The longest day brings the start of summer. But we are still waiting for some heat.
People celebrated the longest day at Stonehenge, although up here in Scotland our longest day is a few hours longer than that of the south of England. Normally at this time of year it’s light at 4am and doesn’t get dark until 11pm. But then again, up in The Orkneys it virtually never dark.
The Summer Solstice takes place every year between June 20 and June 22 in the UK, marking the moment the sun reaches its highest elevation in the Northern Hemisphere, providing the UK with the longest day of the year, with sunlight that lasts for almost 17 hours.
But there are other attributes, lack of population, no traffic jams, glorious views, well if the sea mists and low level clouds permit.
Joking apart we are fortunate to live in a pretty little place on the West Bank of the Clyde. Innellan, Dunoon, once a popular stop “doon the water”, with its Victorian pier, sweeping bays, glens and hills.
You can still see and hear the old paddle steamer, The Waverley as it chugs and clunks along, full of tourists on day trips to the isles. Not to mention the never ending marine traffic to keep you enthralled. The Bute ferry beavering between Rothesay and Wemyss Bay, small ancient puffa’s bellowing thick black smoke behind them. Numerous leisure craft under sail, giant fuel tankers heading to Fast Lane, along with an array of large and small cruise liners, not to mention the massive nuclear submarines gliding out to sea for a six month tour of duty. It’s fascinating. Never a dull moment.
Been fortunate enough to get out twice or even three times a week to go fly fishing on Loch Loskin.And some great catches on various flies. This morning all were caught on my own tied flies. All the brownies l caught were a decent size and in great condition. Returned to grow even bigger.
On Monday was out again at 6am and down to Loch Loskin for a few hours fishing. Gorgeous morning, although fishing was difficult. Eventually catch three fish, yet lost three more. Need to look up on how to ensure a better catch average. You tube tutorial, here l come.
Back home by ten thirty and out into the garden, I move a few plants in the rockery that had been overshadowed by Alchemilla mollis (lady's mantle).
Then it’s digging up the Camassia bulbs. These have been overshadowed by the giant Gunnera.
So they are heading down to the bottom pond, will cut them into the far bank. Hopefully they will have enough room to flourish. It’s the third time l have moved them. Third time lucky.
Whilst there, get the rake into the green algae, dropping it on the edge to allow the various amphibians to escape back into the water. Lava of dragonflies and damselflies, infant newts, frogs and toads along with the common pond skater and the lesser water boatman and numerous beetles. Getting carried away, but it’s so pleasing to see how swiftly a small pond can become inhabited by all manner of creatures.
Presently trying to attract more bats, making bat shelters and fixing them high up in the trees. More bats = less midges.
When the air becomes still, the wee buggers eat you alive. But the wind and sun soon puts them to bed.
A friend come to visit for a few days, so a good opportunity to get out and about. As well as an excuse to eat and drink a little more than normal. Over three days my body had put on over five pounds. That’s nearly 2.5 kilo in new money. Good job we don’t have visitors every week.
Anyway, managed to find a couple of short yet interesting walks over in Kilmun on the other side of Holy Loch.
A Eucalyptus Trail, of all things, here in Scotland. Wonders will never cease. During the 1930s, the former Forestry Commission Scotland had planted over 260 species from around the world. They did this in large trial plots, rather than as individual trees as you often see in arboretums, to research their potential timber quality for commercial reasons. Not all thrived in Scotland’s soils and climate, but today, its arboretum still contains more than 150 tree species. And they are truly magnificent. The smell is amazing. Not only Eucalyptus but all manner of pines from all over the world. Silver fir, giant sequoia, coastal redwoods, Oregon maple and southern (false) beech from Chile. But also a fantastic display of my favourite. The Architectural Monkey Puzzle tree from Chile. Be aware, l am not an expert on tree identification. The forestry have been thoughtful enough to place signs to identify each variety with the date it was planted. Although you can also you the new iPhone to do the work for you. More on that later.
There is a further two walks at this site – the John Jackson and the Conifer trail and Puck’s Glen nearby, just across from Benmore Botanic Gardens.https://www.rbge.org.uk/visit/benmore-botanic-garden/
Kilmun has 24 Scottish champion trees, of which 9 are British and Irish champions. The site is also engaged in the International Conifer Conservation Programme . For more details visit the Kilmun website. Definitely worth a visit.
