tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318270862024-03-23T21:08:43.949+03:00Life in the HighlandsHello and thank you for looking at my Blog...i hope you enjoy my site. I'm pretty new to this but hope to keep it all updated with the progress of my garden. I've really enjoyed being able to start everything from scratch and the hard work has been worthwhile. I hope you enjoy seeing my progress too!
Feel free to leave comments it's always nice to get feedback.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-1751532155889614362011-09-17T06:06:00.029+04:002011-09-17T07:25:12.584+04:00Be smart. Be nice. Do what you love...but above all have fun and see you on the other side!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ1Sc4IKOEA8hS-yQWOhVBBc1gR1KKLTHakFTJSgvp0BB4IgoTs_3jE1zV_IBbnp4FFFJVPUpw629IPUZQE93c5A8Hl31wb1Z9Pqin3Tozxv2P890a11PYHZ0L2KpMsAd4BXr/s1600/ShaAnn+%2528195%2529.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ1Sc4IKOEA8hS-yQWOhVBBc1gR1KKLTHakFTJSgvp0BB4IgoTs_3jE1zV_IBbnp4FFFJVPUpw629IPUZQE93c5A8Hl31wb1Z9Pqin3Tozxv2P890a11PYHZ0L2KpMsAd4BXr/s320/ShaAnn+%2528195%2529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653147577392320898" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: justify;">I haven't posted on here for a while, so thought I had better update!</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Well immediately after climate camp (yes back in 2008!), I met my future husband. So you can see why I have been busy what running up and down the country. organising a wedding and settling down to married life.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">After a two year courtship we were eventually married on 14th August 2010, so we have just celebrated our first anniversary together. The time has literally flown by! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Married life has, of course, brought changes, not least having to consider someone else. </span><span class="Apple-style-span">As with any married couple we are looking forward...and we are all set to move from </span>the Highlands shortly to start a new life together. My husband shares my love of travelling and adventure so we are going to spend sometime in Africa in my hubby's ancestral home of Nigeria.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPW-cmyO1mEK0PgLHxQdnWwqg3h08aKhJcJ5qcwWb22DpPIAgHklWeXNyDEUIkQIFeAhB4IOVbyfZYS73PucJ21F8TqwasydAXExlBCILtXQOXEgCq7tSsMq42R297ZzU_sQyS/s320/ShaAnn+%2528258%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653145418346552642" style="text-align: justify;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 320px; " /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I am very excited as I am finally going to realise my dream of travelling Africa overland to Nigeria...a journey which will take us through many countries on the West Coast of Africa. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span">My passion for growing and cooking has now expanded immensely to include African foods and ingredients. Even if I say so myself I make a few dishes that I am rather proud of. My favourite is Jollof Rice, Suya, Egusi Soup, Puff Puff (a type of African Doughnut)...I have even managed to make African pies a sort of small pastie which is very tasty. </span>I hope to be able to try my hand at growing Tropical Yams, Plantain (Banana) and Okra. I am sure that the challenges will be many but I am so looking forward to them, good, bad or indifferent.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span">For those who would like to follow <a href="http://amazingafricanadventures.blogspot.com/">Ann and Shane's Amazing Adventures</a> I have started a separate blog which I hope to be able to update on our travels and sharing our experiences. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-59107802335147033522008-08-18T21:41:00.019+04:002008-08-22T03:06:03.370+04:00Climate Camp 2008<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIQQ5IvP6pcdhOwzNH8Do5Yi7oiAfYa1_YpcpQ0V5ZZcbdK2LJiGZD9j1OApxnqU5va_b6_2pWm7BRuYGDuqb7gaSYhVeGvl8kaHMnzskBtXCf54eJKEIcACPLeoLu5cKZ3ce/s1600-h/GD8243413@KINGSNORTH,-KENT---AU-9530.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237088727221935666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIQQ5IvP6pcdhOwzNH8Do5Yi7oiAfYa1_YpcpQ0V5ZZcbdK2LJiGZD9j1OApxnqU5va_b6_2pWm7BRuYGDuqb7gaSYhVeGvl8kaHMnzskBtXCf54eJKEIcACPLeoLu5cKZ3ce/s320/GD8243413@KINGSNORTH,-KENT---AU-9530.jpg" border="0" /></a> It was so off the wall i had to do it! Travel to Hoo Peninsula in Kent and join the <a href="http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/node/3">Climate Camp</a> in an attempt to make a difference! For the uninitiated it may seem like a bunch of hippies just setting up a camp, but i'm no hippy and there where plenty just like me, normal people who held down responsible jobs.</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Like minded people gathered together and for one week, formed a self sustained community to look at how to tackle the root causes of climate change. The idea was to be able to live sustainably for a week, to explore problems and propose solutions; educate and pass on skills to prepare for a future in order to burn less energy. These ordinary people working together to look at how to turn things around and look at the longer term solutions needed around climate change. Now i wouldn't want you to get the idea this was just a British thing, there are climate camps taking place around the World in Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, US and Iceland. The Australian camp had over 1000 people who got involved and blocked the railway lines to the Newcastle Coal Port.</div><div align="justify"><br />On arrival at Strood, I was picked up with others from the Station. Legal Advisors advised us on our rights as the Police were stopping and searching under <a href="http://www.met.police.uk/stopandsearch/what_is.htm">Section 60</a> as you were entering and leaving the site. The camp was legal but the police had a strong presence around the site, at first this was a tad intimidating but once you got used to this procedure then it was actually fun and the Police on the whole where light hearteded but thorough in their searches. Once through this procedure it was full ahead to the camp. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEW949iMdyXm85w3g0fhBxbaNwyaYku3Mx1UWCHdlp-8VTMGBttgEoNeZnEUapkJSVKh5WOQiwfI1BT-nEDeOf155djbZ6zRaGbxL6sIoxA___6PjMy_ZoZLmpwm8d_GOM5byi/s1600-h/climatecamptents.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237085767625625330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEW949iMdyXm85w3g0fhBxbaNwyaYku3Mx1UWCHdlp-8VTMGBttgEoNeZnEUapkJSVKh5WOQiwfI1BT-nEDeOf155djbZ6zRaGbxL6sIoxA___6PjMy_ZoZLmpwm8d_GOM5byi/s320/climatecamptents.jpg" border="0" /></a>My first impression of the camp was the sheer size and number of people there. Camping around the central workshop tents in 'neighbourhoods' based on geographical area; i was in the Scotland and Newcastle Barrio. In this neighbourhood you lived, slept and eat and made decisions for daily living. Everyone contributed to the running of the neighbourhood, chopping vegetables, cooking, washing up, tidying, making fire, recycling, cleaning, clearing rubbish and welcoming people. Each person did their bit to keep the site running which meant it was a functioning collectively run site. The second tier was the Campwide work which needed teams to ensure things happened. You signed up for these at the jobshop, you could volunteer for as much or as little as you felt you wanted to do. There was a daily timetable of <a href="http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/workshops">workshops</a> that you could attend based in different tents from Christian Aid Climate looking at climate change and poverty to Vegan cake baking sessions where you learnt to cook and provide food to the camp, with something for everyone. One of my favourite was One World Many Voices; How to engage with people from different cultural backgrounds. The programme was varied and informative.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMt1MzuomNGFF_kw6kRs0SPmCDR56Apm63UY7wWUZ9BOJuVxcjCtsZWq0_Jmg_HLuD8FDGQktTofmnOxDX89Eho937LqKJgtG__liBVjBK9YPT607bm0MSs2OWYitP-OYnJwb/s1600-h/climatecamp.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237089208630983266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMt1MzuomNGFF_kw6kRs0SPmCDR56Apm63UY7wWUZ9BOJuVxcjCtsZWq0_Jmg_HLuD8FDGQktTofmnOxDX89Eho937LqKJgtG__liBVjBK9YPT607bm0MSs2OWYitP-OYnJwb/s320/climatecamp.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BOhuC6pGkxR9TiwPM70hLeRW00F4kuDszLMHNpLIAx9Lc2fCfR3ADCXZLReCktEVvLrRj2o2wVyovFIgRJhugQ5PHoOTcWnG5w-m3UO_sgGkoQh3ZB5vbgB0liDbRL4Z14r6/s1600-h/GD8231891@People-on-the-camp-us-6321.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237089200493202418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BOhuC6pGkxR9TiwPM70hLeRW00F4kuDszLMHNpLIAx9Lc2fCfR3ADCXZLReCktEVvLrRj2o2wVyovFIgRJhugQ5PHoOTcWnG5w-m3UO_sgGkoQh3ZB5vbgB0liDbRL4Z14r6/s320/GD8231891@People-on-the-camp-us-6321.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">The week culminated with a mass protest on the Saturday. A contingent of campaigners went on the ‘Orange’ march on the day of mass action. The march was a family friendly affair, with people dressed in bright colours, carrying beautifully made banners with slogans like ‘coal kills’, ‘burning our future: no new coal’; and ‘yes to Kingsnorth workers, no to E.ON bosses’.</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM7jRSmsBIK03teX3HbBFTt0UNFXyVr7gtdgSXqVIfaD-Kqp_AjQtA43nBRqSZkoqAb_wu6PbVJK3ZbFCwDqGYCOT85v5XVr1IGvGbE1N2f6IPX8AKw2CI2-KNPsunAJemFFI/s1600-h/GD8233364@Protesters-join-the-N-8228.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237089690399053794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoM7jRSmsBIK03teX3HbBFTt0UNFXyVr7gtdgSXqVIfaD-Kqp_AjQtA43nBRqSZkoqAb_wu6PbVJK3ZbFCwDqGYCOT85v5XVr1IGvGbE1N2f6IPX8AKw2CI2-KNPsunAJemFFI/s320/GD8233364@Protesters-join-the-N-8228.jpg" border="0" /></a>We marched from climate camp to Kingsnorth power station, picking up local residents as we went along. As we walked, residents came out to talk to us and cars slowed down to cheer or talk. We gave out a leaflet looking at the impact of climate change in Kent. It highlighted the impact of new coal power in the UK and the devastating effect that it will have in the local area, as well as on the poorest people in the world. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">It took us about two hours to reach Kingsnorth, and we were greeted initially by only a small number of police. With music and speeches, it was time to break out the sandwiches. The speakers shouted above the noise of a police helicopter overhead, and gave impassioned speeches covering workers’ rights, impact of climate change and poverty on women, the contribution of capitalism to climate change and a speaker from Kingsnorth Climate Action Medway, who are local campaigners, who spoke out about the effects of Kingsnorth, not only in their backyard, but also on the rest of the world.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgaBrH62fBZk5v4M_a7dCXuuMLYp2Vw7xbxuB29-LQhZgvvKXBnCTCajsn0o0EwMtnwgQo1pHdi8NY1WKllqPm4PsNg46tjF49LNgq4Gi9JmZCiwszOJOQwQEsk8S_q8pvGd-/s1600-h/406597.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237099468933202322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgaBrH62fBZk5v4M_a7dCXuuMLYp2Vw7xbxuB29-LQhZgvvKXBnCTCajsn0o0EwMtnwgQo1pHdi8NY1WKllqPm4PsNg46tjF49LNgq4Gi9JmZCiwszOJOQwQEsk8S_q8pvGd-/s320/406597.jpg" border="0" /></a>The march headed back towards the camp, to the sound of steel drums, the time passed quickly. With a detour through the village of Hoo to talk to more people about what we were doing and why, and to pop into a shop to get some supplies for the evening’s celebrations. </div><div align="justify"><br />There was a round up of all the day's activity, and people headed to their various neighbourhoods to eat, drink and dance to the sound of the peddle powered sound system.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><div align="justify"><em></em></div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em></em> </div><div align="justify"><em>So what is it all about</em>? Energy company E.ON are proposing to replace the existing coal power station with a new one. Coal is the most polluting way of generating electricity and is a step backward in the UK's commitment to fight climate change. E.ON the German utility giant is Britain's single biggest greenhouse gas polluter. The company is aiming to have Kingsnorth 2 built by 2012. Despite claims that the new plant will be more efficient, it is estimated that it will emit 8.4 million tonnes of climate changing pollutants every year, compared to the 8.7 million tonnes the existing plant releases annually, and nowhere near the 80% reductions needed to combat global warming.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">So what did i get out of it? I met loads of amazing people, challenged myself and had fun but more importantly i learnt a huge amount about renewable energy and the impact of our energy choices on global climate!</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeemLrWM-d47Pon-n7vEGHMsbvCYJaSeY24TdcgnvrRQZL2X4Y7j_znxkdRNiMh_cMSWy9PpxWUiYDKSWx9pntYBXCjwc5p5kM_weHIA8zirAM45ztH58EsmcjK2MSAqYiTi9/s1600-h/nonewcoal.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237085779014093010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeemLrWM-d47Pon-n7vEGHMsbvCYJaSeY24TdcgnvrRQZL2X4Y7j_znxkdRNiMh_cMSWy9PpxWUiYDKSWx9pntYBXCjwc5p5kM_weHIA8zirAM45ztH58EsmcjK2MSAqYiTi9/s320/nonewcoal.jpg" border="0" /></a><em><strong>"</strong>Kingsnorth is a terrible idea. One power plant with a lifetime of several decades will destroy the efforts of millions of citizens to reduce their emissions" James Hansen, head of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies<br /></em><br /><em>"The new power station planned for Kingsnorth will output more CO2 each year than the whole of Ghana" World Development Movement </em><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBeemLrWM-d47Pon-n7vEGHMsbvCYJaSeY24TdcgnvrRQZL2X4Y7j_znxkdRNiMh_cMSWy9PpxWUiYDKSWx9pntYBXCjwc5p5kM_weHIA8zirAM45ztH58EsmcjK2MSAqYiTi9/s1600-h/nonewcoal.jpg"></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-57466708110530163382008-07-26T01:01:00.010+04:002008-07-26T01:37:29.946+04:00Courgette Soup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPL6kITbbYNYG2jLNQDcCccqCN0SeyeBOnZyiSaotc8C-DnmSL3e1Dg_xb-Eyfr3NeXg_cNYgGP_FzZiZ51i22nid6dJBDW_OqunjJxG1bh2d0yyA5tp2fLNGTH6nGxDELTsM/s1600-h/t_1961.