We’ve been South again, just for a few days. New arrivals to meet, folks to see, places to visit, shopping to be done. You know the kind of thing. As always, it got me thinking about people. I watch people a lot when I’m in a populous area. Sometimes with wonder – an underpaid waiter in a restaurant giving fabulous service. Sometimes with desperation – a soon to be mother standing outside the doors to the maternity unit smoking as if her life depended upon it. In fact, that woman standing there, wreathed in smoke, Venflon in back of hand, overweight and unkempt was so shocking to me that I could think of little else for the rest of the day.


My initial and anger and revulsion brought about something unexpected. A new kind of awe and respect. Not for her, no matter what your circumstances you can at least offer your baby a chance by giving up smoking. No, a new awe and respect for city dwellers. When I arrived home to Skye, it was utterly dark, utterly silent, the air was like wine, the water unsullied with chlorine. I thought back to my visit to Oxford, that is where the real work of humanity is done. Not here, me pootering about, playing with trees and deer. No, the real work of humanity is a nurse who will treat that awful patient just as she would treat her own sister, a hotel cleaner who day after day follows the same dull routine, the research scientist, the receptionist, the cop and the crossing guard.

All these people, these amazing city workers make the world happen. In medicine and law, hospitality and hygiene, in finance and service and supply and manufacture. I take my hat off to you people. You people who can tolerate the orange glow and traffic noise, the dirt and the smell, the proximity of other bodies. You are truly incredible. I now see that my own life is that of a monk or a hermit, merely peeking occasionally into the real world of people. I am grateful to you and for the work you do, as I know that I could not, for all the tea in China, live and work in a city.

A Private Education

We are terribly wicked parents. We send our poor wee boy away to school. 'How can you possibly do that?' people ask. It's difficult, probably more so for us that for him. I'm not saying that we didn't have a month of agony after he first went, just over a year ago. It was truly awful. That first sobbing phone call and I was in pieces. I had the car keys in my hand before the phone had fully disconnected. Luckily my wife is made of sterner stuff. She knew the drill, had strategies and plans - and they worked, for all of us.

Now we are three weeks into 'big school proper' (last year he came out of the Scottish primary system and into the last year of the new schools junior school) and is racing ahead. Why? people ask, why not just send him to the local comp? After all, it's a brand new school with all the IT and rescources you could possibly want. Well, no, it doesn't have all the resources. Yes, it has infrastructure but it doesn't have that almost indefinable extra something that is present in so many independent schools. I could witter on about class sizes (yes, important, 10 v 32), about committed, engaged and enthusiastic staff (truly in awe of these people), about the amazing curriculum (including seamanship and mountain rescue!) or about the incredible extra curricular actvities (jealous). But what I want to get at is more subtle. It's about confidence, courage, strength, versatility. Already we have seen our son blossom with a new found ability to carry an argument, to inform logically and deal with adults in a mature manner. It's wonderful to see. As are the friendships we see forming, strong, relaxed and confident.

I admit, he probably wouldn't be going there if he hadn't himself managed to get a scholarship due to his being a rather bright chap, but this school (you probably know the one, not many this far north) is worth every penny and I would fight lions to keep him there.

Just a little walk.

I knew what I’d find. When I opened the curtain and wiped a patch in the misted window with a squeaky finger. Frost. A good sharp one too. Pretty rare this side of Christmas in these parts. The sea winds off the Atlantic usually see to that. I feel a strange lift in my spirits and hurriedly pull on trousers and shirt. Downstairs and the dog seems to be sharing my enthusiasm for the frosty dawn. Boots and a puffy jacket on and out into the half light. Dog capers excitedly as we head off towards the bay.


We get to the little bridge and there it is. I was expecting it, even though I knew it was still weeks early. A stag, proclaiming his rights in the dawn. The sound of autumn in the Highlands. Awe inspiring, spine tingling. It carries though the still air with perfect clarity. I could go home happy now, but don’t. The dog and I carry on down the narrow tree shrouded lane and out into the meadows near the shore. A roe doe and her followers trip daintily away as we approach. A bunch of mallard are dabbling busily by the stepping stones, I feel the need not to disturb them. Every minute they feed is precious at this time of year.

We turn around and head back towards coffee. As we emerge from the yellowing trees Blabheinn and the Cuillin are laid out before us, gilded and glowing in the first rays of the day. It almost seems like a cliché but as we walk down the quiet road another sound reaches us, faint at first, carrying down from an enormous height. A skein of pinks, high, as high as the Cuillin, making landfall from the North West. Their ‘wink wink’ call unmistakable, evocative and beautiful.

