What a difference a few days, some exercise and a wonderfully bright morning can make. This  mornings dog walk although darker than it was before the clocks went forward was more rewarding than normal with the sound of owls hooting in the woods on one leg of it and hearing the foxes on the way back in. Not to mention the sounds of the birds all getting excited in the pre-dawn light. Even though some of the fields are still covered in snow here and it was bitterly cold this morning at least there is the hint of Spring.

Well into another year!

I know my posts are irregular but then that's me all over. A lot of things I do (or don't do) depend very much on my state of mind which of late seems to stumbling between a state of inertia and a state of severe depression. So much so I have started to look over my shoulder checking for black dogs (see Winston Churchill for the "quote").
I seem to be unable to find an interest in anything for very long and feel very uncommunicative with everyone else, I am also finding it hard to juggle life and work and downtime successfully and even writing this is an effort.
It is nothing to do with the weather since I actually really rather enjoy the snow shrouded landscapes around me and the enforced silence of most things mechanical giving nature time to open itself up a bit more with the sound of the birds and the rushing of the wind coming through more clearly now that the man made objects are struggling to move.
I will have to continue my search for some sort of inner peace though where to find it I am not sure

Season of fruitful enjoyment

Well after a slow start the hedgerows around here are finally coming alive with wild fruit. Blackberries in particular are my favourites, pies, crumbles take your pick!

However the last couple of years blackberry vodka has become something we have started making in time for Christmas. Some we make and give as presents, but most of it we drink as a warming nip on a cold or wet evening!

Simple as anything 1Lb Blackberries, 1Lb sugar, 1 Bottle of Vodka (75cl). Wash the blackberries, put in a container. Add the sugar and the vodka. Seal and give it a shake daily for about 6 weeks or until all the sugar has dissolved. Bottle it and serve. This makes about 1.5 bottles of blackberry vodka.

We do the same with Sloes and in fact this is an adaptation of a recipe for Sloe gin as given to me by my dear friend Anne mentioned in previous posts. Slainte Anne!

Doing the picking and all the preparation makes me feel somehow closer to nature and to the way things should be and makes me feel closer to the roots of my beliefs about God and nature being in harmony and that every season has a purpose.

My previous post related the sad news of the death of a close friend, Anne. I have to say though that we all went to Anne's funeral the following Friday with a deep sense of grief, but by the end of it I especially felt a whole lot better.
The funeral service itself was a wonderful celebration of Anne's life and was attended by somewhere in the region of 250 people, the church was absolutely packed - literally standing room only.
The hymns and readings were lovely and the family were so brave I was in awe of their calm courage.
All I can say at the end of it is rest in peace dear friend, I know where you sleep and I will visit soon.

Sad Day

As well as the fact I have een so busy of late the thing that I think drove me back to publish a new post tonight was the news earlier today of the death of a good friend from cancer after a struggle going on for nearly 3 years.

Anne was a lovely lady with never a bad word to say about anyone and always a smile for most
occasions. As a co worker she was without peer and a COBOL programmer of great talent. I will miss her dreadfully as will we all.

I am going home with thee, to thy home, to thy home,
I am going home with thee, to thy home of winter,
I am going home with thee, to thy home, to thy home,
I am going home with thee, to they home of autumn, of sprint and of summer.
I am going home with thee, thy child of my love to thy eternal bed to thy perpetual sleep.

God rest you Anne  
 

Thought I was going to have lots of time!

Well acording to my last post I thought I would have plenty of time to get some things down here to keep you all entertained.

That just did not happen!! Been busy doing lots of things including a three day expedition into the heart of one of the most remote parts of Scotland - Knoydart.

Absolutely stunning scenery but truly trying weather with a howling gale and horizontal rain for a couple of days. That being said I would still go there again like a shot.

Been MIA a Long Time

First post in a while as have been incredibly busy. Now on 2 weeks leave over Easter and can do a few things.

Before the weather turned a bit off I managed a 25k walk with the dog over the moors around here - not too sure the dog was happy about it by then end but it was pretty good