tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165427902024-03-18T19:29:35.410+00:00Crafty Green Poetcreative thinking ~ greener living Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.comBlogger4811125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-48532533485330160152024-03-14T08:06:00.002+00:002024-03-14T08:06:10.600+00:00Walking Meeting in Newington Cemetery <p> Post lockdown, when many people were still wary of crowds and confined spaces, the idea of walking meetings became popular. Rather than sitting in a stuffy meeting room, why not meet outdoors and walk while talking? </p><p>It's not only ecologists who talk about the benefits of walking meetings, business people do to, for example <a href="https://www.loebleadership.com/insights/seven-benefits-of-taking-your-meeting-for-a-walk" target="_blank">this article on seven benefits of taking your meeting for a walk</a>. </p><p>Personally I love being outside and definitely find that ideas can flow better when walking in nature. It's also of course a nice way to fit a bit of exercise into your day, as well as seeing more nature. Yesterday's walking meeting took place in Edinburgh's <a href="http://newington-cemetery.org.uk/index.html" target="_blank">Newington Cemetery</a>. This is one of the city's cemeteries that is specifically managed with nature in mind and now features a tree trail, new since I last visited. Guides to the tree trail are available in a neat little leaflet dispenser near the entrance to the cemetery, though unfortunately the leaflet dispenser is currently being used as a bin... </p><p>Before the tree trail was officially set up as a trail (with numbers on the notable trees) the cemetery already had information boards about its trees. You can find out more <a href="http://newington-cemetery.org.uk/trees.html" target="_blank">here on their website</a>. </p><p>The upper part of the cemetery is particularly rich in trees and shrubs</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpXBNKObzW7CVpzj1lgbwBvPDAm-x6vt-sbXj3HFwB1d61rxYHNTFBberw6YrlJBPfZCHhH1xww6GhujMZVcx9EeXKW4aYqYmjkOAiQpD94BpXccIZ4Qodbtq-wXzO7bPnSGWooSOKgRsxVKrvze_N2rF0AcgMOY_jVAkJHMbQveLscPXqH7-1w/s4000/P1510967.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpXBNKObzW7CVpzj1lgbwBvPDAm-x6vt-sbXj3HFwB1d61rxYHNTFBberw6YrlJBPfZCHhH1xww6GhujMZVcx9EeXKW4aYqYmjkOAiQpD94BpXccIZ4Qodbtq-wXzO7bPnSGWooSOKgRsxVKrvze_N2rF0AcgMOY_jVAkJHMbQveLscPXqH7-1w/s320/P1510967.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbJUeXGjO32cnkOU-zktYsZzVAmhyphenhyphenGXXK2CvDcp7wYnrx_PSLfhfUcgwBkaYYpabyOC-eziRBbuhXYXp762yTzP1xO1MP912KGx7XDyAuqjUAClvL2hAmARucFzJE19up_qa_cGaQpJqRTYTvAFE3fM8TgA49zXkxE8l0GmNsiDkp5_GgebMREA/s4000/P1510968.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbJUeXGjO32cnkOU-zktYsZzVAmhyphenhyphenGXXK2CvDcp7wYnrx_PSLfhfUcgwBkaYYpabyOC-eziRBbuhXYXp762yTzP1xO1MP912KGx7XDyAuqjUAClvL2hAmARucFzJE19up_qa_cGaQpJqRTYTvAFE3fM8TgA49zXkxE8l0GmNsiDkp5_GgebMREA/s320/P1510968.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The crocuses are out at the moment, adding some lovely colour to the cemetery</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUuWsMwdF4rer5ASLZr6-By7z1PRTVOYX_W0rUFubMayOT0_gcI7INf8ka9m70vusB8GLZA8C4emTtTUSnqs9fMTX8AL7gIMOM8OpTBWPkSJLIPLzr28-T6-6YtC5_y_zqmEARw3qTa5u8lBHtlzLhY73dV7vQD1wWOLcDI_LjNRxSQCLoRRsOQ/s4000/P1510965.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUuWsMwdF4rer5ASLZr6-By7z1PRTVOYX_W0rUFubMayOT0_gcI7INf8ka9m70vusB8GLZA8C4emTtTUSnqs9fMTX8AL7gIMOM8OpTBWPkSJLIPLzr28-T6-6YtC5_y_zqmEARw3qTa5u8lBHtlzLhY73dV7vQD1wWOLcDI_LjNRxSQCLoRRsOQ/s320/P1510965.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzivqaZcaWVu4OQvzyi88wJZx3fVNO9f9P8jsZMy7lE61TiL1p6Gp6MBBwyB31GrTLPeY362uwR1fY0LXJ291NZbwmvg7Pwjdo_P2jwoJ086yAnlcK92fbOBGsQluNl2l2NYV-xmG3Bi7sJBYY4RWXIne3u8p8ncoGJybDYhfBwMzfaziLsetDw/s4000/P1510966.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzivqaZcaWVu4OQvzyi88wJZx3fVNO9f9P8jsZMy7lE61TiL1p6Gp6MBBwyB31GrTLPeY362uwR1fY0LXJ291NZbwmvg7Pwjdo_P2jwoJ086yAnlcK92fbOBGsQluNl2l2NYV-xmG3Bi7sJBYY4RWXIne3u8p8ncoGJybDYhfBwMzfaziLsetDw/s320/P1510966.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>There were plenty of birds in the cemetery and at one point a flock of around fifty Jackdaws flew over and round about. <br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-81822064387025864342024-03-13T08:31:00.000+00:002024-03-13T08:31:30.175+00:00In a Veil of Mist by Donald S Murray <p> <img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1699641514i/57331775.jpg" width="209" /></p><p>This book is set in Stornoway in the Western Isles of Scotland, in 1952, when experiments in germ warfare were taking place on a vessel in the area, an undertaking known as Operation Cauldron. </p><p>John, one of the scientists involved in the experiments, wrestles with his conscience over what he and his colleagues are doing to the guinea pigs and monkeys they are working with. His doubts build up, particularly as his wife, Lillian so obviously disapproves of even the small part of his work she is aware of. Then there is the suspicion that mist from the vessel may have caused anthrax to be spread among the crew and to people they mixed with. Meanwhile, the other islanders have their own concerns, suspicions and uncertainties about what is happening so close to their homes, which they are not being told about.<br /></p><p>The author comes from the Western Isles and recreates the landscape and atmosphere of the place beautifully, also weaving descriptions of the natural world into the story:<br /></p><p><i>"Jessie was still restless, still unable to sleep. She tried to blame other things for this - the corncrake in a nearby field of oats that was sending out a loud, persistent signal for a partner, the weeping sound of a curlew as it swept overhead - but she knew in herself that it had much to do with her own state of mind..... She felt she resembled the moth that appeared in the room the moment the tilly lamp began to glow. It flitted between the curtains and the edge of the stove..."</i></p><p>As a Gaelic learner, I was also pleased to find the text includes extracts from Gaelic songs and the occasional Gaelic phrase - the Western Isles being a stronghold of the Scottish Gaelic language (and more so back in the time the book is set). <br /></p><p>The novel is an excellent look into how uncertainty and paranoia can affect individuals and communities. A lengthy author's note at the end expands on the historical background to the novel and gives some context into its relevance to the time it was written in (the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic). <br /></p><p></p><p><b><i><a href="https://saraband.net/sb-title/in-a-veil-of-mist/" target="_blank">In a Veil of Mist</a></i></b> by <a href="https://donaldsmurray.co.uk/" target="_blank">Donald S Murray</a>, published (2021) by <a href="https://saraband.net/" target="_blank">Saraband</a> <br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-21068324257974171732024-03-08T13:16:00.005+00:002024-03-08T13:16:54.001+00:00Spring haiku <p>Spring thaw - <br />albino squirrel loses <br />camouflage</p><p> </p><p><i>previously published on <a href="https://lothlorienpoetryjournal.blogspot.com/2022/08/haiku-senryu-by-juliet-wilson.html" target="_blank">Lothlorien Poetry Journal</a>. </i></p><p><i>** </i></p><p><i>I'm delighted to have a story 'Grandma's Old Biscuit Tin' published on<a href="https://www.flashfictionnorth.com/" target="_blank"> Flash Fiction North</a>. Scroll down on <a href="https://www.flashfictionnorth.com/recentfiction" target="_blank">this link</a>, but read the other stories along the way too! </i><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-10008577832697100962024-03-07T08:25:00.003+00:002024-03-07T08:25:14.835+00:00Campaigning on Plastic <p>Plastic waste is a big issue, littering places across the world, making towns look untidy and damaging nature. Plastic is generally made from fossil fuel products, so also indirectly adds to the climate crisis. </p><div class="rich-text mt-10 md:max-w-[400px]">
<p>Almost 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging are thrown away by UK households every year, and only 12% of that is recycled. </p><p>We often don't have a choice about our plastic use, often there is no alternative to plastic packaging for everyday essentials. I'm committed to reducing my plastic use, but in the past few years three refillery shops in my part of Edinburgh have opened and then closed again. These shops offered customers the chance to take along our own containers and fill them up with the products we want - from beans to washing up liquid. There are still some shops in Edinburgh offering that service, but now I have a much longer journey to refill my containers. <br /></p><p>So what can we do? </p><p>March sees two campaigns on the plastic crisis. </p><p>First up is the <a href="https://thebigplasticcount.com/" target="_blank">Big Plastic Count,</a> which is happening between <b>11-17 March 2024</b>. For this week, we are being encouraged to count how much plastic we throw away (whether we put it in the recycling or into the landfill). You can take part as a household or get your school, community group or business involved. You can <a href="https://thebigplasticcount.com/sign-up" target="_blank">sign up here</a>. <br /></p><div class="space-y-2 rich-text"><p>In 2022, almost a quarter of a million people
took part in The Big Plastic Count and revealed that
almost two billion pieces of plastic packaging are being thrown away in the UK <b>every
week</b>. This year, the campaign hopes to provide even more evidence to convince UK
government ministers to lead the way at the <a href="https://www.plasticstreaty.org/" target="_blank">Global Plastic Treaty</a> negotiations that could phase
out plastic pollution.</p><p>Following on from the Big Plastic Count is the <a href="https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean" target="_blank">Spring Clean Scotland</a> campaign, which will take place between 15 March - 28 April. This year's themes for #SpringCleanScotland are <b>Nature, Communities, Health & Wellbeing</b> and <b>Marine Litter</b>. To join in you can:<br /></p>
<ul><li><b>Organise a litter pick i</b>n your community. </li><li><b>Join a public litter pick</b>. </li><li><b>Complete a Litter Survey. </b><br /></li><li>Help <b>spread the message</b> and get more people involved. </li></ul><p>Find out more <a href="https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/springclean" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></p>
</div>