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227067660526007506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPL6kITbbYNYG2jLNQDcCccqCN0SeyeBOnZyiSaotc8C-DnmSL3e1Dg_xb-Eyfr3NeXg_cNYgGP_FzZiZ51i22nid6dJBDW_OqunjJxG1bh2d0yyA5tp2fLNGTH6nGxDELTsM/s320/t_1961.gif" border="0" /></a> A few peeps have asked me recently for my Courgette Soup recipe so here goes for anyone who wants to have a bash! It's low fat for those of you who are watching their waistlines! I've also added a recipe for a pastry dish to try and use up all those delicious courgettes. For anyone interested there is a very nice recipe book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0952488159/ref=s9subs_c2_at1-rfc_p?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1PAYV70K1C4JT6TR1EYY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=139042391&pf_rd_i=468294">'What will i do with all those Courgettes' </a>which will perhaps help with the glut.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>Courgette Soup</strong></span><br /></p><div align="justify">Ingredients:</div><br /><div align="justify">3 tablespoon butter<br />Courgettes (Zucchini)(can be peeled or not peeled according to your preference - peeled gives a lighter green colour when finished) - the more courgettes that are added the better the taste</div>1 medium Onion diced<br />2 pints Chicken Stock (stock cube is acceptable but use two)<br />Salt and Pepper to taste<br />Cornflour to thicken (optional)<br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">Method:</div><br /><div align="justify">Melt butter in a large saucepan.<br />Add onions and fry gently for 5 minutes. </div>Add courgettes (Zuchinni) and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes.<br />Add stock and bring to the boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.<br />Remove from heat and blitz with a hand blender and whizz until smooth<br />Return to the saucepan, thicken with cornflour to desired consistancy and simmer for 10 minutes.<br /><br />Serve.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHMHiXAXunaCPyS4yDRa6C4YW2q7zFidNbdrou8prjs-tv0uvwJaN_9Ec0GARRVLtjDo7yMFopjhjKLSRBsm6esl_JuXaacSU8FlqLt-wT1jS6MINMkAdzaooSfgHdbuVvvUU/s1600-h/cremecourgette.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227066782859454114" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHMHiXAXunaCPyS4yDRa6C4YW2q7zFidNbdrou8prjs-tv0uvwJaN_9Ec0GARRVLtjDo7yMFopjhjKLSRBsm6esl_JuXaacSU8FlqLt-wT1jS6MINMkAdzaooSfgHdbuVvvUU/s200/cremecourgette.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong></div><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#000099;"></span></strong></div><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Tomato, Courgette and Mozarella Pastry</span>:</strong></div><br />Ingredients<br />1 pack ready rolled Puff pastry sheets – thawed<br />Courgettes - sliced<br />2 tbsp. olive oil<br />4 ripe tomatoes sliced<br />1x125g pack Mozzarella cheese – drained<br />beaten egg to glaze<br /><a href="http://www.jus-rol.co.uk/accessible/recipes/recipe1.asp?imageNumber=1&recipeName=Ham,"></a><br /><a id="Method" name="Method">Method</a>:<br /><br />Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.<br />Have ready a lined baking sheet.<br />Unroll pastry sheets and cut each in half across length, place pastry on baking sheets.<br />Mark a square border of about 1.5cm with a knife.<br />Lightly fry the courgettes in the olive oil until soft.<br />In the middle of the pastry make a row of overlapping tomato slices, a row of sliced cheese and a row of courgette. Add any remaining cheese on top as available.<br />Brush borders with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12-15 min until borders have risen up around filling and pastry is golden. Drizzle with a little olive oil, if desired, over the tomatoes before serving hot.<br /><br />Serve with a side salad.<br /><br />Serves 2-4.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;"><em>Bon Appetit!</em></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-44314954844875826442008-07-15T18:08:00.020+04:002008-07-16T16:25:50.680+04:00Edinburgh<div align="justify"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 337px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 183px" height="181" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/edinburgh.jpg" border="0" />Had a fun weekend in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Loads to see and do and despite the short timescales we gave it our best shot. We had checked the weather forecast beforehand and it said 'rain' for the whole weekend! It was wrong - we only had a few small showers on the Saturday the rest of the time it was glorious and the sun even managed to raise the temperature on the Monday and almost make it Summer - well as in a Scottish Summer! </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehx2a1OUxFzVUCInccKSCzgQ8huOOlPg0x5naNKXPhO5iceHIBZPln4BhhNmYP8HxK82ZkKq86cgDmURrfheJDKQQ3AiA0AXtMYYfJV8unKBQvTh6pSvEG-fpjwwj9e91d2ii/s1600-h/S3700014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223268819580773970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehx2a1OUxFzVUCInccKSCzgQ8huOOlPg0x5naNKXPhO5iceHIBZPln4BhhNmYP8HxK82ZkKq86cgDmURrfheJDKQQ3AiA0AXtMYYfJV8unKBQvTh6pSvEG-fpjwwj9e91d2ii/s200/S3700014.JPG" border="0" /></a>The first tour we took was the <a href="http://www.edinburgh.org/pass/attractions/348024">Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour</a> where at the Beehive Inn in the Grassmarket area where we met our guides for the tour, Clart (as in muck!) and the clean-hankied intellectual McBrain who took us on a dramatic romp through the wynds, courtyards and pubs of Edinburgh's Old and New Town. There were hilarious duel of wits across three hundred years of great writing and colourful characters. Performed in and out of Edinburgh’s famous - and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PJ-i-R6_gnScu03pbNAA6rqAi2K8yHNr62bt_t7LABSwh6xG0WzzEbM6q1oR3xhuTjZLhIUoHUuvQ9WnkWsSieOSTnzgbb06lREj3eoXNixGnDInV6Zhg1VmEW_G-Va_9apB/s1600-h/S3700011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223275139154362562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PJ-i-R6_gnScu03pbNAA6rqAi2K8yHNr62bt_t7LABSwh6xG0WzzEbM6q1oR3xhuTjZLhIUoHUuvQ9WnkWsSieOSTnzgbb06lREj3eoXNixGnDInV6Zhg1VmEW_G-Va_9apB/s200/S3700011.JPG" border="0" /></a>infamous - taverns and ‘howffs’. The <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggn9qjnt-jy87zdUCzcj3X0yCP0fuuYfXTiD2VcLt-CxWe61rrENUBPoB_9T_rh81DJCjOxJRzXCTGUNBl4SuQKcOu0EbThD7b_PwWLISxLHd6Bx1gpPnCxYsjqtJcSwJCUk5X/s1600-h/S3700011.JPG"></a>tour took the form of an impassioned debate. In a lively duel of wits, they question the importance which the unique pub atmosphere offered creative and intellectual thought. Of course, a drink in each establishment was essential to get the full effect!<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">We dashed back across town to Grassmarket for <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1_IOO_YXD62Q8dAxHb3Zh2Xo-cF1CBIuGxgWeJcNXDxh2Hi_60nzSKBbDXlD84pEpE_VPhKHt7rxKweh6bBxZTb8ixrhYgxI2a2DFJ13bBGup0wO4H_33g5FTHbAfp4pZgkS/s1600-h/S3700015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223268231334501010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1_IOO_YXD62Q8dAxHb3Zh2Xo-cF1CBIuGxgWeJcNXDxh2Hi_60nzSKBbDXlD84pEpE_VPhKHt7rxKweh6bBxZTb8ixrhYgxI2a2DFJ13bBGup0wO4H_33g5FTHbAfp4pZgkS/s320/S3700015.JPG" border="0" /></a>our the 10.30pm <a href="http://www.edinburgh.org/pass/attractions/404095">Terror Tour</a> and with guide Luke, who took us through the historic wynds and closes of the city. Here we were told tales of witch trials once held here in the old town and then into the infamous dark underground vaults where we were shown genuine torture instruments, where one of the girls in the group fainted. I have to admit i thought at this point it was part of the tour as i watched the lassie fall to the ground, erm it wasn't! The legendary haunted vaults are home of the notorious, violent and misogynistic South Bridge Poltergeist (they actually split up males and females in one of the rooms!). The Tour ended in the vaults bar in the haunted 'Nicol Edwards' pub. We had planned to have a drink here and move on... but not before we were introduced to the delights of 'Acoustic David' who turned out to be great entertainment! He moved effortlessly from Oasis through David Bowie and into 'Ten Puppies' (can't stop humming it now!) all in the space of 3 minutes! He didn't take a break at all it was just non-stop good fun, obviously 'Dave' was a regular here as he had quite a following!<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">We had pre-booked the <a href="http://www.edinburgh.org/pass/attractions/348062">Vaults Tour</a> where with guide John we visited the 18th century vaults beneath the South Bridge - a great bridge built which spanned the deep valley to the south of the Royal Mile. Under its 19 enormous arches, is a catacomb of underground chambers where people lived and worked. The tour was very good and interactive....the only problem being that we were still recovering from the previous evening! So being rather worse for wear after our previous nights jaunts around the city we decided that we would take things a tad easier and take...yes a bus tour of the city courtesy of Mactours! </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7CeLHmobwp44XU6jXYtbOisTGCUiSaZice32nv-QmvhIaEgxWM_lhckxNV8-6l4qtuDxRuKWOLqOjXDqbD5BbF8NrDjGA6BTv2F5V0ZDNIlkW8O2nbJi0VkaWAfv_FmkmP_L/s1600-h/S3700016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223275909796253154" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7CeLHmobwp44XU6jXYtbOisTGCUiSaZice32nv-QmvhIaEgxWM_lhckxNV8-6l4qtuDxRuKWOLqOjXDqbD5BbF8NrDjGA6BTv2F5V0ZDNIlkW8O2nbJi0VkaWAfv_FmkmP_L/s200/S3700016.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZGtGe7b11RAko1ypWEtGBQiOv7DzklWAHsWwcqBIvnQ2sNGJMG08PBkKgpvIpSWgpBrpEkF8DhJIhdJQO5KyJ4OzC4jbtCaFjIe-DQwBoYVaV8cEV8fyUkR2UdESTUwbzOa_/s1600-h/S3700017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223275906563434786" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZGtGe7b11RAko1ypWEtGBQiOv7DzklWAHsWwcqBIvnQ2sNGJMG08PBkKgpvIpSWgpBrpEkF8DhJIhdJQO5KyJ4OzC4jbtCaFjIe-DQwBoYVaV8cEV8fyUkR2UdESTUwbzOa_/s200/S3700017.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">The Edinburgh Dungeons tour was a bit disappointing. It started having your photo taken on the stocks with a variety of props and a scream...not easy. The set up was very sophisticated but it lacked the sponataneity of the other tours. As we were herded like 'coos' from room to room with the actors, the boat ride was a welcome break to the monotony of the tour but far too brief. I was rather relieved to get to the end as boredom set in. Alas there was no quick and easy escape as in their usual style you are herded through first to view your photographs and then into a lift which took forever and just as you thought freedom was nigh....erm the gift shop! A protracted route through the gift shop before you are finally released. I wouldn't recommend this tour for youngsters under twelve as it is a bit graphic in parts i felt.</div><br /><br /><div align="justify">A more pleasant and worthwhile visit was to Edinburgh's Camera Obscura and World of Illusion. The Camera Obscura show was a fascinating and an amusing way to see the city. From inside Victorian rooftop chamber, you can view the moving images of Edinburgh City projected onto a viewing table through a giant periscope. You get to pick people up on your hands, squash them to a pulp and even make the traffic climb over paper bridges. The guide was entertaining, engaging and informative. Also from the rooftop were breathtaking views of the city and its surrounding areas looking over Edinburgh's Old and New Towns as well as Edinburgh Castle. Free telescopes allowed you to see the city close up or see far into the distance. Viewing panels help you identify the many sights and inform you about Edinburgh's history. The World of illusions on the lower floors was very interesting and interactive too and it was somewhat different from the ghostie theme.</div><div align="justify"></div><p>Oh and guess who forgot to set the date correctly on her camera! D'oh!!<br /></p><div align="justify"></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_3969.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_3969.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-83768170708045373282008-06-27T17:08:00.016+04:002008-07-16T16:35:09.840+04:00Paris<div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/Paris.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/Paris.jpg" border="0" /></a>Prior to walking the Camino de Santiago, i spent some time in France. This was my first trip and i wasn't sure what to expect. As i flew into CDG airport, we circled the Eiffel Tower and Paris.<br /></div><div><div><div align="justify">In the space of an hours flight, i was catapulted into having to rely on getting by with my very rusty french. First hurdle was to get myself, using public transport, to the centre of Paris.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify">For the unitiated to France, things are as automated as far as possible. In Paris they do tend to have a good level of English but they always appreciate you making the effort to speak in french, even as was the case with me, if you are murdering the language. I found the trick was to really throw yourself into it. The French are very expressive and a lot of communicating is done with body language. It's really quite liberating once you get over that British reserve.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify">I managed to get my bus ticket and whilst waiting for the bus i had a brief conversation with the driver as there was a driver change so had a ten minute wait. Eventually i was transported to Opera where i still had quite a walk to Le Louvre. Donning my backpack i set about finding the <a href="http://www.bvjhotel.com/">BVJ hostel</a> i had booked into. This was to be my first hostel experience.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify">Now if you haven't been hostelling, you may think it's for the young. If you are travelling alone it's a good way to meet people of different nationalities. You don't have to be young, and some hostels do offer double or single rooms. There are basic facilities, they are clean and well run. I was in a four-bedded room with three other girls from Czech Republic, Korea and Argentina. I was amazed at how well we got on and how much you help each other. I stayed three days with the same girls before we all went our seperate ways. What amazed me was the give and take that goes on, the willingness to help each other with the language, sharing our experiences and knowledge or to go sight seeing. It was a nice start to my break and forthcoming pilgrimage.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify">My plan was to travel the old Pilgrimage route from Paris to Bayonne stopping off at Orleans and Bordeaux. This way i would get to see a bit of France and wind down, and practice my french. Nothing was prebooked except for my Paris stay so it was totally spontaneous and flexible. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/lelouvre.