Menorgical; Special Announcement

No Saturday Stitches today... Partly (mainly) because I have been visiting Aitch and have made very little advancement on current WIPs, and nothing new has been begun...

However, and more importantly, I want to introduce you to someone extra-special. Those of you with FB access can go to CMDucks and check up on Chloe Mae's collection of little pink duckies, which are floating all over the place as part of a feel-good campaign. Read the message here...

The little pinky Aitch and I have been sharing is numbered 6939 (though we haven't established if there are actually over six thousand moving about out there!) We found that 6939 has not been moved about too much recently, so we have decided to take her on a proper adventure over the next three or four weeks.

Aitch (for those looking on FB, you will see Hilary Ritchie) will report on the book of faces, and I am going to use my currently empty Tuesday spot to share pics of 6939 at the places visited. The plan (at the moment) is to take her all the way back to Dunoon with me, via some interesting spots, and then I will leaver her where I know others will take up the next chapter. 

Briefly (and for those like myself who don't row on FB), what Chloe Mae hasn't told us here is that she is only four years old herself, but also that her mummy is now at the inoperable and non-responsive stage with her cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2016. It has spread throughout and is now in the brain. We send all our Love with the capital 'ell' their way and are honoured to be able to share a little joy by transporting Ducky 6939 around the borders area between England and Scotland and all the way up to the Highland Line.

I will be sending links to the CM posts to Aitch, and she will be sharing those on the FB page, so for those who aren't able to go directly to CMDucks, your responses and love wishes will be seen here and, I am sure, be appreciated. 

Menoturals; More Watery Moments

Sharing with the LLB Gang on their hoppity-hop Nature Friday meme. Today, just a brief video clip from the stay beside the River Tweed that was just a mere hoppity-hop from the park-up I shared with you yesterday. Blue Heron flying in to claim another part of the bank, then a mother Common Merganser and her brood (one on her back), scuttling against the current. Not the best quality shot, I'm afraid, as I had the zoom to max and that tends to pixillate.

Menondering Along

After a couple of days in Edinburgh last week, it was time to meander southwards. The aim was to be with Aitch at her home in Northumberland for the Wimbledon Final. After some really poor weather, summer came up trumps again, and even on the day I departed the city, it was reaching 27'C! Anyway, there was no hurry, so I only travelled down to Galashiels and found a shady parking spot under some mighty trees, a little busy with traffic, but perfectly fine to spend a couple of nights and spend the Friday watching Wimbledon semi-finals. Those trees made all the difference to the comfort levels! 

Feet up, knitting to keep the fidgets at bay, a cooling coconut water on the side... 

The best thing was stretching into the morning with some of the best birdsong I have heard in ages. Merlin app told me there were seven different voices. I saw none of the birds, but was thrilled to hear them. Particularly the Thrush and the Blackcap, both rather scarce now.

Turn up your sound to see if you can make out seven distinct calls... (sorry about the traffic in between, nothing I could do about that!) If for any reason this little player doesn't work for you, please go directly to the file with this link.

I am also grateful that the weather was such that I could sit with the door wide open and gaze upon the soft greenery, and the drystane dyking that is probably as much as 200 years old... and that lone feather...