</div><p></p><br />Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-58477473390846341542024-03-06T10:47:00.000+00:002024-03-06T10:47:50.792+00:00Gods of the Morning by John Lister Kaye <p> <img class="ResponsiveImage" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1420489053i/24310287.jpg" /></p><p> Subtitled '<i>A Bird's Eye View of a Highland Year</i>' this natural history memoir from acclaimed conservationist John Lister Kaye follows a year of abnormal weather (September 2012 - September 2013) in the Highlands of Scotland and the effects this had on the wildlife he encountered in his daily life over that time period. The book centres on the <a href="https://www.aigas.co.uk/" target="_blank">Aigas Field Centre</a>, which Lister Kaye established (you can read about his journey in setting up the centre in his book Song of the Rolling Earth, which I reviewed briefly <a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2011/02/song-of-rolling-earth-by-john-lister.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </p><p>The author treats us to many detailed observations of nature, from the common: "<i>a blackbird was cashing in, flicking rusty leaves as if turning the pages of an ancient tome in a rushed search for wisdom</i>" to the much rarer experience of being able to watch a pine marten at close quarters as it harvests rowan berries from a tree, to a field of sparkling wonder created by uncountable numbers of young spiders. </p><p>Many birds died in the cold April of 2013, which followed an unseasonably warm March:"<i>All those lifeforms that had been tricked, lured into exposing
themselves far too early, had been ruthlessly obliterated by the
subsequent frosts and snows</i>"and the author observes these effects on several species, particularly the rooks that nest in trees around the area. </p><p>As well as climate change, the author considers topics from bird migration, to the ethics of the practice of egg collection, once considered a respectable pastime but now a criminal offence. <br /></p><p>There are delightful personal stories here too, including the tale of Squawky, a rook which the author had rescued when he was at boarding school and then had to leave with an employee of the school, whose husband made an aviary for the bird - a story with a touching conclusion).<br /></p><p>The book closes with a delightful description of Lister Kaye introducing his 5-year-old grandson to the Treecreepers that have excavated roosts for themselves in the soft bark of giant redwood trees in Aigas. A lovely demonstration of how to pass the love of nature onto the next generation and a great way to end this book.<br /></p><p><b><a href="https://johnlisterkaye.com/product/gods-of-the-morning-paperback/" target="_blank">Gods of the Morning</a></b> by<a href="https://johnlisterkaye.com/" target="_blank"> John Lister Kaye</a>, published (2015) by <a href="https://canongate.co.uk/" target="_blank">Canongate</a>. <br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-66261171216290061862024-03-03T20:24:00.007+00:002024-03-03T20:24:51.068+00:00Enjoying Our Local Parks <p>We spent time in a couple of local parks this weekend. On Friday lunchtime, we visited <a href="https://www.edinburghoutdoors.org.uk/directory-record/60/harrison-park" target="_blank">Harrison Park</a>, which borders the <a href="https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/visit/canals/visit-the-union-canal" target="_blank">Union Canal</a>. </p><p>The daffodils are out in full bloom</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAGUye7FRo-PqeMZUOyoAHE2kNYCUSwdKtRIHYWZqEjRATHrm3o9CovNlmpYy33_v3v9mVMSSxxhi9-f4Bu9WWjwA4FpfTdC2E7_-EGECYwwzDaDSGconFBM2hH92fIE6qIrpV95Ro-sNlJoQRhk5oiX9kd27of8WV4dW_FLX4tdZCa0p-Vlr1A/s4000/P1510932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAGUye7FRo-PqeMZUOyoAHE2kNYCUSwdKtRIHYWZqEjRATHrm3o9CovNlmpYy33_v3v9mVMSSxxhi9-f4Bu9WWjwA4FpfTdC2E7_-EGECYwwzDaDSGconFBM2hH92fIE6qIrpV95Ro-sNlJoQRhk5oiX9kd27of8WV4dW_FLX4tdZCa0p-Vlr1A/s320/P1510932.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>as are the crocuses</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZn6lQoHj6KN4OxZfYK5VuR6XCQIP1oSkVFbX4WEyCl5icy1pir6EzCXN_mw5-_MJIAY2SD5hjziL2F2mBxqYiMsWHsl1M8719WKxnMYOs6UspejIeBXTda6MEIdplHIFBf16QdLQCwIsE_oaDrl8vR0wGItBPA7VqWIH1CYMLFCCzMidpwxIEg/s4000/P1510936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZn6lQoHj6KN4OxZfYK5VuR6XCQIP1oSkVFbX4WEyCl5icy1pir6EzCXN_mw5-_MJIAY2SD5hjziL2F2mBxqYiMsWHsl1M8719WKxnMYOs6UspejIeBXTda6MEIdplHIFBf16QdLQCwIsE_oaDrl8vR0wGItBPA7VqWIH1CYMLFCCzMidpwxIEg/s320/P1510936.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECu380UKQsp0f0-ZfaXWTLpkk0qTLJafxK1DA_n6sQWI7Uo6ITtfob-bA9VhFNAz2W3QxVJGff4nFWMMm4zP1p3Ht16BI-BiHtLKx2dN9LcJJ_1xGKP8fP-xCg6CqyV_PO6Bdq19DbQ1GEJxiqC-t-zWegMRoidhOLHQ5sxi_fZ2U50PqOywSCw/s4000/P1510941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECu380UKQsp0f0-ZfaXWTLpkk0qTLJafxK1DA_n6sQWI7Uo6ITtfob-bA9VhFNAz2W3QxVJGff4nFWMMm4zP1p3Ht16BI-BiHtLKx2dN9LcJJ_1xGKP8fP-xCg6CqyV_PO6Bdq19DbQ1GEJxiqC-t-zWegMRoidhOLHQ5sxi_fZ2U50PqOywSCw/s320/P1510941.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>and this beautiful Blackthorn tree</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGZsusOFDK3pMMsOQOhcA1QUQEC3eaQFQKM8ed6UKVOPc0VCHNwcCyZ2ObHl08YQOWSXjn3MmnZ4twO2Oy_zN6Ih6dxfSdcXIA9SJtlpePLmPwdK72RVfYD_80oVG00tbauhNIICYRSOOKokZwIJmcVZkJKuunbgquI3Ph3RhPgSgAHZeGk43Yw/s4000/P1510921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGZsusOFDK3pMMsOQOhcA1QUQEC3eaQFQKM8ed6UKVOPc0VCHNwcCyZ2ObHl08YQOWSXjn3MmnZ4twO2Oy_zN6Ih6dxfSdcXIA9SJtlpePLmPwdK72RVfYD_80oVG00tbauhNIICYRSOOKokZwIJmcVZkJKuunbgquI3Ph3RhPgSgAHZeGk43Yw/s320/P1510921.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_0pzn1g7Qxx2g6zrwAwGVNNsS1BmUTSCCPKXIlg-qmyJzUF_bxVSAS5jcILiaslwOyr6KAXBumkfP3N8EXy9Zi7cjpTduDHHiM7Emapp7uWcPn-vpDAfiJSOu4T4DPk62YvfBtsPFsPfWCuB4QO5ZPYgwHZq86MgrBr002H2nsLcN3f4DjWSOw/s4000/P1510925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_0pzn1g7Qxx2g6zrwAwGVNNsS1BmUTSCCPKXIlg-qmyJzUF_bxVSAS5jcILiaslwOyr6KAXBumkfP3N8EXy9Zi7cjpTduDHHiM7Emapp7uWcPn-vpDAfiJSOu4T4DPk62YvfBtsPFsPfWCuB4QO5ZPYgwHZq86MgrBr002H2nsLcN3f4DjWSOw/s320/P1510925.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>From Harrison Park we popped into <a href="http://fonmc.co.uk/" target="_blank">North Merchiston Cemetery</a>, where the snowdrops are still in full bloom</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyETJl2xSvjDBvPj8DOO_qzeMl3oRXU1VEpmhw9tbwjf60kJ3jh-YD7c5wQ6SU0Sm4No8zY9cYfv6HHn6RMjJwqLgNCMgazhk_9kgUOAvaYsquXcf6ZbL1Is1AcBnQF2NB9g2lFURBOUdiE8piRznenZqOAuvjbvDp4jxF5_BICbOrXVM7JRy8YQ/s4000/P1510947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyETJl2xSvjDBvPj8DOO_qzeMl3oRXU1VEpmhw9tbwjf60kJ3jh-YD7c5wQ6SU0Sm4No8zY9cYfv6HHn6RMjJwqLgNCMgazhk_9kgUOAvaYsquXcf6ZbL1Is1AcBnQF2NB9g2lFURBOUdiE8piRznenZqOAuvjbvDp4jxF5_BICbOrXVM7JRy8YQ/s320/P1510947.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>and ladybirds are still hibernating on some of the gravestones - the larger ladybirds in the photo below are two different colour varieties of Harlequin Ladybirds while the smaller ones are Pine Ladybirds. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwh-3uhDcFxTOhtZB6s-UpDifsrqNEFqS7elANO8rX-X4eXROQLqUcjbagdcR4RKA5f3P1VE5p5FO-79gWE9Afjb31FKKdN9gdwet4vqAPkSLpG-WGMdb0EAHsDVR5U-IJwYxmcJqmz8XlhnVMSKNYpWnRnEAywvBmjHOLrBNCYXfaKTOWoEAlbA/s4000/P1510950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwh-3uhDcFxTOhtZB6s-UpDifsrqNEFqS7elANO8rX-X4eXROQLqUcjbagdcR4RKA5f3P1VE5p5FO-79gWE9Afjb31FKKdN9gdwet4vqAPkSLpG-WGMdb0EAHsDVR5U-IJwYxmcJqmz8XlhnVMSKNYpWnRnEAywvBmjHOLrBNCYXfaKTOWoEAlbA/s320/P1510950.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Yesterday we visited <a href="https://www.friendsofsaughtonpark.org/" target="_blank">Saughton Park</a> which borders the <a href="https://www.waterofleith.org.uk/" target="_blank">Water of Leith</a>. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUo8Mhsq0iZcrvTFBGvTOYnsZUWTIRJBMp9sMCFuUsEgOWv4Ws-gV3XwzBb8tGFo6MPv4QQl7FnAa4F_kMSZmieOM60XJ4MmXpgUXwkB8y5nxh8yAf4ZcvKFeaxbmeFMCo9896cf9RA1Ip96rSkzz8q5I9x0z2HJIiPxg1YF6wqYrDbfPccaxlyg/s4000/P1510959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUo8Mhsq0iZcrvTFBGvTOYnsZUWTIRJBMp9sMCFuUsEgOWv4Ws-gV3XwzBb8tGFo6MPv4QQl7FnAa4F_kMSZmieOM60XJ4MmXpgUXwkB8y5nxh8yAf4ZcvKFeaxbmeFMCo9896cf9RA1Ip96rSkzz8q5I9x0z2HJIiPxg1YF6wqYrDbfPccaxlyg/s320/P1510959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>We saw plenty of birds in the park, including a Dipper</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPByjhlF2Vknjz4hfnfTvnKlWYacAFa-d4cmLdrsdcSGSw4P8mtzg6Wp5LmD-2uA29LFU1FZ1diFVPLlwdQ3r2Tzpfy8HXAsxJXQ8w7xFYiXuipUBk1DOzC_v7ZyPC3YSYL7AdjNZIsoQv8S3rQhON_TJ5ztivW8TMPZbTqE0tNPn2rXD7rQIx3g/s4272/IMG_2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPByjhlF2Vknjz4hfnfTvnKlWYacAFa-d4cmLdrsdcSGSw4P8mtzg6Wp5LmD-2uA29LFU1FZ1diFVPLlwdQ3r2Tzpfy8HXAsxJXQ8w7xFYiXuipUBk1DOzC_v7ZyPC3YSYL7AdjNZIsoQv8S3rQhON_TJ5ztivW8TMPZbTqE0tNPn2rXD7rQIx3g/s320/IMG_2019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>and a Song Thrush </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8_jvWZ9ANRWP-NK5jkWTh1av33cD4D02RyBYjIY4aYIx9hks4A-q_hhbBtxYM59-nzpVkiUudH6oNgmB7uYUm7BrmiV9trbLyD0WxGn4WU947qMnwcMvBVJGdSLNtS7gcl0YryLfLINTl9x85RwkkJgpjAEZW5CzHHuTnhM9tq9w9ZKv6S-Wjg/s4272/IMG_2026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8_jvWZ9ANRWP-NK5jkWTh1av33cD4D02RyBYjIY4aYIx9hks4A-q_hhbBtxYM59-nzpVkiUudH6oNgmB7uYUm7BrmiV9trbLyD0WxGn4WU947qMnwcMvBVJGdSLNtS7gcl0YryLfLINTl9x85RwkkJgpjAEZW5CzHHuTnhM9tq9w9ZKv6S-Wjg/s320/IMG_2026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The miniature daffodils and crocuses were looking beautiful</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY5dKVhlQ7hsMJ8OdFH1UV7meVtPvznAC0oglCBIf9AhG1iF98nR2Jw4EGdtoqrsPnWfjEmP_CzwKXFErL_-QHRS-iDRwsCWcldORgU_ByOabjiAQXFj5DtoOQ6zPClsZH4WcC9jWjGybEpyJgaKyHY2iXsCdwVO6vvqhdqyDx1Nf4-FDk5pylg/s4272/IMG_2022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY5dKVhlQ7hsMJ8OdFH1UV7meVtPvznAC0oglCBIf9AhG1iF98nR2Jw4EGdtoqrsPnWfjEmP_CzwKXFErL_-QHRS-iDRwsCWcldORgU_ByOabjiAQXFj5DtoOQ6zPClsZH4WcC9jWjGybEpyJgaKyHY2iXsCdwVO6vvqhdqyDx1Nf4-FDk5pylg/s320/IMG_2022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-56403406890113517022024-02-29T16:08:00.000+00:002024-02-29T16:08:20.858+00:00River Haiku<p><span style="caret-color: #d30e09;">rushing river -<br />the stillness<br />of the grey heron</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: #d30e09;">**</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: #d30e09;">previously published in <a href="https://www.japansociety.org.uk/?pg=haiku-corner#a" target="_blank">Haiku Corner 41</a> of the <a href="https://www.japansociety.org.uk/home" target="_blank">Japan Society UK</a>. <br /></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: #d30e09;"> </span></p><p><span style="caret-color: #d30e09;"> </span> <br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-27808727353159056542024-02-28T09:47:00.000+00:002024-02-28T09:47:51.972+00:00The Golden Mole and Other Living Treasure by Kathleen Rundell, Illustrated by Talya Baldwin <p> <img class="ResponsiveImage" height="320" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660283031i/60100179.jpg" width="238" /></p><p>This is a beautiful book full of stunning illustrations and fascinating essays about twenty-two astonishing and endangered animals, including the wombat, the swift, the hermit crab, the narwhal and of course the golden mole.