My parents have been visiting, and I thought they might like to see The Kelpies. A few years ago we rather enjoyed visiting Jaume Plensa’s Dream, a meditative and beautiful public sculpture commemorating Lancashire’s mining past. Like Plensa’s Dream, The Kelpies celebrate industrial heritage, but are things of water rather than of light. Kelpies are… Read More
some Spring weather
It is a lovely time of year, and, as the weather starts to change I am really appreciating our new situation. Our house is in the middle of the photo above – one of five properties on a small steading, situated at about 250m above sea level. In front of the steading, to the South,… Read More
a little snow
Everything is relative: I am sure that those of you in North America, who have been shovelling the white stuff for months, will not be in the least excited to hear that it actually snowed, but here, where winter has been horribly dank and soggy thus far, it is an exceedingly welcome change. It is… Read More
The life and death of Big Ball
Hiya! It is I, Bruce. This morning an extremely curious thing occurred, so I am here to tell you all about it. The curious thing began with the appearance of the postie, who had a parcel for Tom. Inside the parcel was a box with this jolly person on the front of it. Intriguing! Apparently… Read More
looking back
2013 has been a very interesting year. For us, its main event was undoubtedly leaving Edinburgh, and moving out West! It would perhaps seem to be a massive change, moving from a busy city to a sleepy steading just off the West Highland Way. But I immediately felt at home, and the fact that this… Read More
today . . .
There has been some snow. Bruce was rumbled, sleeping in Tom’s chair . . .again And only 5 penguins remain on my advent calendar. Which reminds me: today is the last day for orders if you’d like a book or kit from my online shop. My postie will hoik the last sack of parcels away… Read More
out walking
One of the very great pleasures of living here is that the West Highland Way is on our doorstep. I walk out of our steading, and about a hundred yards up the way is a glorious landscape, at the far edges of which (on a really clear day) Ben Lomond and the Trossachs and the… Read More
g(love)
Hiya! It is I, Bruce. A while ago, we lived in a tall stone building in a city where there were lots of cars. Now we live here: Where there are lots of these: And a few of these: One of the many good things about it round here is that there are many Paths… Read More
actual O W L S
Sometimes things just have to be done. Last year, the Scottish Owl Centre relocated to Polkemmet in West Lothian, a short drive away from Edinburgh. Boasting “one of the largest collections of owls in the world”, how could we not pay a visit? We met Hudson, the great horned owl. and this lovely wee feller,… Read More
swings and roundabouts
Jesus is back. He was discovered at a neighbour’s, lured away by the promise of full Scottish breakfasts, oodles of milk, and a general lack of workmen and disruption. He is looking a bit scraggy, but certainly no thinner . . . We are keeping the wee man inside for a few days and the… Read More
hot shots
We have just returned from a photoshoot. It is a very hot day and Tom couldn’t stop taking photographs of Bruce’s monumental panting tongue. (Don’t worry, he was supplied with plenty of water). In between the hot dog shots, he was photographing my new pattern – a cardigan, which is due for release toward the… Read More
Summer days
It is a while since I’ve known a spell of weather like it. The verges have bloomed into wildflower meadows. Everything seems sharper, brighter, a dappled world of light and shade. The evening air is soft and fragrant. Folk stroll about, bare-armed, leisurely. Inside, the new rooms are cool and clean and very pretty. Bruce… Read More
