North Fife

Boeing CH-47 Chinook North Fife

2012-01-29T20:00:00.005Z

Over the last couple of days the distinctive sound of approaching Chinook helicopters has reverberated over North Fife, in this instance one booming a thrump thrump thrump at about 250rpm, 50 miles an hour 300ft above and turning to a few degrees of due East, skirting Normans Law heading for Leuchars Airfield 9 miles to touchdown as the crow flies. Alerted by the sound there was plenty of time to gather up camera and wander outside to wait.

Approaching Chinook at Flisk.

Boeing CH-47 Chinook passing overhead.

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h) is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s. It is one of the few aircraft of that era, such as the C-130 Hercules and the UH-1 Iroquois, that is still in production and front line service with over 1,179 built to date. Its primary roles include troop movement, artillery emplacement and battlefield resupply. It has a wide loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage and three external-cargo hooks.

Enlarge the image. to visibly see squaddies watching the ground unfurl beneath from the open cargo bay, one standing, the other reclining with feet overhanging, I imagine it to be a wonderful experience, one I would love,us all playing I-spy.

River Tay January 27th 2012

2012-01-28T18:44:00.000Z

looking across the river Tay from Flisk to the misty carse of Gowrie.

Evening riverside Newburgh 27th January 2012

Still water on the Tay at Newburgh, powerful light.

Tayview 23rd January 2012 North Fife

2012-01-23T19:55:00.000Z

Tayview 23rd January 2012 North Fife, not as spectacular as some evenings but good to be in nevertheless.

Looking Eastwards with the sun behind, what a difference in light quality, back lit to the camera. Dundee with a cloud hovering over it. Maybe a sign.

Tayview January 23rd. Newburgh in shadow.

Beautiful high jet streaming horizontal clouds backdropping a more earthbound, dense lux tenebra hat over Newburgh North Fife.

100 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's: and Age-Related Memory Loss [Paperback]

2012-01-22T17:10:00.001Z

I don't know about you but I've reached that time of C.R.A.F.T moments and will be buying this publication.
Consider Buying now before you forget.

100 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's: and Age-Related Memory Loss [Paperback] By Jean Carper.

Product Description

If you drink apple juice with cinnamon, look after your gums, read, dance and take an aspirin a day - you are well on your way to preventing Alzheimer's disease.

When bestselling author Jean Carper discovered she had the Alzheimer's gene, she was determined to find out if there was anything she could do to help herself. In this book, she teaches readers how to take simple and effective steps to prevent Alzheimer's disease, providing the scientific rationale behind the tools in the book and detailing instructions on how readers can apply particular steps to their lives.

Based on the latest scientific findings and distilled into 100 short chapters, 100 Simple Things You Can do to Prevent Alzheimer's is full of surprising strategies for battling age-related memory loss, including drinking apple juice, taking care of your gums and even simply trying new things.

RRP: £10.99
Price: £7.69 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
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Click here to buy.100 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's: and Age-Related Memory Loss
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Bonnygate Cupar North Fife

2012-01-21T18:57:00.000Z

Bonnygate today in Cupar North Fife, cold but with a ray of sunshine bringing a wee bit of colour.

Newburgh North Fife; A Historic Trail

2012-01-17T22:31:00.001Z

Newburgh A Historic Trail' by L.K.Pinfold. It is probable that there has been a settlement or village on the present site from a much earlier period than the end of the 12th century but in 1266, because of the founding of Lindores Abbey, the village was renamed Newburgh and granted to the Abbot by King Alexander III.
This little guidebook gives a concise history of Newburgh, Fife and its traditions and has details and illustrations of all the interesting historical features to be found in the village today. It's amusing to think that the carved stone which serves now as a pub sign for the Bear Tavern was once above the door of the Abbot's chambers at Lindores Abbey and it shows how bad the reputation of the monks was at the time of the Reformation. The book is on sale in the two village charity shops and a portion of the price goes to support both the local community and cat rescue. If you would like a copy and can't come to Newburgh just click on this link.

North Fife Winter 16th January

2012-01-17T19:39:00.000Z

Even late in the day there was hoar frost over everything.

Late afternoon sky over Moonzie.

Driving onwards to Cupar the Sky colours became more and more intense demanding to be recorded.

About to set behind East Lomond.

The Man Diet: One woman's quest to end bad romance

2012-01-15T19:13:00.000Z

Single, foot loose and fancy free? Learn to become discerning, more satisfied and happy by applying The Man Diet.

The Man Diet: One woman's quest to end bad romance

Product Description

Be honest, How often do you:
Immediately check out the Facebook page of a guy you’ve just met?
Send drunken texts that make you want to cringe the next morning?
While away whole evenings analysing your love life with your mates?
Answered yes to any of the above? Then you need this book.

The single woman has never had it so good – or so you'd think. As Zoe Strimpel discovered, the reality can often be one of Junk Food Love, in other words: negative man-related experiences, corrosive man-obsessing thoughts and damaging man-related actions.

Determined to help her fellow single woman, Zoe put herself on The Man Diet: ten no-nonsense rules to stop you binging on bad romance and help you sort the wheat from the chaff – emotionally, sexually and romantically. This isn’t a book about snaring a man; it’s about treating yourself well while you’re single and putting you on the right track to happiness.

If you loved Caitlin Moran’s How to be a Woman and Grace Dent’s How to Leave Twitter, you will love this book.

Zoe Strimpel

RRP: £7.99
Price: £4.19 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.
Start the year on this positive diet, Buy here. The Man Diet: One woman's quest to end bad romance

The Earth Care Manual: A Permaculture Handbook for Britain and Other Temperate Climates

2012-01-14T23:46:00.000Z

The best way forward.

The Earth Care Manual: A Permaculture Handbook for Britain and Other Temperate Climates.
Review
The Earth Care Manual, put simply, is fantastic. It is what I have been waiting for for years, and it is what those of us in temperate climates have urgently needed. Patrick's considerable experience in the fields of woodlands and fruit growing shine through especially strongly, but the whole book is rich with vision and experience. What it offers is common sense solutions rooted in the culture and climate of these islands. This book is a clear and unarguable road map to where we need to go, an A-Z to sanity and common sense. Patrick has created a manual with which we can repair this beautiful jewel of a planet which we are fortunate enough to inhabit, and in so doing has given us a truly precious gift. --Rob Hopkins, Co-founder of the Transition Movement.

Product Description
Already hailed in the UK, Europe and America as definitive, The Earth Care Manual offers an inspirational yet practical vision of a sustainable future invaluable to those new to the subject as well as to the experienced practitioner. Permaculture started in the 1970s as a sustainable alternative to modern industrial agriculture, taking its inspiration from natural ecosystems. It placed an emphasis on gardening but since then, expanding on its principles, it now includes many other aspects, from building and community design to energy use. It is an interconnecting framework which links a diversity of green ideas. Its aims are a low input, high output efficient use of resources and genuine sustainability. The Earth Care Manual gives a vision of a sustainable future and the practical steps we can take towards it, both large and small, urban and rural. The book defines permaculture and places it in the context of the green movement. Written by Patrick Whitefield, one of Europe s foremost teachers and practitioners of temperate permaculture, it explains in depth how to apply permaculture to any situation, from the smallest of buildings or apartments, to houses, gardens, orchards, farms and woodlands. It covers subjects vital to sustainability including food, energy, water, microclimate and shelter.
RRP: £39.95
Price: £32.96 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
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Climb on board and buy here. The Earth Care Manual: A Permaculture Handbook for Britain and Other Temperate Climates: A Permaculture Handbook for Britain and Other Temperate Countries
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River Tay sky 13th January 2012 North Fife

2012-01-14T20:36:00.000Z

Beautiful subtle skies over the river Tay Valley North Fife January 23th 2012

And the sun finally set.

Tayview Sunset January 8th 2012

2012-01-09T20:39:00.001Z

Yesterday views from my home became immersed in a deep red light, really intense, that caused me to scurry outside and view, as always it quickly changes amazingly no less than four other people had stopped in their cars to enjoy in awe of the spectacular phenomena.

Tayview Sunset January 8th 2012.

The river Tay January 8th These Photographs are in sequence and show the ever quickly changing light.

Tay Sky from Flisk North Fife.

The above were just a few of the photographs taken all and any on this Blog can be purchased as archive quality giclee prints up to A2+.

A Bigger Message Conversations with David Hockney

2012-01-08T16:43:00.000Z

David Hockney, OM, CH, RA, (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer, who is based in Bridlington, Yorkshire and Kensington, London.

An important contributor to the Pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the twentieth century.

A Bigger Message Conversations with David Hockney
Review
`There is much to be enjoyed in - and much to be discovered from - this book...you will find out much else behind Hockney's extraordinarily voracious appetite for reinvention and self-scrutiny'
--Art Quarterly

`I devoured this from cover to cover and can highly recommend it, because much like Gayford's other recent book on Lucian Freud (Man with a Blue Scarf) the conversational flow leads the reader to many other ideas around and beyond its subject'
--The Bookseller

'Part anecdote, part diary, part essay, part biography, it's a shot in the arm for all painters and a must-read for all who want a sound and stimulating introduction to the great challenges of any artist that are both timeless and pertinent' --James Hanley, The Irish Times

`Beautifully illustrated (and very fairly priced) ... This man is blessed with great gifts, and he shares them with great generosity' --Margaret Drabble, The Guardian

`A must read for fans everywhere of the straight-talking Yorkshireman' --The Daily Express

`Elegantly and simply written ... full not only of good-quality reproductions of Hockney's paintings, but characterful photos of the artist at work' --The Observer

'A remarkable picture of Britain's greatest living artist'
--The Daily Telegraph

`Martin Gayford has an exceptional ability to get artists to open up to him. His new book... offers a fascinating self-portrait of the artist (Hockney) in the words and ideas of a painter who, for the last 60 years, has consistently reinvented the art of representing the world.' --RA magazine

In this remarkable book, a record of a decade of private conversations with art critic Martin Gayford, David Hockney reveals via reflection, anecdote, passion and humour the fruits of his lifelong meditations on the problems and paradoxes of representing a three-dimensional world on a flat surface. These conversations are punctuated by wise and witty observations from both parties on numerous other artists, and enlivened by shrewd insights into the contrasting social and physical landscapes of California, where Hockney spent so many years, and Yorkshire, the birthplace to which he has returned. Some of the diverse people he has encountered along the way from Henri Cartier-Bresson to Billy Wilder make entertaining entries into the dialogue.
RRP: £18.95
Price: £12.78 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime

A must for any art lover or Artist, Click here to buy now. A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney

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Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed [Paperback]

2012-01-04T19:35:00.000Z

We are all living in extraordinary times of turmoil and change, Paul Mason writes brilliantly on the subject.

Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed [Paperback]
Meltdown is a gripping account of the financial collapse that destroyed the West's investment banks, brought the global economy to its knees, and undermined three decades of neoliberal orthodoxy. Covering the development of the crisis from the economic front line, Paul Mason explores the roots of the US and UK's financial hubris, documenting the real-world causes and consequences from the Ford factory, to Wall Street, to the City of London. In this fully updated new edition, he recounts how the credit crunch became a full-blown financial crisis, and explores the impact of this development on capitalist ideology and politics.
Reviews
A page-turning account Mason is refreshingly clear-eyed and angry. --Will Hutton, Guardian

What people need is a reliable guide to the financial crisis Meltdown is the book they are looking for. --John Gray, New Statesman

Excellent. Evening Standard 'A lucid and sharply polemical account.' --Oliver Kamm, The Times

RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.89 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
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Buy here. Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed

As a consequence of the gross inequalities thrown up by capitalist greed, the suffering that has been created world wide it's no surprise that reactions are taking place aided by information technology and the ease that we the oppressed can communicate effectively with common purpose.

Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions
Our world is changing dramatically. The global economic crisis has given way to social crisis: corrupt and dictatorial politics enmeshed with a global financial elite - and an ever-widening gulf between the haves and have-nots. In 2011 this profound disconnect found expression in events that we were told had been consigned to history: revolt and revolution. In this compelling new book, Paul Mason sets out to explore the causes and consequences of this new wave of struggle. From London to Cairo, Wisconsin to Tehran, he charts the new forms of collective action: fluid networks of agile, Twitter- and Facebook-savvy networks of youthful protesters who understand how power works. The events, says Mason, reflect the expanding power of the individual and call for new ways of thinking about political alternatives, elite rule and global poverty.

RRP: £12.99
Price: £9.58 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
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This book will be published later this January, it can be pre-ordered here. Why It's Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions

Oddfellows Parade Newburgh North Fife

2012-01-01T20:04:00.001Z

Emerging from The Steeple, Newburgh High Street, North Fife. An annual event to raise funds for the elderly in Newburgh. The high street is closed for the duration which is about an hour. The
Order Oddfellows was first constituted early in the nineteenth century and has evolved to become The Caledonian Friendly Lodge of Oddfellows. The order is steeped in secret symbolism and one would have to become a member to find out. The photos below are in order of taking, it rained, sometimes it snows and other years its been really cold. Stops occur along the way to share in a dram or two as can be seen.

A horse is always part of the Parade.

Returning to the starting point.

Processing back into The Steeple.

The chest that contains symbolic elements.

Staffs put to rest for another year.

They're not called Oddfellows for nothing.
In between these photos I shot HD video only to find my antiquated PC incapable of handling the giant file sizes. To follow at a later date.

Sea Fishing

2012-01-01T11:01:00.000Z

There are few finer foods than really fresh fish and by fresh I mean just caught. It's a different league of foods and once experienced it's hard to be satisfied with shop bought specimens. Tune into your hunter/gatherer instincts and benefit.

Sea Fishing. From renowned fishing expert Nick Fisher comes this concise and beautifully illustrated guide to fishing along British coastline. All that's needed is a beach, pier, harbour, estuary or boat. Nick covers all the basics, such as when and where to go fishing, and then profiles the sea fish that you are likely to catch (each one clearly photographed), covering their conservation status, season, habitat and method of catching. Next he gets down to the nitty gritty, with a guide to tackles, rods, reeds, rigs, knots and bait, and step-by-step advice on all the sea fishing techniques. And for once you’ve made your catch, there are 30 delicious recipes from River Cottage.
Sea Fishing (River Cottage Handbook) [Hardcover]
Nick Fisher (Author)
RRP: £14.99
Price: £10.42 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
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Click to buy now. Sea Fishing (River Cottage Handbook)
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New Year North Fife

2012-01-01T00:25:00.001Z

Happy New Year

Be well

and loving to all

It's the best way

Tayview 28th December North Fife

2011-12-28T20:01:00.000Z

Tayview 28th December, a stormy winter sky above white horses on The River Tay.

Polythene sheeting blowing in the wind caught on wire fencing, what can't be seen is the flapping noise. Apart from flying debris noise is the most disturbing aspect of high wind speeds.

Winter Solstice North Fife

2011-12-22T23:48:00.002Z

The winter solstice, marked and heralded for thousands of years by many cultures, a turning point, a pivotal moment.
The December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, it is when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. Depending on the Gregorian calendar, the December solstice occurs annually on a day between December 20 and December 23. On this date, all places above a latitude of 66.5 degrees north (Arctic Polar Circle) are now in darkness, while locations below a latitude of 66.5 degrees south (Antarctic Polar Circle) receive 24 hours of daylight. I'm so glad the tide has turned as it were, from now for 6 months the light increases.

Many prophecies about the end of the world surround this date because it corresponds to the last day of the Mayan calendar. The 2012 December solstice will be on December 21, 2012, which gives us all just one more year if the Mayans are right, time will tell and it's Christmas too so rejoice, eat, drink and be happy for tomorrow.........who knows.
The Mayans had a view described in the book below.

Mayan End Age 12-21-2012

Mayan calender
Mayan Calender "An Apocalypse (Greek: “lifting of the veil” or “revelation”) is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, ie. the veil to be lifted." — Wikipedia

"Both the Hopis and Mayans recognize that we are approaching the end of a World Age... In both cases, however, the Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an end. Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age into another. The message they give concerns our making a choice of how we enter the future ahead. Our moving through with either resistance or acceptance will determine whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or gradual peace and tranquility. The same theme can be found reflected in the prophecies of many other Native American visionaries from Black Elk to Sun Bear."
— Joseph Robert Jochman

The mysterious Serpent Mound in the Ohio Valley is a masterpiece of prehistoric architecture. Its enormous size alone inspires awe and reverence. Even deeper meanings may be hidden in the dimensions and lost functions of this ancient religious structure. Researcher Ross Hamilton has uncovered multiple layers of secrets hidden within the earthworks of the Serpent Mound, and his discoveries contribute to a new understanding of prehistoric spiritual science and engineering.

Mystery of the Serpent Mound [Paperback]
RRP: £27.00
Price: £24.30 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
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Usually dispatched within 2 to 4 weeks.
A rare book and worth the wait.

Mystery of the Serpent Mound

15th December North Fife Frost

2011-12-22T21:32:00.000Z

Frost 15th December, yes it was that cold, such a varied month, unfortunately I'm in the midst of installing a new stove and radiators and when it's cold we all really know about it.

amazing patterns on the windows.

Brrrrr.

By the 21st December some warmth had returned giving misty conditions here at Pittachope farm viewing Graigsimmie and below a pheasant takes a casual stroll.

2011-12-21T22:04:00.000Z

Tayview 6th dec amidst the storm a ray of light descends on Errol across the Tay and some storm it was, our greenhouse is no longer, many objects have vaulted fences and one just has to shrug one's shoulders, tis only the wind.

Much quieter now on the 10th with wonderful high streaky clouds,

Deep Fried Butter Balls, The Fiddlers Elbow

2011-12-20T19:15:00.001Z

I was checking the BBC website today and came across this, well what can one say, heart attack in a bowl or wow, fantastic, each to our own. I'm sure though The Fiddler's Elbow is worth a visit for a good time out.

Deep fried butter balls. Just the butter without the Irn Bru batter.

An Edinburgh bar has put a calorific treat to rival the deep fried Mars Bar on its menu - deep fried butter balls.
The snack, already popular in the US, has been given a Scottish twist as it is cooked in Irn Bru batter.
The Fiddler's Elbow, in Picardy Place, is serving the pudding for what is thought to be the first time in Scotland.
The sticky dessert, called Braveheart Butter Bombs, is served with an Irn Bru ice cream and coulis.
A variation featuring deep fried whisky instead of Irn Bru will also be offered.
While critics have dubbed deep-fried butter a "coronary on a plate", the chefs said it should be all right in moderation.
Freezing balls
The dishes have been devised by Simon Robertson, The Fiddler's Elbow head chef, with the help of Paul Fitchie, a former chef with Harvey Nichols.
Mr Robertson said: "We thought we would add a bit of fun to our menu of Scottish dishes and it's really got people talking.
"Some folk are saying it's a heart attack on a plate and, okay, it's not exactly health food but as long as you're not having it every day it shouldn't be any problem."
The dessert is made by freezing balls of butter before dipping them in batter soaked with Irn Bru.
They are then submerged in hot oil until browned.
Oliver Scott, who runs The Fiddler's Elbow, said: "It might not be too nutritious but it's definitely delicious.
"We've been trying it out on volunteers who are loving it. It actually tastes lighter than you'd expect, it's a bit like eating a banana fritter but nicer and obviously a bit naughtier.
"We hope it will help cheer people up in a time of gloom.
"We know that when things are tough economically people like to treat themselves to a little comfort food and this is the ultimate indulgence - so long as people don't overdo it."

