Darkness & Light
Today, 21 December 2012, in Edinburgh the sun will come up at 8:42am. It will go down at 3:40pm. According to people who know such things, I will have 6 hours, 54 minutes and 33 seconds of day. It is easy to feel panicky this time of year. With shopping and parties and frantic getting-ready-ness. … Continue reading
Night of the Dead
Th older I get the more seasonal my life becomes. The perfect Florida orange in January, the first frosty morning requiring wool socks — it’s these transitions and moments that measure out my years. Witnessing the changing patterns of the planet and the movement of the light mark time in ways more profound than clocks … Continue reading
Starry : A Tale of Two Nights
One night, I walked the dry river bed out across the desert and to the water’s edge. During the day it is a popular draw in the region, full of locals and tourists; now it is completely empty. The flicker of a bonfire miles away is the only sign of human habitation. I slip into … Continue reading
Walking the Dalmeny Estate
Once upon a time I came up with Thirty Things to do when I’m Thirty. And despite the fact these thirty things never make an appearance on this here blog, I have in all actuality completed a good number of them. Well, like half. So it’s time I play a little catch up. Today: Walk … Continue reading
Dandelions
Once, a friend an I were talking about flowers. “You’re a dandelion.” At the time I wasn’t sure how to take this remark. Dandelions are incessant, unwanted weeds which stain your clothes and plague Suburbanites the world over. On reflection, however, dandelions persevere in the most unlikely of situations. Their delicate, downy heads may seem … Continue reading
The Pentlands
Edinburgh is nestled among the hills, a little oasis on the waterfront. Each peak and each range have their own character – from the imposing volcanic mass of Arthur’s Seat to the sweetly suburban greenery on Blackford Hill. Now we have Ollie, I am spending a good deal more time out south, in the Pentland … Continue reading
Hello, Monday
It’s a dreary Monday morning. It hasn’t rained for one day out of the last, I don’t know, fifteen? I’ve lost count. A blustery haar is rolling across the city and I am loath to separate myself from my pjs. Haar: an excellent word. Imagine outside looks deeply foggy. Imagine that fog is actually lowlevel … Continue reading
Extra Credit: Whales
I love whales. Seriously. For me they hold a natural affinity, one which other (possibly sane) people often reserve for primates. There is something eternal and wise, ancient and prescient about the beasts from the deep. It may sound silly, but somehow, they seem to sing to my soul. They didn’t always, but then my … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 