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/lelouvre.jpg" border="0" /></a>Paris is a wonderful city. The first thing that struck me was how neat and tidy everything and everyone was, it was indeed, tres chic. The bus drivers and police are immaculately turned out and black was definitely in. Not an unpressed shirt in sight. They really took a pride in their work. It was a very warm day compared to Scotland but everyone was still donning their winter coats. The architecture was fantastic, i could have explored all the side streets endlessly. It definitely gave me a sense of excitement.</div><div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216568182720830546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxp_q34_Kp_IGKumyAd5SRi2D93qglM6su9sEp6KQveMqnEvbiZoRXIqDgvlvZVo_KyaFOvw7kLpx7QJ-erf_qYDscOgZHHtCIR7_X7D-O8ek4UfnUh2KmzvfAFNfCWmd4Y_Mi/s320/Photo-0005.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Louvre is amazing and surrounded by so many historic buildings. I was intrigued to see how the glass pyramids fitted in with the older buildings, but somehow it worked. The large glass pyramid looked like it was floating on water from certain angles.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div></div><div align="justify">At night Paris becomes illuminated. La Tour Eiffel becomes an amazing shimmering light display every hour on the hour for ten minutes. The display dominates the Paris night sky. The Eiffel Tower lights up every evening from sunset to 1am, the lighthouse on the tower top sends out its light beams during the same hours. There are 20,000 bulbs that light up the Tower illuminations. </div><div><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/DSC04634.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/DSC04634.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the Universal Exposition celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution and is called after Monsieur Eiffel who designed the tower. It is built on the Champs De Mars.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGa34Dt3RJxnJzqR1V73BoedjAEeJcM9pCftCboSiRa2BNyEFxOKUnZuHJTtLchV7PbY3QbQ5dqFeA9hhGMXH-ByuX19ISPJExid95ovCGldGi3zH1W7EwaUeBr0gMXSO4l5m_/s1600-h/Photo-0003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216590323074465906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGa34Dt3RJxnJzqR1V73BoedjAEeJcM9pCftCboSiRa2BNyEFxOKUnZuHJTtLchV7PbY3QbQ5dqFeA9hhGMXH-ByuX19ISPJExid95ovCGldGi3zH1W7EwaUeBr0gMXSO4l5m_/s200/Photo-0003.jpg" border="0" /></a>Apparently the story goes that when Hitler visited the elevators broke down just before he arrived so he would have had to climb the 1665 steps to the top. He chose to admire the tower from the ground.<br /></div><div>Franz Reichelt designed and tested the first parachute by jumping 60 meters from the Eiffel Tower. The parachute failed and Reichelt fell to his death. However, the autopsy showed that it was fright that had killed him not the injuries sustained by the fall. The jump was filmed by the British <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BepyTSzueno">Media</a> at the time.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/P5190224.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/P5190224.jpg" border="0" /></a>I spent a wonderful day touring the Gardens at Versailles. When i walked towards the Chateau i was amazed at the size of the building. It positively dwarfed Buckingham Palace and was far more ostentatious. Versailles was designed as a palatial centre of government for Louis XIV.</div><div></div><div>I couldn't believe the queues to get in at 10am, but they are very quickly and efficiently dealt with.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/P5190228.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 324px; CURSOR: hand" height="255" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/P5190228.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Garden's where amazing, if you could call it garden it was more like a large park, not surprisingly i spent most of my visit touring the gardens. Avenues project from Louis XIV's palace towards distant horizons, enfolding town, palace, garden and forest. There are immaculate parterres, great basins, an orangery, a vast collection of outdoor sculpture and some of the grandest fountains which have ever been made. I made good use of the petite train to get around. You need a day for the gardens. I spent hours wandering around and exploring the gardens of Marie Antoinette. The Petite Trianon and Grand Trianon were again very ostentatious.</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_2228.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_2228.jpg" border="0" /></a>Only a small part of the chateau is open to the public; the State Apartments of the King and Queen, and the Hall of Mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors was the most impressive part i felt and photographs don't do it justice as part of the appeal is the way the light reflects and dances on the mirrors.<br /></div><div>This is where the treaty of Versailles was signed.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/paris-2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand" height="180" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/paris-2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Notre Dame sits on Île de la Cité an island formed by two meanders of the Seine. An impressive Gothic style building. Notre-Dame has had an eventful history over the centuries. Crusaders prayed here before leaving on their holy wars and it was here that Joan D'arc was canonised.</div><div></div><div>The cathedral, is first and foremost a church and several masses are celebrated each day, which visitors can participate in.<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3lNq365EanwIWtWLAp3lRFJT0n5CRycEfZij_k_sYQIR4o-QGXIvjztHHwQiOOxi3ZHvvnfV4Isv997-N6jvZrL5k4oqcHMao7W6xZ8tnIsnoLq89tfgsqDzttvIFLjet8kq/s1600-h/Rose+Window+South+Notre+Dame.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216598226271132434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="230" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3lNq365EanwIWtWLAp3lRFJT0n5CRycEfZij_k_sYQIR4o-QGXIvjztHHwQiOOxi3ZHvvnfV4Isv997-N6jvZrL5k4oqcHMao7W6xZ8tnIsnoLq89tfgsqDzttvIFLjet8kq/s320/Rose+Window+South+Notre+Dame.jpg" width="213" border="0" /></a>Notre Dame has some wonderful stained glass windows. The South Rose window is beautiful and was a gift from King Saint Louis. The rosette is dedicated to the New Testament and depicts the twelve apostles, as well as Saints and Martyrs. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">The Cathedral has a long history of music, and still plays a major role in the influence of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. They continue to have weekly and monthly organ recitals and concerts given by the choir. I went along one evening to listen to the Gregorian chants and it was amazing! </div><div align="justify"></div><div>Still lots to see in Paris, so planning another trip at some point!<br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="justify"></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-87649295427358686562008-06-27T00:02:00.013+04:002011-08-16T06:47:05.495+04:00Skye Walking<div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/TheStorrandLochFadaisleofskye.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand" height="275" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/TheStorrandLochFadaisleofskye.jpg" border="0" /></a>On the back of my trek through Spain i was keen to keep up the momentum. After being inspired by <a href="http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tac/tac57/skye360w.htm">Andrew Dempsters book Sky 360</a> I decided to circumnavigate Skye. Unlike, Andrew Dempster who took a month to work his way around the coastline, i wanted to walk around the island in a series of small walks. </div><div align="justify">
<br /></div><div align="justify">The Romans called Skye ‘The Winged Isle’, a reference to the peninsulas that reach like crooked fingers into the waters of the sea. A more common name is the ‘Misty Isle’. </div><div align="justify">
<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_0034.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_0034.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/PICT0222.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/PICT0222.jpg" border="0" /></a>My first part of the trek started after catching the afternoon <a href="http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/skye/mallaigferry/index.html">Mallaig Ferry </a>to Armadale around mid afternoon. The trip took about an hour and was very bracing to say the least but beautiful views of Skye ahead. Armadale is at the end of the A851 on the Sleat peninsula of Skye, known as "The garden of Skye". Armadale is one of the gateways to Skye, as it has a car ferry that travels regularly from here to Mallaig on the Scottish mainland. From Armadale Pier look across to the mainland peninsula east of Glenshiel, to Glenelg, to Knoydart and south towards the busy Mallaig harbour. The far headland seen beyond the right hand edge of Armadale pier is Morar, with famous white sandy beaches. </div><div align="justify">
<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWmNMdcEDgtBJwoWSeZfGmNSGSrSFazlUb7m-vRqDOke_-3qvIad4q9vDj815AjbNy9VEXUPCggCCYAcf0i62mq16S4044lKwIQfkEES4pBB7sWT4fz41qsW1ieIZ-7yXupit/s1600-h/Photo-0026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216307991131662754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWmNMdcEDgtBJwoWSeZfGmNSGSrSFazlUb7m-vRqDOke_-3qvIad4q9vDj815AjbNy9VEXUPCggCCYAcf0i62mq16S4044lKwIQfkEES4pBB7sWT4fz41qsW1ieIZ-7yXupit/s320/Photo-0026.jpg" border="0" /></a>Once ashore again i donned my backpack and walked to the tiny village of Ardvasar where i found the <a href="http://www.accommodation-on-skye.co.uk/">Morar B&B</a> run by Chris and Maggie. A well appointed B&B on the shore with very comfortable rooms and a pleasant surprise with indoor swimming pool. It was an ideal stop off for my first night to rest up for the following days trek to Broadford. As this bit would entail a fair bit of tarmac bashing i decided that a Sunday would be the best time to complete this 16mile bit as the road would be quieter.
<br /></div><div align="justify">
<br />After a good cooked breakfast on the Sunday morning i set off about 9am. It was perfect walking weather and not a rain cloud in sight. Very sunny and warm and no midges. I followed the main A851 road from Broadford to Armadale which was being upgraded.
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">A little further along the A851 i past the Armadale Castle Gardens & Museum. The neo-Gothic Castle was built by the <a href="http://www.clandonald.com/">MacDonalds</a> in 1815. Part of the castle has been restored to create a museum.
<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I approached Kilmore (pronounced kil-more), A' Chill-Mhor in Gaelic which means the big church. The first church was established in the 13th century. The modern Parish Church of Scotland was built in 1876. <a href="http://www.sschurch.co.uk/">Sleat (pronounced Slate) Church of Scotland</a> where i joined the service made me very welcome. After the service i joined the congregation for a cup of tea and biscuit before setting off again. </div><div align="justify">
<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_0325_edited-1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/IMG_0325_edited-1.jpg" border="0" /></a>It was a while down the road when I saw her walking towards me. Looking like she was out for a Sunday jaunt, she smiled as she approached me and without any preamble asked me 'Are you in a hurry? Where are you headed to?'. I smiled and explained that i was walking to Broadford. She informed me that i was about 10 miles from Broadford. Again she turned to me without any preamble 'would you like tea and toast in the garden?'. I was pleasantly surprised and not being able to think of a good enough reason to say no I agreed. Una was a very interesting lady who was a native to Skye. We found that we had a common interest in Africa and she showed me her African artefacts and pictures of her father who worked in Somali in the 50's. It transpired that she was a wheeler dealer in that she bought and sold oddities. She seemed to have an uncanny intuition for knowing what folk are interested in, she showed me a leopard skin rug that she had sold to a gentlemen who happened to be a collector. I sat and listened to her charming tales and of her adventures in the US travelling on a Greyhound bus and discussed US politics as we sat and drank tea and eat cheese and biscuits in the garden. Three hours later and having exchanged addresses i bade her farewell. I left with a smile on my face and with the thoughts 'only on Skye'. It was late and i still had 10 miles to Broadford to cover, it would be a late arrival but so far my day had been different to what i had anticipated. </div><div align="justify">
<br /></div><div align="justify">As i approached Isleornsay (Eilean Iarmain) which means dry island, a secluded little village of whitewashed cottages with a very pretty harbour that was once Skye's main fishing port. A very beautiful place in a small rocky bay with the mountains of the mainland on the horizon, the views out across the bay are wonderful, overlooking the tidal Isle of Ornsay, which sports a lighthouse built by Robert Louis Stevenson's father. Gavin Maxwell, of otter fame, lived for a while at the lighthouse. The view to Isle Ornsay lighthouse and the distant mountains around Loch Hourn and Knoydart with the beautiful Sound of Sleat as a backdrop.</div><div align="justify">
<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/DSC_0530.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/DSC_0530.jpg" border="0" /></a>It is also largely Gaelic-speaking, thanks mainly to the efforts of its landlord, Sir Iain Noble, who owns the hotel and his own local Gaelic whisky company. </div><div align="justify">
<br /></div><div align="justify">The road now opens to heather-moorland. I pass the Black lochs so called because of the peaty water. The road goes over Drochaid Airidh na Suiridhe. It was getting late and i was getting tired, i had to make Broadford before dark, the going was starting to get hard as tiredness set. The road seemed endless and now without the different views of earlier in the day, the heather-moorlands in contrast to the greenery and sea views of earlier. After what seemed like an eternity i eventually arrived at 8.30pm in Broadford, tired, hungry and weary. This was the penalty for my socialising earlier in the day.
<br />
<br /></div><div align="justify">Three days after my return home i received a letter from Una updating me on her adventures and an invite to write to her neice who had a health centre in Kenya who 'could make good use of a good brain'! As i said 'only on Skye'!
