Today, well late afternoon, I have been feeling good, definitely a restful relaxing day.
After long lie and morning walk with Honey the Dog, we spent the morning watching a newly released Netflix film that was partly filmed in Edinburgh (see Readers Corner for more details). Then I headed out to do some food shopping. I was feeling a bit fed up and a little lonely. After watching another movie, I finally went out for our daily long walk.
I wasn’t really in the mood, there had been heavy showers and thunder all day, so was thinking maybe a trip to Kate’s Park. But I put on a new album that I bought and decided to head to Arthur’s Seat.
The album, Aled Jones, From the Heart had an error on it, all the song titles and tunes were mixed up, so you didn’t know what you listening to. After some persistence on the phone to iTunes, I managed to get a refund for the cost, but still kept the album. Originally, they said just to look at the titles of the songs online, but as I explained, if you bought a CD with that error, you would get a discount on it! Plus, wanted to ensure it was changed so other customers didn’t have the same problem.
The tune that got stuck with me for a lot of our walk was ‘Heal the World‘.
Arthur’s Seat / Holyrood Park was really quiet and we got caught in a few heavy rain showers, but actually it felt really good. Some much needed rain and the air felt like the rain was helping everything grow at is maximum potential!
We found a new area to explore, through a small kind of cave! Well, it was actually a big slab of rock that had slid down, but was good to take a new path, not knowing where it would go and for how long. It eventually came to a dead it, blocked by gorse.
I spent quite a while, just sitting on the hillside, watching the storm clouds approaching and enjoying being in the rain.
It was magical and really shifted my mood and energy!
Check out the photos below. I am pretty impressed with the first one, with the city in the distance in light and rain clouds moving towards! If these photos are not full-size, you can click on them.
As we headed towards home, we saw Tom from Leith’s Crops in Pots, who featured on Day 40 of the blog. He was cycling on a tandem and was not so pleased, that he had got stuck at the traffic lights at the brow of a hill. But it gave me a few minutes to go and talk with him and he asked how the blog was going. He was impressed that we are now on Day 96 asking if there was anything big planned for Day 100. I replied there was, but it is a surprise!
As we continued our walk, I snapped a couple of photos – a Unicef Coronavirus poster at the bus stop and newly painted shutters at Easter Greens.
Poetry Corner
Another one from me from my series of poems I wrote between 1999-2002! This poem was written for my Dad.
My parents lived in a hamlet, in the New Forest – well my mum still lives there, my Dad died in 2005. I didn’t grow up there, so in the early days it was like going on holiday visiting them. There was (still is) a small newsletter written that is circulated to all residents.
During my first visit to their new home, my Dad, who had recently seen my newly written poetry, suggested I wrote a poem for the newsletter, about my first visit. It was during a very HOT summer. It definitely felt like I was on holiday, rather than visiting my parents/family.
As my girlfriend, also came down for the visit, my mum wanted us to do lots of things, together. By the time we left, I think we needed a holiday, just to recover!
Sadly, the poem was never printed in the local newsletter, my Dad said it was too longer and it would take up the entire newsletter!
My Summer Holiday
The day started early, the weather was good,
A long drive down, a number of breaks.
Arrived in the dark, many animals in the road,
Finding the wee cottage, the family unites.
We’ve given the tour, and shown our room,
The gate must be kept shut, to stop the animals.
There’s sloping floors, a powerful shower.
It’s time for bed, the end of the 1st Day.
We get up late, the weather is hot,
Breakfast in the garden, the dog at our feet.
We see all the animals, dry the tent,
Flick through leaflets, for the rest of the week.
My sister arrives, with her mad little dog,
A trip in the car, a walk of the dogs.
Then along to the pub, for a drink or two,
It’s time for bed, the end of the 2nd Day.
We have a lie in, the weather is hotter,
Breakfast in the sun, Wow – what a life.
We make up some sandwiches, juice and biscuits,
A quick tour of Fordingbridge, then ‘Braemer House’.
Lunch in the sun, a tour of the estate,
The many outhouses, get lost in the maze.
Another walk with the dogs, a ride on a pony,
Early to bed, the end of the 3rd Day.
We get up early, the weather is hotter,
Off to the show, deep in the New Forest.
We watch the displays, look round the rings,
Pigs, cows, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses.
There’s thousands of stalls, hundreds of people,
Looking, buying, bargaining and talking.
We head off home, hot and exhausted,
Collapsing in bed, the end of the 4th Day.
