Bartimaeus

The temperature has turned up a few notches giving excellent numbers on the solar charging. The time I  went for a walk I got too hot and it wasn’t even uphill. I took a layer off to actually set off uphill later in the day. On the way home I was reflecting, not for the first time, on how my mood is very much affected by the moods and interactions with others. I had had a day of very positive interactions, despite some concerns to be addressed. Plus it’s always good to feel the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair. I always remember Shane’s blind uncle Ron having asked to join us in an area he had holidayed hillwalking in his youth enjoying the elements. Clinging to a cairn at the top of a Munro, while his companions admired the view that reaching a top affords, he sat, his jacket whipped by the wind,and shouted to us over over the flapping, “this feels like a real mountain”. I wasn’t up a mountain but the exposed top of the hill blew hair horizontal all the same.

I would say that was a great way to end a day, but I then went to meet a friend and shared a pizza with him and that was great too. We easily reached agreement on what one we wanted, Äggplantans Frestelse, and I wasn’t disappointed – very tasty. Ordering pizza in Swedish in Scotland was a bit odd but pizza is very much an international dish and I do have Viking Genes. So good too, to have managed to fit Gordon in before heading south.

The next day I had an out of town lunch arrangement with Rhona.I had seen her before in Edinburgh, but this time I  was going to where she was. It was a first for me to get a bus, rather than a train, to Dalmeny. Unusually, when meeting her, I hadn’t brought knitting for the journey, but I had knitting I had done – a baby gift, soft in both colour and texture. I had used a pattern from a book I had bought in a shop she took me to in Drymen. I had made a jumper and a hat. The jumper had been ready a couple of weeks ago but I had washed it this week once I realised I had time to knit and hat and got that done. It was so much nicer to to hand it over to Rhona rather than post it. 

We met at Dalmeny village hall where she was with her mum and dad and a few of their friends. The table was busy, the baking was  delicious, absolutely the best cheese scone I have had in a while and the welcome was warm. The workers are volunteers and payment at the cafe is by donation. Ahead of International Women’s Day the volunteers were being celebrated. The cafe isn’t open Saturday but Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings and there is a lunch club called ‘coorie in’. The community spirit was alive and well here. I loved the name of the live entertainment, the Black-eyed OAPs.

This community event was not just run by women for women, our table had almost as many men at it – my arrival tipped the balance. There was a cyclist at another table and being on a cycle route, it is a regular stop so perhaps Shane will come with the Friday cyclists another day.

I was having a good blether with Rhona and her parents but was surprised to learn that the man on my left, a friend of Rhona’s dad, was interested in our blog. He had lost the name so I wrote it down and he had a few questions about the practicalities of life aboard. He and others were interested that Poste Restante still worked as they had used it 60 years ago when travelling abroad. I was  told another friend who had a share (two shares in fact) in a narrow boat.

After having a little cake and being offered more coffee, we gave our donations (cash or card taken) and I was introduced outside to Steve, who had the shares in a narrow boat, so we had a quick chat about routes and boat length, and how important it is, before he was engaged earnestly by another man, about much more local business. I didn’t get his boat name but I did find out where its home mooring is. We may meet again, or our boats might meet.

After saying farewell to Rhona’s parents, Rhona took me to a garden centre.  We both chose a very nice courgette, parsnip and ginger soup and the most pungent bergamot infused earl grey tea I have ever had. Powerful stuff and in true traditional style it came with a pot of hot water so we could adjust the strength. I remembered that I had bought a bergamot lemon recently and told Rhona I had had some gin and tonics with a slice of lemon that gave a fragrance of earl grey with every sip. What’s not to like? We shared an almond tart, how good we had similar taste.

We had an explore of the centre. Quite a lot of the products were advertised as eco alternatives. We liked the wool and felted sheep themed items, but resisted. 

We selected one or two items each and headed into the outside plant and garden area. There were some sculptures in the garden , made of natural materials. A willow arbour was growing. We wondered if the new shoots would be trained down into the rest of the construction or cut to be woven into baskets (or some other shape) or perhaps both. It had rained while we were having lunch so the damp bench wasn’t tempting but it would be a pleasant option on a sunny day.

Rhona spotted blackboards and giant chalk. She decided to add a message of her own and then asked if I wanted to do one. I decided since we had. Multicoloured chalk I would add a rainbow though I had to kneel on the gravel to reach the bottom of half of the board. Rhona passed the chalks to me in order, so I didn’t have to keep climbing up. She got multicoloured fingers for her trouble

Rhona was interested in looking at plants and planning her garden, even if she didn’t make a purchase there and then. Primulas of every colour were on show. I hadn’t seen a the striped variety before and there were some striking maroon and yellow. They were like gold braided velvet with gold trimming.

We both loved pansies, the many shades, pleasing patterns and in some the soft surface, a delight for the senses.

As we wandered a sudden strong honey scent wafted past. I tried to find the source. It happened a few times. I began to wonder if someone in the garden was wearing a nectar perfume. I was mentioning this to Rhona when an employee overheard and chipped in with the flower responsible. I didn’t recognise the name at all and he told us again and pointed it out. I sniffed and it was certainly the cause but has such a small unobtrusive flower that I hadn’t explored it.

Towards the exit there were many bird feeders and I was captivated by the number, variety and proximity of the birds: many chaffinch pairs, robins, blue, coal and great tits all darted around. I had never had a close enough encounter with a chaffinch to notice the golden bars on its wings.

Thinking of food, though we weren’t peckish we were tempted by items in a farm shop. I had to try not to get too much knowing I would soon be going back to the boat. Rhona was noting some luxury items for future occasions. We are eagerly looking forward to those future occasions! 

Rhona had received a message with a positive report back from the man in the hall who had now read of a visit to a place he knew, and felt nostalgic which was good to hear.

She drove me to an appropriate bus stop in S Queensferry. On the bus I found I had a message from Jude and that she was in Edinburgh, briefly and was thinking of popping by. I let her know when I would be back. In stead of just a bus journey, I had another friend ahead. 

When Jude arrived she brought two flavours of home made jams, and neither was plum – more pleasures ahead. While we were talking I noticed Nye was missing.  He came in from the garden carrying a rolled towel. He had seen an injured wood pigeon in the garden so gone to pick it up and had swaddled it. Now it was covered, the pigeon was calm. He offered it crumbs and water but kept it wrapped. He called the SSPCA who said someone would collect it and after about an hour she arrived and very slickly inspected it by touch, declaring there were no broken bones but it was thin and missing flight feathers meant it would not be able to fly for a while and a scratched bald back suggested a cat attack, to which it was now even more vulnerable. She said they would keep it in an aviary until its flight feathers grew back. I am sure the cats here are well fed and doesn’t need a wood pigeon for dinner. Nye is feeling easier now it is being well cared for.