Summer idyll

I've had more luck today with the 'I-only-want-this-particular book' folk and have been able to fulfill four requests. Even the internet order was sittng obligingly obviously in the correct place on the shelves. The heavens have turned, the conjunctions shifted. At least momentarily.

In fact I'm surprised to have any custom at all as the sun is shining quite ferociously. Last week we shivered this week we fry. That is SO Scotland.

I took my grandson up to the riding stable and walked with him through what felt like several acres of fields and woods to catch his pony. She is a very lucky mare. She can wander at will through a web of paths between rocks, along steep banks lined with gnarled, lichen covered trees (excellent for scratching against.) These banks run down to the river Findhorn and to a grassy meadow (not too rich, one has to think of ones' figure and the horrible tendency that overfed ponies have for laminitis, a very painful swelling of the feet.) She and her companions graze hidden, far from roads or human eye. We saw two baby deer with their mother on the way down. They stared, quite unfrightened by us. Star was understandably reluctant to leave this idyll but is a good girl and knows her job so agreed to be haltered and led by her proud little owner back up the hills with me puffing along behind, cursing my open-toed sandals (I hadn't anticipated this treat) slipping into the boggy bits, stumbling ungracefully over th rocky bits. As we passed fields where the more difficult personalities are kept (those who don't quite understand that winter feed has to be earned by a bit of human contact and by allowing their owners to do daft things with them) Star paused for a gossip, indulging in a spot of rebellion and ignoring Sandy's exhortations to 'walk on.' It gave me a chance to catch up.

There has to be a balance even in Paradise and in horsy Paradise it is flies and midges. I was quite glad to escape. Some of the horses are wearing fitted facial midge nets which look like the armour worn by jousting horses. I think Star will be asking for one for Sandy's birthday.

Now I am back at my post. I'm told it is really hot out there on the High Street. The good thing about stone buildings is the slow change in temperature. They don't loose heat to the outside fast nor do they absorb heat readily. The Red Cross shop has its air conditioning on. I can feel smugly ecological in here.