Ramblings in 2021
Summer
I'm fortunate to be living in a part of the country with plenty of rural areas. Work has been busy, stressful at times, but the drives between customers have been a tonic to the soul. Narrow country lanes, with wildflowers in the verges. I've seen the succession from billowing frothy mounds of cow parsley, through to the blue flashes of vetch and cranesbill, and now the occasional patch of willowherb, the pink spikes just developing. This year the verges have been mowed much more conservatively, which is probably why I'm noticing them more. Public pressure (to leave flowers beneficial to pollinating insects) has encouraged some local authorities to only mow where needed for safety - around junctions. In other cases, it's just down to lack of staff/money/Covid/Brexit/insert-reason.
Scotland 1
In June I had my first visit to Scotland since Christmas '19. Some semblance of normality, in that the roads were crammed, and lots of people were out and about, but the spectre of Covid is still not far from the surface. Masks still being worn, and many travellers opting to have their picnics in their cars at the service stations. Scotland has been a little more cautious than England when it comes to restrictions (though the numbers aren't any better). My sister is recovering slowly from long Covid, but has made some strides forward. We took visits out to the old home, now shrouded in scaffolding; my parents' gravestone; and trips to a couple of gardens, including Edinburgh Botanic, looking good. My elder brother is slowing up, the Parkinsons a little more evident, but he was doing a walk each day along the canal path, and he seemed in good form. Lots of chatter and reminiscing in both households. Weather was generally very good, which made up for the heavy rain on the route up. I watched the Euros with my brother's family. Football is not something I watch often. It was Scotland 1, lost, and out.
Lakes and Scotland 2
A few days after my return I was off again. Both SR and I needed a holiday. Work has been stressful for both of us. Managed to find some holiday lets at the last moment. They were few and far between, with the high numbers of staycationers, and pricey even though the schools have not all finished yet. The first few days were based in Keswick, and we managed good walks each day, around lakes, up hills, past waterfalls, and to an impressive neolithic stone circle - they knew a good spot for tourist views even 4,000 years ago. The Lakes tour finished off with lunch at Maryport, a small town on the coast that had probably seen better days, but had great views over the Solway to Scotland. We munched our way through Fish & Chips (rather more chips than fish).
The second, shorter-half of the break was in South West Scotland. Our base was an idyllic little cottage overlooking woodland and farmland. We drove up the forest tracks to Stroan Loch with it's old rail viaduct, now used by logging lorries, and trekked up to the viewpoint over Loch Ken. In the afternoon, down to the coast, an old childhood holiday destination, with views over the Solway Firth, and when the tide came in, a swift swim in the sea. The following day took us further West, to Logan Botanic Garden, with its semi-tropical feel, and then to the West Coast - too misty to see Northern Ireland, but a great ruined castle on a headland. The weather had been great throughout - a rare event for both destinations. The farmers were in a hurry to gather in their hay before the rain arrived, and the sky by the cottage was filled with Red Kites, no doubt eyeing up the doormice disturbed by the harvest. Wildlife was in the cottage too. Strange scufflings and warblings in the roof space... bats. We'd seen 'Beware Red Squirrels' signs along roads in both the Lakes and Galloway... but no red squirrels. Was this some sort of local joke? ('Beware of Nessie' signs along Loch Ness??) but then on the last evening, high in the trees, the unmistakeable outline of a squirrel, and a flash of russet.
And now?
It rained on our return, with a stopover in Harrogate (the classy end of Yorkshire). SR headed back home - it's been the longest holiday we've spent together, and we're still talking. I'm back to work, and plenty of it, but seriously contemplating cutting back next year. I have long delayed projects on family histories, a(nother) book in mind, and friends to see while we are all well enough to enjoy life. I'll need to research my finances to see if I can start the stepped approach to retirement. Being self-employed makes it easier in some ways, but harder in others.
Covid is still very much around, and planning ahead is fringed with uncertainties. I've a walking weekend at the end of the month, and hopefully helping out at the Music Festival again in September... if they happen. I'm hoping that things improve for all, but realistic (pessimistic?) enough to know that it won't be plain sailing everywhere.
I will try to get back to LJ a bit more often. Journalling has been somewhat crowded out by the busyness of life, sometimes in a good way. I noticed that a post last year had had a great number of likes, which gave me a lift, until I noticed that many were from (since deleted) bots.