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div align="justify"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-89893671606675180412008-06-22T18:16:00.045+04:002008-06-23T18:36:51.375+04:00Pilgrimage<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLNTSrvE-q-Yhjl_yqEf2eEDFGtGbVYH3HhRl5hbJV0CbffKN1fihMa4BhQQl-pDuBuPMmi4-e5PC9WZqi8lxUFwhwYPj5-XNYYYgnmFrBQMD2JonnS92zf0syye_QJceZMpm/s1600-h/BClogo.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214728130198409538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLNTSrvE-q-Yhjl_yqEf2eEDFGtGbVYH3HhRl5hbJV0CbffKN1fihMa4BhQQl-pDuBuPMmi4-e5PC9WZqi8lxUFwhwYPj5-XNYYYgnmFrBQMD2JonnS92zf0syye_QJceZMpm/s320/BClogo.gif" border="0" /></a>It had been buzzing about in the back of my head f<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWgga2l3BvcIlVsSvIWcvYqz-g3dce8wNa9ZIILGUMA6DupL0qqTSyw5GDkBVcA0-7kJxM2cLoOw5opKdrp2b3gGAkYNtFTerBwqwmn2wIxcfzsp8w4PYiEvuuHsdIyFfdE6K/s1600-h/BClogo.gif"></a>or a couple of years now and finally i had the call to go. There is a saying that you don't choose the Camino but the Camino chooses you. Folk walk this ancient <a href="http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861795170">Pilgrim</a> route for very different reasons; some religious, spiritual or as a nice walk, whatever your reason it is a fantastic experience, which will be unique to you and one that will help set you free in so many ways. There are many Camino's that finish in Santiago de Compostela the one i chose was the <a href="http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/">Camino Frances</a>, The Way of St James, starting in St Jean Pied de Port in France. Of course, you don't have to walk the 800km, you can cycle or travel on horseback.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFbvwwlZbQwW5uztz21yBCPgHNeTQQJWW3ZfvL6fqsNnhpevOMRGd6wjUjf6d7I_LfGgy-CndVIyks39dd9KN5dS9ZJJsasKROpXOf127zOMEDlSwmPg5BPYa6503k2gls5Tk/s1600-h/P2170240.JPG"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214729076987805058" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFbvwwlZbQwW5uztz21yBCPgHNeTQQJWW3ZfvL6fqsNnhpevOMRGd6wjUjf6d7I_LfGgy-CndVIyks39dd9KN5dS9ZJJsasKROpXOf127zOMEDlSwmPg5BPYa6503k2gls5Tk/s320/P2170240.JPG" border="0" /></strong></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port#Geography"><strong>St Jean Pied de Port</strong></a> - Aptly translates as Saint John at the foot of the mountain pass, it is a very picturesque town, indeed, at the foot of the Pyrenees. When i arrived on the train from Bayonne i had that tumbleweed feeling as i descended to the platform. If Clint Eastwood was standing at the end of the platform, and i found i was an extra in a very bad spaghetti western i wouldn't have been surprised. The stillness and quietness was eerie. It was a bright warm spring day in February and the fruit trees where just bursting into blossom a good two months earlier than at home. I followed the signs for Pelerins (Pilgrims) to the old quarter and made the very steep climb up the hill. It was as though time had stood still here, the old quarter had a mediaeval feel to it. Eventually i climbed another very steep hill to the municipal hostel with my heavy backpack to find the Accueil St Jacques closed and a polite note <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6YRrvTT4_0_ZU__iHAn1S7bqiudiVoehemtNSWttyCmAfz_OZ3nt6p4sXxO1YJRDVpciPGeKHipGPn-3HPuBK13lz_4UEt7IJabXT1I9Eld9TD2K1yk8Q2KwWwXASuuWvjwS/s1600-h/P2170257.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214731412691658994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 226px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" height="149" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6YRrvTT4_0_ZU__iHAn1S7bqiudiVoehemtNSWttyCmAfz_OZ3nt6p4sXxO1YJRDVpciPGeKHipGPn-3HPuBK13lz_4UEt7IJabXT1I9Eld9TD2K1yk8Q2KwWwXASuuWvjwS/s320/P2170257.JPG" width="226" border="0" /></a>on the door directing pilgrims a few doors up to 55 Rue de la Citadelle and Madame Jeanine. Mdme made me feel very welcome. I quickly learnt that the French are very expressive and my french is passable so i was able to converse relatively easily with the odd reference to my dictionary....much to Madame's amusement. I found from a newspaper article that Madame Jeanine was known as the Maman de Pelerins, or Mum to Pilgrims having set many on their first tentative steps on the 'chemin' over many years, indeed, Pilgrims were her life. She fussed and fed us all, her children.<br /></div><div align="justify"><div align="justify"><strong>Setting off</strong> - I learnt that the pass had only just been opened following the snow so the following morning there were nine multi national pilgrims setting off that morning and a sense of excitement filled the air, eight where walking and one, Claude was cycling the national route on his recumbent bike. With the exception of Claude we set off in two's to the pass to <a href="http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk/roncesvalles.html">Roncesvalles </a>in Spain a 30km hike. Most would cover this in a day but with my fitness levels, and suffering from bronchitis i found that this was an unrealistic target for me. With my new walking buddy, Peter, we walked at a very slow pace, uphill. I don't think i have seen two adults more excited at the prospect of setting off. Peter and I had met in St Jean and found we had common interests in nature, conservation and sailing and had agreed to walk together to Roncesvalles. Six weeks later we were still walking together, it was just the way it turned out. For whatever reason we agreed much later, that it was decreed we met in St Jean. Neither of us had any preplanned notions of what the walk or experience would be. We both had different reasons for doing the walk, and agreed it would be one hell of an experience.<br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>Base Camp</strong> - <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbVUW0Q1TtLyNDJy0pb5r3skfHrc73SfHH-aasazeRH0Razyqa8RMp1XIUEw8IXymqFTWUj5mODCShueeRntjcawxpnz0DdAX11HpJrHe22qAD53VrOpDSZf5_GChAbSOlnZ0/s1600-h/P2190287.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214722448039447986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbVUW0Q1TtLyNDJy0pb5r3skfHrc73SfHH-aasazeRH0Razyqa8RMp1XIUEw8IXymqFTWUj5mODCShueeRntjcawxpnz0DdAX11HpJrHe22qAD53VrOpDSZf5_GChAbSOlnZ0/s200/P2190287.JPG" border="0" /></a>In the event we only managed to walk 15km on the first day, our fitness levels weren't what we had hoped, mine probably more of an issue, but then again we didn't feel the need to rush either. After the days walk we eventually camped near the emergency shelter at an altitude of 1400m. I'm not sure who was the most excited at the prospect, me or Peter...both of us were playing down our excitement at wild camping, but secretly pleased we had made the decision to do so. It was to remain our most favourite part of the trip. Daylight hours were only short for the time of the year so it was dark at 6pm, a full moon lit mountains making it a very beautiful night to camp out. We were well prepared, and kept warm and had enough food and water to last, oh and a drop of Port to warm the innards.<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRYSoQmugk_hipN3aJ-o_Xrw_JKjLhULQ0Z9-NA9cmxQkif7hizuUc805iGD96BdnIbwPPpLzJ-LjqiER04q3mqDYclkRk7NXdIrLbUo7_3u5Vsg766E_q69klv4T7JjOMj7e/s1600-h/P2190309.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214747369023424146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 163px" height="187" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRYSoQmugk_hipN3aJ-o_Xrw_JKjLhULQ0Z9-NA9cmxQkif7hizuUc805iGD96BdnIbwPPpLzJ-LjqiER04q3mqDYclkRk7NXdIrLbUo7_3u5Vsg766E_q69klv4T7JjOMj7e/s320/P2190309.JPG" width="240" border="0" /></a>The next day we set of for Roncesvalles. Having packed up base camp we headed off, fresh with anticipation. We didn't have to go far before we hit the snow, we were pleased that we had decided to camp. After the snow there was deep dry leaves and i mean deep...waist high. Neither was particularly troublesome, in daylight at least and being fresh to the new day. It was tricky but not impassable...unlike some weeks later when freak snow storms hit the area and left people isolated and the pass impossible to traverse.<br /></div></div><div><br />The ruins of the old border post was covered in snow and it was impossible to believe we had actually crossed the border...to Spain. The border post was a quiet place, full of corrals and very picturesque. It felt like a milestone but we still had a few hours walking to our destination, the Monastery at Roncesvalles.</div><br /><div align="justify"><strong>Roncesvalles</strong> - We arrived at Roncesvalles after a beautiful days hiking uphill for most par<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxBP3IorkgFJl8nqawaT9tanFhYJ77BnwBc46-JGpgZaJXbpzuifx5JwhV0OCFYSaq9b-OJh_h4HWFJKHi8tlotw8G5zip3ZYqiGN_oNVxc4oqGMzll9R3FcoSd0pNByVeSJl/s1600-h/P2190320.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214748833865312258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 281px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 211px" height="250" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxBP3IorkgFJl8nqawaT9tanFhYJ77BnwBc46-JGpgZaJXbpzuifx5JwhV0OCFYSaq9b-OJh_h4HWFJKHi8tlotw8G5zip3ZYqiGN_oNVxc4oqGMzll9R3FcoSd0pNByVeSJl/s320/P2190320.JPG" width="320" border="0" /></a>t and then a rather steep descent through a forest to the Monastery. It was here that we met Denis and his dog, Caresse, who had walked the Camino the previous October to Finisterre. Denis informed me that this time he was walking to Israel and had been walking a while from Vezelay in France. What was amazing was the he was walking the the trail mendicant, relying on the goodwill of others for food and shelter. Perhaps how the original pilgrims would have done it, no money and very little possessions. I was touched by his belief that <a href="http://www.tniv.info/bible/passagesearch.php?passage_request=1%20Timothy%206:17&tniv=yes">'God provides'</a> and i felt somehow lacking with my cards and cash...to us he was a true pilgrim.<br /></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1qkJ0TXKOexqi3dzcgNy4BZeGBPgZJGvvyJYLlvxzkkkDKhQR9-y8vKSpq1IWFK6VnLh2laU-4-bj-8leu5Z6C4Rf3u8bkTfu-h5yEWp-v4lSJ09ie_j7Ws-afXbhK3hg7qc/s1600-h/ch_peregrino.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214769135208445490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 105px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 120px" height="161" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1qkJ0TXKOexqi3dzcgNy4BZeGBPgZJGvvyJYLlvxzkkkDKhQR9-y8vKSpq1IWFK6VnLh2laU-4-bj-8leu5Z6C4Rf3u8bkTfu-h5yEWp-v4lSJ09ie_j7Ws-afXbhK3hg7qc/s320/ch_peregrino.gif" width="151" border="0" /></a><strong>Pilgrims at last!</strong> - After obtaining our necessary '<a href="http://www.csj.org.uk/how-to-get-a-credencial.htm">credencial</a>' at the Monestary and completing the necessary formalities for registering for the walk, we were shown to the dormitories. We were a small group staying at the monastery from various countries; Denis with his collie Caresse (France), Peter (USA), Daniel (Germany) , Olaf (Germany) , Anna (Germany) and myself (Scotland). After Pilgrims mass, a strange affair delivered by five monks and in Latin. I kept giggling because one of the aging monks kept falling asleep and had to be nudged by his colleague when his bit was to be read afterwhich he promptly fell asleep again. The monks, however, realising that there may be a language problem had seen fit to provide a local who sat at the front so we knew when to sit and stand. After being blessed for our Pilgrimage, we ate our pilgrims dinner in the local bar full of anticipation for the next days trek. Eating with us were fellow Brits staying at the inn on their way back to blighty, a couple from Lancashire and a chap who had relocated to Alicante. They were bemused by the Pilgrims seated with them. The meal was a happy, jovial affair despite the different nationalities as we all had a good laugh.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">The following day we set off again. It was funny but neither, Peter nor I, had planned or discussed walking together, we just seemed to fall in with each other, like two old friends who had known each other for years. It was bizarre, i was to find out that it was the Camino effect.</div><div align="justify"><br />Unfortunately, Anna whilst walking with Daniel and Olaf over the pass the day before had become badly sunburnt on her face, her feet were in a mess with blisters. I looked at her dressing them and winced, i had managed, so far, as had Peter, with no blisters. I realised this was because we walked at our own pace, this was a lesson - walk your own Camino. It was a few days before we reached Santiago that we saw Anna again and couldn't believe the difference in her. The change was amazing.<br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vrCncA3DtQhvtn1UBBsxO8i4DWiQzdj0Q5ebTSoBbv1DT3Wx-HDHODjS6oV_SL-1xl13G98kZWKY4DtCzxa41pZ4IK7HhtaAT-l-edDnHbR_Wfu8MREOJPyKZTImYzsO3BAk/s1600-h/P2240383.JPG"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214759408119522114" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 246px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 304px" height="297" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vrCncA3DtQhvtn1UBBsxO8i4DWiQzdj0Q5ebTSoBbv1DT3Wx-HDHODjS6oV_SL-1xl13G98kZWKY4DtCzxa41pZ4IK7HhtaAT-l-edDnHbR_Wfu8MREOJPyKZTImYzsO3BAk/s320/P2240383.JPG" width="240" border="0" /></strong></a><strong>Almond Walk</strong> - Over the following weeks, it was amazing how we could walk in companiable silence and look at the flora and fauna, simple things seemed to amaze us. Our delight was evident when we spotted trees up ahead and the pink colour of Almond trees, as we approached the flowers became more detailed and we could hear the distinct buzzing of bees going about their work of pollination. It was a tunnel of blossom, with petals from the flowers drifting down like a rain of confetti and the scent was heady. I have never seen anything like it. Later the 'almond walk' became a symbol of new beginnings. It struck me that a few weeks later or earlier and we would have missed this beautiful site. Whilst we rested under the clear blue sunny skies it was a place of tranquility, somewhere to revisit in our minds at a later date. I recall sitting under the trees feeling significant and insignificant all at once, it really put things in perspective. This was what it was all about. Simple things!<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqy_yi_ZbPRR3c94V8pgrNkr11vY2mwh9c9fO_640nlD6N5mQFEnSGyJha6DGDEDFIqkgGr0vpCrrCml1mytAaZT6N5SmmXOMGqEqsPiEwA4QSrbwq6-EEbRyQ3X-vj95q0rX/s1600-h/P2250398.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214778794156353922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqy_yi_ZbPRR3c94V8pgrNkr11vY2mwh9c9fO_640nlD6N5mQFEnSGyJha6DGDEDFIqkgGr0vpCrrCml1mytAaZT6N5SmmXOMGqEqsPiEwA4QSrbwq6-EEbRyQ3X-vj95q0rX/s320/P2250398.JPG" border="0" /></a>Spain</strong> - I was always amazed at how poor Northern Spain was, yet, the people were very giving and always willing to welcome you and help you along your route. Whilst we were walking campaigning for the General election was ongoing and the whole country understandably where caught up in it...not surprising given their previous history and Franco's reign. The days the Spaniards refer to as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain_under_Franco">The National Tragedy</a>. In true Spanish style they went to the polls on a Sunday and the night before was one big fiesta. Although this was tempered somewhat by several terrorist bombings in Madrid which upset the predictions as the people turned against the reigning government and ousting them at the polls.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">In Spring, Spain is lush and verdant, a very pretty place not unlike Scotland with mountains, forestry and wind farms. Oh yes those wind farms. I had no idea of what Spain would be like, but it wasn't what i found. I think it's an undiscovered gem, they have canals and mountains. It's a place where Health and Safety hasn't gone daft allowing people to think for themselves and test the boundaries. They are stuck in a time warp but it's a nice time warp. It's a place where no-one has any expectations, no-one rushes and you can just 'be'. It's like a permanent retreat. Literally men can be men, women can be women and children are polite and respectful. It's quite refreshing when you contrast it to the pressures of our materialistic lives, of course, they have pressure but it's a different kind of pressure and not an easy life it's just at a slower pace.