</p><p>In the introduction, Rundell exhorts us to <i>"look, only look at what is here, and would you agree to astonishment and to love? For love, allied to attention, will be urgently needed in the years to come."</i><br /></p><p> The details shared for each species (or closely allied group of species) certainly inspire curiosity, wonder and affection for each animal. There are Greenland Sharks in the ocean that have probably been alive for over six centuries, a female may take 150 years to reach breeding age. </p><p>Swifts are the only birds to mate in mid-air, they also fly through rain showers with wings outstretched to get themselves clean. Swifts need to catch as many as a hundred thousand airborne insects a day, which means they are acutely sensitive to the current reduction in insect numbers that is happening across the world. </p><p>Elephants may <i>'bury dead members of their herd, covering them in earth and brightly coloured leaves, working together, surrounding the corpse with fruit and flowers'.</i><br /></p><p>There are intriguing stories here about how species interact with humans, including the crows that brought gifts to a girl who had been feeding them since she was five and one day returned her camera lens cap to her after she had lost it on a walk. Meanwhile, Rooks (also in the Corvid family) have been trained in some places to pick up litter in return for food. </p><p>Storks inspired the early aviators and in 1822, an individual with an African spear through its neck arrived in Germany, proving that birds actually migrated (rather than spending the winter at the bottom of a lake or on the moon, as had earlier been thought). <br /></p><p>Folklore features here too, such as the Hawai'ian belief that the <b>ʻalalā</b> (another species of Corvid) is a guardian of the soul. A soul needs to meet a guardian <b>ʻalalā</b> so they can jump into the afterlife together. The bird is now extinct in the wild and attempts to reintroduce it have been beset with problems. If this bird cannot be saved, then <i>'one of the ways in which humans have painstakingly and generously explained death to each other will be dead and there will be no guides awaiting the souls' </i><br /></p><p>Rundell also shares the many ways in which humans are driving these creatures to extinction, including overfishing of tuna, hunting elephants and pangolins, while <i>"noise pollution risks rendering [narwhals] inaudible and effectively mute, thereby unable to protect and teach their young - we have taken their silence and replaced it with a nightclub roar." </i></p><p>The golden mole, which isn't actually a mole, is the only iridescent mammal: <i>"under different lights and from different angles, their fur shifts through turquoise, navy, purple, gold....... but the golden mole is blind... unaware of [its] beauty, unknowingly glowing."</i><br /></p><p>This is a book to treasure, along with all the wonderful unique lifeforms described in its pages. <br /></p><p>I have a copy of the hardback which was published in 2022, but it is now also available in paperback. </p><p><a href="https://www.faber.co.uk/journal/the-golden-mole-and-other-vanishing-treasure/" target="_blank">The Golden Mole</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Rundell" target="_blank">Katherine Rundell</a>, illustrated by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/talyabaldwinillustration/" target="_blank">Talya Baldwin</a>, published (2022 in hardback) by <a href="https://www.faber.co.uk/" target="_blank">Faber</a>. <br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-4781473371424617802024-02-26T16:20:00.002+00:002024-02-26T16:20:49.610+00:00Signs of Spring<p> It was freezing cold this morning, but the sky was bright blue and there were signs of Spring everywhere. I was doing my regular patrol of the Dells alongside the Water of Leith. I'm not picking litter at the moment (taking it easy after my recent cataract surgery) but there was plenty to do recording all the wildlife. </p><p>This little path is always a delight during late Winter and early Spring. The snowdrops are already in full bloom and the daffodils are starting to open </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4UPcnv2piv6ZTmUCwJBvRgsMWca9ZbNOg1XRC8Y7chjAgUI6UT6qNdfhXqAVPBNMtvbexfWEg9zslArIg695ernFMYVL-KF6mag5uXzquY-mQ_oS7U32hLVaBo6mOjtmG0ZSsJYSzjzAPhOWGSKepOse2xJGvk56qcAkyH1BP74zkYoEa3mXDA/s4000/P1510905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4UPcnv2piv6ZTmUCwJBvRgsMWca9ZbNOg1XRC8Y7chjAgUI6UT6qNdfhXqAVPBNMtvbexfWEg9zslArIg695ernFMYVL-KF6mag5uXzquY-mQ_oS7U32hLVaBo6mOjtmG0ZSsJYSzjzAPhOWGSKepOse2xJGvk56qcAkyH1BP74zkYoEa3mXDA/s320/P1510905.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>In another part of the Dells, crocuses are in full bloom </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAW86YI276awQUHYQIjl4sce2p7IQBMtIlThW48d_TOts22EW7InvwFABm4wdAj2H7NacsIzAeOCZ6veEPkaNua_QqaH35KT-PSH0eGlIfkdR-p96A90ku7kr3cpQsp4SDJJ0A0k5wT1E8bVVm8UpdncaeCcV8Wj9wG9WdaOgQbPMM9sIQeCTWQ/s4000/P1510909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAW86YI276awQUHYQIjl4sce2p7IQBMtIlThW48d_TOts22EW7InvwFABm4wdAj2H7NacsIzAeOCZ6veEPkaNua_QqaH35KT-PSH0eGlIfkdR-p96A90ku7kr3cpQsp4SDJJ0A0k5wT1E8bVVm8UpdncaeCcV8Wj9wG9WdaOgQbPMM9sIQeCTWQ/s320/P1510909.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The cold weather didn't deter the birds from their Springtime activities. I had a wonderful view of a <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/great-spotted-woodpecker" target="_blank">Great Spotted Woodpecker</a>, which was drumming enthusiastically, and a <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/magpie" target="_blank">Magpie</a> that was collecting nest material. <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/dipper" target="_blank">Dippers</a> and a <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/grey-wagtail" target="_blank">Grey Wagtail </a>were busily dashing around along the river. Lots of birds were singing including <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/chaffinch" target="_blank">Chaffinch</a>, <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/dunnock" target="_blank">Dunnock</a>, <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/robin" target="_blank">Robin</a> and <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wren" target="_blank">Wren</a>. <br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-24323723988556927822024-02-25T09:30:00.004+00:002024-02-25T12:04:29.766+00:00Linlithgow Loch <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEdMjTNe7gXfoFg1vqBT7Sk5dYCTzsgCS0dbyFpkaUgUaDoxCpmD_PX56SWOuWayGQ3FABQzU6DOXeNv_AJ_PZWBzc92fD4VGXyhEzzfPVvItrQUXtDXEow6jcNNxQxeYgym5guAXndrKMTIqCsq8bCwiHbfC4zTmQ4Vi7AdyiubWncwJP_jHKQ/s4272/IMG_1994.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEdMjTNe7gXfoFg1vqBT7Sk5dYCTzsgCS0dbyFpkaUgUaDoxCpmD_PX56SWOuWayGQ3FABQzU6DOXeNv_AJ_PZWBzc92fD4VGXyhEzzfPVvItrQUXtDXEow6jcNNxQxeYgym5guAXndrKMTIqCsq8bCwiHbfC4zTmQ4Vi7AdyiubWncwJP_jHKQ/s320/IMG_1994.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Yesterday we went to Linlithgow, primarily to walk round the Loch </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau-MyrbFfEcZQJ7ndZozR8Hoku0Qu5aU-Y1AwRE0k2BbqPCFkioWAUTS6dLNKcrgybl-6xMc4CdioJw6ked0dUM30eY8PE-0LrbWwvgkPthdw0SI1BxB709jSVMFsH-sDgAJifyOlocSf67ENM_g5FeevKu2YjMQJ56S9F33IQ_ro08luVq6a_A/s4272/IMG_1954.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau-MyrbFfEcZQJ7ndZozR8Hoku0Qu5aU-Y1AwRE0k2BbqPCFkioWAUTS6dLNKcrgybl-6xMc4CdioJw6ked0dUM30eY8PE-0LrbWwvgkPthdw0SI1BxB709jSVMFsH-sDgAJifyOlocSf67ENM_g5FeevKu2YjMQJ56S9F33IQ_ro08luVq6a_A/s320/IMG_1954.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> and to hopefully see the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/great-crested-grebe" target="_blank">Great Crested Grebes</a> in their courtship displays. We only saw about three Great Crested Grebes, and they weren't courting yet, though the male did seem to be practising his moves. However, we enjoyed our walk and did see a lot of lovely birds. Here's just a selection:<p></p><p>There seemed to be a lot of Robins about and some of them were very bold - this one sang beautifully for us:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TzBhRR0gYdhdiQiF_umUvcjhTj7wIqTDfnuNlch8HM6_MjTn596ZOYQAgq_04Z6PMYE6_SHXOzI6uVm4AR9VRtrGZcu395ln_yM1d6YYmGkTx8C6mgF9xP_5NEg8ff6dXRy2SEVSIJSKX4cIAWble1K62nHacVEf-0vEaZloZBcxbLVmJwOBBQ/s4272/IMG_1990.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TzBhRR0gYdhdiQiF_umUvcjhTj7wIqTDfnuNlch8HM6_MjTn596ZOYQAgq_04Z6PMYE6_SHXOzI6uVm4AR9VRtrGZcu395ln_yM1d6YYmGkTx8C6mgF9xP_5NEg8ff6dXRy2SEVSIJSKX4cIAWble1K62nHacVEf-0vEaZloZBcxbLVmJwOBBQ/s320/IMG_1990.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>We saw a group of Bullfinches - three females and two males, the bird below is a male:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXgMeeDIMGNETV-g3h8XTE_QZpmYE0LYHT5tE7TvHvgMTiogCwpUdS3eNKLyo9zSDf1VWzrVJn5t46eKuKx5W7m65ud8KXmnETs8mjqdRMXjeN1T81aaU5WzTJ6EGwRMvymIc2CVpEWDVj0T5gfHJhEvqKVCLUhTwpq8nnbDq7H7SLtP5P1MXyA/s4272/IMG_1972.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXgMeeDIMGNETV-g3h8XTE_QZpmYE0LYHT5tE7TvHvgMTiogCwpUdS3eNKLyo9zSDf1VWzrVJn5t46eKuKx5W7m65ud8KXmnETs8mjqdRMXjeN1T81aaU5WzTJ6EGwRMvymIc2CVpEWDVj0T5gfHJhEvqKVCLUhTwpq8nnbDq7H7SLtP5P1MXyA/s320/IMG_1972.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Also in the trees, we saw <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/treecreeper" target="_blank">Treecreepers</a>, <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wren" target="_blank">Wrens</a>, <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/long-tailed-tit" target="_blank">Long Tailed Tits</a>, a <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/dunnock" target="_blank">Dunnock</a> and a <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/sparrowhawk" target="_blank">Sparrowhawk</a>. <p></p><p>There were plenty of birds on the Loch as well. As well as the Great Crested Grebes we saw a good number of Mute Swans: <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ebpMvKN2RfQViRrzXrI7yeUQZYbNQeWnjJHa-sZM82fYrz6AwTtZrCL4iVQ60PEv5O1O2TdR8T-KhvylLDTE7RcQtVv5_1PmhUklO2BTkYuOYTSF35Pw0k-b9uDu7M2sGHYTA9AUJb8av55jN21tIbmUyCQrIZ1r2TyFhjuBz28n1DteFaUH-Q/s4272/IMG_1929.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ebpMvKN2RfQViRrzXrI7yeUQZYbNQeWnjJHa-sZM82fYrz6AwTtZrCL4iVQ60PEv5O1O2TdR8T-KhvylLDTE7RcQtVv5_1PmhUklO2BTkYuOYTSF35Pw0k-b9uDu7M2sGHYTA9AUJb8av55jN21tIbmUyCQrIZ1r2TyFhjuBz28n1DteFaUH-Q/s320/IMG_1929.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Several Coots</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfevZwIBPyNZTL8Xx2WfGDkCZa9kaP87cpORXTomPhqldjFgqABwJwxQimN-Pi_la8lUTtOMvsNkYFAE-74I3fri_MR5yxon1thq8-2j7nM5qqW4DcS-E3SGSG9zrrblEa3x6Lc9sMMumgGKVxd0hILDwtyNxlpdITNfjulr3-J46uJmT2Pam7mg/s4272/IMG_1925.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfevZwIBPyNZTL8Xx2WfGDkCZa9kaP87cpORXTomPhqldjFgqABwJwxQimN-Pi_la8lUTtOMvsNkYFAE-74I3fri_MR5yxon1thq8-2j7nM5qqW4DcS-E3SGSG9zrrblEa3x6Lc9sMMumgGKVxd0hILDwtyNxlpdITNfjulr3-J46uJmT2Pam7mg/s320/IMG_1925.