Wake Up Call

Kittiwake colony, Dunbar Castle, East Lothian

        Being awakened at 3.30am most mornings, by a chorus of song in hindsight should annoy me; but because it's not some would be Pavarotti standing outside my bedroom window, I don't mind at all.

    The dawn chorus I awaken to, is provided by robins, blackbirds, collared doves and a few other of their feathered buddies. Their tuneful enthusiasm makes me smile, no matter what I think the day a head holds for me.

Ruins of Dunbar Castle at Dunbar Harbour

    However, after a recent visit to Dunbar, East Lothian, I was wondering what the chorus provided by the colony of Kittiwakes on the ruins of Dunbar Castle, sounds like each dawn. I think I'm just going to allow my imagination to run wild, because I have a feeling they may be a little noisier than the guys that hang around in my garden.

Lady with the Lamp

 

    Every day we read about another humanitarian crisis and see the shocking images on our screens.Whether it be Nepal, a war zone, or Sicily where hundreds of desperate migrants continually arrive, many will need medical attention.

    Organisations such as the Red Cross and Medicins Sans Frontieres, are continually called upon to provide nurses and other medical staff to care for the sick and injured.

    Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern day nursing and Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross are the names that most will recognise. But, what about all the nurses in our world that we don't know their names? They're most definitely the ones that keep the lamp burning brightly.


#NursesWeek  #Nurses

 

 

Fountain of Knowledge

 
    When we're kids there are adults who come and go in our lives. They may only be around for a very short time, however they can have a great impact. One such group are teachers and although I'm no teenager, there are a few I still remember fondly. The thing is, at no time did I ever thank any of them for what they taught me, or nurtured in me and I should have.

One such teacher was only in my life for one year and sadly I know he has passed away, but if it hadn't been for him I would have never kept on writing.

    For many children #teachers are the only bit of stability in their day-to-day lives and the profession doesn't always get the thanks it deserves. But, this week has been #TeacherAppreciationWeek and I just want to thank you guys for being our fountain of knowledge.

 

Room for Reading

    There are not many places we can escape from it all, other than in our own homes. Of course, depending on how many live there, that may also may be pretty difficult and the bathtub may be one of the only place you can grab a little piece and quiet.

    I know that this is one of the reasons that stop many from settling down to read a book. However, I don't know what it is about bookstores, especially the #indies, I just want to spend at least five minutes there, to read a quick chapter. Is it the overflowing shelves, maybe the old comfy sofa, or the owner who exudes love for books? I don't know.

    But, if you want to find a place of tranquillity and solitude to read a book take just 20 minutes of you lunch hour, go buy and try it out. They're so worth the visit.


#bookstores #books #reading

The Great Escape

Loch Leven Castle

    She was branded a murderer and an adulteress, following her marriage to the man who was accused of killing her husband. This statement could be part of a synopsis for a future episode of one of my favourite soaps, but this was just another chaotic chapter in the life of Mary Queen of Scots. 

Loch Leven, Kinross

    On May, 2nd 1568, Mary escaped from Loch Leven Castle, where she had been imprisoned since, June 1567, after being accused of conspiring to kill her second husband, Lord Darnley. When I visited there on Wednesday, it was cold and damp, but if the North wind was as cutting on the night she made her escape across the Loch, in a small boat with the help of  George Douglas and Lord Seton. Brrrr.

The island where Mary was imprisoned

 
 

 

Poem in Your Pocket

April is nearly May,

Jack Frost has now out welcomed his stay.

We have opened the door,

And asked that he visits no more.

Because April is nearly May.

April is nearly May,

The lambs are now born and constantly feeding,

And the robins, sparrows and blackbirds have paired for breeding.

Because April is nearly May.

April is nearly May,

The smell of fresh mown grass tickles our noses,

Buds are opening on the magnolia tree and forming on the roses.

Because April is nearly May.

April is nearly May,

Remember before the month is out,

Celebrate and share the poem in your pocket with a shout.

Because National Poetry Month ends,

When April becomes May.

#pocketpoem #poetry      poets.org

Poker Face

Aberfoyle Bridge, over the River Forth

    On the banks of the River Forth, the modest village of Aberfoyle, Perthshire, shelters in the foothills of the Trossachs and although it is a small place, it has a rich literary history. The historical novelist, Sir Walter Scott, loved to visit this area and it is said that this is where he wrote, Lady of the Lake, while residing in Fairy Knowe.

The Poker Tree

        Scott is accredited with putting this once slate mining village, on the Victorian tourist map, following the publication of his narrative poem in 1810. The village featured again in his novel, Rob Roy, published in 1817 and the Poker Tree, which remarkably still grows in the village and Baillie Nicol Jarvie all played a part in his story.

St Mary's Episcopal Church

        Without Sir Walter's regular visits to Aberfoyle, it's unlikely that the manuscript written by Rev.Robert Kirk, an Episcopalian minister in Balquhidder and then Aberfoyle Parish Church, would ever have been published. 'The Secret Commonwealth,' a study of myths and folklore in the region, was first published in 1815, over a hundred years after the author had died, on the instruction of Sir Walter. Then again by, Scots author, Andrew Lang in 1893, under the new title of, 'The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies.
    

Lake Menteith

     Three miles away, the small community of Port Menteith, sits on the only 'lake' in Scotland and it is a historical writers dream. Lake Menteith and its island, is where the ruins of Inchmahome Priory continue to tell of times gone past and its charm is what stories are made of.

    I've visited the Aberfoyle area many times, however its poker face exterior won't fool anyone, because natural beauty such as this cannot be concealed.

#WorldBookDay #Folklore #ScotsAuthors