The Last Wilderness by Neil Ansell

Subtitled A Journey into Silence, this is a beautifully written account of one man's explorations of the Highlands of Scotland as he meditates on his increasing deafness (which he measures by the birds he can no longer hear sing) and the loss of species from our countryside. He writes about his preference for being in nature by himself and I can totally understand that love of solitude,  however as it becomes clear that failing hearing is not his only health concern it starts to seem foolhardy of him to be out there by himself, not for him alone (that is after all his decision to make) but because he is single parent to two children.

Setting that concern aside I did really enjoy this book. Ansell's writing is beautiful without falling into the self conscious overly poetic style beloved of many of the more literary nature writers of the day. Here is his description of the call of the curlew:

'Once of twice, a curlew called its plangent, rising trill. For me, this is the most evocative of all bird calls. It has a visceral effect on me, like a punch to the solar plexus. Whenever I hear it I am immediately transported back to my childhood self, wandering the marshes alone.'

I love the way he weaves together his observations of the Scottish Highlands alongside similar experiences in other times or other places (though this does become slightly confusing on occasion, perhaps deliberately so).

The Last Wilderness by Neil Ansell published by Tinder Press (February 2018)

Heron and snowdrops

It's very cold today with a light dusting of snow on the ground but it's lovely to be out. This grey heron was patiently standing in the Water of Leith - it was in the same position when I walked by at both the start and end of my circular walk round Craiglockart Dell.

It was lovely to see snowdrops too

Brilliant Birds and signs of Spring

We had a lovely walk today through Inverleith Park and Edinburgh Botanic Gardens.

We were delighted to get very close to this little grebe (dabchick) in Inverleith Park

and  up the hill from the pond the crocuses were looking lovely in the late winter sun

Meanwhile in the Botanics the snowdrops are looking lovely

the rhododendrons are getting ready to bloom

and the oriental plane trees are decorated with fruit that look like pom poms

At the Botanics Pond we were greeted by mallards

and a kingfisher turned up happy to pose for the camera

It even treated us to a fishing masterclass though we didn't capture that on film!

And a grey squirrel also posed for us

Thanks Crafty Green Boyfriend for the bird and squirrel photos!

Felt bookmarks

I like buying random craft supplies from 2nd hand shops and then seeing what I can make from them! I recently bought some squares of thick felt which I then cut into three to make bookmarks which I've decorated with pre-cut felt shapes that came from two different packets, bought from two different 2nd hand shops. I then sewed everything together and added tassels, using embroidery thread from a stash of sewing supplies given to me by a friend.

The bookmarks are all identical on both sides and because the felt is nice and thick they're quite robust without being too thick for placing in a book. Having said that I've noticed that most felt bookmarks on sale on Etsy are made from two layers of felt sewn together so I'll look into that more.

What are your thoughts on the thickness of bookmarks? Please feel free to add your comment below! 

Wild Otter Chase

On a remote Scottish island,
an excited TV presenter whispers your name to camera
implying only patience stands between us and you,

We, however, have only ever been teased
by your footprints; leftovers from your meals
found on rocky shores
and stories told in hotel breakfast rooms.

Told in quieter whispers when we return home
are stories of your kind in our city
leaving footprints by our less romantic waters.

Our paths cross yours on every weekend walk.
But you remain invisible.


Previously published on Misty Mountain Review.  

(I have, since writing this poem, seen otters in Edinburgh and several other places round Scotland)  

The Man Who Made Things out of Trees by Robert Penn

 


Rob Penn felled a single ash tree and set out to make as many things as possible from the wood. He travelled widely to visit master crafters  who took parts of his tree and made it into over 40 items including: a desk, kitchen worktops, spoons, a tobbogan and axe handles.

In the process, Penn investigates many of the dying woodworking skills, such as wood-turning and arrow-making, spending time with the crafters and understanding their close relationship with the wood. He investigates the qualities of ash and how it is in many ways superior to other woods for making items such as baseball bats, though not often used for making desks. He looks at the history of ash in the British landscape, the history of ash as a material for specific items including toboggans, axe handles and chairs, the cultural significance of hurling (the national sport in Ireland, played with an ash stick) and the value of wood as a natural material superior in most ways to man-made materials. He makes a very good case for wood being a reliable, long lasting sustainable resource. Sustainable that is as long as it is sustainably grown and managed, which is an aspect that this book could have delved into in more detail.

This is a beautifully crafted book, full of fascinating insights and imbued with appreciation for a unique and very special material. There's a sad epilogue to the book though, as ash is threatened by diseases - ash die-back disease has spread throughout Europe, killing many trees while the emerald borer beetle has devastated ash forests in the USA. What is the future for this most valuable and beautiful of trees?

The Man Who Made Things out of Trees by Robert Penn published by Penguin on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper

This bunny may remind some of you of someone

On a rainy  day Gorgie City Farm is a lovely place to visit, as it's almost on our doorstep.

The farm has a new bunny, she may remind you of somebun if you used to follow House of Rabbits.....

 Bunny didn't pose for a better photo as she almost immediately ran back into the shed to escape the rain

 Almost as fluffy as the bunny are the young sheep,

They're no longer the youngest sheep on the farm, some very young lambs were being bottle fed in one of the barns while we were visiting