Fiddlers Elbow is a 'shabby chic' hotel located in the heart of Edinburgh.
The rooms are designed with warmth and comfort in mind. Fiddlers Elbow has 4 double en-suite rooms all equipped with towels, toiletries, a TV and a fridge.
All rooms are quiet, comfortable and modern with an emphasis on calmness and relaxation. Special care has been taken to design each room with style and practicality in mind, to ensure your stay is pleasant and memorable.
We are less than 3 minutes walk from Princes Street, which is the perfect place to base your adventure of Edinburgh. Airport and transport links are also moments away.
The hotel boasts its very own pub, which hosts regular live folk music for those looking to enjoy themselves. And for those looking to relax can enjoy our home cinema downstairs, which is free for guests to use anytime.
Wa Wa Basement, a Chinese restaurant, is also available to guests looking to have a quick meal before getting out to explore what Edinburgh has to offer. We have also have a function room for those traveling on business or in groups. The restaurant and pub area, can seat up to 40 people.
There are several restaurants, a theatre, art galleries and shops in the local area, including on Raeburn Place, the Stockbridge area’s main commercial thoroughfare.

The Clay Cure Natural Healing from the Earth

2011-12-13T23:16:00.000Z

By Ran Knishinsky

I have taken Bentonite myself on and off for many years and have encouraged others to ingest it too. The health benefits are quite extraordinary, it really works.

Clay Cure: Natural Healing from the Earth [Paperback]

An exceptional source of minerals, clay has been ingested as a nutritional supplement and detoxifier throughout the world for thousands of years. The Clay Cure reveals the benefits of trusting that ancient wisdom and using clay powders, capsules, or liquid gels.

Naturally absorbent and extremely gentle on the system, clay can treat ailments affecting digestion, circulation, menstruation, and the liver, skin, and prostate. Clay also remedies symptoms of arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, gum diseases, and migraines. The Clay Cure contains complete and up-to-date information on choosing the appropriate type and form of clay, how and when to take it for your specific complaint, the science and history of clay eating, and the value of minerals contained in the many varieties of clay.

RAN KNISHINSKY has been eating clay for more than seven years. He is a writer and the owner of Health Wise, a homeopathic dispensary and health food store in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Clay Cure is the most scientific and up to date book, as the back cover says. Articles that have been reviewed for inclusion in the book are American Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Canadian Journal of Microbiology, National Geographic Research, and more.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject.

RRP: £9.99
Price: £8.99 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime

Click here to buy. Name Your Link
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The Book of Jewish Food

2011-12-07T23:25:00.000Z

It's coming up to Solstice / festive season, whatever your persuasion it's always good to taste and enjoy foods of different cultures.

Review
Claudia Roden, author of The Book of Jewish Food, has done more than simply compile a cookbook of Jewish recipes--she has produced a history of the Diaspora, told through its cuisine. The book's 800 recipes reflect many cultures and regions of the world, from the Jewish quarter of Cairo where Roden spent her childhood to the kitchens of Europe, Asia and the Americas. Both Ashkenazi and Sepharidic cooking are well represented here: hallah bread, bagels, blintzes and kugels give way to tabbouleh, falafel and succulent lamb with prunes, which are, in turn, succeeded by such fare as Ftut (Yemeni wedding soup) and Kahk (savoury bracelets).

Interwoven throughout the text are Roden's charming asides--the history of certain foods, definitions (Kaimak, for instance, is the cream that rises to the top when buffalo milk is simmered) and ways of preparing everything from an eggplant to a quince. In addition, Roden tells you everything you've ever wanted to know about Jewish dietary laws, what the ancient Hebrews ate and the various holidays and festivals on the Jewish calendar. Detailed sections on Jewish history are beautifully illustrated with archival photographs of families, towns and, of course, food. The Book of Jewish Food is one that any serious cook--Jewish and non-Jewish alike--would gladly have (and use often) in the kitchen. --Kyle Dean
Product Description
'No-one will ever produce a richer, or more satisfying feast of the Jewish experience.' - Simon Schama 'One can't imagine a better food book than this, ever: for the reader and the cook.' - Nigella Lawson, Vogue 'THE BOOK OF JEWISH FOOD deserves its definitive article. It should stand as the book for many years... It is not likely to be surpassed.' - The Telegraph 'Manna from Heaven.' - Independent on Sunday
RRP: £25.00
Price: £16.72 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
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Go on, treat yourself and others and click here to by now. Name Your Link
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Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon

2011-12-07T22:07:00.001Z

Claudia Broden's book Arabesque A Taste of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon [Hardcover]. A fantastic book of recipes and method.
In this enchanting book, Claudia Roden returns to the countries of Turkey, Lebanon and Morocco in search of new and old recipes and to find out how cooking has evolved since she first introduced us to these cuisines in the 1960s. The result is a tribute to the different culinary histories and contemporary food of these fascinating countries, from the mezze dishes of Turkey and the sweet pastries of Lebanon to the unmistakable flavours and spices of Morocco. In her inimitable style, Claudia Roden has created a passionate, evocative book full of stories, memories and delicious food.
It's always nice to shift the palate into another realm of tastes and balance. Food cooked with full attention and love, what a lovely gift to diners.

A good book if you like to cook and enjoy. Click to buy now:-Name Your Link

RRP: £30.00
Price: £20.52 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
You Save: £9.48 (32%)

Leopard Slug North Fife

2011-11-28T20:26:00.000Z

Leopard Slug (Limax Maximus)is one of the largest kinds of keeled air-breathing land slug in the world, adults can grow to be 20cm long. This one comes out at night and browses the kitchen for vegetable scraps.

Tayview 22November North Fife

2011-11-23T23:10:00.000Z

Yesterdays Tayview, this was late afternoon on my way to Newburgh, nearly everyday there's a wow sky I find them hard to resist recording, lovely colour.

November Flowers North Fife

2011-11-19T21:22:00.000Z

We're heading into winter, the days are dull and over-cast and yet little sparks of flowering growth exist along the roadside.

Spider North Fife

2011-11-17T20:06:00.000Z

Spider North Fife, this one lives in the workroom and has done for at least 4 years. He/she has a leg span of about 6cms, down its funnel hangs a golf ball size cluster of assorted insects all nicely wrapped up in web. Not visible during the daytime so last night I took a gander, about a year ago I removed the web platform, not nice really though it has now been replaced and extends to over 90cms. I abhor killing of any kind, the house is largely insect free though arachnid rich.
Click on the image to enjoy its hairy legs.

Tayview November 12th North Fife

2011-11-12T20:58:00.000Z

Tayview November 12th 2011 North Fife. A sunny and placid day as reflected in the still River Tay waters.

Subtle sky over Newburgh and The River Tay.

Lesley A Young, Artist Newburgh North Fife

2011-11-12T20:02:00.002Z

Llotja Llaut Llum:[Box Boat Light]: An Exhibition in The steeple, 67 High Street, Newburgh North Fife.
Lesley's initial design training was at Glasgow School of Art and she subsequently studied Textile Art. She now works as a visual artist in a variety of media including film, photography and fabrics. Lesley produces work for exhibition and sale and is happy to accept commissions.

Lesley A young.

Lesley says " There is something sad and melancholic about a boat that has reached the end of its working life. The fishing boats I photographed in Majorca-known as llauts-had been abandoned on the land and left to decompose and decay. There is a rich beauty in this process-think about autumn, about the dying of the light creating all those colours. But for these boats there would be no spring, yet they have taken on new role as inspirational material for artists; they are still objects of beauty and worth.

None of the images have been retouched-they are exactly as the camera took them. I chose to use a low resolution camera, being more interested in capturing colours and textures. I was drawn to the beauty in the detail and the effect of UV light on the subjects.

I chose to hold this exhibition in Newburgh as it too has a history of using small boats for fishing.

The exhibition includes 28 images of Majorcan llauts also incorporated into a short film accompanied by an evocative piece of music which plays throughout."

Installation.

Lesley's website.
email. lesleyayoung@hotmail.co.uk

The exhibition will be shortly on show at The Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther.

Sunset Newburgh November 4th

2011-11-04T19:31:00.000Z

Another of those plain and overcast days that comes alive with the rich evening sky.

Top Park Newburgh emblazoned by the colourful sky.

Setting sun riverside Newburgh North Fife, wonderful still conditions after a sprinkle of rain.

Looking inland over Newburgh into Perthshire, you maybe will be able to see the array of wind turbines on the horizon.

River Tay sunset November 1st 2011

2011-11-02T20:22:00.000Z

River Tay sunset November 1st 2011.A great day warm with plenty of late sunshine.

Halloween October 31st 2011

2011-10-31T20:02:00.000Z

Halloween as celebrated in the Co-op store Newburgh, North Fife. A fun day taken with much enthusiasm as click last year here with the spirits.

The Devilish Elenor.

With her tail between her legs.

Customers get served along the way.

Another event is Valentines Day Feb 14th, imagine bunches of Mistletoe hung strategically throughout the store, a local snog-in much loved by all.

Skies over the River Tay North Fife Oct 25th

2011-10-26T18:06:00.000Z

Another wonderful sky over the River Tay North Fife.

Closer in over Newburgh.