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLJSOVseRKfqLmgNBazpBsZyTjhdAFu4_PuWd5ftA5tvCKlMyUfIoEpzVr5r7aJAUxZv59SUiYisivHjWRM2-ieRO_3y1cZeDHeUPINjaWICw2Nd6AlSmGyjU0QNp-9JWNDNn/s1600-h/P3170021.JPG"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214766437195851314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLJSOVseRKfqLmgNBazpBsZyTjhdAFu4_PuWd5ftA5tvCKlMyUfIoEpzVr5r7aJAUxZv59SUiYisivHjWRM2-ieRO_3y1cZeDHeUPINjaWICw2Nd6AlSmGyjU0QNp-9JWNDNn/s320/P3170021.JPG" border="0" /></strong></a><strong>The Three Amigos</strong> - At various stages of the trail, Peter and I felt guilty because we seemed to be having too much fun; walking, eating and laughing. We seemed to have developed a knack for sniffing out where the locals dined. Three hour lunches became the norm, nothing is rushed in Spain. The strange thing is that you adapt, become more laid back about it, leave the monetary world behind and find out what it SHOULD be like if only we took more time to stop, wonder and just 'be'. Walking is a form of meditation...it doesn't have to be a long walk to slow you down mentally and reflect on what's important to you. </div><br /><br /><div align="justify">We met Jose, a rather well built Spaniard from Seville who was huffing and puffing his way on the trail, he was walking the 100km to Santiago which would still entitle him to a Compostela, the minimum distance on foot to qualify for a Compostela. He fell in for a while and later we leap frogged with him along the trail. Despite his obvious lack of fitness, i admired his determination to do the walk, and like most people on the trail they were looking to effect change in their life in someway. The next day we came across Jose with two new friends Esther and Marie from Madrid with Jose being stuck in an open concrete ditch in hysterics. These 'three amigos' were having fun too. We spent several days leap frogging each other on the trail as they walked about a similiar pace to us. During lunch in a bar with them, we were told that Jose had started out with two friends, whom he managed to lose, not apparent quite how, but he had telephoned them and arranged to meet them along the trail but obviously he preferred his new friends on the trail, so this didn't seem to happen. He had forgotten his walking shoes and donned some canvas shoes. Apparently everyday these two girls had to organise him, but he managed to leave something behind, we reasoned that he would have nothing left to carry by the time he got to Santiago...good plan, maybe we should give it a shot. I have never laughed so much, he was a natural comedian and the girls were very caring fussing over him. Unfortunately, we never saw them again, however, we know they reached Santiago, as we saw Jose's shoes at a waymarker, complete with holes, but it was evident that they too were having too much fun to be Pilgrims!<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Now a Pilgrimage is all about suffering is it not? Well yes, you have to sacrifice something in order to find something else. This is a slow process on the Camino...it's a slow but gradual change. You never see it in yourself but in your fellow Pilgrims you meet at various places along the trail. It's wonderful to see the people you meet at the beginning, when you see them again weeks later, happy, healthy, relaxed and fit. When i walked into Santiago, i was fit and had lost two dress sizes but i gained far more mentally, emotionally and spritually than i ever could have done laying on a beach. </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;">Buen Camino!</span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoDJMTlAOHFP-eIgmYgccxslUmPvQhFOmWY2zM4pvOMIHx_1_J8zNW_3zdMo-1yflZLrDAn-7GeNLnqG9-Gc47jjcATMdL69x4FIOgquUGI0oc2VTVBSXsZUFQ3NeZvMpXJ-B/s1600-h/shellmodern.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215064678727360146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="142" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoDJMTlAOHFP-eIgmYgccxslUmPvQhFOmWY2zM4pvOMIHx_1_J8zNW_3zdMo-1yflZLrDAn-7GeNLnqG9-Gc47jjcATMdL69x4FIOgquUGI0oc2VTVBSXsZUFQ3NeZvMpXJ-B/s200/shellmodern.gif" width="106" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-56082391547380310212007-07-25T02:39:00.000+04:002007-07-25T02:44:22.380+04:00Ten Pin Bowling<a href="http://www.funnydump.com/"><object height="480" width="480"><param name="animation" value="file"><embed src="http://funnydump.com/files/vS4uBgaL6Aqr.swf" height="480" width="480"></embed></object></a><br /><br />Whilst i've been over the West Coast just lately i've been known to play the odd game of ten pin bowling and now i'm eager to improve my game....here's another way to get my weekly fix. Try it and see how you get on.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.funnydump.com/">Funny Videos, Pictures and Stuff</a> - <a href="http://www.funnydump.com/3-category/funny_games/7650-ten_pin_bowling.html">Ten Pin Bowling</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-53562809205512882122007-07-17T20:07:00.001+04:002007-07-17T21:57:48.231+04:00St Swithin's Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/downotfarm/stswithin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/downotfarm/stswithin.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Sunday 15th July was St Swithin's day and we got Sun! Yay....now how does that poem go?<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="style29">St Swithin’s Day, if it does rain</span><br /><span class="style29"> Full forty days, it will remain</span><br /><span class="style29"> St Swithin’s Day, if it be fair</span><br /><span class="style29"> For forty days, t'will rain no more</span></div><br /><span class="style29">Well...we got a fair St Swithin's day so how come i've got rain, and not just spits and spots but that stuff whereby every drop is a bucketful? </span><br /><br /><span class="style29">So w</span><span class="style29">ho was St Swithin?</span><br /><br /><span class="style29">Correctly spelt St Swithun he was apparently the Bishop of Winchester.</span> St Swithun died <span class="querybold"><span class="artcopy">July 2, 862. Whilst </span></span>he was dying he asked to be buried out of doors, where he would be trodden on and rained on, in the following century he was regarded as a saint, and the then Bishop had his bones reburied in a shrine inside the cathedral on 15 July 971.<br /><br />The story goes that as St Swithin was being exhumed, it started to rain. Unfortunately the rain didn't stop for forty days and forty nights....sound familiar? Apparently this was St Swithun showing his disapproval and punishing the monks.<br /><br />St Swithun's day used to be a “feast day” in the Christian calendar, but it is now just seen as a quaint British thing.<br /><br />Oddly enough, while most of us would rather not see rain in mid July , apples need it. If the rains fail, the apple crop will be a poor one. Well, my apples certainly can't complain of water shortage this year.<br /><br />The Fatsia japonica is really lovely after rain, the water sits in big droplets on the leaves. Since repotting the fatsia has really taken off.<br /><br /><span class="style29">Well we're not out of the woods yet and as the song goes </span><span class="style29">'I'm never gonna stop the rain by</span><span class="style29"> complaining'. Sooo as we can't do any gardening. Check out the <a href="http://www.uen.org/utahlink/weather/trivia13.html">weather trivia</a> site for the answer to all those questions that keep you awake at night.....like how big are raindrops?</span><br /><span class="style29"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ceefourbee.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/raindrops-on-leaf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://ceefourbee.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/raindrops-on-leaf.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/l/la/ladyaustin/643545_raindrops_with_flower_reflections.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/l/la/ladyaustin/643545_raindrops_with_flower_reflections.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q261/lovelacey2/winnie%20the%20pooh%20and%20friends/0898_22.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 140px;" src="http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q261/lovelacey2/winnie%20the%20pooh%20and%20friends/0898_22.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="style29"><br /></span><span class="style29"> </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-25375236960420545192007-07-14T02:52:00.001+04:002007-07-14T03:57:59.276+04:00Who'll stop the Rain?<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rlF8TXWuw1o"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rlF8TXWuw1o" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p><p><br /><br />This just seemed relevant at the moment....we seem to take water for granted but maybe we should think about how precious it is and what we do with it. Take a peek at <a href="http://www.watertreaty.org/?gclid=CI-q6YXbpY0CFRw8gQodSjV7rw">Water Treaty</a> and <a href="http://www.wateraid.org/uk/">Water Aid UK</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-31415752251761226002007-07-08T15:12:00.000+04:002007-07-08T17:04:03.047+04:00July 2007<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuJvtxIZaws-sdQrTP-Im4aKBKH3CrGf1dqu36TFYAh_-1ypHzJnVYMkmtpSG0xHB-wfSdvV9iR3Pd4A7y5lIoEv4cIvkQTwNi5XkiwpRy0b8nA3mQqrFY3l1bhjuzNc3j5gY/s1600-h/P1010002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuJvtxIZaws-sdQrTP-Im4aKBKH3CrGf1dqu36TFYAh_-1ypHzJnVYMkmtpSG0xHB-wfSdvV9iR3Pd4A7y5lIoEv4cIvkQTwNi5XkiwpRy0b8nA3mQqrFY3l1bhjuzNc3j5gY/s320/P1010002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084783806768786418" border="0" /></a>The weather has been appalling. I could've cried when i returned at the weekend. The grass was ankle high and the weeds were growing apace. It's a struggle to get outside with the weather and working away and to keep on top of things at the moment.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />There are some highlights though. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR_HkiLLNI6PIx4CjvhmLWtuhaCI0-YrzB1JPjp9u0DoaxplZv1gV4JWs1NnZ8astB8gCeap-B4jHY9gFSpOLcjpNIv2bHwPhYNkgAWpTRQWYSRnmL5RKey-X3n-5dt_o-mKc/s1600-h/P1010007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR_HkiLLNI6PIx4CjvhmLWtuhaCI0-YrzB1JPjp9u0DoaxplZv1gV4JWs1NnZ8astB8gCeap-B4jHY9gFSpOLcjpNIv2bHwPhYNkgAWpTRQWYSRnmL5RKey-X3n-5dt_o-mKc/s320/P1010007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084783523300944818" border="0" /></a>My first strawberry was picked and it is big and luscious. I haven't netted them yet but noticed that another red juicy one had been at the mercy of the birds. The frame is all ready to go on the strawberries and i just need to staple the netting to the frame which was built as a nice surprise for my return by OH.<br /><br />The pots are starting to fill out now but they need some sun to bring them to their best. The rain is welcome but they are really looking a little rain bruised in parts but they are adding a lot of colour to the garden.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdVnik-GlifamuoL2H7WJeDrAdDWEouvnWDRD4Kw4GvK961LEgHPyWlBTVgrgz79OgAu1-f_4E1hJoLZn9UluuknxDQuawwGwQvwJJqx9l6AAmyusSs9S9OIIp1Da5nPrO-tk/s1600-h/P1010003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdVnik-GlifamuoL2H7WJeDrAdDWEouvnWDRD4Kw4GvK961LEgHPyWlBTVgrgz79OgAu1-f_4E1hJoLZn9UluuknxDQuawwGwQvwJJqx9l6AAmyusSs9S9OIIp1Da5nPrO-tk/s320/P1010003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084783561955650514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgge19Y2XbTRY3_1Ch04J0EU1MKXH5Qh7bD3BR-_o5MUn70mixQzJoSvW59g1Ky7hyphenhyphenkwsjFfeRHvklnoGXir_W6fIkzvgvAf9Jjr27JWWLp18Vo2Qxr9tt9Jssk1TVECyvUD_HX/s1600-h/P1010006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgge19Y2XbTRY3_1Ch04J0EU1MKXH5Qh7bD3BR-_o5MUn70mixQzJoSvW59g1Ky7hyphenhyphenkwsjFfeRHvklnoGXir_W6fIkzvgvAf9Jjr27JWWLp18Vo2Qxr9tt9Jssk1TVECyvUD_HX/s320/P1010006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084783570545585122" border="0" /></a>Another delight was that my nasturtiums which i planted from seed sent to me from a fellow gardener are doing great, they are in full bloom now. I also noticed that my nasturtiums from last year had self seeded around the apple trees but are a tad behind my tubs. Despite today being a cool and windy day there was one determined bee working the nasturtiums. <br /></div><br />Those that know me well know i have a fascination for bees and wasps and often sit and watch them at work in the garden. I have taken the time to try and understand the role each visitor to my garden plays...by understanding what they do helps me to live in harmony with them. I have to say that wasps usually get a bad press being persecuted just because they can sting more than once. I can state in all honesty i have only been stung once by a wasp, other stings i have received have been by bees, and if i'm being honest it's been my own fault each time in all cases so I have the utmost respect for wasps and bees.<br /><br />Blackie's bench is worked by <a href="http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biocons/invertebrates/Wasps/faq.asp">wasps</a> who use their strong jaws to take the wood, rolling it into a papier mache ball to take back and build a nest. This is a dead give away for a nest nearby. Wasps chew wood pulp from sheds, fences, eaves or barge boards or other wooden structures on or about the house. Try to watch their flight paths and where they disappear to and come from this will give you an indication of where the nests are. They are relatively docile unless attacked; a wasp will normally only use its sting to defend itself, the nest or to subdue prey.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i46/Depecherob/waspA2.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 45px;" src="http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i46/Depecherob/waspA2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Wasps build a new byke each year usually in the spring, they never use an old byke. Then come the autumn the wasps all die off and the queen will go into hibernation. When you see how much effort they put in and how much wood they collect to make a byke you wouldn't want to destroy one. I would encourage anyone to think twice before getting rid of a byke unnecessarily. What? I hear you cry - has she taken leave of her senses? Well, no, actually. Wasps are hard working gardener's assistants, eating insects, caterpillars and other nasties. They do have a useful role scavenging for the larvae of other insects, controlling garden pests and clearing carcasses early in the season. They even dispose of rotten timber. You may do well to actually encourage wasps in the garden as they do a good job of culling greenfly and other aphids.<br /><br />Late summer is when the workers indulge in sweet substances - fruit, jams, syrups etc. and this is when they start being a nuisance as they search for sweet food, and whilst not particularly hostile, they will sting if aggravated.<br /><br />As the cooler weather comes, the wasps become drowsy and more irritable, and this is not helped by them feeding on over-ripe fruit. They are better left alone when like this but then so would you if you had a hang over!<br /><br />So perhaps we should give the wasp a break...afterall every being on earth has it's place in the ecosystem and work together......even wasps.<br /><br />Happy gardening!<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><br /></div><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-60659108841953708502007-07-07T22:35:00.000+04:002007-07-08T00:45:27.997+04:00Random things about me......<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u37/pee-jays-are-pimp/fun.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 122px; height: 122px;" src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u37/pee-jays-are-pimp/fun.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>I've been tagged for a <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meme">meme</a>....haven't done one before so here goes. <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote> </blockquote> In Blogspeak, a meme is an idea that is shared and passed from blog to blog, like a question posted in one blog and answered in many other blogs. I'm to list '7 Random things about me'. <br /><br />Hmmm not easy i can tell you so here's my best shot! Thanks to Kenneth for tagging me.<br /><br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>I grew up in Grimsby, NE Lincs, which was the largest fishing port in Europe at one time. I moved North to Scotland at the tender age of 19 years of age...came for six months and apart from a couple of years back in England it's been my home ever since.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u189/LONLY_bucket/books.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 40px; height: 30px;" src="http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u189/LONLY_bucket/books.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'm a bibliophile - there i've admitted it. Thankfully it's not an offence but makes the world a more interesting place. I love books and have done so since being a small child. The internet has just extended that. The first novel i read was 'Kidnapped' by Robert Louis Stevenson. I read this at age 7 years.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>I read the whole of the Encyclopaedia Britannica between the ages of 10 and 13 years old. I love knowledge and learning new things.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>I love people, new places and cultures. I often like to sit and people watch, it's very interesting. I love hearing about other folks' adventures and cultures.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s211/dumblonds218/zelephant.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 57px; height: 49px;" src="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s211/dumblonds218/zelephant.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>I once tried to 'stow away' on a ship heading for Africa so that i could see the Elephants.I was found by a crew member and promptly returned to dry land. As a child i was desperate to visit Africa. My first trip abroad at the tender age of 18 was to Africa!</li></ul><ul><li>I started gardening at age 10 years and have done so ever since, i was fascinated with Allotments as a child and all those plants growing. My mother recalled me 'gardening' as a toddler...although apparently my efforts were not always appreciated by my father<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u82/hotshoneys/3f4a85c9.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 53px; height: 41px;" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u82/hotshoneys/3f4a85c9.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>!</li></ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>I have always wanted to keep bees. One day i will fulfil this dream and keep hives.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;">Gosh that was really hard to do! Now i had to decide to tag seven others and here's my choice....it wasn't easy!