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>a Grey Heron hunting for frogs <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-f6guDtdnzUN7OKFRoozUIy5RoCPybGRTvy77DKULaU7lCu_8v5E2Tu132fSE4CQc-KoorbwPH-UFokmUFQ4AU2a_HW8Rs7PC4qVkLoZqIBodJDqO8y91pf3t8N3KJOT5pVytXIhIj1UK9K4-HadXc325DM_b1bm2BhSPHyH_u8Ei0L_BMuaMw/s4272/IMG_1962.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-f6guDtdnzUN7OKFRoozUIy5RoCPybGRTvy77DKULaU7lCu_8v5E2Tu132fSE4CQc-KoorbwPH-UFokmUFQ4AU2a_HW8Rs7PC4qVkLoZqIBodJDqO8y91pf3t8N3KJOT5pVytXIhIj1UK9K4-HadXc325DM_b1bm2BhSPHyH_u8Ei0L_BMuaMw/s320/IMG_1962.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>and (particularly lovely to see) a Kingfisher that didn't really want to have its photo taken </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlVBnQ5irCsm8hTxVwezKaaHOyMXCJTG3fsgSV7Vby89uNC2T3fFvJhm-IXLqn1czAfa_NZ_6nxuHP4zpGoP-_X1QQle08dVuQu1RVOUGOQouJdEocBbOIcpdAGzp5K2L0mnRbhZUWLprrqPXfA2Bun6K9BE8DYE4O05cLbZJb82gdJSA_lX92Q/s4272/IMG_1991.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlVBnQ5irCsm8hTxVwezKaaHOyMXCJTG3fsgSV7Vby89uNC2T3fFvJhm-IXLqn1czAfa_NZ_6nxuHP4zpGoP-_X1QQle08dVuQu1RVOUGOQouJdEocBbOIcpdAGzp5K2L0mnRbhZUWLprrqPXfA2Bun6K9BE8DYE4O05cLbZJb82gdJSA_lX92Q/s320/IMG_1991.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Black Headed Gulls were starting to get their Summer Brown heads - this bird below had the most brown on its head. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIHA04dMcpGRe8ZN7tmtgoP5ZGqtYiak8l2X7PMcKm5LvsaN82qkmvaXLiBiV8T7NQ_MqMDd8THfJimoxAso1YuFXiQxnHp6ZS9Kl0ofDCgYR5ga8Juc4ITjh1p0W9GCrJmmfsleApgl_T_Q03zHf3zcJq3xRR4D5PAVSy8CSWWZD1e7cEU0SZg/s4272/IMG_1931.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIHA04dMcpGRe8ZN7tmtgoP5ZGqtYiak8l2X7PMcKm5LvsaN82qkmvaXLiBiV8T7NQ_MqMDd8THfJimoxAso1YuFXiQxnHp6ZS9Kl0ofDCgYR5ga8Juc4ITjh1p0W9GCrJmmfsleApgl_T_Q03zHf3zcJq3xRR4D5PAVSy8CSWWZD1e7cEU0SZg/s320/IMG_1931.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>On the water, we also saw: <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/tufted-duck" target="_blank">Tufted Ducks</a>, <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/mallard" target="_blank">Mallards</a>, |<a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/goldeneye" target="_blank">Goldeneye</a>, <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/goosander" target="_blank">Goosanders</a>, a <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/little-grebe" target="_blank">Little Grebe</a> and <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/cormorant" target="_blank">Cormorants </a>(some of which can be seen below hanging on branches with their wings outstretched to dry them)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcuvZzJfjDlWvJFwo6S9B7Q2rJd5lw9rN3R7evutuXPT0c1HtcjAe5TNcCW8zaC_VffaRx20EYFRebNhgnjH0n6AXelUSymwbAYWltLH6f4fwE-w043CBxeJeUiV7zfXf6ZNSKqre7OiYhehntwmrvaMWTvnPgtFx7XqpJnJC2BUMnNr7_oCwbg/s4272/IMG_1944.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcuvZzJfjDlWvJFwo6S9B7Q2rJd5lw9rN3R7evutuXPT0c1HtcjAe5TNcCW8zaC_VffaRx20EYFRebNhgnjH0n6AXelUSymwbAYWltLH6f4fwE-w043CBxeJeUiV7zfXf6ZNSKqre7OiYhehntwmrvaMWTvnPgtFx7XqpJnJC2BUMnNr7_oCwbg/s320/IMG_1944.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>**</p><p>I was very pleased to find my poem <span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3" style="text-overflow: unset;"><i>'A Landscape Viewed through Cataracts</i>' in the responses to the painting <i>Green Terrain</i>, by Kelly Austin-Rolo on the<a href="https://www.ekphrastic.net/" target="_blank"> Ekphrastic Review website</a>. You can read all the responses <a href="https://www.ekphrastic.net/the-ekphrastic-challenges/archives/02-2024" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></span></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-14552277100546047872024-02-22T12:13:00.000+00:002024-02-22T12:13:37.344+00:00The Gaelic Tree Alphabet <p> It's <a href="https://seachdainnagaidhlig.scot/" target="_blank">World Gaelic Week,</a> so I thought I'd try and find out more about the Gaelic Tree alphabet. The Gaelic alphabet has only 18 letters (which is probably one of the reasons the spelling of the language can seem so difficult to a non-native speaker). Each letter is paired with a tree. This evolved from the earlier Ogham alphabet, which was used to write the old Irish language. </p><p>The Gaelic Tree Alphabet is:</p><p>A for Ailm (Elm) </p><p>B for Beith (Birch)</p><p>C for Coll (Hazel) </p><p>D for Dair (Oak)</p><p>E for Eadha (Aspen)</p><p>F for Fearna (Alder)</p><p>G for Gort (Ivy)</p><p>H for Huath (Hawthorn)</p><p>I for Iogh (Ivy)</p><p>L for Luis (Rowan)</p><p>M for Muin (Bramble)</p><p>N for Nuin (Ash)</p><p>O for Onn (Gorse) </p><p>P for Peith Bhog (Downy Birch)</p><p>R for Ruis (Elder)</p><p>S for Suil (Willow)</p><p>T for Teine (Holly) </p><p>U for Ur (Heather) <br /></p><p>Though some plants also have other names, for example Froach also means heather. <strong></strong></p><p>There is an excellent <a href="https://silvotherapy.co.uk/gaelic-tree-alphabet" target="_blank">resource on the trees of the Gaelic Tree alphabet on the An Darach website</a>. <strong></strong></p><p>If you're interested in finding out more about the old Ogham alphabet, there seem to be a lot of web resources out there, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogham" target="_blank">this guide on Wikipedia</a>. <strong><br /></strong></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-17352984164088973602024-02-21T11:36:00.001+00:002024-02-21T11:36:56.042+00:00The Future of Ice by Gretel Ehrlich <p> <img alt="The Future of Ice by Gretel Ehrlich" class="cover img-responsive" id="coverFormat" src="https://images4.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9781400034352" /></p><p> In <i><b>The Future of Ice</b></i>, Gretel Ehrlich travels across the world, from her home in Wyoming to the Arctic, to look at winter landscapes and to consider how climate change is damaging our landscapes and the whole idea of winter. </p><p></p><p>It's a book packed full of lyrical descriptions, punctuated by snippets of her personal life and snippets about climate science and the science of glaciers:</p><p><i>"A glacier is an archivist and historian. It saves everything no matter how small or big, including pollen, dust, heavy metals, bugs, bones and minerals. It registers every fluctuation of weather. A glacier is time incarnate, a moving image of time. When we lose a glacier - and we are losing most of them - we lose history, an eye into the past; we love stories of how living beings evolved, how weather vacillated, why plants and animals died. The retreat and disappearance of glaciers - there are only 160, 000 left - means we're burning libraries and damaging the planet, possibly beyond repair."</i></p><p>I found the book to be rather overloaded with lyrical descriptions. I enjoy beautiful descriptions, but here I felt they sometimes lacked substance. <br /></p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/45500/the-future-of-ice-by-gretel-ehrlich/" target="_blank">The Future of Ice</a> by Gretel Ehrlich, published (2004) by <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/" target="_blank">Penguin Random House</a>.<br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-34348980529135956822024-02-20T17:42:00.005+00:002024-02-21T09:47:00.187+00:00World Gaelic Week <p><a href="https://seachdainnagaidhlig.scot/" target="_blank">It's World Gaelic Week (Seachdain na Gàidhlig)</a> which aims to raise the profile of Gaelic through community initiatives, projects and events. </p><p>Scottish Gaelic is familiar to many people living in Scotland through place names, particularly in the Highlands. It is also a living language for people in parts of Western Scotland, particularly the Western Isles (the only part of the country where televised election results are read out in Gaelic as well as English). </p><p>I've been learning Gaelic for about a year now, and it's an interesting language, very different to English in spelling and grammar so it feels tricky to learn (though it is no more intrinsically difficult than any other language). </p><p>I'm particularly interested in Gaelic words relating to the natural world, not just place names, but also Gaelic names for plants and animals. </p><p>Here's a <a href="https://www.nature.scot/doc/world-gaelic-week-2024" target="_blank">nice article on the NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage) website about the Gaelic names of birds</a>. I particularly like the fact that one of the Gaelic names for the Dunlin is <a class="external" href="https://learngaelic.scot/dictionary/index.jsp?abairt=gille-feadaig&slang=both&wholeword=false" target="_blank"><i>gille-feadaig</i></a>, meaning ‘servant of the plover' as the smaller wader will often be found hanging out with plovers. </p><p>NatureScot also has a<a href="https://www.nature.scot/about-naturescot/access-information-and-services/faclan-nadair" target="_blank"> useful looking dictionary of Gaelic words relating to nature</a>. </p><p>And<a href="https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/" target="_blank"> National Theatre of Scotland </a>have produced a short film about language based on the play <span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3" style="text-overflow: unset;">Somersaults by playwright Iain Finlay Macleod.
A poetic exploration of language and how it defines who we are, captured on the Isle of Lewis. You can watch it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-BVtl5clEA" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></span></p><p>If you're still on Twitter, if you search for World Gaelic Week you'll find a good number of nature organisations sharing nature words from Gaelic. <br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-82258374879626732292024-02-19T14:03:00.000+00:002024-02-19T14:03:02.609+00:00Easter Cards <p>I always make Easter cards for a few friends and family members, though I often forget to post photos of them anywhere. So here are some of this year's design. All are made using card (mostly second hand from friends or charity shops), old greetings cards and Easter embellishments which I was delighted to recently find in a local second hand shop.</p><p>A humorous card</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyo-OUz4SSoySwcEOTbS3FWNnxRgz4bUebxS7BjBkgDNJXOaHha_dh6fo9pTvrpOSzcubA6SJmGMCz4Jg0CHlHgMeaU3aShvDQQfEu6viceSBkturpXNEhncpa-tUDiAGnxOH3nYQMNyWe8fqMQvF2RrQSrQ5MRwj_wa9COSQidTav6FCFDc0ZA/s4000/P1510877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyo-OUz4SSoySwcEOTbS3FWNnxRgz4bUebxS7BjBkgDNJXOaHha_dh6fo9pTvrpOSzcubA6SJmGMCz4Jg0CHlHgMeaU3aShvDQQfEu6viceSBkturpXNEhncpa-tUDiAGnxOH3nYQMNyWe8fqMQvF2RrQSrQ5MRwj_wa9COSQidTav6FCFDc0ZA/s320/P1510877.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>two Easter chick cards</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgN0baf2eC4AhbjpyjFSWdg0wc_d4fDYipPyTpWfHkAyt5sEvHlVwmllkByh8_yXqmMTpbUTci8X5rpinNlB-z8Nzbfyz8W-AhGUcxFSErcwv1JyGwkLdLLPlpJwUXqcZCUjnifaNAlKucWsO0ut9oFaSvp-PRMZIyXS88uLTnZFkg5-T-5Gl8Q/s4000/P1510874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgN0baf2eC4AhbjpyjFSWdg0wc_d4fDYipPyTpWfHkAyt5sEvHlVwmllkByh8_yXqmMTpbUTci8X5rpinNlB-z8Nzbfyz8W-AhGUcxFSErcwv1JyGwkLdLLPlpJwUXqcZCUjnifaNAlKucWsO0ut9oFaSvp-PRMZIyXS88uLTnZFkg5-T-5Gl8Q/s320/P1510874.