SS1 four seat tourer

2011-10-22T20:40:00.003Z

SS1 a much loved heap in my misspent youth. SS Cars Ltd was a British car maker. It grew out of the Swallow Sidecar Company and was first registered under the new name in 1934. The first of the SS range of cars available to the public was the 1932 SSI with 2 or 2½-litre side-valve, six-cylinder engine and the SSII with a four-cylinder 1-litre side-valve engine. Initially available as coupé or tourer a saloon was added in 1934 when the chassis was modified to be 2 inches (50 mm) wider. I owned an SS2 before the SS1, quite primitive compared to modern cars and even in my ownership I felt the need to upgrade the engines, the SS2 gained a OHV engine out of a Triumph Renown which mated the original Standard gearbox. The SS1 tourer first acquired twin SU carburetters instead of R.A.G. with ram pipes and then a 3-1/2 litre engine from a Jaguar Mark V, the staggering thing was that all the different engines Triumph, Standard and Jaguar fitted the same 4 speed gearbox. Making them faster was one thing, getting them to stop with the Bendix cable drum brakes was another. As a consequence body rebuilds were required from time to time.

SS1 Coupe lanquishing in a restoration workshop in need of a new camshaft.

Inner page of the handbook, rather scruffy I know. oily fingers. Below a couple of pages showing the engine sizes, HP and other data. Even in its day comments were that the cars were more show than go hence the need to upgrade the power in the cars I owned.

At the time of ownership, in retrospect I behaved like a wee boy racer and poser, windscreen down with only the little aero-screens, deerstalker hat driving like a man possessed in a car already 30 years old. Cars of that time came with a tool kit and the hand book instructed how to service and people did. Not many would adjust tappets, decoke, replace big end bearings, grease various nipples and the like these days. No need of course.

Snails Upper Flisk

2011-10-22T19:09:00.000Z

Snail, one of the few left in the garden, out for its night-time browse. They are a much loved delicacy for our ducks.

Solar Panels Electricity for Free North Fife

2011-10-18T22:57:00.002Z

It seems too good to be true but it's true. Under the European and Government scheme whereby anyone can benefit by installing PV panels, 'cash back scheme' indexed linked and guaranteed for 25 years.. I've had 6 different companies present themselves to promote their services. The quotes have ranged from £17,000 all for similar installations even Tesco with loads of card points. G&S Ltd won hands down with a quote of under £11,000 including the desktop device and distribution board/fuse box. I have no hesitation in recommending them to you.

Job start, scaffold tower erected, electrician busy constructing appliance boards.

Stuart hard at it.

Stuart Wilson, the man.

The solar panels being readied for placement.

Steady as you go. Sure footed and confident the panels are carried into place.

Work in progress, in turn the panels are securely clamped in place.

The last panel of 16 capable of generating 3.92 kilowatts of electricity. 4 kilowatts being the maximum allowable under the domestic feed in tariff scheme which stands at 43.3 pence per kilowatt, indexed linked, in April this will be increased by 5.2%. Tax free and guaranteed for 25 years.

Robert Garden and James McGraw expert and efficient fitters of the solar PV panels.

In the roof space sits the inverter that changes DC current into alternating suitable for feed into the grid and home appliances.

The meter board. G&S Ltd replaced my distribution/fuse box for free and also provided a desktop monitor which shows in real time how much energy is being produced, how much carbon is being saved and how much income is being made.

Desktop monitor, photo taken earlier today, not the sunniest of days but on checking now we have earned £5-29 from 12.238 KWh and saved 6.241 Kg of Co and run the washing machine several times for free today.

It's a win win situation. Click here to win as well. When you contact mention this blog.

Jamie's Great Britain

2011-10-11T19:06:00.000Z

Jamie's Great Britain

Celebrating Britain’s very best food. Inspirational guide to home cooking by Jamie Oliver.

Jamie grew up in one of the first true British “gastropubs”, which his Mum and Dad still run today. For him, the heart and soul of real British cooking is food that puts a smile on your face. And that’s what he wants to share in the new book: the essence of British food, done properly.

Over the years, British food culture has embraced flavours and influences from all the people who came and made Great Britain their home. The food reflects an open-minded culture as well as the country’s beauty. There are over 100 of Jamie’s favourite recipes: some are indisputable classics, some are his versions of the classics, some should be classics but just haven’t been made famous yet and others he’s made up from the great bounty of British produce.

Wherever you’re from, if you love food this book will offer you a little taste of happiness.

Jamie's Great Britain. A wonderful present to oneself and others.
Hardcover for the price of paperback, one third of the Recommended Retail Price.

RRP:£30.00
Price: £10.00 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
You Save: £20.00 (67%)

Look further and buy.Jamie's Great Britain

Sky River Tay North Fife October 5th 2011

2011-10-06T19:34:00.001Z

Another colourful sky over the River Tay North Fife 5th October 2011.

Meanwhile as the sun set, out into the garden to harvest vegetables for the evening meal. Apart from the salad we had carrots and I don't know what it is in this particular part of the plot but these headless little people present themselves, just as tasty though. Could even be a bit of protein in there.

Tayview North Fife October 2nd 2011

2011-10-02T19:53:00.002Z

Whilst England basked in another day of record breaking temperatures and sunshine here in North Fife it has rained heavily with following drizzle and mist. Then gaps appeared.

Then the sun came out. It seems all the seed crop harvests are in, just in time. Only the potatoes left.

Tayview 2nd October 2011, pleasantly warm and still.

Rapeseed Harvest North Fife 2011

2011-09-30T18:55:00.000Z

Harvesting rapeseed, at last a spell of warm drying weather, the harvesting of seed crops this year has been touch and go and a good month later than usual. Combining was close to the ground and taken slowly to ensure maximum collection of seed.

Later in the evening a wander down by the riverside Newburgh North Fife. Fantastic light.

Ducks North Fife September 2011

2011-09-27T20:24:00.000Z

Ducks hiding from a raptor, locally we have kestrels, sparrow hawks, buzzards and latterly sea eagles passing by hunting. Our Orpingtons cockerel keeps watch and alerts the poultry of potential danger. Here they are taking cover.

Ducks emerging from the danger and feeding.

Sunset River Tay September 24th North Fife

2011-09-25T19:40:00.000Z

First photograph taken on my Nikon D7000, similar view, different sky form of course to pics taken on a Nikon D90 in the past. If you have a mind to, please comment.

Sunset September 24th the River Tay North Fife

Borage Oil Cream Treatments

2011-09-20T21:15:00.000Z

Borage Oil is one of those herbal remedies that really work, is safe to use even on babies for a wide range of conditions. If you have a need then look no further than the linked site below, I think you will be happy you found it.

Borage flowers also known as starflower is now grown worldwide for its medicinal powers in fact you could grow yourself, the flowers and leaves are edible to good effect. Oil is obtained by cold pressing, huge amounts are needed, this can be done at home or to save oneself, ready prepared products can be purchased from much acclaimed Rosie Laing Herbal Preparations.

Rosie Laing first created Borage seed oil products in 1992. These products dealt mainly with negative skin conditions.
In 1994 she was awarded the John Logie-Baird Award for Innovation, having created a "profoundly effective cure for major skin problems," increasingly prescribed by GPs.
A wide range of benefits have been discovered across the world by scientists and naturopaths alike.
There is a growing awareness that many illnesses can be treated in a more holistic manner, looking at the whole being and his or her environment to find solutions. A significant cause of many of today's ills is insufficient dietary linoleic acid in the diet. Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) is manufactured by the body from dietary linoleic acid which should be readily available in a natural varied diet, but it is now sadly inhibited by the use of pesticides, preservatives etc.
Borage acts as a restorative agent on the adrenal cortex, which means it will revive and renew the the adrenal glands after medical treatment with cortisone or steriods. This why it is so effective in cases of asthma and allergic reactions,especially after immunisation in young infants where an epidemic of
asthma and eczema have become the norm, because of the shock to their immature adrenals.
Borage and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) Borage seed oil, nature's most potent source of GLA - up to 24%, when found in oils and toiletries rapidly promotes the following benefits:
Reduction of swelling in joints, especially in arthritis and rheumatism
Strengthening of the immune system
Reduction of water retention
Reduction of allergic reactions
Reduction of inflammation in asthma and hay fever
Healing of skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis
Slowing of aging process by stimulating blood circulation and metabolism
Healing of sun damaged skin - including melanomas, effective natural sun block
Inhibits growth of cancerous tumours and cysts
Treats Alopecia
Increases milk in lactating mothers
Published Research
Some examples of published research and sources:
Dermatitis (Eczema)
Transepidermal seborrhoeic dermatitis - By Toolesson and Frithz, Austria - Source: Acto-Derm-
Venereol, 1993 Feb; 73(1): 18-20
37 patients with clinically diagnosed infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis (ISD) were studied in an attempt to establish the significance of Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and water content in the stratum corneum, in active disease and after recovery. All the patients were treated daily with topically applied borage oil (containing 24% GLA). With this regimen they were completely free from all skin symptoms within 3 - 4 weeks. Analysis of essential fatty acids in serum showed aberrations as previously described , with elevated levels of 18:1w9 and 20:2w6. TEWL and water content were recorded at the time of diagnosis and after treatment from the right forearm in skin that was free from symptoms and not treated with borage oil. 25 healthy children in an age-matched group without skin disorder were
used as controls. Significant differences in TEWL between patients and controls were found before treatment. After treatment no significant differences between controls and patients were found. There were no significant differences between controls and patients regarding water content in the stratum corneum.
GLA is suggested to be of importance in maintaining normal TEL and also in promoting recovery in patients suffering from ISD.
Rheumatoid Arthritis A - 2328 - Levnthal LJ; Boyce EG; Zurier RB: - Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with GLA: see comments:: - Ann Intern Med: 119:9:867-73 (1993)OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical efficacy and side effects of GLA, a plant-seed-derived essential fatty acid that suppresses inflammation and joint tissue injury in animal models.
DESIGN: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 24 week trial.
SETTING: Rheumatology clinic of a university hospital.
PATIENTS: 37 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and active synovitis.
INTERVENTION: Treatment with 1.4g/d GLA in borage seed oil or cotton seed oil (placebo)
MEASUREMENTS: Physicians' and patients' global assessment of disease activity; joint tenderness, joint swelling, morning stiffness, grip strength, and ability to do daily activities.
RESULTS: Treatment with GLA resulted in clinically important reduction in the signs and symptoms of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (P<0.05). In contrast, patients given a placebo showed no change or showed worsening of disease. GLA reduced the number of tender joints by 36%, the tender joint score by 45%, swollen joint count by 28% and the swollen joint score by 41%, whereas the placebo group did not show significant improvement in any measure. Overall clinical responses (significant change in four measures) we also better in the treatment group (P<0.05). No patients withdrew from GLA treatment because of adverse reactions.
CONCLUSION: GLA doses used in this study is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for active rheumatoid arthritis. GLA is available world-wide as a component of evening primrose and borage seed oils. It is usually taken in far lower doses than used in the trial. It is not approved in the United States for the treatment of any condition and should not be viewed as therapy for any disease.
Further controlled studies of its use in rheumatoid arthritis are warranted.
CANCER
Cancer Lett 1995 Aug 1:94(2): 147-155
Local application of GLA in the treatment of human gliomas.
Das UN, Prasad VV, Reddy DR Department of Medicine, Nizam's Insitiute of Medical Sciences, Punjagutta, Hyderebad, India.
GLA (GLA) has been shown to have selective tumoricidal action both in vitro and in vivo. Earlier, in a limited clinical study, we have demonstrated the intra-tumoral administration of GLA can induce regression of human gliomas. In an extension of this study, we evaluated the effect of intracerebral injection of GLA on normal dog brain cells and in 15 patients with malignant gliomas.
Histopathological examination revealed that GLA is not cytotoxic to the normal dog brain cells. Administration of 10mg of GLA via a cerebral reservoir placed in the tumour bed, at the rate of 1mg/day over a period of ten days, revealed that GLA is not only safe and non-toxic, but can also regress cerebral gliomas as evaluated by computerised tomography and increased survival rate of patients by 1.5-2 years. Based on these results and on our earlier in vitro study, we suggest that GLA is a safe anti-tumour agent and recommend its use in the management of human gliomas. PMID:7634242, UI: 95360890 ------ A-430 - Van der Merwe CF; Booyens J; Katzeff IE:
Oral Gamma-linolenic acid in 21 patients with untreatable malignancy. An ongoing pilot open clinical trial: - Br J Clin Pract: 41:9:907-15 (1987)
These reports indicate that marked subjective improvement occurred in most of the 21 patients supplemented with GLA. In many cases there were distinct objective improvements, including weight gain, measurable reduction of tumor mass and radiological evidence of improvement.

