Back once more??

Haven't posted here since 2012 as I have been busy with my business since 2012 and had to shelve some of my 'social' things such as my blogging!

I have taken a lot of photographs over the years and will pop a few up on here!

I go to a local country park to walk the doggies and love to take photos of the trees at different times during the year.  These following ones are definitely WINTER season - taking in February [ a couple of weeks ago!]

Hope you enjoyed these few photos!

20121015 Joseph's tree in the autumn sunshine (5)

20121015 Joseph's tree in the autumn sunshine (5), originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This is the tree which we planted in memory of my husband Joseph. His birthday was on the 10th October. This was just so beautiful in the sunshine that I had to take a photo. It has grown quite slowly over the last eight years but this year it did seem to have more leaves on it!
The divisions in the leaves reminded me of his finger-picking style when he played guitar, and one of our first 'official' dates was at a garden with a large one which Joe had really liked. It was however in a slightly more sheltered area!! This one does get a bit battered by the winter winds. 

This little video just makes me smile - I think it is the look of enjoyment on the dog's faces!!

This little poem was one I wrote one morning up at Muirshiel country park, in the hills above Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire.  Everytime I read it it takes me straight back to the peace and tranquility of that lovely morning.  Hope you enjoy it.

Muirshiel Morning

 

Muirshiel morning has dawned clear and bright

Hard to believe there was a big storm last night

Shades of golds and coppers and browns

Reach from the treetops right down to the ground

Scarlet leaves of a Guelder Rose shine bright and clear

The sounds of a Robin, and a Wren skulking near

 

Long fallen tree trunks lie thick on the ground

Pointing the way that the wind knocked them down

The green of the rushes are now tipped with brown

And the Rosebay Willowherbs have fallen to the ground

The sun is shining through the Raspberry leaves

And the clumps of ferns are swaying in the breeze

 

The rhododendrons which used to cover this ground

Are slowly but surely all being cut down

They took over the area and swamped it indeed

A single monoculture where nothing could breed

But it is being replaced with the trees of this land

And slowly but surely, these woods will be grand.

 

Elspeth                           
written on the morning of  27^th October 2008.

This is a poem I wrote in 2005, shortl after what would have been our 2nd wedding anniversary.
Hope you like it.  It helped me to cope with my emotions at the time.

Lost Love

 

I miss my darling every single day.

I miss his company along life’s way

The sound of his voice in the black of night

Or seeing him waving in morning light

I miss the comfort of a gentle touch

I miss the music we made, so much

I believe one day we shall ‘dance’ again

But I have to live through my life until then.

 

 

We’d been hurt before - so were both very wary

Our relationship grew and developed carefully.

We fitted each other, our feelings coalesced

Into deep love and an infinite trust.

We both believed, we two were one

Under the cosmic life-giving sun..

In ‘karmic’  terms, we shall join again ,

When both on the next existence plane,

And again our souls shall flare and flame

Without wings but flying and soaring anew.

 

 

Elspeth

October 15, 2005

Playtime!

Playtime! a video by Kindurco on Flickr.

Hamish playing with his Frisbee in my garden - !!

2011-01-21 Sunset from Cathkin Braes - with Hamish (11)

2011-01-21 Sunset from Cathkin Braes - with Hamish (11), originally uploaded by Kindurco.

A beautiful, but cold late walk with my dog Hamish, at Cathkin Braes, above Glasgow [to the south]. The sunset that day was spectacular - and this is one of a series of pictures I took. If you look closely at the bottom middle of the pcture - one can just see some lights in the distance - from the Newton Mearns part of Glasgow I think.