From here a quick walk around the ruins and graveyard of Kilmun church before a lite lunch at the Blairmore Cafe. Another first. Excellent. Pea and pesto soup and a huge overflowing carnation chicken sandwich with salad. The Blairmore cafe. Then down to Ardentinny for a circular walk taking in the forest along with a stroll along the seashore. Whilst on the forestry path we come across a memorial stone dedicated to Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. Another Scottish family that made its fortune from the slave trade.
It's hard to believe that it was only in 2015 that, according to the Treasury, British taxpayers finished 'paying off' the debt which the British government incurred in order to compensate British slave owners in 1835 because of the abolition of slavery.
Mobile Phone Tip
- By the way, only just realised that you can use the iPhone 15 for identifying flowers, trees and shrubs. When you take a photo of a plant/ tree. Look for the leaf symbol below the image. It will often show the name of the species. If not, just press the leaf and it will search on your behalf.
Talking about my increase in weight and my obsession with the benefits of intermittent fasting. It was a terrible shock to learn that Dr Michael Mosley had got lost on a Greek island and eventually died due to the heat, presumably dehydration.
Couldn't believe it. Our hero.
The quality of our life has been due to his 5:2 diet and intermittent fasting. Such a shock.
Can’t help but feel that the search group let him down. If he had gone missing in the lakes or Scotland, the mountain rescue would have been out until they found him with the dogs. A real shame. Quite upsetting.
Have been sat glued to the tv whilst the Euros have been on. Some excellent football from teams that are total outsiders. What they lack in multimillion pound stars is made up by shear determination and enthusiasm. Unfortunately that can’t be said when it comes to our own national team. They look tired and scared.
Individually we have some of the finest players on the planet. But for some reason they are not jelling together. They are an embarrassment to watch. Last night l watched in horror as Slovakia ran rings around our players. Judith left the room after ten minutes, she couldn’t bare to watch the suspense.
I clung onto the hope that they would eventually come good. But after 90 minutes of play l was resigned to the fact that we were going home defeated by a team in the lower ranks.
Then in the last throw of the dice, England, through a flash of genius from Bellingham scored to take us into extra time. It was a goal to go down in history. He gave us a get out of jail card. And saved us from a humiliating Euro 2024 exit at the hands of Slovakia.
Then in the extra time we scored again. Yet we still didn’t learn the basic lesson that attack is the best form of defence. We sat back, and tried to defend.
As per usual when England play l sat on the edge of the sofa praying they would equalise and take it to penalties. Time and again they came close and we still stayed in our own half. Relentlessly they knocked on the door. But the whistle eventually was blown, to end the pain and torment.
Now we play Switzerland. Another team that has already put out a favourite. Last years winners, Italy. They push and push until they succeed.
I wonder if the fright of going home will galvanise England Into the team we know they truly are!
It’s been quite a stressful time these past few weeks, have had to manoeuvre through a porridge of seemingly impossible obstructive and unhelpful help desks to get, what should be simple tasks actioned. Problem being, since lockdown, no one wants to work in an office. If at all. They have converted old ambulances and now roam the country side off grid, working a day a week, two at the most to fund essentials. So we are left with help desks manned by computer bots that regurgitate the same answer no matter what the question. Ultimately after an hour waiting on the line listening to a recorded message “ you are a valued customer, please hold on the line” you are transferred to someone in Bangladesh or the Philippines who’s command of the English language is rather poor. Most must be being paid by the number of calls answered. They have learnt to talk at such a speed, which for the hard of hearing blurs into a constant unintelligible dark noise. You constantly request that they slow down and repeat the question. It’s not an enjoyable experience, and ultimately ends in the phone being extinguished at their end.
Nothing resolved, a continual battle that eats into your day. Tend now to ask to speak to a supervisor. Although most of these centres are programmed to explain that he or she or possibly it, is in a meeting at this time.
Ultimately, frustrated, exhausted, l just shoot off an email asking them to cancel the service, and keep my fingers crossed that a human who can read English can action the request. Switching to another provider who at the point of sale is eager to talk to you, and the opportunity of having a real person to talk to.
