the running wave

Wall to wall sunshine yesterday, and all that lovely warmth and balminess brought the world and his wife out to greet the day, including us!  We spent the day with longstanding friends, who are visiting Edinburgh for a few days, and with such wonderful weather, North Berwick seemed like the place to be.   I have never seen the town so busy, even in high summer, but we managed to park the car, and have a wander by the east beach, and around the edge of the park.  It was a real treat to be out in the sunshine without being bundled up against the cold and strong winds.  All the seaside stuff had come out of hibernation - fishing nets, sailing dinghies, and most important of all, the ice cream vans!  

It's Tilly's 10th birthday today.  Happy Birthday Tilly, constant companion and grand little lady.  (Not always ladylike in her behaviour, I hasten to add!). Many happy returns of the day Tills. xx

Just over the last week I have had a real sense that winter has finally past.  This feeling has been a long time coming as winter 2016/17 seems to have been particularly long and dark.  The first indicator is that it is light by 6.30 in the morning, and so it is much easier to get up to take the dogs out.  No more blundering around in the pitch black.   Also, apart from some extremely strong winds, we have had a fair bit of sunshine over the last week, and these photos show what I have been waiting for!  Hooray!

Monday was a bright and beautiful day on the south east coast of Scotland.  My youngest son and his family live on the edge of Portobello, Edinburgh's seaside suburb.  It has a long promenade which is always busy, whatever the weather.  It buzzes with mums and baby buggies, children on scooters, bikes, bigger children on skateboards, cyclists, dog walkers, the old and the young and all those in between, wandering along the prom, taking the air and enjoying the sight and sound of the waves as they break on to the beach.  On the sunniest of days, there is even an old chap who sits playing an accordion.  If you close your eyes, you could be in the heart of Paris, strolling along the banks of the Seine! Yesterday my littlest cherub and I had a stroll along the prom.  I scoffed a raspberry ripple ice cream, and it was all very enjoyable.  It's a great place to people watch, and you do see some endearing as well quaint sights. Another ...

There is absolutely no chance of a Sunday morning lie-in these days.  Ever since we got Ted, last June, I am up and about any time before 8 o'clock in the morning.  Once I am out with the dogs, I always enjoy the peace of the day, before it gets going.   This morning was very fair.  Quiet, no wind (for a change), a little warmer and a lovely early morning light with the promise of a day of fine weather.  The birds are beginning to discover our feeders, which is great.  We have really missed the variety of birds we saw when we lived in the wood.  But slowly they are coming.  Lots of robins, dunnocks, a little gaggle of long tailed tits, and Mr and Mrs Blackbird are frequent visitors.  We now have a wonderful expanse of sky to enjoy, and from our dining table we can see flocks of birds wheeling and soaring overhead.  Very uplifting! This afternoon we went to North Berwick.  I still have flowerpots to collect from the gard...