Memory Blossoms

I'm in Glasgow.  Caroline, daughter of Friend Who Knows Too Much, invited me to the opening of the   degree show for the honours year of her contemporary arts degree course.   I would not have missed it for the world.  I struggle with a lot of contemporary art.  I always have done.  Being with Caroline and following one of her blogs is a revelation.  Frequently I find myself puzzled even after an explanation of the thought processes that may have been behind some contemporary works but I now have a greater appreciation of such art and can at least look at it and think rather than just walk on by.

As it happens I find much of Caroline's work understandable and beautiful both visually and texturally.  No photograph really does it justice but her work in the degree show (part of the whole work - there just wasn't enough space) is the one in these photos.  

Caroline's words:

"Memory Blossoms

I will sway and creak in the cold wind.  I'll hold my buds closed until that warm summer's day when the air smells like raindrops steaming from the tarmac.  Then my flowers will blink at the sun.  When the air smells of peat smoke, my flowers will float to the ground one by one and surround me in a sleepy halo.  The wind will come again, and I will fill the air."  

The 'picture' in the background is part of an installation by Maryam Zare and is entitled The Dream.

It's All Frances's Fault

Well given that we live in a blame culture nowadays Frances is as good a person to blame as anyone.  It was, after all, she who posted on dreams and things happening with horses.  

I woke in the middle of last night whilst being chased by horses.  

As if that wasn't bad enough I had to get up at 0430 to see off David and Molly who were getting the early ferry from Tarbert and I woke in a state of considerable confusion given that my bed was in a glass sided pyramid occupied by a cobbler on the top of a turret of a stately home. 

Now at 2320 I've been up for nearly 19 hours and feel remarkably fresh and not tired at all.  Bizarre.

Have you ever noticed that Shakespeare never used 'ing' in the present tense of words?  I wonder when it came into general use and how it developed.

I was communicating with Wendy in Napier today.  It was hot there.  It was 5℃ here.  It's nearly winter there.  It's nearly summer here.  As the newscaster said this evening "Just 40 days before the nights start drawing in again".  With this sort of view from my kitchen window can you blame him for being rather negative.

Night night.  

It's Been A Week

since I arrived back on Lewis and I've hardly spent a moment in Blogland.  I miss it.  I really do.  I miss knowing what my Blogland friends are doing.  I arrived back last Friday and, David, a friend of 40 years arrived on Sunday with Molly.  The week has been spent catching up with friends and most evenings there have been visitors whilst the days have been spent working in the garden whenever possible.

Molly has watched:

It has rained.   We had a guessing game this evening when I couldn't remember who sang 'Listen to the Pouring Rain.  Listen to it rain'.  Can you remember?  If you can't, you'll find the answer here to save you Googleing it.

Some mornings the sun has risen behind the hills of the Scottish mainland over 30 miles away across The Minch.

The sun has shone and it has been warm enough to bring out all the youngsters (who, I bet, are on study leave from school) to the beach below the house:

The Alchemilla mollis is in leaf and showing the rain off to best effect:

David decided that the pond algae was already in need of some clearing:

We have since re-laid all the flagstones surrounding the pond and the fish just swam around seemingly oblivious to all that was going on:

David and Molly have been down to the far beach each morning and sometimes met Pat (aka Spesh1) and Briagha (seen here from the house).

All in all it's been a pretty good week.

And now for the weekend.........

Spring in Glasgow

It's Friday morning and it's cold and wet and Pat told me that last night that there was snow on Lewis.  Whether there still is this morning I don't, as yet, know but the Met Office App says it'll be a sunny day.

My few days in Glasgow has been a revelation because Spring is late this year so, guess what has excited me.  You got it.  Spring flowers.  Not having seen a real display of daffodils in nature since 2006 they are everywhere at the moment.  

Daffodils and Aubretia

Fritillaria Meleagris aka Snakes Head [Not Potentilla!] 

Rhododendron

Muscari or Grape Hyacinth

Dogstooth Violet

At The Glasgow Botanical Gardens there were a couple celebrating their civil partnership with photographs in the Gardens.  One of the party had shoes which I just couldn't resist photographing.  I can't say that Wendy would wear them but they certainly were a match for anything that is amongst her very extensive shoe wardrobe!

If you are ever in the Gardens and fancy a coffee or superb cakes or a meal with wonderful typical friendly Glasgow service then I would suggest a visit to The Tea Room at The Botanics.

PS It's now just after 10am and Pat aka Spesh1 has confirmed that the sun is shining on Lewis.  Yea!  I shall leave the rain here in Glasgow and escape!