For a change decided to brew a dark beer, Lost in Translation, and was truly surprised at its flavour. It was rich and smooth, but with a caramel and orange after taste. Very pleasant. Although it’s rather heavy, but great to go with my duck ramen. Very impressed with the Pinter brewing system.
On the food front, Judith read a piece in the Waitrose magazine. Make your own butter! Must say l was very sceptical, there are better things to do with your time. But then l realised it’s only a ten minute exercise to produce your own creamy butter. You can add your own twist, garlic, anchovy. For me big flakes of local Blackthawn salt from Ayr.
More importantly it’s great to spread onto fresh bread, just out the oven. And as buttermilk is a byproduct of making your own butter, soda bread is an exceedingly quick alternative. The recipes are listed below. Both exceedingly simple.
300ml double cream will make approximately 200g butter and 100ml buttermilk.
- Whip the cream on high speed until you form butter (you’ll know this has happened as you’ll see quite a lot of liquid in the bottom of the bowl). Add salt if you wish to make salted butter.
- Using a spatula or a wooden spoon keep mixing by hand to squeeze any excess buttermilk from the butter.
- Remove the butter from the bowl a lump at a time and give it a quick squeeze with your hands, before setting aside.
- If you want to prolong the life of the butter, dip it into a bowl of iced water to rinse of any leftover buttermilk. Pat dry with clean kitchen paper.
- Form the butter into a lump (in whatever shape you fancy) and refrigerate until you want to us
If you would like to prolong the life of the butter, rinse it in iced water to wash off any excess buttermilk before refrigerating. Left unwashed, the butter will last up to five days in the fridge. But you can always freeze it.
soda bread
Makes 1 small loaf
Prepare 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
- 30g unsalted butter, diced
- 250g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 75g porridge oats
- 100g of berries if desired
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp nigella seeds
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 240ml buttermilk
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. In a large mixing bowl, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Set aside 1 tbsp oats and stir the remainder into the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients apart from the buttermilk; stir well to combine.
- Using a palette knife or spatula, quickly fold in the buttermilk until just combined Bring the dough together and tip onto the baking sheet, shaping into a round loaf, about 15cm in diameter. Scatter the top with the reserved oats and dust lightly with flour. Use the floured handle of a wooden spoon to press a deep (5cm) cross into the top of the loaf and bake for 30 minutes, until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature with your own salted butter.
High cholesterol is associated with many life-threatening conditions, such as heart attack and stroke. A recent study suggests you might want to add more seeds to your diet if you’re looking for ways to reduce your risk.
Research suggests that black seed can significantly decrease total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
You may also like the article on ultra processed foodshttps://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/health-and-wellbeing/ultra-processed-foods-reduce-intake
We get what we deserve.
I agree with Daniel Hannan in The Sunday Telegraph. It “squats like a poisonous toad” in the middle of every policy discussion. We pretend it isn’t there, but there it is. In education, the number of students “persistently absent” since lockdown has rocketed. In the economy, growth remains sluggish in part because so many have not returned to work. Tax? “We dropped the better part of half a trillion pounds on lockdown.” The NHS? Lockdown caused the waiting lists. The cost-of-living crisis? To pay for lockdown, we printed money “like Robert Mugabe on speed”. And who wanted all this? We did. Some 93% of people backed the first lockdown, 85% the second, and a sizeable majority opposed the eventual lifting of restrictions in 2021. We talk as if our troubles were “wantonly inflicted on us by malicious ministers” because it’s easier than accepting the truth: “a policy we ourselves demanded” is at the root of Britain’s problems.
Now we have the political circus, all the major parties wanting our vote. Not sure if any of them are prepared to look at long term solutions. We will have to wait and see what materialises. Unfortunately the majority of people are only interested in the here and now. And the politicians are eager to have a job and power, so ultimately they give us what they think we want.
Perhaps we should take a leaf out of Singapores book and it’s rise to wealth, fame and prosperity.
Singapore with its lack of resources opted to develop its people and in turn invested heavily in education to constantly up-skill and train its population. This helped to attract the “best and brightest” Singaporeans to join the government in its meritocracy oriented policies.
Singapore has also watched how the effect of a the heavily subsidised welfare state has effected nations in Western Europe and the USA. The Singaporean view is that the government provision of social welfare may result in an unhealthy and deteriorating dependence on the state and drain individual initiatives and enterprises and undermine growth. Although it does subsidise education, housing, healthcare and public transport.
