Meanwhile, during January, I've taken part in two Portsmouth tournaments, one at Bannockburn and one in Oban. Archery is certainly a good way of getting around Scotland! My scores have been pleasing too. The Bannockburn Portsmouth Archery Tournament was good fun, mainly because I beat my personal best score for this Round and my last 'end' (archery jargon) of three arrows all hit the gold. Although I'm really only competing against myself, it felt good to have got a higher score than some of the Recurve archers too. Next challenge is to shoot a Double Portsmouth (120 arrows).
Once we've settled into the journey in the car to The Kid's riding lesson on Saturdays, she likes to start a conversation. Often it will begin with some reference to what she is studying at school – e.g. recently: "We've done sustainability; now we're doing Scotland". We take off from there. If she can't think of a starter, the command is simply: "Talk!" It's encouraging that she enjoys conversation.
I spent Robert Burns' birthday travelling to Edinburgh for a wonderful lunch with a wonderful bunch of friends. I managed three of the five courses, which comprised soup, smoked haddock 'quiche' (if that's the right word) with creme fraiche, haggis with bashed neeps and champit tatties, gorgeous puddings, and cheese and biscuits. Oh, not forgetting the smoked salmon "petits scoffs" that we had with the bubbly while the meal was cooking. So that'd be four out of six.
Listening to a friend
We had to break up the fun a little earlier than we might have otherwise because of the amount of snow the Fifers were going to have to deal with. I trundled along to Haymarket for the train and got on the express to Glasgow Queen Street only for it to be delayed by a train in difficulties ahead of it. However, we stopped at Linlithgow to pick up passengers from that train, and I then spent the rest of the journey chatting about bagpipes (well, mostly listening and asking questions) with a piper who was on his way to a Burns Supper (with pipes) and an ex-principal of Strathclyde University whose bagpipe connection was a college in southern Malaysia which has a thriving pipe band. The Dad kindly waited for me at our home station, knowing that I wouldn't relish the drive home from there in skiddy slush. The Kid, meanwhile, was building snowmen and igloos with her pals.
I'm glad to support the All Trials initiative, which is trying to get all results, including negative ones, of clinical trials published. Anyone who's interested can sign the petition here
I'm tired of what seems to be the prevalent view nowadays of humanity as destructive, as a plague on the planet, so I'm pleased when I find articles and outlooks which have a positive flavour instead of a negative one. Here is one that gives a new look to the statues on Easter Island – an alternative view that gives the Polynesian people who shifted those huge monoliths and who explored the Pacific credit for intelligence and innovation.
Judith O'Reilly, author of A Year of Doing Good, has challenged me to read the book. She hopes that my reading it will change my mind. You see, I told her that I tend to find first hand accounts of good deed-doing rather nauseating. I'm of the do it and say nothing brigade. The reviews say the book is well-written, so I'll enjoy that at least. Better get started on this challenge...
I'm waiting with increased excitement to hear about the birth of my second grandchild in early February. Grandson number one started at nursery school this month. Here he is, ready to go, and with his snowman.
As January draws to a close, the first snowdrops have opened on the boggy brae, along with some gorse flowers; daffodil shoots are pushing through the greening grass; a few buds of flowering currant have opened; birds are pairing up – robins, sparrows, great tits and bluetits, goldcrests. I'm hacking back the rhododendrons that block the view of the pond so that, come mid-February, I might spot the first frog activity.
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