There’s no lie in, the weather still hotter,
We hire some bikes, plan the route.
It’s hot outside, yet breezy on the bikes,
Explore the area, watch the sites.
Lunch at the own sanctuary, ice cream later on,
We head back home, return the bikes.
Out for a meal, at the local pub,
Then off the bed, the end of the 5th Day.
We get up late, pack our bags,
Have some breakfast, the weather seems cooler.
Down to the shops, presents for our friends,
A relaxing walk, enjoying the weather.
We sign the visitors book, write a comment,
See all the animals, saying farewell.
I hug my family and say goodbye,
And drive from Hillside, the end of the holiday.
Readers Corner
A few comments and sharing.
Brian
Brian sent me a message late last night saying this was the blog, he said:
“Hey, Jim! Since you have visited Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags almost every day of lockdown – or has it been every day?! – I wondered if you had come across any elves on your travels? I’m currently watching a brand new Netflix film about the Eurovision Song Contest, which was filmed in Edinburgh last year, and there was an amazing scene filmed at some elves houses on the crags!! Amazing. Just wondered if you had seen any on your travels. And if you haven’t, watch out for them! In the film, Edinburgh is the host city for Eurovision!! Did you know this happened in “real life” in Edinburgh in 1972??””
“Hollywood stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams came to Edinburgh to film it!”.
Thanks for that Brian! I guess I’ve been to Arthur’s Seat about 80% of my time during lock-down. I haven’t spotted any elves, but I watched the film today. Honey the Dog and I headed to where the Elves Houses were in the film, which incidentally is not on the crags.
Check out the compare and contract photos of Honey and photos I took from the film, first 4 photos, and the last 2 photos of the angles, you can click on them to see them full-size:
I just looked at Eurovision in Edinburgh and indeed it was in Edinburgh in 1972, in the Usher Hall – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_1972
According to Wikipedia, Monaco won it in 1971 (taking place in Dublin) and for any Eurovision watchers will know, the tradition is that the winning country hosts it the following year. But Monaco was too small to host it, so it was held in Edinburgh in March 1972.
Gez
Gez was the main organiser of The Energy Festival that we held last Saturday. She put a comment on yesterday’s blog, saying
“Hi Jim! A week since we were going online to test the Zoom Setup for the Online Festival Event of the Year – I enjoyed reading your post-Festival blog!
I actually wondered if you did a word cloud of all the words you’ve used in your blog over nearly 100 days, how big the word ‘energy’ would be?! Has it increased in frequency of use over the last few weeks?!
And, I know you’re camped out in some crazy conditions, so as the storms are threatening just now, in a random thought, I wondered have you or your belongings ever been struck by lightening?”
Thanks for that Gez! No haven’t been struck by lightening (touch wood). I did a word cloud back on Day 21, but not since. It takes a while to do it, as you have to copy and paste each blog into a website.
Graham
Graham commented on yesterday’s blog on Facebook, saying:
“Liked the poem Jim.”.
Thanks Graham! Glad you enjoyed the poem ‘Love at First Sight’.
It Made Me Smile
Julie left a comment on Facebook on yesterday’s’ Twenty-Five Day Push-Up Challenge’ on Day 95, which made me smile. Julie said:
“I love how Honey’s tail wag increases when you say her name”.
Yes! She’s forever wagging her tail – a happy dog!
Twenty-Five Day Push-Up Challenge
On yesterday’s Day 95, ‘Twenty-Five Day Push-Up Challenge‘, Ross posted a commented on Facebook, saying:
“Looking good with the beard there Jim.. 👍”.
Cheers Ross! This is Ross’s first appearance in the blog – Welcome to Readers Corner!
Here is today’s!
One comment on Facebook.
Susi
“You suit the face fuzz!”
Cheers Susi – seems like a theme for today!
As I come to the end of today’s blog, I haven’t really reflected on anything.
It’s been a cooler day – the rain (and thunder) has helped shift the energy, creating a fresher feel in the air.
Following on from yesterday’s comment that no one seems to be wearing face-covering on buses in Edinburgh, not even the drivers, I found an article in the Evening News, saying that Lothian Bus drivers are not able to enforce people to wear face-coverings. Well that solves that mystery! I would say 90% of people on buses that I saw today, were not wearing face-coverings, neither were the drivers.
A good rest today, was just what I needed and some tasty food for my dinner.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend.
Stay Safe.
Jim xx