the running wave

Wimbledon takes priority over these two weeks of the year.  My Aunty Mary always used to say that once Wimbledon was over it was downhill all the way to Christmas!  Sorry about mentioning that word because it becomes all the more obvious that quite shortly, in September, John Lewis will be getting out the tree decorations, twinkling lights and tinsel again.  Oh dear.  I think I might start this post again. So Wimbledon, half way through, has been pretty exciting and as I write Laura Robson is through to the quarter finals.  She looks like an impressive young lady to me, with all the right qualities for being a strong and successful player for the UK over the coming years.   It's been a quiet week in between bouts of time spent in front of the tennis.  However here are a few images of my week.   I have been enjoying the line of trees shown in the photograph below. They are on a new route I have been taking when driving into Edinburgh and I find the spacing between the little t

There are artists who work in a very transitory way.  Andy Goldsworthy is one.  He creates some magical pieces of work using natural materials, leaves for example, to make beautiful sculptures and images which may only last for a few hours, or even minutes.  They are there just long enough to be witnessed before being swept away downstream or blown with the next gust of wind. These art works have a fragility and a beauty which, I think, set them apart from creations hewn from wood or stone, because they only remain either in a photograph, or more ethereal still, in memory. The beach seems to bring out the artist in more than the likes of Andy Goldsworthy!  I think we start when we are very young.  Who hasn't built a sandcastle during a summer holiday? The next tide washes them away but not before the hours of digging, slopping around with wet sand and seawater for the moat and trawling the beach for seaweed and shells for decoration must generate some of childhood's happiest

I have just had the most brilliant time at the Borders Book Festival ( http://www.bordersbookfestival.org ) , surrounded by hundreds of books and a fantastic team of people.  Although I was working in the bookshop which meant long hours (about 09.30 am - 11 pm) on my feet over four days, it was just such fun.  I've been rubbing shoulders with the likes of Neil Oliver, Joanna Lumley, Tom Conti, Jim Naughtie, Hilary Mantel, Kirsty Waugh, Lauren Child, Sally Magnusson ..... have I impressed you yet?! The Festival tenting was set up in the grounds of Harmony House which is a National Trust property in Melrose.  The town is delightful and the countryside around it creates a wonderful backdrop in every direction.     The marquee below housed the bookshop, box office and cafe bar. This is another of the four marquees used for the event.  It is hard to imagine a more idyllic setting for a summer book festival! There was a peaceful walk around the perimeter of the garden, behi

Just a quick update on the burgeoning potato plants.  Here they are. I am working at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose this weekend.  We are expecting 1,800 school children today ....  aaaaarrrrgggghhhh! I've just noticed that this is my 100th post on therunningwave!  Writing this blog has completely changed the way I go about my day.  I am constantly on the lookout for photographs wherever I go and the words are always buzzing around in my head.  It's become a major part of my life and it's all good!  Thank you for visiting.  The number of page views is increasing and I do hope you will leave comments when you feel like it.  Feedback is always appreciated! I am going for a stonking good breakfast now in my B&B, ready for a day surrounded by children, books, authors, beautiful surroundings and really lovely people to work with.  How lucky am I?

Saturday started off in the usual way and then turned into a day of surprise  and absolute delight!   I took the older grandchildren to meet up with my son and his girlfriend who were taking the two youngsters for a birthday rock climbing session on the other side of Edinburgh.  I drove home via Prestonpans and Port Seton.  The 3 Harbours Festival was still in full swing.  On my way through Prestonpans I saw a mural which has been painted on the end wall of a row of cottages which sit looking across the sea to the Kingdom of Fife.  It was a well executed mural so I stopped and walked back to photograph it.   John Muir was an East Lothian born man who emigrated with his family to America when he was 11 and as an adult achieved amazing things.  He was an inspiring man and well worth reading about here  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir  . Behind me, down on the beach, there was another mural which looked interesting so I gingerly clambered down some ancient steps and a roc