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>an egg themed card</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjdUBVehO7h1dWzcA8xT2xMbT5UG1ODXi1_LiPB4-5iVpV4wFYtIapuFA8SQLFF2ASdazwTjnwF9vnSekEeeSujqujnxrAU9Sd2ceNlCs2J4dOaDjFtiHHXXD4XiY1S_MmTEz1OkKh6WZFojtMC1INaoafa3uaa8hwee-0ixCZLsmhxLC8rMPgg/s4000/P1510875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjdUBVehO7h1dWzcA8xT2xMbT5UG1ODXi1_LiPB4-5iVpV4wFYtIapuFA8SQLFF2ASdazwTjnwF9vnSekEeeSujqujnxrAU9Sd2ceNlCs2J4dOaDjFtiHHXXD4XiY1S_MmTEz1OkKh6WZFojtMC1INaoafa3uaa8hwee-0ixCZLsmhxLC8rMPgg/s320/P1510875.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>and a sweet card featuring a hare in heather <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTK_o3RfGiJ_NHYCk_QXLfIOppuq4HjKFKYGbRvoBDdL9AMVPmmVBygCPbSEV9nrqhi-sf3EFzGSlNS6Eyw41G-0tYParquAOZjqN-HifshVd1Qh0l3teHooYsHe5D98vBbVoWT0lyjSB9NSCviQqnK1KrTaX3ryRlokzsFUzThT5Lyv_P5CKlw/s4000/P1510870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTK_o3RfGiJ_NHYCk_QXLfIOppuq4HjKFKYGbRvoBDdL9AMVPmmVBygCPbSEV9nrqhi-sf3EFzGSlNS6Eyw41G-0tYParquAOZjqN-HifshVd1Qh0l3teHooYsHe5D98vBbVoWT0lyjSB9NSCviQqnK1KrTaX3ryRlokzsFUzThT5Lyv_P5CKlw/s320/P1510870.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I'm very pleased with all these designs! <br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-34732287714202368002024-02-18T17:26:00.007+00:002024-02-18T18:30:22.860+00:00Vivid Colours on Edinburgh's Corstorphine Hill <p>We had a lovely walk around Corstorphine Hill yesterday. </p><p>I had cataract surgery on my left eye last week (I had the right eye done in 2017). One of the advantages of cataract surgery is that colours suddenly become much more vivid, so I was able to appreciate these Scarlet Elf Cap fungi even more than has been normal over the past few years:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5WPULXFrD5luDyDEJxx27QhfdllFU8D2y-q2X3Gq-w4V5N1t94W9inkUhYhNdCrKpeGxSUNxxxsBJgD7ENLNV_IlqXJr_R9eRqiK6jhbHHMI55RBJYZnH0SXaN0h6HUimL4oU0P_xPMSHNFQQVskoTHSTNjZ2F9cvYZMT-nHNcNs1URzaar_aw/s4272/IMG_1887.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5WPULXFrD5luDyDEJxx27QhfdllFU8D2y-q2X3Gq-w4V5N1t94W9inkUhYhNdCrKpeGxSUNxxxsBJgD7ENLNV_IlqXJr_R9eRqiK6jhbHHMI55RBJYZnH0SXaN0h6HUimL4oU0P_xPMSHNFQQVskoTHSTNjZ2F9cvYZMT-nHNcNs1URzaar_aw/s320/IMG_1887.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCG-IcKK8q4MEPIX476hzI2hpWEdwkzSRJhY-ZY2vZf-MUaXysvDQ5jDHOiynh-H_VqrGlFWAt6C_htp5w_aGIChlIOL9YM4W2a14FhQFco5mKidfyqMyNGw0VpK5Dj3Ol8NbErILQYPOh-nQwuNekVjoX4HimxQItS_sipyla0CASU9NX3gcwA/s4272/IMG_1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCG-IcKK8q4MEPIX476hzI2hpWEdwkzSRJhY-ZY2vZf-MUaXysvDQ5jDHOiynh-H_VqrGlFWAt6C_htp5w_aGIChlIOL9YM4W2a14FhQFco5mKidfyqMyNGw0VpK5Dj3Ol8NbErILQYPOh-nQwuNekVjoX4HimxQItS_sipyla0CASU9NX3gcwA/s320/IMG_1884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yDH4uLQo4NQSJkPb1t-z-DIwJRFVxZ6-svL9x-Sg_EvLLmpqFqmwJoBYCF6KuBJzue2uiBxmEtcDjgjsikEfugU_hCrctGxT2a0l9iHo8YGz_XN6hv5Sbp__6vOl83u8B_xWuUvYAoNEtkV1EfOv4OBRkIs_eDk1ljmjLaTDYH6um5BaskPyOg/s4272/IMG_1896.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yDH4uLQo4NQSJkPb1t-z-DIwJRFVxZ6-svL9x-Sg_EvLLmpqFqmwJoBYCF6KuBJzue2uiBxmEtcDjgjsikEfugU_hCrctGxT2a0l9iHo8YGz_XN6hv5Sbp__6vOl83u8B_xWuUvYAoNEtkV1EfOv4OBRkIs_eDk1ljmjLaTDYH6um5BaskPyOg/s320/IMG_1896.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Another advantage of cataract surgery is being able to see detail more clearly, so where in the past couple of weeks I had been struggling to find the tiny female flowers on the Hazel trees, yesterday I could see loads of them (though of course this may have something to do with the timing of their appearance as well as with my improved eyesight!). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rJhl4U3wGnY9ce3lSVI5O8HumUISDwO6g37yDkl229Ah2tPjFHyeA6-m2yOSu6JknXAA-m4V5J-yVE0qpMaXSTmcsXPLWRqn-utmuO7YcXcNr5GPqkpuuJoXwEVeE45cIPF8Tnsm7ktUCErm93vneEM9LGPOFeDWqU2PCDlY0UaKHAXBnz9eSg/s4272/IMG_1907.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rJhl4U3wGnY9ce3lSVI5O8HumUISDwO6g37yDkl229Ah2tPjFHyeA6-m2yOSu6JknXAA-m4V5J-yVE0qpMaXSTmcsXPLWRqn-utmuO7YcXcNr5GPqkpuuJoXwEVeE45cIPF8Tnsm7ktUCErm93vneEM9LGPOFeDWqU2PCDlY0UaKHAXBnz9eSg/s320/IMG_1907.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfubARrc2raXTe8l3-Ljc9oRkjjQEItd0V5iscBHy8JiyDhpSC3fqBBneEwqA3IFZ4OF8Vxgp4txlF9Q3nR6fCL-Pc2A7iQaH_KhIO_FAyrMacHn7WaYeP6BWD1nsEDmah4hTPyxcAF-ShHYJkRB0iKAb8pi0kighJNE-r4QkMNq8smM8luNIXw/s4272/IMG_1913.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfubARrc2raXTe8l3-Ljc9oRkjjQEItd0V5iscBHy8JiyDhpSC3fqBBneEwqA3IFZ4OF8Vxgp4txlF9Q3nR6fCL-Pc2A7iQaH_KhIO_FAyrMacHn7WaYeP6BWD1nsEDmah4hTPyxcAF-ShHYJkRB0iKAb8pi0kighJNE-r4QkMNq8smM8luNIXw/s320/IMG_1913.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>**</p><p>Cataracts are actually quite inspiring for a poet, so now seems like a good time to revisit a couple of <a href="https://kalonopia.wixsite.com/site/2-haikus-juliet-wilson" target="_blank">haiku on the topic</a> that I had published on the <a href="https://kalonopia.wixsite.com/site" target="_blank">Kalanopia website</a> a few years ago. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-52525627702553601542024-02-12T16:38:00.004+00:002024-02-12T16:38:40.393+00:00Early Spring Flowers in the Cemetery <p>I had a quick walk round Edinburgh's <a href="http://fonmc.co.uk/" target="_blank">North Merchiston Cemetery</a> at lunchtime today. The crocuses and snowdrops are looking beautiful just now </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtWjpE-UKqfQcoRduAZdl27kqy1YwRnQdVm8akF_CCwp1O1yw0NqSAE8_XPuwi5uDsvBQ78RDavV8J8LWZIMCUzIFhhGIJK8Uid_ZRir7PtXZIyBKpK8O6jZE3PvQ6HxldCb7vQrlsHNLKBo_7iCardjs_E789P4jH_Uzt_jLmXRyVJLEXbGIGw/s4000/P1510858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtWjpE-UKqfQcoRduAZdl27kqy1YwRnQdVm8akF_CCwp1O1yw0NqSAE8_XPuwi5uDsvBQ78RDavV8J8LWZIMCUzIFhhGIJK8Uid_ZRir7PtXZIyBKpK8O6jZE3PvQ6HxldCb7vQrlsHNLKBo_7iCardjs_E789P4jH_Uzt_jLmXRyVJLEXbGIGw/s320/P1510858.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LMhWOLMF7n2gzWR-F4SS3xTPl2bFiJ9ZBv-tWA1nRnFNcyQv-oWiySDtnsI3tex6-5Vz4ehbqVVoZRU0XvGGx2YaP7sIoWvO5BPOgEuryIJZcwqc_yEh1YLaAgckZt27-j7VD_N66meNzFWdYSFrS489COHdNLm-HvJCRIX_R9Sz4q7v5i4buA/s4000/P1510859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LMhWOLMF7n2gzWR-F4SS3xTPl2bFiJ9ZBv-tWA1nRnFNcyQv-oWiySDtnsI3tex6-5Vz4ehbqVVoZRU0XvGGx2YaP7sIoWvO5BPOgEuryIJZcwqc_yEh1YLaAgckZt27-j7VD_N66meNzFWdYSFrS489COHdNLm-HvJCRIX_R9Sz4q7v5i4buA/s320/P1510859.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFvRk__Ru6JPaEBH2JijEc7AZjlPf7RUZuUZ-dY1yb1vF3tRWHCaYRFM4bA7dl1wF9Pfr3inlTRPOVvVYMcseJ4DuGQI0TXZ8Po_OIgqkE8FjuCbkNNb_HywAloVcWYuXzRH75F_ePEEUpDz1wVxjEEYfFrK9QM11ji-lt39gy8l1LCXoM4Klbw/s4000/P1510863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFvRk__Ru6JPaEBH2JijEc7AZjlPf7RUZuUZ-dY1yb1vF3tRWHCaYRFM4bA7dl1wF9Pfr3inlTRPOVvVYMcseJ4DuGQI0TXZ8Po_OIgqkE8FjuCbkNNb_HywAloVcWYuXzRH75F_ePEEUpDz1wVxjEEYfFrK9QM11ji-lt39gy8l1LCXoM4Klbw/s320/P1510863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLdwVvF1k0EJCBFY6jnz0aTlj7cCjZ2OPgn0nLupwlD-XKavKmAAV_WQUwcyNTsz-78N8NO7iA-bwyk59TX_uQx8K3CjnClllwYUlotKv1N531J_cjIju5D-6dzNDZPMAqMLTBvob43qbwY3FvO0F9EKZx1tZOwol_2aeK3qKhp5z0DeMhfYR_A/s4000/P1510866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLdwVvF1k0EJCBFY6jnz0aTlj7cCjZ2OPgn0nLupwlD-XKavKmAAV_WQUwcyNTsz-78N8NO7iA-bwyk59TX_uQx8K3CjnClllwYUlotKv1N531J_cjIju5D-6dzNDZPMAqMLTBvob43qbwY3FvO0F9EKZx1tZOwol_2aeK3qKhp5z0DeMhfYR_A/s320/P1510866.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-70303398075815538372024-02-10T15:52:00.002+00:002024-02-10T15:52:34.724+00:00Birds at the Botanics<p>It was grey and damp all day today, but we had a lovely walk at Edinburgh's <a href="https://www.rbge.org.uk/" target="_blank">Botanics</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34UglJRZ-b3zKikVn1UuaA5FT3IVcD2_P8z5xZ5rOiEr7iUADbehHN0fFLNdhJ8z2fj5bRvNCQ2r3h7IOB10VPSmi6W4nD76O1Tofrv245Q9fz4LUhMxa9XzVTv0RbDW5m7scW0Vs9JZho_k772Y842KPzGvayTvovGUN7zj21ALxUoAa0N0_Bw/s4000/P1510847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34UglJRZ-b3zKikVn1UuaA5FT3IVcD2_P8z5xZ5rOiEr7iUADbehHN0fFLNdhJ8z2fj5bRvNCQ2r3h7IOB10VPSmi6W4nD76O1Tofrv245Q9fz4LUhMxa9XzVTv0RbDW5m7scW0Vs9JZho_k772Y842KPzGvayTvovGUN7zj21ALxUoAa0N0_Bw/s320/P1510847.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>We were particularly impressed by the birds we saw at the pond. The Grey Heron was the most obvious: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJF2Nq4LlmbKX4Cgo8C4ijyjEBGoeHd1OF0INKIEafK2Xn7SjkOGMl5SzbViM0XelR5qOTxxVJ_AXJAcbIMsmQtNevSz-gVgU5QGP-kKzE5dvlXQ_Gz4dBiAK7P5y6IRHXFB_EZS59jCb45mp55JQzDgPfTlLEBMLSi-KiAaklCBbFblM2jk2Iw/s4272/IMG_1842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJF2Nq4LlmbKX4Cgo8C4ijyjEBGoeHd1OF0INKIEafK2Xn7SjkOGMl5SzbViM0XelR5qOTxxVJ_AXJAcbIMsmQtNevSz-gVgU5QGP-kKzE5dvlXQ_Gz4dBiAK7P5y6IRHXFB_EZS59jCb45mp55JQzDgPfTlLEBMLSi-KiAaklCBbFblM2jk2Iw/s320/IMG_1842.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>but looking carefully around the pond, we noticed a Kingfisher in a bush waiting for a fish to show</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg023OqHGs7_9BGOEwRAVHjiG2h0X-pOwGXZ7E6WKyfgrVzNN02EmPN8mZG-QJ3hmq01PWP3G6BJ10W92iU9dyXxdqs0G37d0S8q7Ya5ZnwKH1ZWB8yUtR0pQ2CKdIz0k9JLF72609a1e2FlONZ985xgZBXJyDNT2gVgoKvVcF1pG9STeR7WDUrXw/s4272/IMG_1830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg023OqHGs7_9BGOEwRAVHjiG2h0X-pOwGXZ7E6WKyfgrVzNN02EmPN8mZG-QJ3hmq01PWP3G6BJ10W92iU9dyXxdqs0G37d0S8q7Ya5ZnwKH1ZWB8yUtR0pQ2CKdIz0k9JLF72609a1e2FlONZ985xgZBXJyDNT2gVgoKvVcF1pG9STeR7WDUrXw/s320/IMG_1830.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>There were quite a lot of Mallards around and soon these two males started fighting</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU14VmMGP4ngobn-CLzbd81RYexs7Lq4JeiPoHl4bRMTasMwnSAJjpmGAFFUgbTturgdcP73F91mQ5nYQCUh9JiEfNw65lt2NBtrBhG9XbJtUtS1VihY6bkiEqrJf6oe57dfxcvdetZDdvHCf2PsrrHeu0_CqB8fkLw4GABWahrDizx6x8o40Uw/s4272/IMG_1864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU14VmMGP4ngobn-CLzbd81RYexs7Lq4JeiPoHl4bRMTasMwnSAJjpmGAFFUgbTturgdcP73F91mQ5nYQCUh9JiEfNw65lt2NBtrBhG9XbJtUtS1VihY6bkiEqrJf6oe57dfxcvdetZDdvHCf2PsrrHeu0_CqB8fkLw4GABWahrDizx6x8o40Uw/s320/IMG_1864.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sZlUQgHhoklodKhzxE2doRVSdx7f-_Q0PVF_51wtXmftZImE-50buUEg1NBifPGNQcQ1F9VxjKKupP5un6-1zw3cbHzHe_GCx5r4IJ_8xsqaOCrOgVrqil5p0KMu83Xh20J5KcjQWJMS_FNgDqpda6PsH2DUw_HzvO2CTM4XqOEJPEP4r7r44Q/s4272/IMG_1865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sZlUQgHhoklodKhzxE2doRVSdx7f-_Q0PVF_51wtXmftZImE-50buUEg1NBifPGNQcQ1F9VxjKKupP5un6-1zw3cbHzHe_GCx5r4IJ_8xsqaOCrOgVrqil5p0KMu83Xh20J5KcjQWJMS_FNgDqpda6PsH2DUw_HzvO2CTM4XqOEJPEP4r7r44Q/s320/IMG_1865.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>One of these males had a blue beak, which is quite unusual and probably means it's a domestic breed of mallard rather than a wild type Mallard. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan6ljNW7ADF8UifvXOEz9hpcbh-VLa-kcjW2dDv8Y1S3hmV4-U2Jw99-ruyQeVlhj65qASN8Rg2MMkRl4jpYyOPLHZDijKGC01xyXSssMZcmLMAfUhNTHqBIgW45YkTZ-RVFtbN6RnomyF3PE1uXAfqVROFstvdiI8UxZx7Qw0BIigmv5hbrlvA/s4272/IMG_1874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhan6ljNW7ADF8UifvXOEz9hpcbh-VLa-kcjW2dDv8Y1S3hmV4-U2Jw99-ruyQeVlhj65qASN8Rg2MMkRl4jpYyOPLHZDijKGC01xyXSssMZcmLMAfUhNTHqBIgW45YkTZ-RVFtbN6RnomyF3PE1uXAfqVROFstvdiI8UxZx7Qw0BIigmv5hbrlvA/s320/IMG_1874.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Away from the pond there were a lot of Grey Squirrels, though I could only get two in the one photo</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uQHgNgV398TvzuB5ltA3eP93Dj5Q0PpUOUSWAss2dUYE0axZcwopuVE3Ai2M736pq_WEJv9aB1WaPiaH2DPXTGcQ-Iqnab9PSdgUY3LpMlaL3XmrWzPkkZMAUcd8nosdmZeUWCXVkv3Cfy_NuiQA0KCiVC_xYOWzLNg8mlQDavlx3rn1OCZgtQ/s3578/P1510838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="3578" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uQHgNgV398TvzuB5ltA3eP93Dj5Q0PpUOUSWAss2dUYE0axZcwopuVE3Ai2M736pq_WEJv9aB1WaPiaH2DPXTGcQ-Iqnab9PSdgUY3LpMlaL3XmrWzPkkZMAUcd8nosdmZeUWCXVkv3Cfy_NuiQA0KCiVC_xYOWzLNg8mlQDavlx3rn1OCZgtQ/s320/P1510838.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><i>Thanks Crafty Green Boyfriend for the lovely bird photos in this post. </i><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-22221728000103209482024-02-07T09:28:00.000+00:002024-02-07T09:28:38.057+00:00Birdsong in a Time of Silence by Steven Lovatt<p> <img class="ResponsiveImage" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612198493i/55880711.jpg" /></p><p>This book was written in response to the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK. when restrictions meant that our streets were much quieter and people became more aware of nature, particularly the sound of birdsong. In this book, the author uses his own lockdown observations of birds in his local area as a way into considering the function of birdsong in helping birds to defend a territory and find a mate and also the value that we gain from birdsong - as well as there being a basic enjoyment of birdsong, clinical studies have shown listening to birdsong has positive impact on people's mental health and wellbeing. <br /></p><p>There is also an interesting discussion on whether birdsong can be, strictly, considered as music, centring on the observations that <i>'some species can improvise as well as any jazz musician.' </i>and that some birds sing just as beautifully even after the breeding season is over, demonstrating that the song is more than purely functional. <i><br /></i></p><p><i> </i>Bird vocalisations are divided into calls - short, purposeful vocalisations with specific intent such as contact calls and alarm calls<i> </i>- and song - the more extended, expressive vocalisation used to mark territory and attract a mate. Some birds never seem to sing, the corvids (crows) for example. But the author makes an excellent argument for jackdaw vocalisations to be considered song due to the wide range of sounds they use to converse in. <br /></p><p>While lockdown opened a lot of people's ears to birdsong, the numbers of many of the UK's birds have been declining significantly<i> </i>for many years. <i>"Many of the species that would have defined the start of summer even a generation ago are either absent altogether or so depleted for it to be a case of 'out of sound, out of mind'. </i>And these losses are not just an ecological tragedy but also affect humans and our sense of our place in the world. The author notes that <i>"on some level I'm already steeling myself for a time when I may no longer hear [swifts] at all" </i>a sentiment I share, as I'm aware that year on year, fewer swifts are to be seen flying around our Edinburgh neighbourhood.<i></i></p><p>The text is illustrated with beautiful line drawings by Katie Marland. </p><p>This is a beautiful book for anyone who loves listening to the birds and wants to know more about their musical abilities. <br /></p><p><i><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321712/birdsong-in-a-time-of-silence-by-lovatt-steven/9780141995700" target="_blank">Birdsong in a Time of Silence</a> by <a href="https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/international-literature-showcase/steven-lovatt/" target="_blank">Steven Lovatt</a>, illustrated by <a href="https://www.katiemarland.com/natural-history" target="_blank">Katie Marland</a>, published (2021) by <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/" target="_blank">Penguin</a>. <br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i> </i></p><p><i> </i><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-83427883112451533882024-02-06T16:11:00.000+00:002024-02-06T16:11:16.320+00:00Valentine's Day Gift Wrap <p>I entirely forgot to post photos of any of the Christmas cards that I made last year! More recently I remembered that I used to share photos of examples of eco-friendly gift wrap (see this <a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2005/12/gift-box.html" target="_blank">Christmas box idea</a>, these <a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2005/12/gift-wrap-2.html" target="_blank">two examples of Christmas gift-wrap</a>, this <a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2005/11/gift-wrapping.html" target="_blank">green and white gift-wrap </a>and this <a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2006/03/spring-gift-wrap.html" target="_blank">Spring themed gift-wrap</a>).</p><p>So here is the gift wrap for Crafty Green Boyfriend's Valentine's gift, which re-uses a brown paper bag and card from the back of a kitten themed calendar and hearts from second-hand craft supplies. The gold thread is reused from a previous gift tag, and the parcel tape is paper based. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4jyyJfDWXJsGIPOXEWenMXXjX5Kpc0DAkD9uy3l0uISI6-Nm0tI88BBTfo1NUbAP8jKzgD-EGytdYW1NEumsQXtfjQDFcxBQILZCOueSs4Y_SSd1XR3Jq2iGwse7mUktDThPAaxY0irOgUoLU6lTxmtSAtSo6Z0izdEAtfrVBMEXw8KFs4pznw/s4000/P1510833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4jyyJfDWXJsGIPOXEWenMXXjX5Kpc0DAkD9uy3l0uISI6-Nm0tI88BBTfo1NUbAP8jKzgD-EGytdYW1NEumsQXtfjQDFcxBQILZCOueSs4Y_SSd1XR3Jq2iGwse7mUktDThPAaxY0irOgUoLU6lTxmtSAtSo6Z0izdEAtfrVBMEXw8KFs4pznw/s320/P1510833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> I'll try to remember to post more of the greetings cards I make in the future, though not all of them. <br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-83431125580038398682024-02-04T18:06:00.002+00:002024-02-04T18:06:19.835+00:00Weekend Walks <p> A few walks this weekend! To start with, Crafty Green Boyfriend and I popped into<a href="http://fonmc.co.uk/" target="_blank"> North Merchiston Cemetery </a>to check up on the snowdrops, which are looking beautiful at the moment </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDrbhDeUdgtWGfgrVINyVu5TV8Bxm8x5iqx3mR7aXnADmYQXFUKOXe8gaDX4ILsqRNIEq1kIg_3r_dBzw8hhzrqsqxp4_0BYw234xREwIqJLHTIZOYS7EbpR9xYUq9OD2JlN3Lt4sxD7IdMKa7V8_Yi5PzcuurDxg1r-BxTeJGCOR-HQeU_bTjA/s4000/P1510761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDrbhDeUdgtWGfgrVINyVu5TV8Bxm8x5iqx3mR7aXnADmYQXFUKOXe8gaDX4ILsqRNIEq1kIg_3r_dBzw8hhzrqsqxp4_0BYw234xREwIqJLHTIZOYS7EbpR9xYUq9OD2JlN3Lt4sxD7IdMKa7V8_Yi5PzcuurDxg1r-BxTeJGCOR-HQeU_bTjA/s320/P1510761.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBT88SZhy1oL96vYHueFh2eUK0HMnr5sfWMmFxk6aXmZVyq6QwI0IF8UO7gBwGS2-Z0qmW1nzWzPKA3LR1vNd5au3M2HVy_peWzRbpUXpEqlodcHBl-MH7PtJjoTK_lSpQ8T91Quvbi8WI7XOU4TwQ_KuY3lrPfysMMJopsDkClsBjrdDKUmT7EA/s4000/P1510762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBT88SZhy1oL96vYHueFh2eUK0HMnr5sfWMmFxk6aXmZVyq6QwI0IF8UO7gBwGS2-Z0qmW1nzWzPKA3LR1vNd5au3M2HVy_peWzRbpUXpEqlodcHBl-MH7PtJjoTK_lSpQ8T91Quvbi8WI7XOU4TwQ_KuY3lrPfysMMJopsDkClsBjrdDKUmT7EA/s320/P1510762.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3se4CQnOaWwaaaZSaIpy2Zdq_l5F2V2ImTwTIYHjyrdXC8_1JGKFz1WkRsaC6Y4twnIVmQn4Ft-kzxfUoCbyE2B8MkNNDPNBE-8GCtuo3vQyuPhKLb2PozClMTeslHA5vdLTl00eIv-KCwUYB7t96gmZYvINFHa9oClVPodEzjshKSeNfKq3hA/s4000/P1510775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3se4CQnOaWwaaaZSaIpy2Zdq_l5F2V2ImTwTIYHjyrdXC8_1JGKFz1WkRsaC6Y4twnIVmQn4Ft-kzxfUoCbyE2B8MkNNDPNBE-8GCtuo3vQyuPhKLb2PozClMTeslHA5vdLTl00eIv-KCwUYB7t96gmZYvINFHa9oClVPodEzjshKSeNfKq3hA/s320/P1510775.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>Our next walk started at Blackford Pond, where we admired the bulrushes at the water's edge </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqYaaib3DsmaUPXvzNh2cJP7Ipkhxg6Hh3Z5FJ4LX3SO9NKzPg6naGaVlxNBpviEY7STLtblTMxpxFr9AHqQbuOSRleRvB9SEcR3cRC3GqC0p5_hDTm-h36u72XgQZFGlgvurwV28mqGx4FsMFF3Uqf1FWOyeQzo9kThPdTj8myARSjCDvqSLpg/s4272/IMG_1805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqYaaib3DsmaUPXvzNh2cJP7Ipkhxg6Hh3Z5FJ4LX3SO9NKzPg6naGaVlxNBpviEY7STLtblTMxpxFr9AHqQbuOSRleRvB9SEcR3cRC3GqC0p5_hDTm-h36u72XgQZFGlgvurwV28mqGx4FsMFF3Uqf1FWOyeQzo9kThPdTj8myARSjCDvqSLpg/s320/IMG_1805.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>There were several Tufted Ducks on the pond, including these males </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTAnbw1XStXouKqIEt6TAk_LlW8DxaX6uZ6iSim0rg9P-8XvuV05aDk1sy0yOHVhVwM7iAnRCQsJjHyqu9IQYo_VGC5kUhNKLSe_avNzfdFlPYLVPFAq4dOZQkS16r6VmOOdYjAnpSEJg8HtxivMzQsAf9UW8TKmoaTcAqAwHo7lWmSvTKOzzXQ/s4272/IMG_1815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTAnbw1XStXouKqIEt6TAk_LlW8DxaX6uZ6iSim0rg9P-8XvuV05aDk1sy0yOHVhVwM7iAnRCQsJjHyqu9IQYo_VGC5kUhNKLSe_avNzfdFlPYLVPFAq4dOZQkS16r6VmOOdYjAnpSEJg8HtxivMzQsAf9UW8TKmoaTcAqAwHo7lWmSvTKOzzXQ/s320/IMG_1815.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>several Mallards too, including this sleepy looking drake </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-HJ-qqe2MMHTdvwCRAZN2yM2OvLCg6D1_r88foL8j1uWU4EVFYTihByFA_UXxFgHosiZc_AHnwNgHq9WWmEb0JZx7A8KrWOBTCv4gstTaGt_0XE4w4C10ywEM-FEAYBWNS3y1qqH80jT6SFYJUMm_4Do1AKWkuCl9k7C3c6ouKUgnpU6JLkcZA/s4272/IMG_1816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-HJ-qqe2MMHTdvwCRAZN2yM2OvLCg6D1_r88foL8j1uWU4EVFYTihByFA_UXxFgHosiZc_AHnwNgHq9WWmEb0JZx7A8KrWOBTCv4gstTaGt_0XE4w4C10ywEM-FEAYBWNS3y1qqH80jT6SFYJUMm_4Do1AKWkuCl9k7C3c6ouKUgnpU6JLkcZA/s320/IMG_1816.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>We then walked alongside Blackford Hill </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyKSHb7EtzbemCZPDCItWpFGgNUMl2GFNeiTqaVGQyF7s3npDRAXOV0eTRUSWbCmqk-RxOw9KsSUgTaHUwMBgmjk4yLx6z94bI5nXABogOVkmUgFPmT7OEjSc92-UMBCro6a2dBObBu2fx56Qer139vYG47vmrdgIR7Moh_espM1jdRnFr7EZbQ/s4272/IMG_1820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyKSHb7EtzbemCZPDCItWpFGgNUMl2GFNeiTqaVGQyF7s3npDRAXOV0eTRUSWbCmqk-RxOw9KsSUgTaHUwMBgmjk4yLx6z94bI5nXABogOVkmUgFPmT7OEjSc92-UMBCro6a2dBObBu2fx56Qer139vYG47vmrdgIR7Moh_espM1jdRnFr7EZbQ/s320/IMG_1820.