Heavy clouds North Fife September 18th

2011-09-19T20:58:00.001Z

There have been loads of cloudy sunsets lately some quite spectacular, more cloud than open sky giving occasional rainfall preventing further grain and rapeseed harvesting. No time to waste fields already done are being ploughed in readiness for winter sown seed. We've had a lot of rain this year, brilliant for growth but a hindrance the now.

Heavy clouds at sunset September 18th.

Moth or Hornet

2011-09-19T20:27:00.002Z

Since childhood I have been fascinated by nature in its many forms, moths being one of my particular loves. Below is an example, it has transparent patches on its wings mimicking a hornet thus giving it protection from potential predators. This one readily walked onto my finger from being at rest, spread its wings, a lovely plump female alive in Kathmandu.

Nepalese Moth.

Yachts on the River Tay North Fife

2011-09-18T21:03:00.000Z

Yachts on the River Tay off Newburgh North Fife enjoying the evening light and breeze.

Tayview sunset September 17th.

Tayview 16th September 2011

2011-09-18T12:56:00.000Z

Evening sky over the Tay 16th September, lovely subtle colour changes not quite captured in its fullness on my Nikon D90.
I'm tempted to upgrade to a Nikon D7000 which has significantly improved features and enhanced capabilities.
The Nikon D7000 is a D-SLR that offers exceptional image quality, reliability and performance packed into a durable and portable body. The D7000 is the ideal next camera for D-SLR owners who want to further indulge their passion for photography with a camera that boasts more advanced features providing creative power. It has a new image sensor, EXPEED 2, AF system and metering sensor to ensure great performance in a highly durable body. In fact, it has everything you need in your next SLR but in a size you wouldn't expect.
Exceptional image quality

The D7000 includes a range of new features to ensure superior image quality including 16.2 effective megapixels with the newly developed Nikon DX format CMOS image sensor. There is a new image-processing engine, EXPEED 2, which delivers higher image quality, higher speed processing and multiple functions with more power. And the D7000's increased ISO sensitivity (100-6400, extendable up to 25600) ensures exceptional detail with minimal noise when capturing fast moving subjects or in poor light situations, even without the flash.
If you too are thinking of buying this camera, look here. Nikon D7000 Body Only

Across the River Tay stubble and straw burning, a practice I thought had been outlawed on account of gratuitous Co2 emissions!

River Cottage Veg Every Day! (River Cottage Every Day) [Hardcover]

2011-09-15T22:05:00.000Z

River Cottage Veg every day. As always Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall leads the pack in promoting wise, nutritious, tasty foods that we can prepare ourselves. Most illnesses will have an antidote in the right foods.
Why don't we eat more veg? They're healthy, cost-effective and, above all, delicious. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall believes that it is time to put this to rights, as he explains in this brilliant new book. He's come up with an abundance of veg-tastic recipes, including a warm salad of grilled courgettes, lemon, garlic, mint and mozzarella, a winter giant couscous salad with herbs and walnuts, radishes with butter and salt, lemony guacamole, linguine with mint and almond pesto and cherry tomatoes, baby carrot risotto, new potato gnocchi, a summer stir-fry with green veg, ginger, garlic and sesame, a winter stir-fry with Brussels sprouts, shiitake mushrooms and five-spice, a cheesy tomato tart, a spring onion gallette, roast jacket chips with merguez spices and spiced yoghurt, curried bubble and squeak, scrambled eggs and asparagus with lemon, tomato gazpacho, pea and parsley soup, roast squash wedges, baba ganoush, beetroot houmous, spinach pasties and barbecued corn on the cob. With over 200 recipes and vibrant photography from Simon Wheeler, River Cottage Veg Every Day is a timely eulogy to the glorious green stuff.
Listening to him this morning being interviewed on Radio 4, the interviewer remarked on how well he looked, he admitted to have been exclusively on the meals promoted for a few good months. Before, Hugh, by example an omnivore too shows the the benefit of eating less meat.
Clear skin, bright eyes and his mind seemed sharp enough also.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a writer, broadcaster and campaigner. His series for Channel 4 have earned him a huge popular following, while his River Cottage books have collected multiple awards including the Glenfiddich Trophy (twice), the Andre Simon Food Book of the Year (three times), the Michael Smith Award (twice) and, in the US, the James Beard Cookbook of the Year. Hugh lives in Devon with his family.
RRP: £25.00
Price: £12.50 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £12.50 (50%)
I am buying this book myself, a bargain.
Too look further and or buy:- River Cottage Veg Every Day! (River Cottage Every Day)

River Tay Sunset 14th Sept 2011

2011-09-15T19:43:00.000Z

Sunset over the River Tay yesterday, fabulous light, I never cease to enjoy the ever changing permutations of this view

River Tay Sunset September 9th 2011

2011-09-12T18:52:00.000Z

Sunset over the River Tay Friday the 9th.

Nepal Trekking

2011-09-11T21:14:00.002Z

Nepal. Along the trail from Pokhara to Annapurna, Being a long trek up and down mountainsides there are resting places often shaded by a tree. The only way anyone or anything gets to these remote places in the Himalaya foot hills is to walk it, an ambulance is a basket on someone's back. Through exertion and altitude dehydration is a problem, fortunately water can be collected from streams and along the way teashops provide sweet milky tea. I remember not having a pee for several days and when the moment came there was a torrent of opaque black urine, what a detox! A fellow traveller rests awhile.

Bridge along the trail.

Rhododendron flowers backed by misty Annapurna peaks.

Rhododendron tree, there are forests of them in fact and the only way of detecting the trail was crushed ladybird beetles in the leaf litter, indicating others had passed that way before.

Rhododendron forest.

Barley Harvest Ballinbreich North Fife

2011-09-09T19:34:00.000Z

Combine on the barley harvest yesterday at Ballinbreich, the weather was good and indeed the field was finished before the night rain. Notice the shredded straw exiting the back end as opposed to whole straw which would be baled. This method helps to keep the soil in better condition by returning some of the nutrients.

River Tay Sunset September 3rd 2011

2011-09-09T19:19:00.000Z

More amazing cloud formations and colour over the River Tay North Fife at sunset.

Stoney Stanton Road Coventry

2011-09-01T20:51:00.002Z

Broadgate tram on Stoney Stanton Road Coventry at the junction of St Pauls Road. Route 6 and tram 22 purchased from Wigan in 1905 by Coventry Electric Tramways. The whole area has now been rebuilt, how times have changed.

An Edwardian procession taken from the upper floor of the Chemists, commemorating something that was before my time. Notice the side saddle riders and throngs in attendance. If you know what it was all about, please comment.

Photographs copyright.

Learn World Calligraphy [Paperback]

2011-09-01T13:29:00.001Z

Learn World Calligraphy [Paperback]
Renowned calligrapher and prolific author Margaret Shepherd provides a calligraphy instructional text unlike any other. This comprehensive, unparalleled 192-page volume covers virtually all the world's writing systems, ranging from Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Korean, Hebrew, Mongolian, Tibetan, Thai and Indian scripts to the alphabets of our earliest ancestors in Africa and the Americas. The book features Shepherd's exquisite hand-drawn illustrations, gorgeous full-colour examples of both traditional and modern calligraphic designs, plus modern materials and projects. Readers will also learn how the basics of each exotic script can be applied to the English alphabet in order to create readable calligraphy with a foreign flair.

