Picnic, again, and summer sky.

1) A picnic lunch with friends, at a local country park we haven’t visited together in a couple of years. Reminicising about the times we used to walk there regularly when the kids were little more than toddlers – we walked round considerably faster today!

2) The spotless starling was back at the water fountain, having his daily bathe.

3) A stunning summer evening sky, streaked with pink and blue and gold, brought the day to a close.

Forecast, starling, and recovered.

1) To look at the weather forecast and realise it’s sun all the way for the next few days 🙂 – keep this up for much longer, and I might think I’m not in Scotland.

2) I had to refill the bird feeder again, and it reminded me of the lovely Spotless Starling we saw bathing in the water fountain at the weekend.

3) A friend popped round this evening with a computer problem. Thankfully K was able to recover the mostly-completed job application for him 🙂 .

Loch, happy children, and cake shop.

1) We took five excited children out for a walk around the loch – they all loved it, and there were very few complaints!  We finished the walk with a picnic lunch on the shore, followed by icecreams, sitting on the sun-warmed rock.

2) The kids have spent the last few days running in and out the lodge, playing, cycling, scooting, enthusiastically counting the relatively tame bunny rabbits (last bunny sightings count was 201!), and generally having lots of fun.

3) To celebrate Father’s Day, we ended our trip up north with a trip to our favourite Norwegian cake shop at Inshriach. The tea room is situated on the side of the hill, with a viewing area of the bird feeders hanging in the trees just outside. We saw chaffinches, coal tits, blue tits, great tits, sisikins, and five red squirrels – the kids were fascinated. (And the cake was wonderful, as always!)

Swan, early, and reading.

1) Walking along the canal towpath this morning, I spotted a beautiful swan nesting just a couple of metres away. I look forward to watching progress as the weeks go by…

Nesting swan Nesting swan

2) The parcel arrives a day earlier than scheduled.

3) K comes home promptly from his meeting so that he can read the kids their new Maui story book (it’s a Maori legend). I’m glad he does – my Maori pronunciation isn’t really up to it! 🙂

Paying attention, treacle tart, and out for dinner.

1) a) As I walked this morning I wished that I’d put some music on my phone, something to listen to as I stomped along. Then I started listening to what I could hear – all sorts of bird song. I don’t know much about bird varieties, but I saw magpies darting from tree to tree, pigeons surveying the land, a crow flew imperiously across the road ahead of me, a flock of swifts took to the sky, some tiny great tits played on the fence beside me, and a large bird of prey glided overhead.

b) A herd of horses grazed peacefully in a field of buttercups, and a herd of cows lazily chewed the cud as they watched the world go by. I feel so blessed to have all this right on my doorstep.

2) “You’re making treacle tart!” was the accusation I received when the kids walked into the kitchen. They were somewhat mollified when they realised it was to take with us when we went out for dinner.

3) We were invited out for dinner this evening – it involved a paddling pool, a swing, kids playing and splashing in the sunshine, a barbeque, yummy food, chilled wine, a cute baby, and time to chat.

Choosing, birdsong, and garden.

1) To potter around the garden centre, selecting plants and flowers to brighten up the garden.

2) I turn the engine off and sit in the driveway for a moment or two, enjoying the momentary silence, which is quickly broken by birdsong so loud I can hear it through the closed doors.

3) K and I walk around the garden, figuring out how to resolve the damage from the winter, what needs to be done next, and planning a few changes.

Decorating, birdsong, and thanks.

1) I brought home some little pretty paper butterflies from the meeting I was at at the weekend. M has taken them and woven them onto the ornament on the windowsill.

2) I could hear the birds singing as we walked home from school. Despite the cold wind, I begin to believe that spring might be here at last.

3) M asked how I was getting on with the cardigan I’m knitting her. I showed her, and explained that, given how tiny the stitches are, it was going to take me a while to knit. She threw her arms around my neck, and thanked me anyway.

Dawn, complete at last, together.

1) To awaken in the very early morning, and listen to the dawn chorus.

2) I’d bought the material to make a bag about two years ago. I chose the pattern, and cut out the pieces about two months ago. I sewed the strap and the pockets about two weeks ago. This morning, I sewed the bag together, and it hardly took any time at all. I’m happy with the result, but you’ll have to wait for FO Friday to see it – I haven’t had the chance to take any photos yet.

3) Craft Night this evening – just a lovely time to relax, chat, and do craft together (this evening, we were all knitting 🙂 ).

Spotted, crisp, and safe.

1) To hear a flock of birds chirruping away to each other, and then to spot them high in the sky circling overhead.

2) Homemade potato wedges, hot, crisp, and fresh from the oven.

3) This evening the kids both prayed for that it would snow tomorrow. Then A suddenly added an addendum to his prayer: “please let it snow, but please keep everyone safe too.”.

Crescent, duck pond, and syphon.

1) The merest sliver of a silvery crescent moon, framed by skies coloured with gentle peaches and lilacs and gold, greeted me when I opened the curtains this morning.

2) It was a cold, crisp, clear day, perfect for a walk in the park with a friend. The duck pond was mostly frozen over, but there was still a small patch of water, and the ducks had all congragated there.

3) K’s cunning syphon system is doing a great job of watering our Christmas tree… that said, it is drinking so much water at the moment, that it takes the watchful eyes of A, M and me to keep the water supply topped up!