will be a medal for UK

Quiet morning and ill advised walk!

 This morning I got some washing done, went across to the art centre to buy some fresh picked veg from ‘The Field’ volunteers and got dinner for 1pm as Darren was going out soon after five this evening.it was hot by Scottish standards and very humid, but I decided to go for a walk this afternoon. I went along the river path which is mostly shady and sat for a bit at the bench opposite the cathedral.

I walked a bit further to where there are two benches and sat there for a bit, I was beginning to flag with the humidity.

Then I thought I would try to get down to that stony beach.

I had got down quite a steep drop and on the way back I wasn’t sure I could get up it as the pressure on the hip isn’t good! I found a sturdy tree branch to use as a stick and did manage to get up. Took this photo on the way back, still playing with using ‘portrait’ mode!

I went through the community orchard to have a drink in Dunkeld and then back down to the river path to walk home. I was very weary, it was so humid my face was sweating, reminding me of the humidity in Ghana! So had a sit on the two benches en route and was very pleased to get indoors.

Watching some athletics with Tina, so that’s the evening sorted. I had thought of getting the bus to Aberfeldy  tomorrow but it is about n hour and wouldn’t be much fun in a bus if the humidity is still high.

Bus into Perth

 Not a lot to say today and not a lot of photos either. We have no large shops in Birnam or Dunkeld, and the shops we do have cater mainly for the tourists. There were a few things I wanted to get and today I caught the bus, takes longer but is free and the station is not in the city centre. It was hot ( Scotland hot, thankfully not England hot) but it was very humid as well. I wanted to find the library as I have booked to go to a pin hole camera workshop there next week. I did manage to find it, not a long walk, but felt long enough as my legs are rebelling a bit from the walk yesterday! There is another one of the bears outside the library and it is very colourful.

The angle makes that child look very small, it is an optical illusion!

When back into Birman I went to the arts centre to book on another course in September, it sounds interesting.

I felt quite tired when I got home so have sat and read for a bit. May do some embroidery or jigsaw this evening.

Made it to the aloch of the Lowes

 This morning I was up late, and then had an easy morning. After lunch I decided to try and get to the Loch of the Lowes, I tried once before when I got lost and did a mammoth walk but was put of by the steepness of the road out of Dunkeld followed by quite an arduous walk. But, with needing exercise and weight loss to kill or cure the hips I set off.

The road was at its steepest before the first photo of where I had walked and the second the next bit. Took it slowly and stopped to rest a couple of times.

Now photos of the walk and progress.

Just liked the dead fern in the middle of the green ones (photos are an excuse to have a breather too!)

Still not high enough!

That one and the next one I could see glimpses of the loch, but still a good way to go. Then the two after that I was on the final quarter of a mile.

The osprey statue at the car park!

I bought a cold drink in the visitor centre and let Tina know I had arrived. She asked if I wanted her to come and collect me and I said yes. I should have taken the walking poles as apart from the steep bits the path was often very rocky and uneven. The poles would have given me more confidence and take a bit of pressure off the knees and hips.

I went into the hide and saw the osprey chick, now almost full grown and the had a monocular telescope in position. Tina joined me in there so got to have a look too. A couple of shots from the hide.

This evening I have watered the garden and done a bit to the jigsaw.

To finish the Virginia creeper I bought a few months ago is climbing up the wall next to Tina’s office door has taken well nd should look splendid in the autumn.