Only a fifteen minute walk, back now in the warm, coffee on, toast in the toaster and all is well with the world.

Concentrate

I wonder if it is something to do with my 'involvement' with Lyme disease? It seems that I now have the attention span of an ADHD gnat. Whether it's trying to write, read my manuscript, read a book, watch a film or do my real work outdoors I just don't seem to be able to do it for very long. I think perhaps it might be time for a proper shot at meditation. I really do have to do something about this mind and also about the pain. My hands at rest now feel like I'm wearing big, rigid mittens which alternately chill and overheat, compress and impale. How long will I be able to use a chainsaw or pull a rifle trigger?

Down to England last weekend for the wedding of my wife's niece. A lovely weekend marred only by the amount of people inhabiting England. I forget and every time I head South it comes as a shock. The nose-to-tail traffic, the lack of decency, the dirt, the selfishness. Quite horrible. Is it any wonder I have to live on an island? I do worry about where it can all go, there are just too many people down there for people's mental welbeing - and it's not going to get any better.

Today we have a day of incredibly heavy showers and gusty winds, not a day to be in the woods but I must brace up and head out in a few minutes. I think perhaps I will head to Portree and fetch some chain oil and chainsaw files. Looking outside I can barely see the alders across the garden for the rain so maybe it's a good idea. That was interesting, wasn't it readers?

Winter Draws On

Well, looks like our long and unusually pleasant summer (here on Skye at least) is drawing to a close. I must admit, it is nice to seen the burns and the river charging along again. I was getting a little fed up of the sluggish trickle, I expect the fish were too. The wind has returned too - not so pleasant. Still, man up and face it. Just wish that someone made chainsaw trousers with a goretex layer. Why not, it seems so obvious to me and they are expensive anyway. Wearing a layer of flexothane over them is so constricting and sweaty. Very unpleasant.

I'm a little worried about my hands this year. The Lyme seems to have left a legacy in my fingers which causes them to be cold and painful, this could prove to be not only unpleasant for the winter but also dangerous. Maybe it's time for a saw with heated handles. Might have to give the new Husqvarna 550XP a try.

This year shows a profusion of rowan berries. The field fares will be here in a few short weeks to strip them away. Already the swallows are grouping and twittering, perhaps discussing the forthcoming journey south. It will not be long either before the grey skeins arrive. They come in high over the coast, battling with turbulent winds off the Cuillin to carry on towards the east and the productive arable fields of Easter Ross, Perthshire and beyond. They are a wonder and a joy to me, even though I no longer take a harvest from their numbers, to watch them is enough.

Twenty plus years ago we would lie in the ditch along side some frozen Pethshire potato field waiting for them to drop in. In the pre-dawn gloom each of us would lie imobile, teeth chattering as the express train roar of the skeins dropping and whiffling would swamp our senses. Don't look up, whatever you do, they'll see your face and put the air brakes on, back pedal on enormous wings and side slip into the dawn. No, wait, wait until you can't wait any more, until the tension is unbearable, until you are shaking with anticipation. Then George says quietly, 'now' and we each stand and shoot. Bump, bump, bump, the shots barely noticable in the cacophany. The coldness is forgotten, hands and feet are instantly warm. If you are lucky there is a thump as one of the birds hits the ground. The labrador, for who the waiting has been even worse, rushes out and returns with a pink foot. A young one if the Diana has allowed it. It'll roast well and will taste better than all the farm yard geese ever bred. You must leave now, the geese need that field, you must do so with a minimum of disturbance, even while you are walking off, ones and twos are circling and calling, ready to drop in to feed. Sitting in the back of the Land Rover on the way home, the grey body is on your knee, you stroke the feathers and feel the sadness and give a quiet prayer of thanks to the old gods.

George has been gone these long 12 years now and we miss him every day. It wouldn't be right for somebody else to say 'now' so now, no one says it and the geese have that field at least. I like to think that that old gander at the front...well maybe.

Rambling Hikers

Is it me? I am becoming increasingly grumpy with the hikers who arrive at my door and expect water/directions/lifts/medical attention/a sit down/use my phone/a chat. I know I should offer things with a smile and love in my heart...but. If you are out in country like this you should:

Know where you are and where you are going
Know how to and be equipped to purify water
Not need a lift
Be fit enough to complete your walk
Not need to use a telephone
Have the right gear

Of course, if it's a serious medical problem or mountain resuce needs to be called I will always help but sometimes folks just bring it on themselves.