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>and past Midmar Paddock </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETLifp4v6dJhonM3qEgRtNm8Dse2LXAWRz4_KMvWfTKSYevx2AY_vcY-htPcWqzWLkT1XAdiJ1FYI_TMRQxklvY7loez-CbhMn9-sQHq2mn2USkZ3743vgn8v0aR3ja52-phcB8B5hsDjiatHSnhoujMj59ougC0NIgCURqXe30ICUqkNuzVgog/s4000/P1510796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETLifp4v6dJhonM3qEgRtNm8Dse2LXAWRz4_KMvWfTKSYevx2AY_vcY-htPcWqzWLkT1XAdiJ1FYI_TMRQxklvY7loez-CbhMn9-sQHq2mn2USkZ3743vgn8v0aR3ja52-phcB8B5hsDjiatHSnhoujMj59ougC0NIgCURqXe30ICUqkNuzVgog/s320/P1510796.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>into the Hermitage of Braid </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoze6jfZyh7RFj_BVII3_DCUndE7Sbx2uy36u3_EHHNIEEIPXkib-ME4jaVJW8Sjq8w7xGy0E8dbCoQefL-Svz_c8tlB_PiwGHSBFKVCF0U7GwKmRMw73oBTgVpuUwmXxgx3PMYS469xlLEab4yyOGY5XwZG7PimQhsYo8sk-9i0SacvLTpO2Kw/s4272/IMG_1821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoze6jfZyh7RFj_BVII3_DCUndE7Sbx2uy36u3_EHHNIEEIPXkib-ME4jaVJW8Sjq8w7xGy0E8dbCoQefL-Svz_c8tlB_PiwGHSBFKVCF0U7GwKmRMw73oBTgVpuUwmXxgx3PMYS469xlLEab4yyOGY5XwZG7PimQhsYo8sk-9i0SacvLTpO2Kw/s320/IMG_1821.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>When you get down to the river at the Hermitage, you can look up into the trees on the high land at either side </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YencXydrp5d1S8reN3LDtZlpkH3oSfi0rglJ_2c9E89CFSWArd-3OIxZKMuWTqMCY6h6N_1kfEsbP1NpkfN6aLKL3th7si-n98jeXzxlz-g9ngJ3AtbJLNhcgBO_OycUqEPHQRWfMfk6o1kTVAPJbsnqP0a4Wg6uKihqoThe36-q9qKWzGOQ0Q/s4000/P1510812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YencXydrp5d1S8reN3LDtZlpkH3oSfi0rglJ_2c9E89CFSWArd-3OIxZKMuWTqMCY6h6N_1kfEsbP1NpkfN6aLKL3th7si-n98jeXzxlz-g9ngJ3AtbJLNhcgBO_OycUqEPHQRWfMfk6o1kTVAPJbsnqP0a4Wg6uKihqoThe36-q9qKWzGOQ0Q/s320/P1510812.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /></p><p>Then today I walked with a friend into the Dells alongside the <a href="https://www.waterofleith.org.uk/" target="_blank">Water of Leith</a>. The Winter Aconites are still beautifully in bloom </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjL88HyNYdiIjRHQQihjC7hjqJSzM6Xi6qYf8PIUZCdjHJ2TXDVNavct8DUIQ2Lv8Xd40-icnlHgjx3UNfHvAHUnwixg3Ifec4R93c-tJGrj-LUUTjeBs-cIUpIs0V43dRd-UKyyWtYVqJn_vCzHiRvWysXT11E1kU5RxDWeS4wvitN7feDkE0w/s4000/P1510822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjL88HyNYdiIjRHQQihjC7hjqJSzM6Xi6qYf8PIUZCdjHJ2TXDVNavct8DUIQ2Lv8Xd40-icnlHgjx3UNfHvAHUnwixg3Ifec4R93c-tJGrj-LUUTjeBs-cIUpIs0V43dRd-UKyyWtYVqJn_vCzHiRvWysXT11E1kU5RxDWeS4wvitN7feDkE0w/s320/P1510822.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>and more and more Scarlet Elf Caps are appearing </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6dS4B5_THfY6hATkU1sWbFXlYcykGUV6-oKpu5f3a2jJoniU6dPxWJVeRrKWYd_6NICrEbm60cy3E3o9ObrFh9bjjIRKgtnIHZFnALs2axsslpTvZxfBv_hD5l36t5izpt5bt22_fxfKDoD4G1KKaOBS1-N87wuv3TnJ_PcoYeqXodyU5ecmcg/s4000/P1510825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6dS4B5_THfY6hATkU1sWbFXlYcykGUV6-oKpu5f3a2jJoniU6dPxWJVeRrKWYd_6NICrEbm60cy3E3o9ObrFh9bjjIRKgtnIHZFnALs2axsslpTvZxfBv_hD5l36t5izpt5bt22_fxfKDoD4G1KKaOBS1-N87wuv3TnJ_PcoYeqXodyU5ecmcg/s320/P1510825.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I was also very pleased with this photo of the red female flower of the Hazel tree, they're so tiny it's very difficult to get a decent photo of them, it was particularly nice to get the flower in the same photo as the male catkins. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCDe4O-_a_H740_NvUVme1IWW3G-28rChRZ3tzAx-fSjUtvT82SRTiOvNjncdki3UY37uX-nOaEivBisa5ZF6iT-nXUXRKHSWnjx-PUngj-HA94UwvPrUpirsWgKbUMAqAOsqiPdWhxq-9R6VTBJNnK5cAZVZ_uC1MncQVqRthaXvab9FfvWg2A/s3578/P1510831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="3578" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCDe4O-_a_H740_NvUVme1IWW3G-28rChRZ3tzAx-fSjUtvT82SRTiOvNjncdki3UY37uX-nOaEivBisa5ZF6iT-nXUXRKHSWnjx-PUngj-HA94UwvPrUpirsWgKbUMAqAOsqiPdWhxq-9R6VTBJNnK5cAZVZ_uC1MncQVqRthaXvab9FfvWg2A/s320/P1510831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-32018414795816899042024-01-31T09:05:00.001+00:002024-01-31T09:05:31.970+00:00The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan <p> <img alt="The Fair Botanists" class="orientation-portrait lazyloaded" data-src="https://www.hodder.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/hbg-title-9781529336221-51.jpg?w=441" height="400" src="https://www.hodder.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/hbg-title-9781529336221-51.jpg?w=441" width="261" /></p><p> A historical novel set in Edinburgh? Focussing on plants? With strong female characters? This book immediately appealed to me for obvious reasons, and I've read a few books by Sara Sheridan before.*</p><p>The Fair Botanists is set in Georgian Edinburgh in 1822, and focuses on the move of the city's <a href="https://www.rbge.org.uk/" target="_blank">Botanic Gardens</a> from its site in Leith to its current site in Inverleith and the flowering of the giant <i>Agave americana</i> plant in the garden's glasshouses. The two main characters are Elizabeth, a recently widowed botanical illustrator and Belle, a courtesan and maker of perfumes, who become friends. There's a whole array of supporting characters, both historical (including King George IV, Sir Walter Scott) and fictional. </p><p>The historical detail is very detailed (some may say too detailed) and really brings to life Edinburgh as it was in those far off times, particularly the area around the Botanic Gardens and the <a href="https://www.waterofleith.org.uk/" target="_blank">Water of Leith</a>. I particularly liked the descriptions of the large trees being moved through Edinburgh on the back of horse-drawn carts. I also liked the small details giving insight into the social customs of the day, like the two young characters who, after sharing their first taste of pineapple, decide to go and watch a public flogging, as their 'first date'.<br /></p><p>Overall, this is an engaging read for anyone interested in historical Edinburgh, or the development of Botany or the place of women in 19th Century Edinburgh. <br /></p><p><a href="https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/sara-sheridan-3/the-fair-botanists/9781529336221/" target="_blank">The Fair Botanists</a> by<a href="https://www.sarasheridan.com/" target="_blank"> Sara Sheridan</a>, published by <a href="https://www.hodder.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hodder and Stoughton</a>. <br /></p><p>* you can read my reviews of some of Sara Sheridan's other books by following the links below: </p><p><a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2011/02/secret-mandarin-by-sara-sheridan.html" target="_blank">The Secret Mandarin</a>. </p><p><a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2016/11/on-starlit-seas-by-sara-sheridan.html" target="_blank">On Starlit Seas</a>. </p><p><a href="https://foundcraftygreenart.blogspot.com/2011/03/secret-of-sands.html" target="_blank">Secret of the Sands</a>. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-38694649064786030692024-01-28T10:11:00.003+00:002024-01-28T14:59:48.014+00:00In the Grounds of Lauriston Castle <p> Yesterday we visited Lauriston Castle to walk round the grounds. This is probably the best place in Edinburgh to see Cherry trees in bloom later in the year (see <a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2023/04/lauriston-castle-gardens.html" target="_blank">these photos</a> from last year's cherry trees). At this time of the year, however, most of the trees are bare except for the evergreen species and this lovely Witch Hazel: </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholg4a0TuboCui22nnnzBb8zYB2Axt4ixa5guub19iM77Lpd6tLJ3LaPnF4rKI5eLqrj5-833lyvIiEakJgpSBmAyjfKS4XNM1vH8udeXQ-fGcteGzZeYXeFbFeqgoVTdMfnnSC5yWHwL-7kMeKjK5PBLSAL134AF9Ur81BJj48196nDB0mAxikQ/s4272/IMG_1764.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholg4a0TuboCui22nnnzBb8zYB2Axt4ixa5guub19iM77Lpd6tLJ3LaPnF4rKI5eLqrj5-833lyvIiEakJgpSBmAyjfKS4XNM1vH8udeXQ-fGcteGzZeYXeFbFeqgoVTdMfnnSC5yWHwL-7kMeKjK5PBLSAL134AF9Ur81BJj48196nDB0mAxikQ/s320/IMG_1764.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKChQzqCg5yt9IWXKbfaNPkaooj_N6UIFslN3bHFnG3pEpYIHuaVRt44Drebb7CMnX7Ah4Y0mJh6hRzg-IrPzU7Uf2nsRK4I0cYY5QUWMEUXu2y5oW-FziKFV4D9mlHlLml6pr7I_mxNGYizzbQu66bfBP1aumhx3AisGRgeK73a8JWillAve-cQ/s4272/IMG_1769.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKChQzqCg5yt9IWXKbfaNPkaooj_N6UIFslN3bHFnG3pEpYIHuaVRt44Drebb7CMnX7Ah4Y0mJh6hRzg-IrPzU7Uf2nsRK4I0cYY5QUWMEUXu2y5oW-FziKFV4D9mlHlLml6pr7I_mxNGYizzbQu66bfBP1aumhx3AisGRgeK73a8JWillAve-cQ/s320/IMG_1769.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch/submission" target="_blank">Big Garden Birdwatch</a> is happening this weekend (you can do the birdwatch in any green space, not just in a private garden) we took note of all the birds we saw: <p></p><p>Jackdaws, including this one that was hanging around the outside café area</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6D5uGJsyK38ZKqMpL2QtnSPkQkndGBvRzctS7nV0x3UgzTSlPaohjAeU5OuKKot4YS91d_WM_6qb-7fMiY7aX3iSKLsBETThLdasx_mydUDEegTQ9HZ_IpyirNXlbUPzAk9OYk2u5xSi63FC5IrixHnqDILxYSbjEQAF7pB2dUP9-ioaOkVB8g/s4272/IMG_1781.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6D5uGJsyK38ZKqMpL2QtnSPkQkndGBvRzctS7nV0x3UgzTSlPaohjAeU5OuKKot4YS91d_WM_6qb-7fMiY7aX3iSKLsBETThLdasx_mydUDEegTQ9HZ_IpyirNXlbUPzAk9OYk2u5xSi63FC5IrixHnqDILxYSbjEQAF7pB2dUP9-ioaOkVB8g/s320/IMG_1781.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Blackbirds, Robins, Blue Tits, Great Tits, lots of Long Tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, 3 Bullfinches, including this handsome male </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBgvPWVpKMVzn1XdK5l1OIcGBAeVn1Jep2KyzGyIp954mNDLnnYM4wgDWV56XAL8lZi7nxItdXlKbUHYGiJct2O91tSpC7fg1xVlV3c5yMnZ9TjbwndcRDbIWHfg-0VAumQFaV4z0gnRv9gKm4JIiEnsWOnouXK0Fu7f1khfK73TIgpyroSIMLw/s4272/IMG_1780.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBgvPWVpKMVzn1XdK5l1OIcGBAeVn1Jep2KyzGyIp954mNDLnnYM4wgDWV56XAL8lZi7nxItdXlKbUHYGiJct2O91tSpC7fg1xVlV3c5yMnZ9TjbwndcRDbIWHfg-0VAumQFaV4z0gnRv9gKm4JIiEnsWOnouXK0Fu7f1khfK73TIgpyroSIMLw/s320/IMG_1780.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>1 Dunnock, 1 (or possibly 2) Nuthatches, 2 Magpies and this Pied Wagtail, which was running around the outside café area<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNAO64QDfkeZkq_MDAgs8vigTDDTtKyQBQzX9j_sP1s31gXDw9zSAjFx4af5tr1-23hx3PrydJnWZIb5Bxi0dLdyqbUjIck4MTNKQgxIYe_CWn0XuURsMncxizLqeJaMZ4cA9pBqCv2oq1p70Uewjpt6heMd9vXWTgGspRiq3wgZILtx1tlXOhg/s4272/IMG_1783.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNAO64QDfkeZkq_MDAgs8vigTDDTtKyQBQzX9j_sP1s31gXDw9zSAjFx4af5tr1-23hx3PrydJnWZIb5Bxi0dLdyqbUjIck4MTNKQgxIYe_CWn0XuURsMncxizLqeJaMZ4cA9pBqCv2oq1p70Uewjpt6heMd9vXWTgGspRiq3wgZILtx1tlXOhg/s320/IMG_1783.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The grounds of Lauriston Castle overlook the <a href="https://www.lauristonfarm.scot/" target="_blank">Lauriston Agroecology Project</a> (where I carried out <a href="https://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com/2023/09/butterflies-at-edinburgh-agro-ecology.html" target="_blank">butterfly surveys last year</a>) and across to Cramond Island in the Firth of Forth </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-V3ynBGKxsuhFabn1RUPLS9gVFDwjR4DJeOzL937wMbWkustHYOaaQLJnMUQHBDXSpCCMks3ejCpo4ucj4wCkGGCLo4LjTc-U5GJPe_CIpSTQx1U6v-jg891xVFTqZGGtBkEOrWos_8wRyOTdd9hhAVmSjxw3o_rq_oPol3Qmsa3dqZ7IYVAew/s4272/IMG_1763.