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year to anyone who reads this.............
I haven't been writing blogs for quite a while, it gets depressing being unemployed for a long period, hopefully I shall be gainfully employed in 2011 once again. I did get a part-time Facilitator post - but it was on an 'as and when required' basis - so although I was working from the end of June to the end of August - it was only a few days most weeks and the days were usually only 2.5 to 4 hours in length!! certainly not a full time post - but it still took up a day! Then after starting I discovered that I could NOT claim Working Tax Credits as I needed to have been signing on for 26 weeks - and I was only signing for 25 weeks when I started the part time post - if I had known I would have waited for another week efore starting!!!! - which would have given me a living wage at least! I still occasionally do guided walks - for 2.5 hours - but because I do - I get money taken off my state benefits - much more than I actually earn too!!
Here are a few photos of where I was doing this part-time post - the Natioanl Museum for Rural Life Scotland
Photography walk

Den Building day Bug Hunts finding something interesting

Environmental Art
Anyway - I hope 2011 will be a much better year. For us all!

Been in the garden a lot this week again -taking advantage of all this good weather! My Peas have appeared above ground, and I will make another sowing next week.

The rest of the garden is growing away nicely, and

the tulips this year have been fabulous. My white ones

in Joseph's memorial garden look wonderful too.

My veggie garden - April 2010 b

My veggie garden - April 2010 b, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

All ready now for the new seeds and seedlings to be put in!!

Spring fever

Well, I have now reached the ripe age of fifty four years of existance on this beautiful planet. I think I amm now what you might call past the point of no-return on the uphill struggle of life - now definately middle-aged numerically speaking.

However, my state of mind is a little younger - in my head I only feel about thirty-five/thirty-six............................but my body says different!!!

Anyway I had a quiet celebration with a few of my friends, and got cards from friends and family - not a lot- but enough, and lots of 'Happy Birthday' messages on y facebook page!!

The weather has been so wonderful this past week here, that I have spent probably about 95% of my waking hours outdoors in my garden, - removing weeds before they take over my flower borders, mulching around the roses, and clearing the veggie plot and sowing seeds in the greenhouse. Hopefully, I shall be able to grow some nice fresh food again this year - peas, beans, cauliflowers, khol rabbi, spinach, rhubarb, tomatoes, etc, etc.

Hamish the dog has thought is wonderful as he gets to stay outdoors all day,

and if he drops his ball on the ground where I am weeding, then it is thrown away for him to chase or hunt -what joy!!

I have also been attending my leaded glass art classes, at the Glasworks Studio, in Glasgow, with Yvonne Smith and Joe Boyle, fantastic glass artists. I have started work on a mirror with a fuschia theme.

My finished Poppy panel - made in October - December 2009

Building Drawing

Glass for cutting

Some of the cut glass.

Spring Crocus

Spring Crocus, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

I love crocuses - they tell us spring has arrived - and bring a splash of colour back again!

Snowdrops 2

Snowdrops 2, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Spring has sprung - snowdrops are in bloom!! These ones are in the woods at Eglinton Country Park, near Irvine.

Remains of Eglinton Castle

Remains of Eglinton Castle, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This is a view of the remains of Eglinton Castle, to be found in the Eglinton Country Park, near Irvine. The windows are covered with bars but you can get right up to the walls quite easily

Sandstone tower

Sandstone tower, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

I loved the view up the tower, from the bottom - the sandstone looks so warm, and the carvings are amazing, considering everything else has 'gone'!

Curiosity - even in a dog

Curiosity - even in a dog, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

My new dog Hamish was curious about what I was doing, and leaned up against the tower to look into one of the open windows!

Ripples in bark 1

Ripples in bark 1, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

I was fascinated when I saw this!
It may look at first glance like ripples in sand , but this is the base of the trunk of a mature Sycamore tree which I found in the woods at Eglinton Country Park last week. I just had to photograph it!.

Old signposting

Old signposting, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This old signpost, is SO much nices than the bland ones we see today (which are designed to be seen from moving cars!)
This old cast iron sign post has a bit of character, and I love the way that in order to squeeze in the town of Kilwinning, they had to curve the name!!

Cup and ringstone

Cup and ringstone, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This curious item is a cup and ringstone from the Kilwinning area which can be found at Dalgarven Mill Museum. These date from pre-history, and no-one knows what they were for or what they mean - if anything!!

Waterwheel

Waterwheel, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This is Dalgaven Museum of Country life and Costume,which I visited last week, got a lovely bowl of soup in their small but cosy tearoom area!