Bugs!

A quick comment about insects. Last evening I was sat in a lit up conservatory next to open  double doors. Not a single moth or other nocturnal insect came in. This is shocking. I was in a pretty typical rural English village and if this is the normal state then we have cause to worry. Without insects our ecosystems are nothing.

On a more encouraging note however the amount of bees in the lime trees at Chatsworth yesterday was spectacular. Such a well managed piece of countryside, combining public access, agriculture, fieldsports, conservation and heritage. These so-called conservation charities need to take a close look at places like Chatsworth. The traditional estate, headed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic family is without doubt the best model for land use and land ownership. Oo-err, that's not a very modern viewpoint is it?

In the Midlands

Down in the English Midlands, my biological home if not my spiritual one. Have to admit that it's nice to see a bit of real agriculture for a change. It brings back a lot of memories. There is a certain feeling of, well, not superiority but close to it, when you are charging over the fields in a huge tractor hauling grain or silage into the wee small hours. The imperative to get the job done, the knowledge that you must go on as long as there are things to do. The responsibility for crops and livestock. It's a wonderful way of life, but hard.

In many ways I'm glad to be out of it, words, trees and deer having taken the place of combines, wheat and dairy cows but there is a portion of me that will always hanker for farming. But for now I am happy in the Highlands. The screaming gales, weeks of rain, the midge clouds - and then that one perfect crystal day. On that day you can forgive it anything and there is no finer place to be. You may just walk the dog, you may paddle the canoe out into the bay and come home with a leash of tiger-striped mackerel, perhaps you'll rise early and grass a perfect roe buck. Foxy red in his summer pelage and even tastier than the mackerel. Whatever you spend the day doing it will be a day not wasted.

So much to do...

Here I sit with a hundred jobs or more to do before we can go away with my head banging like a saucepan being hit with a rolling pin! Have taken my sumatriptan and can feeling it starting to work. Arms and fingers go weak and tingly as whatever the medicine does does what it does to my blood vessels. It's a strange and unpleasant feeling.

Lovely sunny morning here on Skye but a bit chilly. Obviously been plenty of deer round in the night, dog very keen. Going to miss her while we're away. Not really looking forward to the crowds, traffic and general dirt associated with going south but it'll be good to see our people.

The year moves on...

It's inexorable. The progrssion of nature from primrose on has now moved to immaculate butterfly orchids, ripe, delicious blaeberries and flavourful tiny wild raspberries. Clouds of young birds are calling and twittering, grouse poults flutter and take flight on unsteady wings. It's all rather wonderful.

Bad day for the finger and toes today. Not pleasant.

Lyme and other tales of the countryside.

Well, final course of antibiotics finished. I wasn't really expecting much but wow...the shooting pains have eased. just left with stiffness in the joints and the odd twinge. More than I could have hoped for. Can't stress it enough folks, make sure you check for ticks when you've been rolling around in the woods. Know the signs and the symptoms and get treated EARLY!

Passed my chainsaw assessment...the instructor used the phrase 'impressive knowledge' of my acomplice and myself...was he really talking about us?

Bird life this year still continues to astound. More grouse chicks this year than I've ever seen here before. So many siskins (and don't they get baitey!), chaffinches, goldfinches and the tit triumvirate. Wildflowers too are incredible. Seeing stuff this year that I've never seen before. Of particular note are the pyramidal orchids.

Nice drop of rain today. We are so in need of it after about 9 weeks without significant rainfall.

Writing seems to be getting a little easier (especially since Lyme induced brain fog is clearing). Archie Hunter continues past 40,000 words. Have decided (with the help of the wonderful Emma) to write under a pen name - E C Hunter. Hopefully it will create an air of mystery and 'is he, do you think?'. Still no title as yet, hopefully something will fall from the text when I re-read it.

Have been asked to read at the Reading Room. Will read first chapter of Ben book...would have to do a Scots accent if I read Archie and that might proove a tad embarrasing.

The Green Menace!

A glorious afternoon spent cutting bracken in the rain. Only too happy to get rid of the tick infested, cancer causing, livestock poisoning, tree smothering menace.

Lyme...again.

Well, here we go with another course of antibiotics! Erithromycin this time. Thought they weren't going to knock me about this time but my joints have gone down hill very fast. Feeling a bit listless and confused. I was so much better last week. But never mind, the trend on the graph is definitely on the up, even if we have the odd glitch. At least the doctor has (grudgingly) accepted that it is Lyme, or else some other tick-bourne nasty.

