a walk to the lightning tree

Yesterday Tom produced a short time lapse of a short walk to and from the apple tree, and I thought you might like to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iDeYuukI6Y

The walk takes you from where the top of our garden meets the west Highland way, and up the hill, to the edge of the Auchengillan estate. On the way you pass the apple tree. You see the Campsie Fells to the right / east, and Ben Lomond and the Trossachs in the distance to the left / west. As you turn to retrace your steps, our steading and the loch behind it are visible to the right, and there’s a lovely view all across the Blane Valley. The time lapse also conveys one of the things I enjoy most about being here at this time of year – the overwhelming green of the landscape. New grass pushes up through the old, the hedges and trees burst forth, and though I’m not a fan of bracken (especially when it grows to chest height and impedes my walks), there is still something heartening about seeing it uncurl and stretch and grow. The time lapse takes you into the middle of the tree itself, before it ends. You don’t hear the sound of the cuckoos or the curlews, or the noise of Bruce snuffling and bounding, but I hope you enjoyed this short walk out from my back door.