<br /></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><a href="http://eastangliaseaangling.blogspot.com/">East Anglia Sea Fishing</a></li><li><a href="http://gregsprivategarden.blogspot.com/">Gregs Private Garden</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://kaypeeslottie.blogspot.com/">Kaypee's Lottie</a></li><li><a href="http://gardenhastasi.blogspot.com/">American Garden Freak in Istanbul</a></li><li><a href="http://thisonething.typepad.com/morning_glories/">Morning Glories</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://suburbanwildlifegarden.blogspot.com/">Suburban Wildlife Garden</a></li><li><a href="http://philsallotment.blogspot.com/">Phils Allotment</a><br /></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">Here are the rules for newcomers to this meme:</p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 random facts as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n10/aliceann_2006/bumblebees.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 119px;" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n10/aliceann_2006/bumblebees.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-75879937691342900432007-06-29T23:59:00.001+04:002007-07-03T02:44:19.246+04:00End of June 2007<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuavJP0qXaWwujtamj09PRFkqLr25i9cZYg0t_V9y2DgNKBL4pScca_al1IpoE3KGbqa87r8mwtfh94Zdk4-u_43xSxXiDQ2SqA8Jj6SXSPRWUP6Dlu3gzkA3uzKnb1j3AIz5/s1600-h/Neptunes+staircase.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuavJP0qXaWwujtamj09PRFkqLr25i9cZYg0t_V9y2DgNKBL4pScca_al1IpoE3KGbqa87r8mwtfh94Zdk4-u_43xSxXiDQ2SqA8Jj6SXSPRWUP6Dlu3gzkA3uzKnb1j3AIz5/s320/Neptunes+staircase.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081579194230287250" border="0" /></a>Not had much chance to get at the garden really, with the weather we've been having and working away. There's always a little ray of sunshine though in that whilst working over the West Coast the last couple of weeks, I found myself on yet another canal, this time the Caledonian Canal based at Fort William. The hotel was situated right on Banavie locks or as it's known Neptunes staircase. I have to say it's one of the most impressive set of locks i've seen. It was even more impressive when a large vessel the size of the basin was working it's way down the staircase.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately it rained after the first night in Fort William so i was only able to venture out briefly. The area is very nice and the people friendly. I really enjoyed my time working there and look forward to my return visit.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7Dplink9KxK_PGiSEoc7ItRcgbVCwZPneua-_N5CDObjqRB-J-a4SQ55oWoAZ20oCSYxSGZHCtoPWvDePU1x7-YgsWTv193Og6Kujqp3pq_kYWawbtNxb2gbE3euxB8RAgmn/s1600-h/jacobite_013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7Dplink9KxK_PGiSEoc7ItRcgbVCwZPneua-_N5CDObjqRB-J-a4SQ55oWoAZ20oCSYxSGZHCtoPWvDePU1x7-YgsWTv193Og6Kujqp3pq_kYWawbtNxb2gbE3euxB8RAgmn/s320/jacobite_013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082727144499227554" border="0" /></a>I was delighted to see the little steam train 'Lord of the Isles' puffing it's way across the swing bridge at Banavie on it's way to Mallaig. With a little toot of the whistle (you know the sound that only steam trains make) as it went across you couldn't help but smile. This is the route, of course, which was used in the Harry Potter railway and further up the line is the famous Glenfinnan viaduct used in the film for the Hogwarts express. During the summer months you can catch Hogwarts express and travel the same route, a pure delight for hardened Harry Potter fans.<br /><br />Back over the East side again for the weekend, and just for a laugh, I joined some of the girls from work and went camping at <a href="http://www.caravanscotland.com/index.htm">Grantown On Spey camping site</a>, now i've never been camping before and after borrowing a 2 man tent off i ventured.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/jerm313/150_camping1.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u83/jerm313/150_camping1.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a> I was really surprised just how easy it was to put up the tent. The camp site was a marvel and i was really impressed with the layout and facilities at the site....the toilet and shower block were surreal in that it had piped music, was very warm and those fancy lights that turn on when you enter! Oh and i must point out it's one of the cleanest places i've been. One nights stay has completely converted me to the delights of camping...despite the incessant rain! I shared a pitch with a rather nice 67 year old retired German chap who seemed to be cycling the world....he was amazing and very helpful and friendly. I did have a bit of bother sorting out my air bed but eventually my German neighbour managed to suss out the problem, erm we hadn't put the plug in the other end, so once he sorted this out it was all inflated and ready.....erm for it to slowly deflate over night! All part of the fun! </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-31327370892694384222007-06-16T23:51:00.001+04:002007-06-17T06:42:37.417+04:00The Great Canal<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ocgEPT1qzlF3tMJcBrKExWUZpzLXaXgFI_EE6_T3mKMmE3gfUEOnr8C5OPFs4RH5fEHBy7b2Jv_VW8q9pgZDxqHqRBuULWFGD9ypNtH9m1orfbjpO85oXmiunxSOUVftGHhG/s1600-h/Forth+and+Clyde+Canal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ocgEPT1qzlF3tMJcBrKExWUZpzLXaXgFI_EE6_T3mKMmE3gfUEOnr8C5OPFs4RH5fEHBy7b2Jv_VW8q9pgZDxqHqRBuULWFGD9ypNtH9m1orfbjpO85oXmiunxSOUVftGHhG/s320/Forth+and+Clyde+Canal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076752200033509602" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I visit</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">ed my Sister in Law who lives in Lambhill, Glasgow last weekend and her house is close to the Forth and Clyde Canal.</span> </div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The canal has a long history. The notion of creating a canal that crossed Scotland was first conceived during the reign of Charles II but it would be a 100 years before this was realised. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Construction of the canal was started in 1768 with the canal finally opening in 1790. It is 35 miles long with a short branch 3.5 miles long leading to Port Dundas and was wide enough to accommodate sea-going vessels. It was one of the first man made sea to sea ship canals and constructed with no natural waterways included on its route.</span><br /><br />The Monkland Canal joined the Port Dundas Basin in 1793, and the Union Canal from Falkirk to Edinburgh opened in 1822, creating a Lowland waterway network.<br /></div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-align: justify;">The Forth & Clyde was bought by the Caledonian Railway in 1867, and remained under railway ownership until nationalisation of the waterways in 1948. During the 1960s new roads blocked the waterway so in 1963 Parliament closed the Canal to navigation and it largely fell into disrepair with odd parts being used for leisure pursuits. In 1980 a report stated that the Canal was semi-derelict with little prospect of improvement. After funds were secured from the Millennium Commission, the huge restoration project started in 1999 on the canal which reopened in 2001 and with the accompanying restoration of the Edinburgh & Glasgow Union Canal (more simply known as the Union Canal), boats can once again navigate from Glasgow to Edinburgh.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cs.vu.nl/%7Ekielmann/magpie-photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.cs.vu.nl/%7Ekielmann/magpie-photo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I must say that walking along the old tow path which is now a walk and cycle route it is difficult to imagine that this Canal was once in a state of disrepair. Whilst walking along the banks the canal was teeming with wildlife, different fish spawning, ta</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">dpoles swimming near the edge and Dragonflies of all colours were darting in and out of the grass. </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Content_Files/Images/Collections%20and%20Research/Natural%20History/Botany/yellowpondlily-large.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Content_Files/Images/Collections%20and%20Research/Natural%20History/Botany/yellowpondlily-large.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">There is an abundance of water lilies, irises and rushes. Part of the route goes past Possil Loch which is now called Possil Marsh Nature Reserve. There i saw a pair of magpies which i haven't seen since i was a child. The reserve lies adjacent to High Possil and Lambhill, bounded by the Forth and Clyde Canal and the A879 and has a circular walk around it.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudnR1ydvtcDM1qTqK-jBwF7D-SqGEODgbcCWbMfeMWIYDzWGoNkI4MjwHL8rMl5sSXg-ZeY5KE60M610yl8fJHD5ibzpS-17mmtbOBvNnsDTMJFCxNUx6kF1KLMYLJQYau3-Y/s1600-h/Stables.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudnR1ydvtcDM1qTqK-jBwF7D-SqGEODgbcCWbMfeMWIYDzWGoNkI4MjwHL8rMl5sSXg-ZeY5KE60M610yl8fJHD5ibzpS-17mmtbOBvNnsDTMJFCxNUx6kF1KLMYLJQYau3-Y/s320/Stables.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076778403628982562" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> On the Canal at Lambhill Bridge are what is known locally as the Old Stables or Lambhill Stables and the Lock Keepers House.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> Stable blocks were built at various points along the canal to allow horse drawn boats to change their horses regularly. The blocks were built to a standard pattern and were once handsome buildin</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">gs which some, like this one at Lambhill, has sadly fallen into disrepair. Not shown in the picture is what is the Lock Keepers house and is attached to the stables. </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Lambhill Stables was and I suppose still is, an attractive Georgian building on the Forth and Clyde Canal at Balmore Road, built in the 1780s to provide stabling for the horses that pulled the canal barges of yesteryear.</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vINy4sZJoLMUsiuB75__jOnsFZFF4SgjZHjjFyoSuOkj0Kef7lafM6mu7-UYSALYgxzuJWQbeLmT4ijDW8Ri80EVxKOanbWOxw79q_tlNf6iFqCwleVcGZRYpnHlYb3i3R2A/s1600-h/gate+under+stables.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vINy4sZJoLMUsiuB75__jOnsFZFF4SgjZHjjFyoSuOkj0Kef7lafM6mu7-UYSALYgxzuJWQbeLmT4ijDW8Ri80EVxKOanbWOxw79q_tlNf6iFqCwleVcGZRYpnHlYb3i3R2A/s320/gate+under+stables.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076778403628982578" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">These interesting looking access tunnels go into the side of the canal banking. When I looked inside I noticed a shaft with a ladder going down at the end of the short tunnel. I wondered what it is was for as it looked as if you might be able to go through some sort of passage under the canal as there were also gated entrances on the opposite bank. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> Someone suggested that these are inspection doors</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> for syphons carrying Glasgow's water supply under the canal. I googled and found this: </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">"When the Loch Katrine scheme was constructed to supply Glasgow with water the main supply pipe from Mugdock Reservoir to the city had to cross the line of the Forth and Clyde Canal. A syphon pipe under the canal was the chosen solution.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">This view shows the inspection door for this </span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">device, set into the canal bank. When the scheme was enlarged in the late 1880s a second syphon was built beside this one, with it own inspection door.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">A syphon in this case allows the water to cross the canal below the level of the main pipe, returning to its original level on the other side."</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> So i'd say that it was a fair guess. I just love a mystery so will need to find out more about these little tunnels!</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWb2XS_43nORWS8LKv3e-mSp73PvqmUyKEgisff9iQemadx1KEgLVVffqQqi-n6MlNoqLToYv_UEXJACdm2ZtIBnHDAJerYvIw2dWL9FjIttOCIrZO1oVdiXiGCADD-fzmgpn/s1600-h/stables07.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWb2XS_43nORWS8LKv3e-mSp73PvqmUyKEgisff9iQemadx1KEgLVVffqQqi-n6MlNoqLToYv_UEXJACdm2ZtIBnHDAJerYvIw2dWL9FjIttOCIrZO1oVdiXiGCADD-fzmgpn/s400/stables07.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076774551043318034" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-30794308772053889872007-06-16T23:48:00.001+04:002007-06-19T04:54:50.106+04:00The Front Garden<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6iiTwj2MPWslqQauS8XsoFXUd11m9BmK6ql2VJiMx6ilLyjMmMcJFyqWt076cVQvgbZtULLb9dJzoyyUmVyiwNdrCWmoJmr-BltYtDgImF8b1YsZPqD6MRd9K-HXrBtYjKNb/s1600-h/P1010005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6iiTwj2MPWslqQauS8XsoFXUd11m9BmK6ql2VJiMx6ilLyjMmMcJFyqWt076cVQvgbZtULLb9dJzoyyUmVyiwNdrCWmoJmr-BltYtDgImF8b1YsZPqD6MRd9K-HXrBtYjKNb/s320/P1010005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076854978600903010" border="0" /></a>I don't very often mention the front garden as it's mainly a drive with beds; a long bed and a triangular one, a small patch of grass surrounded by beds. However, at this time of the year the Mock Orange 'Philadelphus <span style="font-style: italic;">Aurea' </span>starts to flower. This is it's fourth year and is planted in a shady part of the garden as the light coloured leaves scorch from sun, wind and rain very easily as you can see from the picture. This is a beautiful looking bush and a real delight when in flower as it is heavily perfumed and the scent hangs on the evening air and can be evident some 15ft away from the bush in any direction. I planted this in this particular spot for two reason's one, it needed a shady site and two my neighbours have a seating area on the other side of the fence and i thought it would be really nice for them to enjoy the scent. Last <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyX8oOckPpoi1-MqqOANlZs3eFHQZZzdyaEmzYBPR5ZP2gtv6TmbwysKEAq1AzdH_B1QsnkznuXi8iOhS0yXOYbkKJan-Rq1GyDPcGTkiZCNJ0cVL6IXymb78jaB0HVczJ8Gq/s1600-h/P1040014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyX8oOckPpoi1-MqqOANlZs3eFHQZZzdyaEmzYBPR5ZP2gtv6TmbwysKEAq1AzdH_B1QsnkznuXi8iOhS0yXOYbkKJan-Rq1GyDPcGTkiZCNJ0cVL6IXymb78jaB0HVczJ8Gq/s320/P1040014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077572242434302322" border="0" /></a>year, when it was in flower, i recall coming home from work and as i was opening the front door this wonderful heady scent greeted me, it took me several minutes to work out the source and was delighted when i realised it was this bush.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />As you can see it's planted next to a Ceonothus which contrasts well with the dark leaves and the blue flowers. I only lightly prune both these bushes just to keep them in shape the rest they do themselves. I also give a general fertiliser every year just to help them along. On the other side of the mock orange i have a beautiful peach coloured climbing rose and this is it's third year and starting to do very nicely and again contrasts nicely against the golden foliage of the Mock orange.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kcfK2LEk2eo/RnGm52euINI/AAAAAAAAAMo/x04TLZW4JzM/s1600-h/P1010004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_kcfK2LEk2eo/RnGm52euINI/AAAAAAAAAMo/x04TLZW4JzM/s320/P1010004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076021767830380754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgdlw-U-yH2IPL0uHDTHTxiY23DRkps8bil9zk6k0w-VImlS6A3-p57Ogc_WEARgi4uAhyphenhyphen_EAjdZkElLVlzGRCjoHxMstPLZjN52FPi68ENFrPr4f2dgAg3ft3kPQYYhchWNy/s1600-h/P1010004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgdlw-U-yH2IPL0uHDTHTxiY23DRkps8bil9zk6k0w-VImlS6A3-p57Ogc_WEARgi4uAhyphenhyphen_EAjdZkElLVlzGRCjoHxMstPLZjN52FPi68ENFrPr4f2dgAg3ft3kPQYYhchWNy/s320/P1010004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076854561989075266" border="0" /></a>My other delights in the front garden are my peonies all just about to burst into flower. They really seem to like the position they have been planted in. In the triangular bed i have two, a red one and a white one. At this time of the year the bed is just starting to bloom and then flowers right through.<br /><br />My other plants are Lavender of which I have several varieties which i bought these from <a href="http://www.norfolklavender.co.uk/products/glorious_plants/lavenders/1">Norfolk Lavender</a> I started out with small plants and potted them up to see what rate each one grew at and then planted them out according to how fast or slow they grew and how big they would get. It worked quite well. I have a particular fondness for Stoechas but more lately have become a firm fan of the English lavender too. I still have a few spaces where i could accommodate more!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHf1GSJOMoOeeX1fk7L3fLpycQfS4gVx9uvmE1hP2z3Qq_-p1mQdNt62yLEroWMSiWyud2NO5ZuSYznR-7WnRxK-GjD_pB38ijyD7eYPEL4qggoYnv5Sy1K0szV0a7fyuHCBy/s1600-h/P1040016.JPG"><br /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-54677440000085315362007-06-15T01:02:00.001+04:002007-06-15T01:02:39.955+04:00Ladybird fights back<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/KTi8otcWIf4' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/KTi8otcWIf4'></embed></object></p><p>This made me laugh...if only!