They have opted to reduce the social welfare to a bare minimum by restricting it to only those who are either handicapped or are old. They believe this benefits the neediest and doesn’t cripple its financial infrastructure at the same time.
Perhaps we have become soft. People in the U.K. have a view that they are entitled. The state has to look after them. But it comes at a costs. Be careful what you ask for. If you want to be fed and watered by the state, you may end up like the old Russian state. Communism supposedly gave everyone a job, a roof over their head and food and water. Yet not a life as we know it.
I have always fancied going to the base camp of Everest. But this latest video charts the entire route to the top of Mount Everest, is something else. A four minute video that tracks the route to the top.
From Khumbu Glacier’s dangerous ice towers to the “soaring walls” above the Western Cwm – and captures the “incredible vertical rise” that mountaineers must tackle after leaving Camp IV. Watch the full four-minute video here.
Can you imagine what it must have been like for Tenzing and Hillary. Without the queues and debris littering the now well worn track to the summit.
People voted to kill the messenger of gloom, forgetting the debt incurred due to lockdown. And the infighting from the various factions heaped on more grief.
Will be interesting to see what Sir Kier can do. Hopefully some good, although l fear he will just pay off the unions and voters and leave us in even more debt. Only time will tell.
But we are not the only country with people demonstrating through their ballot box for change. France is split three ways and god knows what’s going to happen in the states.
Biden retires under pressure and Trump goes from strength to strength. The saying goes that we normally get what we deserve.
Back to sport, and we have lots at present, Wimbledon, the Olympics coming up, cricket, F1 . So headphones on and the occasional splurge on the couch, feet up and beer in hand glued to the box.
After a dramatic improved performance Englands football team narrowly miss out on Euro 2024 title after tense Spain clash. But in the end the best team won. Then within a day, the manager resigns, falling on his sword due to media pressure baying for blood.
He’s done a tremendous job over his eight year’s reign. Bringing a new young team to fruition.
Reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and quarter-finals in 2022. England won six knockout games in total. Under Southgate, England won nine matches, including two penalty shootout victories. A hard act to follow. https://youtu.be/zQrr3NkGM1E?si=NKLgMFxDeUPYsvJ4
Epic day today, heading off to pick up a new born offspring from the VW stable in Glasgow. Take delivery of a VW California Ocean, our new mode of transport for the gutter, with the added ability of turning into a home on wheels. VW California 6.1 Camper Van | VW Vans Also give us the opportunity to escape the bad weather and follow the sun. As well as the ability to explore other European countries at a slower pace. Especially some of the more out of the way places in Spain and Portugal. Read a great article about walking in Galicia, made wanted to seek it out. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/jun/11/spain-galicia-ribeira-sacra-train-hike
Seems that Michelin are now trying to stick their finger into the hotel pie. One wonders to what end, other than to open a new come flow for them selves. Sean Thomas from the spectator thinks it’s madness and l agree. Read his article which takes you on a mind blowing journey of his past experiences.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/keep-michelin-men-out-of-our-hotels/
From our deck at Grassy Bottom we look out across The Firth of Clyde towards North Ayrshire with marine traffic flowing regularly into Glasgow and out into the Atlantic. The Firth of Clyde also has the UK’s deepest coastal waters, with some sections reaching 114 meters deep.
If you are vigilant you could possibly see minke whales, the occasional humpback and numerous dolphins as they travel through some of the deepest coastal waters around Britain. Check out https://www.facebook.com/share/9pKemPpnawqRbSn5/?mibextid=K35XfP
In our wilderness garden came across a family of slow worms, just nestling down under my plastic that’s keeping my compost warm.
Been very busy with Airbnb guests, some very interesting people, many from distant lands. They seem to accept our unsettled weather. Still waiting for summer to arrive. Did have a five day spell of warmth, but it soon deteriorated back to a watery, murky and windy norm. At times you could be forgiven for thinking it was winter, come early. 22nd July and had to put the fire on.
Kayaking has been disrupted due to choppy seas and high winds this year. Seems that on Thursday and Fridays when the club goes out the winds get up. On the days we have managed to get out it was still force 4 gusting 6, scary at times.
Quoted
“It took me 15 years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give up because by that time I was too famous.”
Peter Benchley, author of Jaws
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