Bartimaeus

This was not a long winter visit to Edinburgh, more a short Spring fling. On my way to meet my sister for a walk, I noticed swirling pink petals in front of me. They were like snowflakes, except it wasn’t cold. The blossom was already beginning to fall. There are thick bunches so I hope they cling on. This weekend our friends are hosting a cherry blossom party to celebrate being a year in their new Quartermile flat, with a Birdseye view of the Meadows. Unfortunately I have had to decline as we will both be gone by then, but lets hope that not all the blossom has. I am sure they will have fun without us or the cherry blossom. If you zoom in to some of the pictures you might see the petals falling.

Though not as sunny as the other day, it was not as cold and I had planned a quick jaunt up a hill since it wasn’t rainy and shouldn’t be too slippery on the slopes. Margaret was up for it and we were up in no time. I might be the youngest sister, but I was pechin’ more than her. Generously she ascribed this to me carrying a bag. We admired a wildflower in the woods on the way up. At the time we couldn’t name it. We really liked it though. My great nephew has since used an app that suggests it is Siberian miner’s-lettuce! No wonder we couldn’t identify it. On the way down we saw lots of bluebells. My front garden is fairly wild and full of bluebells too.

As we came out on the top, there was a fantastic waft of the coconut smell of gorse. There was a warm wind so we didn’t suffer. The view was great. Another cherry tree or three were visible at the golf course below us. We had a great view of Arthur’s seat which also had plenty yellow gorse and I could make out The Law in North Berwick too.

I was carrying a bag for a reason. I had a flask of coffee and very fine Garvald cinnamon biscuits and little pads to sit on and we had a swift picnic, being careful not to get jabbed or stung by thistles and nettles. We survived unscathed.

As I headed back to base I saw school pupils kicking up the piles of pink petals like autumn leaves. I felt we had timed it right for all our activities in the short visit. Today as I headed to the Meadows to catch my train it was a misty morning and not a nice day to come to admire the cherry blossom and there is a pink and green carpet forming. There was no sign of Arthur’s seat either though we were much nearer. It had vanished into the mist.