The above art piece called "The Heart of Emptiness" by Tashi Mannox is amongst others of Tashi's works that are illustrated within the Tibetan Calligraphy section of the book.
The ‘written’ script represents a language, and a language represents thought. Therefore, one must be able to write a script that is understandable to all, that the meaning of the word is best honoured as a beautiful art form called calligraphy. This is the integrity of the written language and the preservation of the knowledge that it upholds. Tashi Mannox 2011.
Tashi undertakes Calligraphy Workshops from time to time.

RRP: £17.99
Price: £15.29 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
You Save: £2.70 (15%)

To Buy now. .Learn World Calligraphy

Potato Field North Fife

2011-08-30T20:33:00.000Z

Potato field near my home in North Fife showing the vegetation killed off by the sprayed application of sulphuric acid. The acid kills off any blight which grows in the leaves that migrates into the tubers also making the harvest by machine more efficient also when a field is grown and sold as seed potato the seed size is kept within limits suitable for machine sowing the following year.

Tayview sunset August 28th North Fife

2011-08-28T20:34:00.000Z

Another wonderful sky over the River Tay North Fife last night, I never cease to notice and enjoy, so rich and dramatic, I hope you too can enjoy. Sometimes the morning sky is equally dramtic though it's not my time of day and so largely goes unrecorded.

Tayview 28th August 2011.

A closer look at the fire in the sky on the 28th Aug.

Tayview Sunset North Fife

2011-08-26T20:05:00.000Z

Tayview August 24th 2011. Again a wonderful sunset over the River Tay, It's said "red sky at night, shepherds delight" well to day it really rained hard.

Peacock butterfly North Fife

2011-08-25T18:20:00.000Z

This week has seen the emergence of Peacock Butterflies in North Fife

Peacock butterfly feeding, I don't think it will find much joy on this thistle head which is in seed.

Freshly emerged peacock, the wings not quite fully expanded.

The adults spend most of the morning nectaring. Males set up territories around midday, often on the sunny side of a wood, where they wait for a passing female. Males will fly up at any dark object, which is one way of sexing this species since the two sexes are very difficult to tell apart, being almost identical in appearance. When a female is found she flies off, trying to escape the male that is in pursuit. If he succeeds in staying with her then the pair mate. Females subsequently take great care when egg-laying, selecting foodplants that are in full sun, These usually being stinging nettles.

Adults emerging in summer nectar on a variety of flowers, building up essential body fats before overwintering.

The Peacock is a familiar sight in gardens across the British Isles and is unmistakable, with quite spectacular eyes on the upperside of the hindwings that give this butterfly its name. These eyes must appear very threatening to predators, such as mice, that confront this butterfly head-on. The underside is a different matter altogether, being almost black, providing perfect camouflage when the butterfly is at rest on a tree trunk, or when hibernating. In addition to camouflage and large eyes, the butterfly is able to make a hissing sound by rubbing its wings together that is audible to human ears. All in all, this butterfly must appear very threatening to any predator that might come across it.

Rape seed North Fife

2011-08-23T19:54:00.001Z

Oilseed rape.

Oilseed rape field cut and ready for harvest. growing such a crop is a win win for the farmer as the roots fix nitrogen into the soil, reducing the fertilizer needs for other following sown crops.

Rape seed pods resting on the stalks to dry before combine harvesting.

Urban Garden Birmingham

2011-08-22T20:07:00.000Z

Garden in Birmingham, average city size but extremely productive in soft fruits, vegetables yet still being a decorative and pleasant place to lounge and enjoy. The greenhouse provides 50+ kilos of black desert grapes and Tomatoes. Raspberries, blackberries, red, white and black currants, I am always impressed.

Urban garden some 360 miles South of north Fife and it shows in the abundance of fruits.

Fuchsia flowers have a very long flowering period and always do well.

Victoria plums.

Chinese pear which ripens on the tree unlike British conference pears which are picked unripe and hard requiring patience before you can sink your teeth into.

Eating apple of unknown name.

Bramley apples, always a heavy cropper and worth it.

Figs grown in this urban garden, once very popular in Victorian and Edwardian times, now making a come back. The fruit is formed on new growth so for maximum production pruning is required whenever the branches become 2 centimetres.

Figs in abundance, fresh straight from the plant are a real delight, quite different from dried ones which are chewy with gritty seeds.

M6 Birmingham heading North

2011-08-21T19:17:00.000Z

Joining the M6 motorway heading North at Birmingham, it doesn't take long to grind to halting progress caused by the conjunction of the M5 and M6. Tedious in the extreme with little let up until Lancaster where spaces begin to open up and driving can become a pleasure, getting even better in Scotland. The reverse trip can be a nightmare as density increases towards journey's end. I'm so glad I live in Scotland.

Elevated section near Walsall and Wendsbury, bumpity bumpity, not the smoothest ride going.

The gantry signs indicate 50 max, there's nothing like wishful thinking.

Samye Ling Wedding

2011-08-19T21:11:00.003Z

On my journey North from England I called in to Samye-Ling Tibetan Centre, on entering the shrine room, behold there was a wedding taking place in rich splendour and ceremony. The marriage was of Tulku Ogyen Nyima and Dolkar Lhamo presided over by Akong Rinpoche and Sangha. A wonderful and happy occasion as can be seen.

Food and drink is shared by everyone present.

View from the back of the shrine room.

Friends in the congregation.

Speaks for itself.

Showered with blessings and silk scarves.

Lighting butter lamps.

Relaxing outside after lighting some of the 1000 butter lamps.

Samye Ling Tea Party 2011

2011-08-17T22:02:00.000Z

People travel hundreds of miles to attend Samye Ling's Annual tea Party as so do I, indulge in cream cake, sandwiches, nibbles and meet new and old Dharma friends and teachers.

Samye Ling Tea Party

Akong Rinpoche with Sherab Palden.

The cake.

Finishing touches being made to Sherab's birthday cake.

Uncle Sherab makes the first cut.

Marion and Edie cut the cake along with all those present born in August.

Sherab's tribute book as presented to him by Akong Rinpoche.
A new book, put together as a tribute for the Tibetan Thangka painting master, Sherab Palden Beru, on the special occasion of his 100th birthday celebrations that was held at the Annual Tea Party, 14th August 2011, of the Kagyu Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Scotland.

This beautifully illustrated book was recently complied at the request of Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche. Within there is a brief biography, tributes from friends and students, and many illustrations of some of his works, a number of which have never been published before.
This can be viewed and ordered by clicking this link.

Smooth Newt North Fife

2011-08-15T19:53:00.001Z

Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris). This one is a female, I found her lanquid on the road and removed her to the garden near the pond where she was probably born.
Our most widespread newt, is found throughout Britain and is the only newt species to be found in Ireland. It can grow to 10cm and is most often found in ponds during the breeding season between February and June. The Smooth Newt is brown, the female being relatively plain whilst the male is spotty and develops a continuous wavy crest along its back in the breeding season. The belly of both sexes is yellow to orange with black spots and the spots on the throat provide a good way of telling this species apart from Palmate Newts (which have no spots on their throat). Outside the breeding season newts come onto land and live in damp places; they are most frequently encountered underneath logs and debris at this phase in their annual cycle. Newts found in these circumstances are sometimes confused with lizards but lizards are quick and active and have scaly rather than smooth skin.

Newts eat small invertebrates either on land or in the water. Like frogs and toads they have a tadpole stage; a newt tadpole is called an eft. Unlike frogs and toads, the tadpoles of newts develop their front legs before their back legs. Newt efts breathe through external feathery gills which sprout from behind the head. Spawn is laid as individual eggs each of which is carefully wrapped in a leaf of pond weed by the female newt.

The Smooth Newt, like the Common Frog is often found in garden ponds, frequently arriving of its own accord. Like the frog its tadpoles will be eaten by fish if they are present. Garden ponds have become extremely important for this species especially as ponds in the wider countryside have become fewer and more polluted.

Smooth Newts are protected by law in Great Britain against being sold or traded in any way. In Northern Ireland they are fully protected thus prohibiting killing, injuring, capturing, disturbance, possession or trade.

Tayview 4th & 5th August 2011

2011-08-15T19:11:00.000Z

Tayview 4th August, always the same but different.

Tayview 5th August.

River Tay sunset.

Ford Model T

2011-08-15T18:15:00.001Z

Driving towards Edinburgh I came across this Ford Model T, the second this year. (The first.) Nearly 90 years old these cars, the first mass produced on production lines that presaged present methods of car manufacture, of their time time cheap, cheerful, coloured black and in many forms. This is a Sedan version.

Slowing down to 30 miles per hour as one should.

Climbing the hill.

Well it beat me to the roundabout and shot off in the direction of Bathgate.

the Book of Answers

2011-08-14T22:48:00.002Z

Along with a group of friends this weekend we had enormous fun consulting this publication, sometimes sharing the question, other times not but all seeing the revealed the answer which led to much humorous speculation and further questioning. Worth having.

This previously self-published book has been an inspiration to thousands since its first publication, for within its pages lies the answers to all the questions of daily life.

