Friday 25 August 2023
I can see five swallows perched on an overhead cable across our garden. We first viewed this house on 29 August last year and I remember getting out of the car and taking a photo of a row of swallows on the same stretch of cable. It’s the last summer bank holiday of the year (though there’s no bank holiday Monday in Scotland at the end of August) and I know the swallows have already started making their way back south to follow summer. I have long realised that I will feel sad when the last of the swallows have left, they are a real joy to see flying around, perching on cables and I love how they clean under their wings and zoom all around the garden. When we first moved here in November, quite a few locals told us how much we’d love it in summer, and now our weird-weather summer is coming to an end.
Yesterday, I wanted to take advantage of a few hours of blue sky so I went out before lunch to take photographs where the loggers are currently working. For the first time ever, I stood and watched a few trees being felled. I reckon one sitka spruce came down every five to ten minutes. I don’t know enough about the whole industry to have a balanced point of view, but it is sad hearing the roar of a chain saw, followed by the quieter sound of chopping, followed by a kind of silence, then the unmistakable sound of a tree slowly falling, in this case crashing down a slope through other still-standing spruce trees. There is something strangely familiar and ever so final about the sound of a tree falling to the ground. In spite of the tree felling, I had a lovely walk, enjoying the warm sun and being able to chat away to myself.
I did not try to fix the downstairs loo yesterday. That might be a job for today. Instead, as it was still sunny when I finished work, I set three more foundation stones into the ground ready for my cabin. I also did a bit of weeding. As usual, once I got myself dressed appropriately (overall and wellies) and had the tools out ready, I got into it and really enjoyed digging and setting the three concrete slabs. I also really enjoyed the chirruping presence of the robin who always supervises the digging, ie anticipating easy worm pickings.
I have far too much to do today and my current biggest distraction is watching Mr and Mrs Pheasant and their four teenage chicks either sitting in the sun when it’s out or foraging for food (they made light work of food dropped around the feeder, which is predominantly manned by chaffinches, the odd tit and a hungry woodpecker). Back to it …