The guest picture of the day is another from Dropscone’s highland adventure. He and his daughter visited the celebrated Smoo Cave which is near Durness in Sutherland.
Strong winds and occasional showers kept me off my bike again in the morning and between the weather and the holiday, my September mileage is going to be disappointing and I will have to rely on some good weather in October to help me reach my target for the year.
Meantime though, I put another week of the newspaper index into the Archive Group database and this means that for the first time for a month or two, I have been pulling my weight in this department. Sandy has shouldered most of the work while I have been having my break.
I did find time to look at the garden birds and saw two less photographed birds near the feeder.
I don’t know what has happened to all the chaffinches as we have had flocks of them all the time in years past. I don’t know whether the poor spring harmed their breeding or whether they are finding food elsewhere. I hope they return as they are my favourite birds for catching in flight.
I did get out into the garden once or twice to do some much needed dead heading…
…and pick up the windfalls from the espalier apples. Many of the apples had fallen behind the trees and as recovering them meant bending down a lot, I called in Mrs Tootlepedal to do the low level work.
In her role as Attila the Gardener, she has greatly reduced our sedum plants which were running riot but she has left one or two and as they are just coming into flower….
…I am hoping to see bees and butterflies on them if the weather is good enough.
The Virginia creeper is acting as an advance guard for autumn in a very showy way.
In the afternoon, we drove over to Lockerbie and caught the train to Edinburgh to see Matilda and her parents.
The sun came out as we walked down from the station and it made the bar at the end of their road into a thing of beauty.
Matilda was in good form and we formed a plan to take her out for a walk. Unfortunately she doesn’t like strong winds very much and just as we were half way down the steps from her front door, a savage gust blew her hat off…
…and she downed tools and went back inside.
I badly needed a walk so I left her and the others indoors and strode off down the road to Holyrood Park.
As well as the hill known as Arthur’s Seat, this royal park contains a huge expanse of very green grass…
…perhaps so the Queen can have fun mowing it. It seems to serve no other purpose.
I crossed the grass and followed one of the paths that lead up into the hills. The whole site was formed by volcanic action and the results can be seen on all sides.
My phone found the fading light a bit of a trial so I apologise for the quality of the pictures. Of course this didn’t stop me taking a lot.
There are crags and slopes wherever you look.
Along with picturesque ruins…
…and a small loch or two.
It is a wonderful place to find slap bang in the middle of a city and a great choice for a quick and energetic .walk. You gain height easily and are rewarded with fine views over the city, the Firth of Forth and on to the Kingdom of Fife on the far side of the water.
Looking back towards the city centre, I could see Holyrood Palace and the monuments on Calton Hill.
The threat of rain and the promise of pizza for tea made sure that I didn’t stay out too long but I got full value for a walk of less than an hour.
The pizza was good and Matilda polished off more than her fair share….
…and kindly posed for a picture. We thought that her new hairstyle suited her very well.
We avoided a shower of rain which had passed over while we ate and walked back to the train in the twilight. It was quite dark by the time we got to Lockebie but the rain had passed over there too and we got home safely, although the road was quite wet in places.
The cloud had completely cleared when we got home and we spent a moment looking up in wonder at innumerable stars and the Milky Way.
The flower of the day is a fruit….
…but the flying bird of the day is a flying bird.
I thought the phone camera landscapes were excellent. I wouldn’t have known they were taken by phone if you hadn’t said so.
The Virginia creeper is beautiful and far ahead of ours.
It seems a bit early for us.
Oh dear! My garden also has been sadly lacking in chaffinches. I do hope they’re not going the way of the greenfinches.
It would be a great loss.
Hoo Wood Virginia creepers are in similar colourful condition as the one you photographed way up north, Tom.
I loved all those pictures from and of Arthur’s Seat, reminds me of my much younger days.
Matilda and Edinburgh looking gorgeous, as ever.
Very true.
Great pictures of, and from, Arthur’s Seat.
And a lovely picture of Matilda with her new hair style.
I also love Matilda’s new hairstyle and how dare the wind mess with her apparel?!
That’s Edinburgh for you.
Beautiful shots from you walk. Matilda’s hair has grown and the new hairstyle really suits her.
We agree about the hair.
Your photos of and from around Arthur’s Seat are wonderful! I would have never guessed that they were shot on a phone either.
Wonderful photos of a surprising part of Edinburgh! The volcanic rocks are something special. Hope all our birds settle soon-maybe they are all moving around and finding the best places to hunker down for winter.
I noticed that there was a ‘volcano day’ advertised for tomorrow in the park. I hope that it is not explosive.
The photos are beautiful, I would not have know they were taken with a cell phone. Such beautiful country you live in, even if the winds are a bit gusty and wild.
Matilda is growing fast! Love the photo of her catching her hat before it blew away.
I love Holyrood Park, a whole mountain range in miniature.
Wonderful views of the park and it’s good to see Matilda again.
Both of them are among my favourites!
I think your phone camera landscapes are better than the ones I take with my Canon. Also, I do think Matilda’s hair style is rather adorable. It must have been quite a contrast to come back from Marseilles to Langholm weather but you always seem to make the best of it and find interesting and attractive shots to share, Tom.
Phones are wonderful if the conditions are right but tricky when more control is needed.