HOW TO USE THE BOOK OF ANSWERS

1.HOLD THE CLOSED BOOK IN YOUR HAND, ON YOUR LAP OR ON A TABLE.
2.TAKE TEN OR FIFTEEN SECONDS TO CONCENTRATE ON YOUR QUESTION.
QUESTIONS SHOULD BE PHRASED IN THE FOLLOWING STYLE:
‘IS THE JOB I’M APPLYING FOR THE RIGHT ONE?’ OR,
‘SHOULD I TRAVEL THIS WEEKEND?’
3.WHILE VISUALIZING OR SPEAKING YOUR QUESTION (ONE QUESTION AT A TIME), PLACE ONE HAND PALM DOWN ON THE BOOK’S FRONT COVER AND STROKE THE EDGE OF THE PAGES, BACK TO FRONT.
4.WHEN YOU SENSE THE TIME IS RIGHT, SIMPLY OPEN THE BOOK AND THERE WILL BE YOUR ANSWER.
5.REPEAT THE PROCESS FOR AS MANY QUESTIONS AS YOU HAVE.

With a solution on every page, The Book of Answers is intriguing, inspiring and enormous fun to use. It’s also the perfect gift book. Over 700 pages.
RRP: £10.00
Price: £7.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.
Treat yourself and others and buy here. The Book Of Answers

Bird's-foot Trefoil and Red Clover

2011-08-05T17:52:00.000Z

Bird's-foot trefoil with red clover just two more of the wayside flowers by the road to Newburgh North Fife. Incidentally Red clover has a wide use in natural medicines. To look deeper.

Bird's-foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, common name, Eggs and Bacon.

Tayview 3rd and 4th August 2011

2011-08-04T18:17:00.000Z

Tayview yesterday evening low water exposing the sand banks around Mugdrum Island.

Tayview today 4th August, gentle rain with warmth and refreshingly pleasant to be in.

Ragwort

2011-08-03T20:48:00.000Z

Roadside Ragwort. There are ragwort plants dotted about in North Fife, across the road, in the garden, in some fields, a sprinkling of yellow clumps.

It is known that there are at least thirty species of invertebrates which are totally dependent on ragwort as a food source. There are many other species which require its nectar and pollen. As a common plant which is a good nectar source it is often a major and important resource for many declining species. Lost of habitat in general is a major problem for UK wildlife. Moth numbers have declined by over a third over the last 30 years and a major cause of this is habitat loss. This has knock on effects on other creatures such as bats and birds which use the insects as food. When I kept bees it would have been in the nectar mix.

Ragwort Flowers.
Common ragwort contains compounds that are poisonous to most vertebrates .These are pyrrolizidine alkaloids . These substances occur in other plants as well. In fact they occur in 3% of the world's flora. Inside the plants, they occur in a non-toxic form, but after the plant has been eaten it is first changed by the intestines and then broken down by the liver. Both these processes are necessary for toxicity. (This is also why it is not dangerous for humans to handle ragwort.) The breakdown products formed in the liver are toxic. Contrary to what is often thought by the general public, the alkaloids do not accumulate inside the body of an animal. The fact is that they are excreted in about 24 to 48 hours. It is the damage that is caused to liver cells that can, if sufficient ragwort is consumed at each dose, be cumulative to the point of death occurring.

The question then is how much needs to be consumed for an animal to be poisoned. Again research provides the answer. It has been found that is lies between 5 % and 25% of body weight for horses and cattle. For goats the figure is much higher, between 125% and 404%.
This and loads of thorough information Click here

Great Willow-herb

2011-08-02T19:56:00.001Z

Great Willow-herb, Epilobium hirsutum is a flowering plant belonging to the willowherb genus Epilobium in the family Onagraceae. It is commonly known as the great willowherb, great hairy willowherb or hairy willowherb. Local names include codlins-and-cream, apple-pie and cherry-pie. Erect and and softly-downy found along stream and riversides, pond edges, marshes and in this case near a ditch on the roadside to Newburgh North Fife. Sometimes it grows around my pond, this year not. Along with Rosebay Willow-herb it is the food plant for the Elephant Hawk moth, a most beautiful moth and one of my favourites.

Large Elephant Hawk Moth captured for the photograph and then released.

Smooth Sowthistle

2011-08-01T21:30:00.000Z

Another delightful wayside flower.

Smooth Sowthisle.
Smooth sow-thistle is a native annual or overwintering weed common on arable land on most soils throughout the UK. It is also found on wasteland, roadsides and in gardens. Smooth sow-thistle is a pioneer species that colonises disturbed ground but it prefers nutrient rich soils. Bare soil exposed by rabbits, burning or human activity offers favourable conditions for smooth sow-thistle emergence. Smooth sow-thistle is recorded up to 1,250 ft in the UK. It has a broad tolerance of climatic variation.

Sowthistle Flowers.

Knapweed

2011-08-01T19:49:00.000Z

Knapweed, another of the attractive wild flowers which decorate the roadside to Newburgh, North Fife.

Common Knapweed, Daisy family - Asteraceae.
Knapweed is also known as Black or Lesser Knapweed. The word ‘knap’ means ‘knob’ – ‘knobweed’. The scientific name probably derives from Greek mythology in which the centaur (half man-half horse) Chiron was said to have used the plant for its healing powers. The purple-magenta flowers project, thistle-like, from a flower head that resembles a small bristly pineapple and gives the plant its alternative name of Hardhead. The plants where once used as a poultice on wounds and has been also used in traditional fabric dyeing. Despite its purple flower, yellow is the most typical colour of dye that it produces.
This plant prefers soils of low to moderate fertility and is found in a variety of habitats including pastures, meadows, rock outcrops, waste land, river banks, road verges and particularly in ungrazed limestone grassland. Is found on moist and dry grassland, very sandy soil and very acidic soil.

Common Knapweed Flowers.

Studio 222 Newburgh North Fife

2011-07-30T19:50:00.003Z

Studio 222, The High Street, Newburgh, North Fife. Another exciting addition to Newburgh community and high street. Really worth a gander.

Catriona Wallbutton.

Artwork, Catriona Wallbutton.

Sarah Honeyman.

Stained Glass by Sarah Honeyman.

Continual sales and a growing mailing list.

A quick sweep of the gallery.

Happy chatter and looking.

So many came, we spilled into the open rear of the studio for drinks, nibbles and more chatter.

List of contributors on the night.

Textile cards, buy enough and make a quilt.

Studio flyer.
For more information contact. cwallbutton@hotmail.com

Poultry North Fife July

2011-07-28T18:25:00.000Z

A very wet cockerel, he's very attentive in looking after the hens, calling them to eat where he has scratched and today, a come up here out of the wet.

Wet cock and hens finding refuge from the rain soaked grass.

Meadow Brown butterfly North Fife

2011-07-26T17:32:00.001Z

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) Common and widespread, Found on grasslands, including downland, heathland, coastal dunes and undercliffs, hay meadows, roadside verges, hedgerows, woodland rides and clearings, and waste ground. Just about anywhere really.

A Ringlet freshly emerged its wings not quite fully formed.

Musk Mallow North Fife

2011-07-25T19:04:00.000Z

On my travel from home to Newburgh North Fife this flower has caught my attention. It stands on the roadside at Higham woods displaying both white and pink flowers, I've not noticed it anywhere else.

Musk Mallow (Malvaceae) is an erect perennial with multiple stems and a delicate 5 petaled pink flower, although white variants are common. It lives on grassy banks, roadsides, churchyards, old quarries and chalk pastures, and can cope with a wide range of pH and fertility. The flower is attractive to bees and butterflies.

Tayview Sky 24th July North Fife

2011-07-25T18:20:00.000Z

Tayview Sky 24th July North Fife. I never cease to be amazed at the cloud and sky permutations that occur, the pictures below are as is and not enhanced in anyway, quite stunning.

Tayview sky 24th July.

Fife Diet

2011-07-23T21:20:00.002Z

Today we went to Collessie to enjoy the promotion of local foods in an ever growing observance, appreciation and respect of where we live and how to avoid food miles and reliance on oil.

The Fife Diet.

Victory Hall Collessie North Fife.

Food for free and it was really tasty and good. Salads provided by Pillars of Hercules

Make and Taste workshops.

Summer recipes booklet available.

Doorstep Baker, see NHTT.

Doorstep Baker order form, relevant if you live in North Fife. Print off and send.

Chillilicious, examples of products.

Love Chillies card and contact details.

Love Chillies, a recipe that you may wish to try.

Scentless Mayweed North Fife

2011-07-22T21:43:00.000Z

Scentless Mayweed (Matricaria perforata) of the daisy family grows widespread on cultivated land and margins.

A stand of Mayweed in a field of nearly ripe barley, Brunton North Fife.

Rainbow North Fife

2011-07-19T22:05:00.000Z

Rainbow at Flisk last night, the sunshine had slipped though a low chink in the cloud you can see from the length of foreground shadows.

Is there a pot of gold at the end?

Tayview 18th July 2011

2011-07-19T21:40:00.000Z

I was outside later than normal yesterday evening to capture a rainbow, not easy but noticed the amazing light quality which matured into these brilliant sunset colours.

Tayview 18th July.

Ringlet Butterfly 18th July

2011-07-18T21:28:00.000Z

Another ringlet today, the only butterfly I recorded, just happened to notice it whilst photographing the himalayan balsam on the other side of the road. Have you joined the national butterfly count yet?

Himalayan Balsam North Fife

2011-07-18T19:27:00.000Z

Himalayan Balsam on the roadside to Newburgh, a wee stand that has only just become evident, happens to be in a spot that was disturbed by council workers 18 months ago doing some drainage. Possibly the same crew that cleared a pathway down by the riverside, where there are masses, as part of the Fife Coastal Path, seeds maybe carried on their shoes or equipment.

Himalayan Balsam, Impatiens glandulifera, is a large annual plant, native to the Himalayas (resulting in its colloquial name of kiss-me-on-the-mountain in the UK), it is sometimes cultivated for its flowers. It is now widely established in other parts of the world (such as the British Isles and the United States), in some cases becoming an invasive species weed. The aggressive seed dispersal, coupled with high nectar production which attracts pollinaters, often allows the Himalayan Balsam to outcompete native plants. In the UK, some local wildlife trusts organise "balsam bashing" events to help control the plant

Ringlet Butterfly North Fife

2011-07-17T19:54:00.000Z

Ringlet butterfly 16th July North Fife. Today I counted three ringlets and two small whites. Join the national butterfly count.

