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.