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Mid summer madness

The Edinburgh festivals are in full swing.  I went into town yesterday and the place was heaving with visitors, with all sorts of stuff going on.  And that was just along Princes Street and in the gardens.  I had only been there five minutes and couldn't wait to get back to the wood!

Here we have two likely lads giving us traditional Scottish tunes on the bagpipes, with the added dimension of percussion.  They were very good.  Next to them were a couple of street performers I saw last year.  They sit balancing, seemingly, in mid air.  The top layer is a dummy which is looking a little weary this year! 
The middle layer of the man-sandwich is obviously bored and taking a photo or movie clip of the musicians on his phone, and the lady on the pavement in the background is doing what I did last year - trying figure out how the balancing act works!
As you enter Princes Street Gardens, at the bottom of the Mound, you will see a functioning clock, decorated by the Edinburgh parks gardeners, using succulent plants.  It takes them a month to six weeks, or more, to complete their task.  I used to watch their progress when I passed this way, on my walk to work.  It's always a very impressive display of planting.
On one of the sunniest days of the year, I was happy to get back to the wood!  The Edinburgh festivals are wonderful.  A real celebration of so much creativity and talent, and I love to know it is all going on.  However, I think I am happiest walking around the fields nearby, and that is exactly what I did once I got home.  Tilly and Ted enjoyed it too!

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