Finishing off with a few photos from the travels
I'm fortunate to be living in a part of the country with plenty of rural areas. Work has been busy, stressful at times, but the drives between customers have been a tonic to the soul. Narrow country lanes, with wildflowers in the verges. I've seen the succession from billowing frothy mounds of cow parsley, through to the blue flashes of vetch and cranesbill, and now the occasional patch of willowherb, the pink spikes just developing. This year the verges have been mowed much more conservatively, which is probably why I'm noticing them more. Public pressure (to leave flowers beneficial to pollinating insects) has encouraged some local authorities to only mow where needed for safety - around junctions. In other cases, it's just down to lack of staff/money/Covid/Brexit/insert-reason.
Scotland 1
In June I had my first visit to Scotland since Christmas '19. Some semblance of normality, in that the roads were crammed, and lots of people were out and about, but the spectre of Covid is still not far from the surface. Masks still being worn, and many travellers opting to have their picnics in their cars at the service stations. Scotland has been a little more cautious than England when it comes to restrictions (though the numbers aren't any better). My sister is recovering slowly from long Covid, but has made some strides forward. We took visits out to the old home, now shrouded in scaffolding; my parents' gravestone; and trips to a couple of gardens, including Edinburgh Botanic, looking good. My elder brother is slowing up, the Parkinsons a little more evident, but he was doing a walk each day along the canal path, and he seemed in good form. Lots of chatter and reminiscing in both households. Weather was generally very good, which made up for the heavy rain on the route up. I watched the Euros with my brother's family. Football is not something I watch often. It was Scotland 1, lost, and out.
Lakes and Scotland 2
A few days after my return I was off again. Both SR and I needed a holiday. Work has been stressful for both of us. Managed to find some holiday lets at the last moment. They were few and far between, with the high numbers of staycationers, and pricey even though the schools have not all finished yet. The first few days were based in Keswick, and we managed good walks each day, around lakes, up hills, past waterfalls, and to an impressive neolithic stone circle - they knew a good spot for tourist views even 4,000 years ago. The Lakes tour finished off with lunch at Maryport, a small town on the coast that had probably seen better days, but had great views over the Solway to Scotland. We munched our way through Fish & Chips (rather more chips than fish).
The second, shorter-half of the break was in South West Scotland. Our base was an idyllic little cottage overlooking woodland and farmland. We drove up the forest tracks to Stroan Loch with it's old rail viaduct, now used by logging lorries, and trekked up to the viewpoint over Loch Ken. In the afternoon, down to the coast, an old childhood holiday destination, with views over the Solway Firth, and when the tide came in, a swift swim in the sea. The following day took us further West, to Logan Botanic Garden, with its semi-tropical feel, and then to the West Coast - too misty to see Northern Ireland, but a great ruined castle on a headland. The weather had been great throughout - a rare event for both destinations. The farmers were in a hurry to gather in their hay before the rain arrived, and the sky by the cottage was filled with Red Kites, no doubt eyeing up the doormice disturbed by the harvest. Wildlife was in the cottage too. Strange scufflings and warblings in the roof space... bats. We'd seen 'Beware Red Squirrels' signs along roads in both the Lakes and Galloway... but no red squirrels. Was this some sort of local joke? ('Beware of Nessie' signs along Loch Ness??) but then on the last evening, high in the trees, the unmistakeable outline of a squirrel, and a flash of russet.
And now?
It rained on our return, with a stopover in Harrogate (the classy end of Yorkshire). SR headed back home - it's been the longest holiday we've spent together, and we're still talking. I'm back to work, and plenty of it, but seriously contemplating cutting back next year. I have long delayed projects on family histories, a(nother) book in mind, and friends to see while we are all well enough to enjoy life. I'll need to research my finances to see if I can start the stepped approach to retirement. Being self-employed makes it easier in some ways, but harder in others.
Covid is still very much around, and planning ahead is fringed with uncertainties. I've a walking weekend at the end of the month, and hopefully helping out at the Music Festival again in September... if they happen. I'm hoping that things improve for all, but realistic (pessimistic?) enough to know that it won't be plain sailing everywhere.
I will try to get back to LJ a bit more often. Journalling has been somewhat crowded out by the busyness of life, sometimes in a good way. I noticed that a post last year had had a great number of likes, which gave me a lift, until I noticed that many were from (since deleted) bots.
Finishing off with a few photos from the travels