| 5th Aug.
After a promising start to the summer, the weather has deteriorated somewhat and has been disappointingly wet and windy. Not always the most enticing conditions - but if you are wearing waterproofs, a brisk walk can still be an enjoyable experience. You may miss out on the clear views but you do get the atmospheric effects of mist hanging around the tops - just as photogenic.
The heather is now well in bloom and the hills have taken on that lovely purple hue....as have my fingers and tongue from the magnificent crop of bleaberries which we are enjoying this year - some of them are now steeping in vodka for my Christmas day liqueur. The wild raspberries are fruiting and today I tasted my first bramble of the year. A great time of year to be a hunter gatherer and to benefit from some the free food which is all around us.
The Osprey chicks have taken flight and are now learning to gather their free food in the form of fish from various of our lochs. So .... still plenty to see and do in the area if you care to join me some day.
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| 18th June.
May's fine weather has continued into June with mainly northerly and easterly winds which have given us perfect weather for walking - dry, clear and not too hot. Although we still have a few bluebells out in the woods they are now nearly over for the year, but the stitchwort continues to give refreshing splashes of colour while big clumps of bedstraw tempt you to drop into one of them for a quick snooze. On the higher ground the bell heather is starting to come into flower and several species of orchid are also bursting through giving welcome patches of fresh colour into what is still a fairly faded vegetation. On the down side the bracken is also doing well though the stalks are still sufficiently tender to be bashed down with a good swipe from a walking pole. It also has to be admitted that the midges have arrived and on a still evening, are making their presence felt - another good reason to keep moving if you are outdoors.
Our local ospreys have hatched a couple of chicks which can be seen via the CCTV link at the David Marshall Lodge and in common with all the birds around, the parents are busily foraging to feed the insatiable appetites of their new offspring. I can sympathise with their workload but I do sometimes wish that the swallows would work just a little harder and make more of an impact on those midges.
It is sobering to think that the longest day is not far off - but we can still look forward to the warm summer days of July and August, and I look forward to seeing you then.
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| 23rd May.
Spring is always my favourite season as the days start to lengthen and the colour starts to seep back into the landscape, and what a marvellous Spring it has been here in the Trossachs. The weather has been dry and clear with just that slight coolness in the air which makes it absolutely perfect for walking. The hills are starting to lose that washed out winter look while on the lower ground the flowers have been spectacular - I cannot remember a better year for shear volume and colour. Primroses, violets, bluebells and stitchwort have all been competing with each other to draw your gaze, while the branches of the gorse look as if they are about to snap under the weight of bloom. Trees are nearly in full leaf but still have that wondeful freshness making it a real joy to pass through woodland. The call of the cuckoo or the eerie call of a pair of divers is background music as we walk while the sharp eyed have spotted our resident ospreys on fishing expeditions to some of our nearby lochs.
On the higher ground things are not so far advanced, but the signs are there, with new heather shoots starting to sprout and larks hovering high above. It will not be long till the hills have their turn at spring and June promises to be a good month to be out and about. I look forward to seeing you on one of my walks.
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