</p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-18668323433886270922007-06-13T01:53:00.001+04:002007-06-15T01:06:22.495+04:00Ladybirds under threat<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.alisonashwell.com/nature/ladybird.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 298px;" src="http://www.alisonashwell.com/nature/ladybird.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Ladybirds are named after Our Lady, the Virgin Mary. The red colour is said to represent the red cloak Mary was depicted wearing in old paintings. The seven spots are for the seven joys and seven sorrows.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"></o:p><u1:p style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"></u1:p></span></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p style="font-family: arial;"></u1:p><span style="font-family:arial;">The bright colours of ladybirds have evolved to act as a warning mechanism. Ladybirds are unpalatable to most predators and the warning colours advertise this. When ladybirds are attacked they ooze a horrid goo, called reflex blood, from their knees which contains toxins and tastes unpleasant. Not surprisingly this stops ants, birds and other predators from eating them.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p><span style="font-family:arial;">There are over 5,000 species of ladybirds all over the world but only 46 in </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">the UK</st1:place></st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:arial;">. Some of these are very small and not spotted so there are only 27 which are likely to be found and easily recognised as ladybirds. Most species of ladybird are predatory – eating sap-sucking plant pests such as aphids. A few, such as the orange ladybird, eat mildews, and two species eat leaves. The ladybird was regarded historically as a magical animal – it foretold weather and happiness, cured toothache and increased potency.</span><o:p style="font-family: arial;"></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Rumoured to have medicinal properties and some thought that ladybirds to be a cure for measles and colic.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p><span style="font-family:arial;">The native ladybird (Coccinellidae), is under threat from the world’s most invasive ladybird species - the harlequin ladybird (</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Harmonia axyridis</i><span style="font-family:arial;">). To help the native ladybird, a national survey is taking place.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p><span style="font-family:arial;">Originally from Asia, the harlequin ladybird was first spotted in the </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:arial;"> in September 2004. Since then many sightings have been reported, but these have mainly been confined to the south east of </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">the UK</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:arial;">. Much more information is needed to discover the true extent of the threat to the native ladybird.</span><o:p style="font-family: arial;"></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/harlequin_colour_variants.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 290px;" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/harlequin_colour_variants.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">There are 46 species from the native ladybird family (Coccinellidae) in </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:arial;"> and the arrival of the harlequin ladybird (see pic on left) is a potential threat to all of these. It is an extremely voracious predator which easily out competes native ladybirds for food. When their preferred food, of green fly and scale insects, is not available the harlequin turns on native ladybirds and other insects such as butterfly eggs, caterpillars and lacewing larvae.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u1:p></u1:p></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The survey is calling for all gardeners, farmers, wildlife enthusiasts and anyone with a love of ladybirds to examine trees, bushes and plants and record all ladybirds, including the harlequin, they find. Scientists from the </span><st1:placetype style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:placetype><span style="font-family:arial;"> of </span><st1:placename style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Cambridge</st1:placename></st1:placename><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><st1:placename style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Anglia</st1:placename></st1:placename> <st1:placename style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Polytechnic </st1:placename></st1:placename><st1:placetype style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:placetype><span style="font-family:arial;">, the Biological Records Centre and the </span><st1:placename style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Natural</st1:placename></st1:placename><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><st1:placename style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">History</st1:placename></st1:placename><st1:placetype style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:placetype st="on"> Museum</st1:placetype></st1:placetype><span style="font-family:arial;"> will use the results of the survey to gauge how widely the harlequin has spread throughout </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: arial;" st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Britain</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span> </p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: lucida grande; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Information can be submitted on line for the Harlequin <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.harlequin-survey.org">ladybird survey</a> or details can be sent to the</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><st1:country-region st="on"> <a href="http://www.ladybird-survey.org/default.htm">UK</a></st1:country-region><a href="http://www.ladybird-survey.org/default.htm"> Ladybird Survey</a>, Biological Records Centre, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Monks Wood,Abbots Rip</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >ton, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Cambridgeshire</st1:city></st1:place>, <st1:postalcode st="on"><st1:postalcode st="on">PE28 2LS</st1:postalcode></st1:postalcode></st1:city></st1:place>.</span></p><br />UPDATE: I emailed the Ladybird Survey to ask what action should be taken if we see Harlequin ladybirds and this is the reply:<br /><br />"We do not recommend killing any ladybirds and although this is partly because of the risk of native species being misidentified as harlequins, also any that are killed will unfortunately make very little difference to the population.<br /><br />Unfortunately there is currently no effective control method that will only target harlequins. However, research is being done to try and develop one (possibly using a pheromone that only attracts this species)."<br /><br />Just hope they find something before the native ladybird is wiped out.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-17859063303723880102007-06-07T00:00:00.001+04:002007-06-11T03:06:32.400+04:00Knot garden progress<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1fkufUPiqhjTd0CwUZb_IWUakibmYk8ImeVsA70fRot7qgBXzHcR69lkdAG1MgNZKMBU0o-mbY5rDCySjveGDcWIe15wDNSBkH-8f96AOY7_9rA7CTP_8CtrwpFTO3idlIPj/s1600-h/design.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1fkufUPiqhjTd0CwUZb_IWUakibmYk8ImeVsA70fRot7qgBXzHcR69lkdAG1MgNZKMBU0o-mbY5rDCySjveGDcWIe15wDNSBkH-8f96AOY7_9rA7CTP_8CtrwpFTO3idlIPj/s400/design.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073438409426346114" border="0" /></a>Inspiration comes in many guises. Following on from my knot garden idea i've been trying to design it but to no avail. I have been trying to draw a celtic knot but it's very difficult to do.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Now here's an interesting concept i came across whilst doing my research into knot gardens is to use a mixture of box, and two other evergreen herbs for contrast. So i have decided on Box and Lavender (<span class="body_text"><i>Lavandula angustifolia</i> 'Hidcote'</span>) and Grey Santolina<span class="body_text"><i> (Santolina chamaecyparissus</i></span>).<br /><br />Whilst visiting Dundee the hotel i was staying in was originally a Scottish mansion house and had beautiful landscaped gardens. The dining room overlooked box maze which was absolutely stunning. It was, of course, on a much larger scale than i was planning but it's inspired me all over again to get the pencil out and get the design right.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLzvtvop82NQwAEC5WA4qFUUP4QXED4nwCUWM-xhUb4CbOYTo_uOTps8QlqSqpmwF6_OEnOLLD0TbfpDvKWxM3b4a7d0Ebx7qgDVHV0brV2MfP3f-Qe-HAz4BeNcibpOgXJby/s1600-h/Swallow+Hotel+knot+garden.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLzvtvop82NQwAEC5WA4qFUUP4QXED4nwCUWM-xhUb4CbOYTo_uOTps8QlqSqpmwF6_OEnOLLD0TbfpDvKWxM3b4a7d0Ebx7qgDVHV0brV2MfP3f-Qe-HAz4BeNcibpOgXJby/s400/Swallow+Hotel+knot+garden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073043762061385762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ye2jmsz883EXd8ZRBoJedlEHb_MEfJk_HCUs8oWPGpfz_aTGhuo2i85AnOYnBIIJT-2cZnS0L7Q7RbLnhzsYH0kK65LoqZKWe-tuWl8hwK5XuTG5wokrgN59zeNEEyE8iDob/s1600-h/5_main_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ye2jmsz883EXd8ZRBoJedlEHb_MEfJk_HCUs8oWPGpfz_aTGhuo2i85AnOYnBIIJT-2cZnS0L7Q7RbLnhzsYH0kK65LoqZKWe-tuWl8hwK5XuTG5wokrgN59zeNEEyE8iDob/s400/5_main_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073044213032951858" border="0" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-25103164893208771062007-06-04T22:58:00.000+04:002007-06-05T00:32:01.963+04:00Early June 2007<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-orjrH09QRD7ptVl7Hk7cWO-VBNuO0BCb5asksQGx8-nR1trtxxQTGngGw1TZTAOTJUZo_6bGjhVjY3w2X0EVHrmea4_toqj6sSUBDqWrV8uY5wzq5NrMFDKVjLzr-rCQzff/s1600-h/P1010021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-orjrH09QRD7ptVl7Hk7cWO-VBNuO0BCb5asksQGx8-nR1trtxxQTGngGw1TZTAOTJUZo_6bGjhVjY3w2X0EVHrmea4_toqj6sSUBDqWrV8uY5wzq5NrMFDKVjLzr-rCQzff/s200/P1010021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072303869154010594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0adATr4xPNAY13LLYVaRh0juGpkB6bJR_ZvqQBBL0oJ2haLO14pE2QIaevzH6E8Z9H62kZMAicTcQApgmh1t56XVasyG8zbGk8zZ2O5SCcH8keWjGBgHaLaYQP1_2J37GGxK/s1600-h/P1010020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0adATr4xPNAY13LLYVaRh0juGpkB6bJR_ZvqQBBL0oJ2haLO14pE2QIaevzH6E8Z9H62kZMAicTcQApgmh1t56XVasyG8zbGk8zZ2O5SCcH8keWjGBgHaLaYQP1_2J37GGxK/s200/P1010020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072302335850685842" border="0" /></a>The weather over the last few weeks has really brought the garden on and everything is green and lush. For those of you that follow my blog this is the bed that i planted up last year from scratch.....just look at it now what a difference to the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8dGyZNuTQCQfiMQ0QYZKLSpLaN52nGhWeNbykKFDzDwnrRIDJP-9i_y8wXZcaS1Zse_dgLvSIK0ZRrTg3VVWh0E8eSRBoY4kwAi6e-vWIal6_amg8Ox2a8-gv5otctJOWnsK/s1600-h/P1010005.JPG">picture in spring</a>. I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out and there's still plenty to come yet. There's still some growing to do so if this is now what will it be like next year. You will see I finally put my step stones to the bird house in. I used flat pieces of local rock and buried these at the right places for my step. It's amazing the difference this makes for access. Found another poppy growing which i've replanted so must have been from seed last year. I love poppy's and plan to sow/plant more of these delightful blooms. The geranium that you can see is actually a self seeded from the front garden...i have so many of these now that they are starting to be weeds....but i just love the flowers and the way they cover themselves with flowers. The pony tail plant is looking good now...when i first bought this and planted it i was in two minds whether to keep it, pleased i did as it grows more graceful and beautiful. I just wish my cat would leave it alone, it likes to lay on the grass and play with the ones wafting above her.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdhH7YRoLCEt8KIQG-DWONUrAyGDmxxZj0AcTQ2lkvKlwNwZD2IlSmjVhCju4wtuV7aM4iy-h9V8IQredTLMhPd0L0vGbMwzWu8GMhDjjQg_ARBziY6PCOkoxJc0ORXKgTsZV/s1600-h/P1010019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdhH7YRoLCEt8KIQG-DWONUrAyGDmxxZj0AcTQ2lkvKlwNwZD2IlSmjVhCju4wtuV7aM4iy-h9V8IQredTLMhPd0L0vGbMwzWu8GMhDjjQg_ARBziY6PCOkoxJc0ORXKgTsZV/s200/P1010019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072302344440620466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4uWx-MdFhFWtKrTkds9QsyDhIN1ZAsB4Lc5NNAXp2-MllmT3OgDv6rDGJzmF-i9razB0CAKRdwSYi6yQzr8pjQo6dmQH8BuG0nO1W2CF1gpmcgGuWAwmb9VZ_V5AHULQU1Uf/s1600-h/P1010023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4uWx-MdFhFWtKrTkds9QsyDhIN1ZAsB4Lc5NNAXp2-MllmT3OgDv6rDGJzmF-i9razB0CAKRdwSYi6yQzr8pjQo6dmQH8BuG0nO1W2CF1gpmcgGuWAwmb9VZ_V5AHULQU1Uf/s200/P1010023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072302344440620482" border="0" /></a>The potatoes are starting to gather pace now and i need to earth up again. I've tried three different varieties this year so i am eager to see how they fare. We may have had a dry April but May and so far into June has made up for it...perfect growing weather. Put my corn in last weekend just have to get the beans and the squashes in. I've decided to grow all three together but due to practicalities i've decided to plant a block of corn, a row of squash and a row of beans in the same bed and see if this works as well as three sisters interplanting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UU0cPcJ4Cg42dsjXHfylp7nLepE17i7TsnT6wUv4uBHQOrSP0pCaZ6dbJer6Lo-GYu0iNysp2cni5UDrztDNDz8ahhEFALY7amPxlTojamwxlWfLhQMvYm5EpIBjrZa6-xh-/s1600-h/P1010018.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0UU0cPcJ4Cg42dsjXHfylp7nLepE17i7TsnT6wUv4uBHQOrSP0pCaZ6dbJer6Lo-GYu0iNysp2cni5UDrztDNDz8ahhEFALY7amPxlTojamwxlWfLhQMvYm5EpIBjrZa6-xh-/s200/P1010018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072302348735587794" border="0" /></a>One of my first roses to open. The Rhapsody in Blue is starting to open her blooms too but with the recent rain it looks a little bedraggled. Greenfly is in evidence and i've been controlling this with garlic spray which i keep handy to zap any i see. Even my Fatsia japonica hasn't escaped....never mind i saw loads of ladybirds on Saturday so i'm sure they will have plenty of food to go at.<br /><br />The mock oranges are starting to put out flowers now, and i have three of these plants dotted around the garden. I just love the scent of an established plant. My favourite one is a gold variety but this can be difficult to grow as needs a fairly shady spot to stop the leaves from getting scorched. When the plant is covered in flowers and when the heat of the day has passed you get this wonderful heady aroma all around the garden....there is nothing quite like it. I've sited my mock oranges where i can enjoy their scent. I also have a Mexican orange which has lovely leaves and although flowers but needs to do a bit more growing before the scent becomes strong.<br /><br />Hope that June soon becomes flamin' and that the garden continues with it's progress. The weeds, of course, never let up but another month and they will be slower to germinate and then i can relax a bit in the garden - well that's the theory anyway!<br /><br />Happy Gardening!<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-33199509678089731462007-05-30T01:17:00.000+04:002007-05-30T01:37:23.081+04:00End of May 2007<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJDrNN2z4KxuM7t0sX7uEKD-fylmSFWk5YzhJ_Htg8AtS1N1E1WEE3ygoxS4nv8jdJ9CxXvgNJWxp3YcSp2N-gdJqgHUezsLoW3CeLbl0mPljDT3Meu_ykMCFHtAAgp-5rS1n/s1600-h/P1010009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJDrNN2z4KxuM7t0sX7uEKD-fylmSFWk5YzhJ_Htg8AtS1N1E1WEE3ygoxS4nv8jdJ9CxXvgNJWxp3YcSp2N-gdJqgHUezsLoW3CeLbl0mPljDT3Meu_ykMCFHtAAgp-5rS1n/s200/P1010009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070095693323150690" border="0" /></a>The garden is gathering pace now and this is helped along by the wet weather we've been having. So much water has fallen but the plants are loving it.<br /><br />Finally my Clematis 'Nelly Moser' is in flower and with more buds to come out. I'm well pleased with the display.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/picture-8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/picture-8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Been busy again and made a start on getting the pots planted up, managed quite a few but still have loads of plants sitting waiting to go into the garden and containers. Also need to get my baskets done so they get a chance to develop a bit before i hang them up.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVnvDkqJVQ-X5n9QFaJk3LV9l0m2USlf2tAW9yVyAAc_vj7bMNa8H5EfheTH4DVODcs7VJtcYhdG_Ur8t3pc9vMtBzo9qpDtd0v1gaqFpsHzwiCeV366nNmENRkGCYYS9LRMp/s1600-h/P1010012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVnvDkqJVQ-X5n9QFaJk3LV9l0m2USlf2tAW9yVyAAc_vj7bMNa8H5EfheTH4DVODcs7VJtcYhdG_Ur8t3pc9vMtBzo9qpDtd0v1gaqFpsHzwiCeV366nNmENRkGCYYS9LRMp/s200/P1010012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070095706208052594" border="0" /></a>I was out at the weekend and came back with some pots and more flowers. The garden is starting to get some colour again but it needs sun to really make it bloom and shine.