Miscellany

Before I leave the subject of Mull behind I meant to show you my photo of a picture of the house I stayed in, taken around 1900.   I asked my landlady if she knew who the two people were, but she didn’t, so, on Thursday when I was in  Register House in Edinburgh doing some family history research, I looked up a couple of census records.  In 1891 there were two – large – families living at No.3, but in 1901 there was a young district nurse, Janet from Falkirk, lodging with an older woman, Mary, a widow.  The census even gives that Mary spoke Gaelic and English.  Could these be Janet and Mary in the picture?  I like to think so!  Another time when I go back to Register House I might research them some more, just out of curiosity.

So, this week has been full, so what to tell you first. Pope  Benedict XVI was in Edinburgh on Thursday too, and was driven along Princes Street in the Popemobile on his way to lunch with the local Cardinal.  He’d have gone past Register House, but I didn’t go out to see him.  I was meeting a cousin from Dundee for lunch so didn’t want to lose precious research time! There were plenty of people out there though, using the front steps of the building as a vantage point.   

I’ve been picking apples in my garden this week!  When I got back from Mull I found branches of the tree just about bent double, weighted down by  the fruit and blown by the strong winds .  The apples are beautiful and they taste wonderful as eaters or cookers!  I anticipate a few apple crumbles or apple fools over the winter!

Then I saw this Peacock butterfly taking a rest in the garden.  His colours and markings are quite spectacular.  Isn’t nature wonderful!

 

 

I promised Mary a few photos of my new car!  What do you think Mary?

 

 

 

I like the one below!  Can you see the face?  Two eyes, nose, big grinning mouth, even two little ears!  It’s a nice car to drive on the whole, though I have one or two – no, three – little niggles about it.  I’m thinking of writing to Peugeot to point them out as I think they could be fixed quite easily in another model, and they would really make a big difference!!!!

Talking of faces….. here’s another one….. a tree that reminds me of Homer Simpson!  Morag and I went to Selkirk for a run out in the car and after we’d had lunch and browsed some shops she brought me to what I think is Selkirk’s best kept secret! 

It’s an old estate that was left to the town when the man who lived in the “Big House” died recently.  The Homer tree was one we encountered on our walk round the loch.. 

Unfortunately the old Palladian mansion itself, dated MDXXCXV 1795 , is in a very bad state of repair, so I do hope something can be done to save it from ruin! 

 

  

 

The back of the house overlooks the loch we walked round.  It is so gorgeous!  (This photo is courtesy of luckybri, and can be found on flickr.com)  The rest are mine.   There aren’t many spots where you can see right out onto the loch, but I liked the reeds and leaves around the edges, with the sun shining through.  

 

 

 

 

The leaves are subtly beginning  to change colour now and I think we may have a very colourful lead up to winter in due course.  Not that I like to think of winter right now!   I’m still wondering where summer went?  I suppose there are remnants of it still, if you look hard.

 These were taken yesterday when Linda and I went out for a run in the car.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a little warmth in the air, but the air was clear and the sun bright!  This picture is looking over to Edinburgh late in the afternoon, with Arthur Seat prominent in the centre.  The sun was shining there, but nearer us were the sun’s rays streaming down through the clouds.  It was very beautiful.

Talk again soon.