June News

June is a garden month, as my previous posts this month have shown. Since we have so many at the boggy brae, I'm trying to learn a bit more about mosses, lichens and grasses. So far I think we have at least seven kinds of fern and at least six kinds of grass (definitely more as there are several I haven't identified). So far also, I found out the names of three lichens and the commonest moss. I've a bit to go! Photos will follow anon in other posts. I have been a bit shocked to find that some of my photos that I use for identification purposes are better than the ones in the books.

Because of being away one weekend and roof and heating work being done where we've been shooting over the winter, I've done rather less archery practice than usual this month. When it's fine enough to be outside, there is always masses of garden work (and exploring!) to do so archery goes on the back burner. The midges have come out in force after a delayed start but I've now got a midge jacket so should be able to work outside for longer without getting midged out of my mind! Little She Bear's neighbour gave her one that had belonged to her late husband and LSB showed it to me. I went on an online search for them the next day! They cover your torso, arms and head, including your face. All I need now is midge gloves! I suppose any old gloves would do.

I had two school visits: one to teach first aid to P7 kids with a Rotary colleague, and one at a different primary school to lend a hand at an archery morning taster session, again for the oldest kids in P6 and P7. The first aid sessions are our Rotary club's support for the British Heart Foundation's "Heartstart" programme. Between us we did twenty-one sessions this academic year, mainly in primary schools. The archery is via the archery club to which Toad and I belong. I offered to help club member, "Mosspocket", with his school sessions and now I find my name is down to go on the next Level 1 ArcheryGB Coaching course! This in spite of my unconventional ('hunting') style of shooting. Well, so long as I can teach others the conventional style, it'll be allright. 

Carnegie Medal Winners

I decided to read the Carnegie Medal winning books that I haven't read yet, starting from the bottom of the list and working up it. The order may depend on what I can get hold of too! I started with this:

1939 The Radium Woman by Eleanor Doorly

22 June 2013 Started reading this with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc alongside. Commented to Mr Toad: "Just right, this wine – the first sip makes you think of gooseberries and smoked mackerel (to eat with it), but then the gooseberries mellow. Mmmm."

He, sipping a Côtes du Rhône, says: "This one is cherry, with just a hint of grape." [Get your eye-twinkling, dry humour gene switched on!]
Admission of ignorance: I didn't know Marie Curie was Polish. Neither did Mr Toad.

Visited Dumbarton Castle with Friends

I blogged about that here.

Where we found swallows' nests in the powder magazine:

and Argyll and Dunbartonshire insignia:

The Argyll boar and the Dunbartonshire wildcat

 

Met a friend for lunch in Inverary

We had soup first (plus lots of chat) and then...

creme brulee and almond wafer

raspberry pavlova

Pals, Loch Fyne, and bluebell hillsides (right background)

Pals and boats

A couple of weeks later I visited the same pal at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital where she was having some surgery. The hospital is huge and is in lots of different buildings. I had no idea where to find the right ward so I walked into the Neurology Department and asked. After a fun visit I lost my way coming out of the hospital grounds and had to stop and ask the way again (so what's new?). Once I'm on the right track for the Erskine Bridge I can find my way home from there... heading for the hills!

Visited grandkids in Derbyshire

Howie at three and a half months

Howie with gran

Manny chillling

Family shot

Archery Prattle

At an archery practice session, Toad referred to some of his arrows as "alis" – that's an abbreviation for 'aluminiums'. Then he referred to his "carbs". To someone not familiar with archery jargon, this might seem a non sequitur, but he was referring to his arrows made of carbon fibre. It occurred to me then that since so many people apparently confuse the element carbon with carbon dioxide, that here was another mischievously fudge-like term, especially considering the use of the 'word' carbs for foods containing a lot of carbohydrates.

Fudge and confusion apart, the thing about so-called carbon arrows, which are usually a fine gauge aluminium tube wrapped in carbon fibre (though I believe there do exist pure carbon arrows), is that they can be both smaller in diameter than aluminium or wooden arrows and stronger at the same time. For some traditional archery, using longbow or barebow only, carbon arrows are not allowed.

There, you needed to know that stuff. It's to add to your pub quiz knowledge. Shove it on your odd facts brain shelf and keep it well-dusted for use when needed.

..... then again, with dust might be just as good