<br /><br />The weather is not helping me to get my garden furniture painted either. Wood needs to be dry. June not far away now so hopefully we'll get some more sun yet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyLWDGunvUHppw4136BIO35WTlaGnBvELFBf5sughyphenhyphenv5KWh_ux9m_6MrOmGw67eMLCgyLbLZc8cAEXWDrj2iTdb7sQ3ji5CizptQByBpnCtocxlASi4yDDYZkQ8cLg90-UzyY/s1600-h/P1010010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIyLWDGunvUHppw4136BIO35WTlaGnBvELFBf5sughyphenhyphenv5KWh_ux9m_6MrOmGw67eMLCgyLbLZc8cAEXWDrj2iTdb7sQ3ji5CizptQByBpnCtocxlASi4yDDYZkQ8cLg90-UzyY/s200/P1010010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070095714797987202" border="0" /></a>My chives are really putting their all into flowering. Will be thinning these later in the year and popping them around the garden.<br /><br />I actually planted my brassicas at the weekend so at least all this rain is watering them in. Hopefully by mid June it will all be in place and i can just keep the weeds down with the hoe.<br /><br />Strawberries are starting to form but still plenty of flowers too, looks like another bumper year if it dries up.<br /><br />Oh well weekend looming and hopefully the weather will dry up quite a bit to allow me to get back at it. Happy gardening folks!<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-50017408845193524972007-05-21T03:13:00.000+04:002007-06-02T01:39:11.498+04:00Help Bring Madeleine Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.acountrygarden.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/madeleine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.acountrygarden.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/madeleine.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Please help to keep Madeleine in the spotlight so that she can be found. Post her photo on your blog, email her photo to friends around the world. Someone, somewhere must know where she is.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Do whatever you can to help bring this little girl home safe and well.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bringmadeleinehome.com/">Bring Madeleine Home</a><br /><br /><br />Phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or 004336 4 1883 731 for outside UK.<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-40043769497704740302007-05-21T02:02:00.000+04:002007-05-22T01:03:53.859+04:00Mid May 2007<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/picture-6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 223px;" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/picture-6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The weather has been warmer but very changeable of late. After finishing off in the garden following a glorious sunny day suddenly the clouds darkened and showers ensued....great i thought just what the garden is needing. Then the sun shone and i had the most beautiful rainbow, not an unusual sight up here but this was the first i've seen this year. It looked like I was at Rainbows End.....was tempted to go digging for my pot of gold.<br /><br />So well what have i been up to lately. Despite the weather being windy and rainy i've managed to get some stuff done but the planting has backed up because of this. This week i've got my onions in, not sure i've done the right thing in growing them from seed this year. They don't look to me as though they will make large onions later in the year! So i wait with baited breath. Planted three rows; two rows of white and one row of red.<br /><br />When i prepared the onion bed in the Autumn i spread garden compost on the top and let the worms take it down. It was interesting to note just how nice and workable the soil was with this treatment and with a rake just levelled it out. I was interested to note that whilst planting that the compost was mixed in with the topsoil a good four inches down, a sign that the worms had done their job over the winter. This should give my onions a good start and will not be too much for the carrots.<br /><br />The shallots and garlic are doing fine and i've sown another row of carrots, Autumn King and beetroot, Boltardy between the onions and shallots. I sow two rows of onions to one row of carrots. The theory is that this will confuse the lady carrot fly. The fly is attracted by the scent of the carrots which is why they frequently attack just after you have thinned the crop. Cow Parsley is a member of the Carrot family so it may well be an alternate host for<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>carrot fly which could be the reason the crop is always under attack. In fact, there is an old gardening practice of sowing carrots only when the Cow Parsley is <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> in flower, ie before the flowering stems develop or after the flowers fade. This timing avoids the two important generations of the fly. I noticed today that the Cow Parsley is just starting to open so i can only hope that my sowings today will miss the attentions of the carrot fly.<br /><br />The first attack comes in late May or early June and the second in August and September. Delaying sowing until late May, can help to avoid this first generation. Alternatively, sow very thinly eliminating the need for thinning.<br /><br />Managed to plant a row of Iceberg lettuces today too. I only plant one row and when i crop them i do so by cutting across the base and leaving the stump in the ground. I then cut a cross in the stump and after a few weeks a new lettuce forms. This gives me two crops from one row and saves on space too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t215/GingerImp/Dave-The-Bluetit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t215/GingerImp/Dave-The-Bluetit.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Whilst busy in the garden i was very aware that there was a large amount of birdsong, they are busy nesting in the Rosa Rugosa hedge just outside the garden in the wild area. I've a bird table which is handy for them to feed their young and so far this year i've seen, Great Tits, Pied Wagtails, Chaffinches, Blackbirds and today i was delighted to see a Bluetit and Greenfinch. This is the first time i've seen these two birds in my garden and was taken by surprise. The birds that visit my bird table seems to change as the garden matures. I found an interesting site called <a href="http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/">British Garden Birds</a> which i've found helpful in identifying my feathered visitors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/picture-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 229px;" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/picture-4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Clematis Nelly Moser is covered in buds and i've been eagerly awaiting their opening to reveal those glorious flowers. Typically the one that did open was at the very top of the trellis, so here's my first clematis flower of the season. It's a topping plant that if pruned lightly after the first flowers will give a second display later in the year. The flowers are two tone pink and striped. However, the only draw back is that if planted in full sun they tend to fade quickly but their beauty is a joy and eagerly anticipated. This plant is only three years old.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-48450502365436356572007-05-11T04:40:00.001+04:002007-05-11T04:40:44.253+04:00Gardening the Highland Way<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/ijWzIiH-G3s' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/ijWzIiH-G3s'></embed></object></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-33266031470783976652007-05-07T23:40:00.000+04:002007-05-08T00:31:30.780+04:00Gooseberry and Lavender Crumble<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k198/difahey/notecard9share2-vi.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k198/difahey/notecard9share2-vi.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />400g gooseberries, washed and prepared<br />100g plain flour (All purpose flour)<br />50g butter<br />50g demerara (light brown sugar, granulated) or white sugar<br />50g chopped hazelnuts<br /><br />LAVENDER SYRUP<br />1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers<br />85g caster (Superfine) sugar<br />2 thin strips of lemon rind<br />100ml water<br />2-4 drops of Lavender Cooking Essence (to taste) (available from Health Shops)<br /><br />Make the lavender syrup by placing all the ingredients in a small pan and stirring until the sugar is dissolved while bringing it to boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Add lavender essence.<br /><br />Place the gooseberries in a 3 pint pie dish or other oven proof dish. Remove the lemon rind from the syrup and pour the syrup over the gooseberries.<br /><br />Make the crumble. Place the flour in a bowl and add the butter in small pieces. Using your finger tips mix the butter with the flour until crumbly. Stir in the sugar and nuts (the crumble can be made in a food processor).<br />Sprinkle over the gooseberries and bake in 180C/gas 4 for about 30 minutes.<br />Serve warm with lavender ice cream, cream or yoghurt.<br /><br />Note: This dish can be made with rhubarb or plums instead of gooseberries.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a232/ny_desert_storm/ththenjoy.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 96px;" src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a232/ny_desert_storm/ththenjoy.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t295/summerlove313/Tags/bonappetit.gif"><br /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31827086.post-8930524514247194062007-05-07T23:19:00.001+04:002007-05-09T01:31:40.220+04:00May 2007<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/brdhouse2.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 73px; height: 179px;" src="http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m179/ziggywigs/brdhouse2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>I was so excited having received several grasses and bamboos from fellow gardeners which they were thinning out. They arrived in the post and with no idea what lay inside i opened to see wonderful plants. I think you have to be a gardener to understand the sense of excitement of receiving plants in the post. Before planting i watered them and let them rest for 24 hours after the journey before setting them in their new homes. That's the thing about gardeners they are very giving people and like to share. Unfortunately my plants are not mature enough for me to yet share parts of my garden but i look forward to the day that i do. That said i have managed to share some strawberry plants so i feel at least that's a start.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Very busy in the garden of late getting things planted. We had a whole 10 days or more without a drop of rain but finally the skies opened and watered the garden nicely this weekend. You can feel the difference after rainfall the garden ready to gallop away again. We've another week of rain and then it should brighten up again but it will certainly give the new plants a boost.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CDY2GAszawUmrA-BtV9E0OxbT-MDAxqbCEVJE_IrwP9b_X6ZQA_HrK0Rwf5CYuYhyK2VU072ft_B1uGrg-2_udrG-SqbKyx01HcM-YNpbeFKayRUp6dMg82JHZ1n4WFOZvLy/s1600-h/My+Birthday+cake+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CDY2GAszawUmrA-BtV9E0OxbT-MDAxqbCEVJE_IrwP9b_X6ZQA_HrK0Rwf5CYuYhyK2VU072ft_B1uGrg-2_udrG-SqbKyx01HcM-YNpbeFKayRUp6dMg82JHZ1n4WFOZvLy/s200/My+Birthday+cake+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5062305032310472402" border="0" /></a>Walking around the garden there's lots happening already, the strawberries are in flower and with promise of more to come it looks like a bumper harvest again. The gooseberries had been attacked by the gooseberry sawfly so i sat and handpicked off all the caterpillers and the eggs i could find. Having made several checks since it would appear that for now anyway i've done enough. The gooseberries have flowered already and i have small goosegogs already forming. The currant bushes are still in flower and will be a little behind.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWciw3f92cyp2VKTEPSuD9VAndeZCCOnpUtBIyzASFnBC0fLj_F3aO5axgH5Cv98qJLoUeplAsRbtEFXS-zs12aEPGz6D8A0hS-FHBBk2ANANcRBlYZvdzn9jUsHs4CM3KjvM/s1600-h/My+Birthday+cake+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWciw3f92cyp2VKTEPSuD9VAndeZCCOnpUtBIyzASFnBC0fLj_F3aO5axgH5Cv98qJLoUeplAsRbtEFXS-zs12aEPGz6D8A0hS-FHBBk2ANANcRBlYZvdzn9jUsHs4CM3KjvM/s200/My+Birthday+cake+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5062305032310472386" border="0" /></a>These Nasturtiums were planted at Easter and have made great strides in growing. I find they grow better if you don't disturb them, they will grow on if transplanted but it really does slow them down so these days i just sow what i need where i need them. These are in pots either side of the arbour seat in the veggie garden. More have been planted but not showing through yet under the apple trees. The seeds for these Nasturtiums were given to me by a fellow gardener, Bob. For the small cost of postage he sent me loads of different seeds and i must say the germination rate is equal if not better to those i have bought.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3yrcHg3V1WeWk0f1ycHt5fsnT2l50BXAdGX3y6J-xrkq9oaGjr17lCt8RmQWkwCz6geRFxtl5hQpUfri3xqjWNTfrmMFf70PH7JFv4Ewo_S0QSpf7ne6fGsYO2pzwjAiXMFR/s1600-h/My+Birthday+cake+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3yrcHg3V1WeWk0f1ycHt5fsnT2l50BXAdGX3y6J-xrkq9oaGjr17lCt8RmQWkwCz6geRFxtl5hQpUfri3xqjWNTfrmMFf70PH7JFv4Ewo_S0QSpf7ne6fGsYO2pzwjAiXMFR/s200/My+Birthday+cake+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5062305036605439714" border="0" /></a>Having made a good start by planting up twenty largish pots for starters, I've still got plants in the cold frame hardening off for pots so still more to do along with my hanging baskets and more plants waiting to be hardened off. I usually do five 14" baskets for the front of the house and usually include surfinias, geraniums and petunias. I used to add trailing lobelia but it's not very good when the weather dries out the compost so i tend to use plants that will stand a bit of heat and not go to seed just cos i'm a bit late with the watering. I find the trick is to keep deadheading and make sure you don't overwater them which is easy to do with baskets as i water them insitu. I tend to line the baskets with black polythene cut to size from bin liners and puncture a third of the way up the sides so that it only retains a reservoir of water in the bottom. To hide the black polythene i also plant the sides so that they are covered much quicker. I only need to water these daily usually in the evening and feed them once a week. Two of my neighbours have already asked me if i'm doing baskets again this year and when are they going up, but this won't be until June and they will stay there until the first frosts. Pots are hard work in keeping up with the watering in the hot summer sun but they are worth it. This year i've included fuschias too in the pots so will see how they do.<br /><br />When i think of my garden as finished, if a garden is indeed ever finished, i always imagine lush green grasses and bamboos, interspersed with beautiful flowering plants with bright flowers that look naturally placed and complimenting each other...of course that is by day. I also would like my garden to look it's best at night when it's dark and really hanker after some sophisticated lighting. The garden at the mo is not mature enough to realise this dream but there are things that i can do now for the future such as planting the right plants.<span id="intelliTXT"> By keeping the palette light - i've planted lots of white flowers and those in very pale tints of pink or yellow that will glow at dusk and i</span><span id="intelliTXT">nto the darkness. Many white flowers pack a double wallop in the evening garden: they're often more fragrant than brightly coloured (or even pastel) blooms. Some, such as nicotiana (flowering tobacco), release their intoxicating aromas only at dusk.</span> Variegated foliage - striped, spotted or mottled with white - stands out at night in much the same way white flowers do. Any white flower looks good at night and you have hundreds to choose from in annuals and perennials of all sizes and shapes.<br /><br /><span id="intelliTXT"> Add water in some form - a small pool, a fountain, even a birdbath. It will provide a reflective surface for moonlight and starlight, its gentle sounds lend a sense of tranquility to the scene and </span><span id="intelliTXT">the extra moisture in the air further intensifies the scent of </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/11519-59med.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/11519-59med.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span id="intelliTXT">flowers. I have a birdbath sited amongst plants and also a water feature on the patio which i surround with big lush plants so that only the sound can be heard, this is quite effective and rather soothing. My larger grasses </span><span id="intelliTXT">are illuminated using discreet solar uplighters and the larger ones are already quite effective at night, i plan to increase this through time and as the plants mature with downlighters. Solar lights give a soft glow at night and are very pretty. I also have solar lanterns on the fences too. </span><br /><br />Of course, with lighting you are in control. If you have an ugly part in your garden at night you can ignore it... and only highlight the best bits. I recall staying in Aberdeen a few years ago and the restaurant next door had this wonderful garden that diners looked out on. They had mature trees with uplighters and the effect was really stunning. That image has stayed with me and one day would like to recreate that effect, of course my tree is only small at the moment but i can dream can't I?</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Garden in the Highlands and how it's gone from a building site to it's current state.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6