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-V3ynBGKxsuhFabn1RUPLS9gVFDwjR4DJeOzL937wMbWkustHYOaaQLJnMUQHBDXSpCCMks3ejCpo4ucj4wCkGGCLo4LjTc-U5GJPe_CIpSTQx1U6v-jg891xVFTqZGGtBkEOrWos_8wRyOTdd9hhAVmSjxw3o_rq_oPol3Qmsa3dqZ7IYVAew/s320/IMG_1763.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>The castle grounds are free to visit. <a href="https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/lauriston-castle" target="_blank">Lauriston Castle</a> itself is only open by appointment, you can book a guided tour and there is a programme of events for all the family.</p><p>**</p><p>I'm delighted to have a bird themed tanka in the inaugural issue of <a href="https://veryshortpoetry.com/" target="_blank">Password journal of very short poetry</a>. You can read the <a href="https://veryshortpoetry.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/password-1.1-january-2024-2.pdf" target="_blank">whole issue here</a>. <br /></p><p><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-53578131504643888212024-01-27T15:40:00.001+00:002024-01-27T15:40:18.477+00:00Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Scarlet Elf Caps <p>Yesterday, I walked through the Dells alongside the <a href="https://www.waterofleith.org.uk/" target="_blank">Water of Leith</a>, carrying out my regular river patrol, recording wildlife and picking litter. </p><p></p><p>As soon as I got into the Dells, I heard the sound of a <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/great-spotted-woodpecker" target="_blank">Great Spotted Woodpecker</a> drumming. This is always a wonderful early sign that Spring is on its way! </p><p>Though Spring is on its way, I saw several fungi species today. Many people think of fungi as primarily a feature of autumn, but there are fungi around all year. This time of year is a good time to see Scarlet Elf Caps and a few years ago I discovered a nice little colony of this lovely fungus along the walkway in the Dells. So, I had a look today and this is what I found:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zm0rgdOx98ubisswwFzt2BVQXWGxjaLrkgmOBOqp5qtMyeytW-gi3LYBAgFCO-Pn0Hx5rWGCynnoDwWYzqczNzWezQqHPU8aGiPXXf39eyQOEq3XPCaJEhrwOfcfuyFolpipbMNBMNhIkiVtg9bWgq8HCJ_AKa2ZJZHx5yCyjBz8tUMZWP7bTA/s4000/P1510705.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zm0rgdOx98ubisswwFzt2BVQXWGxjaLrkgmOBOqp5qtMyeytW-gi3LYBAgFCO-Pn0Hx5rWGCynnoDwWYzqczNzWezQqHPU8aGiPXXf39eyQOEq3XPCaJEhrwOfcfuyFolpipbMNBMNhIkiVtg9bWgq8HCJ_AKa2ZJZHx5yCyjBz8tUMZWP7bTA/s320/P1510705.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9eI6gCZoaSOSaFvwcWlp9sxhHOCDUWKm-Lu3PpDnmU_MgG7X0C94wzNIWzd69HDl7JsilgtbP7GgSzYiWLIhKjmFfhxdzKsV3J6jC5CgxWASrgdLS6QmgFErWaSSIpkIC0Q0HWY88N38xrEmUGZ7qq8l2-y5J-mH3oxaya9XO4FK0hqe1tQYJA/s4000/P1510707.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9eI6gCZoaSOSaFvwcWlp9sxhHOCDUWKm-Lu3PpDnmU_MgG7X0C94wzNIWzd69HDl7JsilgtbP7GgSzYiWLIhKjmFfhxdzKsV3J6jC5CgxWASrgdLS6QmgFErWaSSIpkIC0Q0HWY88N38xrEmUGZ7qq8l2-y5J-mH3oxaya9XO4FK0hqe1tQYJA/s320/P1510707.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>There were other fungi around too, including Witches' Butter</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zs0oTWeN8Y3S-dmP5O_jaBOrbTpDakWhtJdTlUcGQSO1ok3nlbOpoPjweQwZpC96o-k_gaem8vNnJZrStzpkZdlUwaCUaQoBsZ5DHVUH_F_5fwaABGBtMlhOmvs-8P9eQoSMY-PubasGaTD3zHM6aU4xNaxtoqC9keo6rR0MYfN1CrjUvk984g/s4000/P1510724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zs0oTWeN8Y3S-dmP5O_jaBOrbTpDakWhtJdTlUcGQSO1ok3nlbOpoPjweQwZpC96o-k_gaem8vNnJZrStzpkZdlUwaCUaQoBsZ5DHVUH_F_5fwaABGBtMlhOmvs-8P9eQoSMY-PubasGaTD3zHM6aU4xNaxtoqC9keo6rR0MYfN1CrjUvk984g/s320/P1510724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>and this, which I think is Crystal Brain Fungus </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UC6RVwpMdTJ8lofDhCnaE6U0hZYIcb04F9BfnS-KSQlFAyDGzGhHwOqcrp-MG2DbqncScmZ8P59njePsiP-67td0Wy6BJ3IGeDg0jCc6YFai9t79r8-3ZBtOmI5MOdmj2hkltjaVDxvrBvDq4ruP9aDUjXT48OFmYMDhSMQb06qUiKFkKF2Hzw/s4000/P1510702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UC6RVwpMdTJ8lofDhCnaE6U0hZYIcb04F9BfnS-KSQlFAyDGzGhHwOqcrp-MG2DbqncScmZ8P59njePsiP-67td0Wy6BJ3IGeDg0jCc6YFai9t79r8-3ZBtOmI5MOdmj2hkltjaVDxvrBvDq4ruP9aDUjXT48OFmYMDhSMQb06qUiKFkKF2Hzw/s320/P1510702.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>I also found this beautiful twig, which had fallen from a tree in recent winds, showing a lovely selection of lichens (including the khaki coloured camouflage lichen) and mosses (including a Bristle Moss) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Uq0aoE9JJNCg9wU0mbXVxcgcTVN0BoaQ5TngYLC3WVGZwDUSw4NWdM4ge6hs-Mo1amD77vsVFkBsCUp1LYodE_wum1uUd4EzweAzDXaeM_oAxYDaQU4cxvmWiV6SA6CdR8W2mgavoLrOKE7PJ1Rwx2-ZFEbFpq3yqK7JMyT-_4Ioy4YLAOnmmQ/s4000/P1510710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Uq0aoE9JJNCg9wU0mbXVxcgcTVN0BoaQ5TngYLC3WVGZwDUSw4NWdM4ge6hs-Mo1amD77vsVFkBsCUp1LYodE_wum1uUd4EzweAzDXaeM_oAxYDaQU4cxvmWiV6SA6CdR8W2mgavoLrOKE7PJ1Rwx2-ZFEbFpq3yqK7JMyT-_4Ioy4YLAOnmmQ/s320/P1510710.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-50030351393036103762024-01-24T09:14:00.000+00:002024-01-24T09:14:04.441+00:00Fuzz by Mary Roach <p> <img alt="Front Cover" border="1" id="summary-frontcover" src="https://books.google.co.uk/books/publisher/content?id=7JAgEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&imgtk=AFLRE728FOkudg37uEVjcwmH6qhY47CA_0u0EMvkfUKb5BTp30gpA0b6_3XWEoH77p_MtZ9lgAY6LnnmvTLH0iOZF1SsyZOGTBGH0IDWBwacGhUkJFsJxT8Au7IAqFX45OjUlvBuwJtN" title="Front Cover" width="128" /></p><p> Subtitled <i>When Nature Breaks the Law</i>, this is a fascinating, informative look at human - animal conflict and how we deal with it. The book travels the world, from India to the US, from the Vatican State to New Zealand. We are shown wild animals that kill people, animals that steal food from garbage, and non-native invasive species that prey on or out-compete endangered species. The author looks at methods of birth control for problematic species; ways to allow farmers to minimise the damage done to crops by wild animals and methods of raising awareness of wild animals amongst the general population.</p><p>The author spends time with law enforcement agencies, conservation organisations, and others to gain insights into the shady world of animals who behave badly (and of course the bad behaviour is defined in human terms, most animals are just doing what they need to survive). </p><p>In the chapter on animals that kill, we find out that just because a human corpse shows signs of having been attacked by a bear, doesn't mean that the bear killed the human, there are documented cases of people having died by overdose or other non-animal related ways and then a bear just comes along to eat the body. On the other hand, of course, there are documented cases of people having been accused of murders that have then been shown to have been deaths due to animal attacks. </p><p>If humans habitually disposed of rubbish properly, then animals (from gulls to foxes to bears) become much less likely to associate human settlement with free food and are less likely to become problem animals. Bears that have easy access to human foods are shown to hibernate for shorter periods and have a higher rate of reproduction, thus making more problem bears that hang around for a longer part of the year.We also need to become more accepting of natural animal behaviour: "<i>Let's take the example of Canada geese on golf courses. What is their crime? Befouling the turf.... For this, should we be allowed to call someone in to round them up and gas them?</i>"<br /></p><p>The narrative is amply peppered with entertaining anecdotes such as the bear that removed a door and placed it gently against the wall before wandering into the house, monkeys in Indian temples who have learned to steal and the return the stolen items in exchange for food, and <i>"a macaque that got into the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences and took to pulling IV needles out of patients arms and sucking the glucose</i>"<br /></p><p>Another interesting insight from this book is how much of wildlife research in the US has been focussed on reducing wildlife's negative impacts on agriculture, rather than actually conserving wildlife. For example, we are given details of The National Wildlife Research Centre's work in how to reduce the amount of sunflower seeds being lost to birds. The National Sunflower Association presses for birds to be poisoned and "<i>in 2018 USDA Wildlife Services destroyed 516,000 red winged blackbirds, 203,000 grackles and 408,000 cowbirds</i>." Which is shocking, particularly when you consider that: "<i>birds provide significant pest and weed control services to the farmer</i>".</p><p></p><p>Over in New Zealand, introduced animals from stoats to possums to domestic cats threaten many of the island's unique birds, many of which are flightless, including the yellow winged penguin. The book examines what caused the problem in the first place and looks at whether it is possible to manage the predators in a way that is genuinely humane. Genetic manipulation is one method, which is discussed here in some detail, including the ethical dilemmas it poses.<br /></p><p>It's not just about animals, though. A chapter is dedicated to plants, from poisonous beans to dangerous trees that can kill a person if they fall. The best way to deal with the latter being to make the tree safe while allowing as much of it as possible to remain as valuable wildlife habitat. <br /></p><p>Roach obviously does her research very well and is very firmly on the side of the animals, even while offering balanced arguments all the way through. The book is always interesting (though the chapter on lethal methods of dealing with pests was too long for me, with too much information on poisons and types of gun). However, I found her sense of humour was generally irritating rather than funny, though many people find her writing very entertaining.</p><p><a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324036128" target="_blank">Fuzz, When Nature Breaks the Law</a> by <a href="https://www.maryroach.net/" target="_blank">Mary Roach</a> published (2021) by <a href="https://wwnorton.com/" target="_blank">W W Norton </a><br /></p>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16542790.post-33851134477336107112024-01-23T11:30:00.006+00:002024-01-23T11:30:43.937+00:00Mo(u)rning <div style="text-align: left;"> Morning</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">...............</span>blackbird-song</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mourning</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">...............</span>the loss of trees <br /></div>Crafty Green Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02486633917197181851noreply@blogger.com0