The last check up also revealed a mole that had to come off, so that was good. Hospital waiting lists pah! The appointment came through for Monday!

Sigh of relief  about the fuel duty increase being dropped. Why do folks think that a government 'u turn' is a bad thing...surely it shows that they are listening.

Spent the day working next to a willow tree from where a willow warbler conducted a hate campaign against me. It spend the day berating me for having the audacity to be in the same county. I had to resort to Nickelback on the ipod.

Starting to see the first deer calves of the year tottering along after their dams. This is perhaps truly the beginning of the year for me.

What a Year

What a year for wildflowers and bird life. So many species in each field and verge it's difficult to count, fledglings fill the trees and bird song is a wall-to-wall sound track. The weather here on Skye this spring has been unusually kind too. Some weeks now of sunshine, the odd shower, low winds.

A sycamore tree this morning proved an interesting diversion. Looking up through it's verdant canopy one could see myriad flowers, each with it's own little helper. The bees filled the air and made it alive with their humming.

Another day....

...is upon us. The sun is glorious and very welcome. The sky are blue, winds light and I'm stuck indoors with this stupid chest. Maybe manage to get something done later. The Japanese Knotweed has started to emerge so had better get the sprayer out. It's such a shame that there is no easy biological control method. I believe it can be eaten, must check out what you can do with it.

H back to school tommorow. Probably the thought of it keeping me feeling yucky. Hey ho.

All hot air...

In twenty years time we'll all be wringing our hands and saying 'why did we choose onshore wind power'.

Future...

Before human kind can go much further we need to stand back and take stock. Within 20 years technology will have expanded to encompass virtually every aspect of our existence, we however will still be a bunch of monkeys clamouring and bickering over the upset fruit stand. Without a doubt we need to change the way we think. Conflict, politics, population, over consumption & religion are all aspects of ourselves on which we need to work. We need to elevate ourselves to a higher plane, see past the petty, embrace the positive and reject the negative.

How do we do this? I have no idea. Especially at a governmental level. Politics get in the way of government, short-termism rules but equally socialism does not seem to work either...nor dictatorships, total monarchies or despots. So, we must start with ourselves. Simplicity, quiet, peace, honesty, family and self. Simple wholesome food, simple entertainment, simple lifestyle. Quietness in our homes, workplaces and streets. Deal with honesty in all things. Peace between ourselves and our neighbours. Love, honour and respect our families. Love, honour and respect ourselves.

It's a start.

Writing

Well here I am, once more trying to write, and yet again I am drawn to the short-term, short-piece option of blog, Facebook and Twitter while the real works lies open in Word before me. My main character, young Archie Hunter is becoming increasingly frustrated with me, he sits there in the woods of Nova Scotia, the beautiful and mysterious Seq at his side and knows not which way to turn. I must propel him past the nefarious types who who do him harm, help him find his father and rescue their adopted young sasquatch 'Whiff' from the clutches of the baddies. Will he succeed? I've no idea, I'm only writing it!

This Illness Business

This unresolved Lyme disease issue is becoming a drag. Pains in joints, muscles, lethargy, forgetfullness, a cold that has become just awful. But what can one do? Doctor is convinced it isn't Lyme...but seems not to notice they didn't do the first test and was treated for Lyme before they did the next test. I was certainly better after the antibiotics but have relapsed. Seriously pissed off.

Never mind, let's make a positive of it...I can get more writing done and start serious promotion of my website. Wildpeople is a dating site for outdoor people and people who like outdoor people! Check it out and join for free for a limited time while we build up steam!

Just Wonderful

A morning spent out on the hill looking for wildlife and getting paid for it. Glorious shirt sleeves weather. Can life get any better?

Home Weekend

Fetched my boy back from school for the weekend. Lovely to have him home. It's very hard this boarding lark - for us I mean, he's having a whale of a time!

Not a good driving day, huge amounts of ice on flushes from moorland/woods. Chipped windscreen, hit a woodcock, almost hit a hind, huge bill for a service. Hey ho.

Eagle Cam!

This afternoon spent trying to locate deer carcass in order to set up trail camera. The intention is to capture photos of white tailed and golden eagles feeding on the carcass.

Unfortunately could not locate carcass even with the help of the dog...who is usually mustard at finding beasts. Very cold wind, sweating heavily due to not being fully fit after Lyme episode, chilled to the bone. Ridgeline smock very wind and waterproof but not very breathable. Yet to find the ideal jacket...might have to look at Paramo.