North Fife Lodge for sale

2011-07-15T22:15:00.000Z

North Lodge Monimail.

Property Type : Detached
Public Rooms : 3
Bedrooms : 5
Bathrooms : 2
Garden : yes
Garage : yes

An impressive detached villa occupying a rural location and enjoying panoramic countryside views. The villa has retained many fine traditional features throughout and has an idyllic setting. The property is set amongst 4.46 acres (or thereby) of ground which has an attractive woodland area.

Lounge. Conservatory. Dining room. Sitting room
Kitchen. Five bedrooms. Bathroom. Shower room. Porch. Garage.
Pictures.
Offers over £398,000
Ref: north fife blog.
Pagan Osborne Property Services
Solicitors and Estate Agents
1 Crossgate
Cupar
Fife
KY15 4HA

Tel : 01334 656525
Fax : 01334 654119

E-mail : property-cupar@pagan.co.uk
Website : www.paganosborne.com

Hedge Parsley

2011-07-15T19:02:00.000Z

Hedge Parsley today at Flisk North Fife, Full moon, maybe that's why these beetles were in imperative mating mode as they feasted on the nectar.

More beetles on parsley, maybe it's an aphrodisiac.

Scottish Thistle

2011-07-15T18:49:00.000Z

Thistle flower, Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) with quite formidable protection. The thistle has been the national emblem of Scotland since the reign of Alexander III (1249–1286) and was used on silver coins issued by James III in 1470. It is the symbol of the Order of the Thistle, a high chivalric order of Scotland. It is found in many Scottish symbols and as the name of several Scottish football clubs. The thistle, crowned with the Scottish crown, is the symbol of seven of the eight Scottish Police Forces (the exception being the Northern Constabulary). The thistle is also the emblem of Encyclopædia Britannica, which originated in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Garden daisies

2011-07-15T18:40:00.000Z

Garden daisies at night.

Tayview 14th July 2011

2011-07-15T18:34:00.000Z

Night time view of the River Tay, alas the camera isn't up to the subtlety of the light but you can get an idea.

Tayview night of 14th July.

tortoiseshell butterflies

2011-07-14T19:53:00.000Z

This week is the start of a national butterfly survey. We are encouraged to go outside for 15mins or so and count them. My count today was 6 small tortoiseshell and a couple of small whites on the wing.

Tortoiseshell butterfly on wild scabious flower.

A rather pale tortoiseshell, weather beaten sunning and feeding today in the garden.

Small tortoiseshell thrusting its proboscis to reach the nectar in this thistle flower-head.

Broom Flowers

2011-07-14T19:00:00.001Z

Broom flowers. Common broom (Cytisus scoparius, syn. Sarothamnus scoparius), a native of northwestern Europe, where it is found in sunny sites, usually on dry, sandy soils. Like most brooms, it has apparently leafless stems that in spring and summer are covered in profuse golden-yellow flowers. It makes a shrub about 1–3m tall, rarely to 4 m. It is also the hardiest broom, tolerating temperatures down to about -25°C.
Around here in North Fife on uncultivated lands loads of broom shrubs abound. A lovely sight and a powerful scent, when the flowers develop into pea-like seed pods and ripen an audible click sound is emitted propelling the seeds many metres.

Umbelliferae Hedge Parsley

2011-07-14T18:46:00.000Z

Umbelliferae Hedge Parsley, the wayside is abundant with these flowers and parts of my garden, come to think of it.

A more typical view of them leaping from a bankside.

British Wild Flowers: A photographic guide to every common species [Paperback]

2011-07-12T21:29:00.000Z

British Wild Flowers: A photographic guide to every common species [Paperback]A complete photoguide to all the wild flowers of Britain to accompany the bestselling Complete British WIldlife. With over 1,000 main entries covering wildflowers, shrubs, aquatic plants, grasses, sedges and rushes Collins Complete Guide to British Wild Flowers is a definitive photographic reference guide for flower enthusiasts. Helpful information about habitats of wild flowers and useful tips to aid identification are included along with a botanical hotspots section detailing 100 rarer species. Comparison pages show different leaf shapes and flower clusters to enable quick and easy navigation to the right section of the book to make your identification. Detailed information on which places to visit in Britain particularly rich in flower species are also included, along with individual maps showing where each species can be found. This is the essential photographic field guide of the best wild flowers Britain has to offer.
304 pages
RRP: £15.99
Price: £10.69 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £5.30 (33%)
Once a flower is identified It's easy to surf and find other interesting and useful information. You can Buy here. Collins Complete Guide - British Wild Flowers: A photographic guide to every common species

Yarrow

2011-07-12T21:14:00.000Z

Yarrow
Achillea Millefolium

Yarrows can be planted to combat soil erosion due to the plant's resistance to drought.
The herb is purported to be a diaphoretic, astringent, tonic, stimulant and mild aromatic. It contains isovaleric acid, salicylic acid, asparagin, sterols, flavonoids, bitters, tannins, and coumarins. The plant also has a long history as a powerful 'healing herb' used topically for wounds, cuts and abrasions. The genus name Achillea is derived from mythical Greek character, Achilles, who reportedly carried it with his army to treat battle wounds. This medicinal action is also reflected in some of the common names mentioned below, such as Staunchweed and Soldier's Woundwort.

The stalks of yarrow are dried and used as a randomising agent in I Ching divination.

In the Middle Ages, yarrow was part of a herbal mixture known as gruit used in the flavouring of beer prior to the use of hops.

Old folk names for yarrow include arrowroot, bad man's plaything, carpenter's weed, death flower, devil's nettle, eerie, field hops, gearwe, hundred leaved grass, knight's milefoil, knyghten, milefolium, milfoil, millefoil, noble yarrow, nosebleed, old man's mustard, old man's pepper, sanguinary, seven year's love, snake's grass, soldier, soldier's woundwort, stanch weed, thousand seal, woundwort, yarroway, yerw.

The English name yarrow comes from the Saxon (Old English) word gearwe, which is related to both the Dutch word gerw and the Old High German word garawa.

Yarrow has also been used as a food, and was very popular as a vegetable in the seventeenth century. The younger leaves are said to be a pleasant leaf vegetable when cooked as spinach, or in a soup. Yarrow is sweet with a slight bitter taste. The leaves can also be dried and used as a herb in cooking.

White Yarrow.Achillea Millefolium.

Purple Vetch

2011-07-12T20:29:00.000Z

Purple or Common Vetch once a meadow plant but now confined to waysides and uncultivated land. Scientific Name: (Vicia dasycarpa) This pretty flower is in the Legume Family (Fabaceae), as are so many of the pretty wildflowers. Vetch has a weak stem and can be found growing upright, but more often sprawling or climbing. Stems are solitary or few, thin, weak and often brittle. The flower is slightly less than 1 inch. Colours range from violet and white or lavender to rose coloured or solid white. 5 petals on each flower, the upper petal pointing upright. Side petals spread. 5 - 20 flowers crowd together at the end of a stem and form a one sided curved spike which is quite distinctive. Purple Vetch is a native of Europe. before the development of inexpensive chemical fertilizers, Vetch was used in this country as a soil builder for its high protein component. Blooms April - August.

A cluster of Vetch and bramble flowers being visited by a bumble bee.

Wild Rose Gall

2011-07-12T20:04:00.000Z

Now the roses are going over these wasp galls are becoming more evident, quite pretty in their own way.

Bedeguar Gall or Robin’s Pincushion Diplolepis rosae

Bedeguar galls are formed on the wild rose by larvae of the gall-wasp Diplolepis rosae. A bedeguar gall is not the product of a single larva but a group of larvae, each residing in their own chamber within the gall.

Other species of wasp larvae will also make use of the gall. There are the species that do not form their own galls but just utilize those already formed by others, these are inquilines. The major inquiline is Periclistus brandtii, this has a commensal relationship, i.e. it benefits from the arrangement, but does not have a detrimental affect on Diplolepis rosae.

Diplolepis rosae over winters in the gall emerging as adult wasps in spring. The adult wasps reproduce not needing males i.e. parthenogenetically.

Cellardyke and Anstruther

2011-07-11T22:15:00.000Z

Yesterday as a family we were invited to eat at a friends house in Cellardyke, our host being a fisherman naturally provided the finest and freshest local self caught seafoods. Starters was fresh crab meat with salad and various dressings on thinly cut toast followed by barbecued codling and mackerel, salads, breads and dressings. Yes we did enjoy. A wander from Cellardyke to Anstruther Harbour to walk it off and a look at his wee fishing boat. Along side was a keep net holding live Codling and a large Pollock destined for Deep Sea World North Queensferry. Fish eat Fish and being in captivity, stocks need replenishment.
Anyway I hope to be out on The Firth of Forth to help with a bit of line fishing Mackerel, weather permitting as I'm no a natural sailor.

Looking south east from Cellardyke harbour wall. From Cellardyke to Anstruther is a good half mile walk down George Street, John Street and James Street which run parallel to the shore which is hidden by the closely packed houses.

George Street.

John Street.

Anstruther Harbour.Address: , Harbour Office Anstruther Harbour , Shore Street,Anstruther,KY10 3EA
E-mail: Bill.smith@fife.gov.uk
Telephone: 01333 310836
Anstruther Harbour caters for leisure and small fishing vessels. There is approx. 400 metres of pierside berthing and 100 serviced pontoon berths for leisure craft.
Tidal access: HW +/- 4 hours approx.
Visitors: 8 no. pontoon berths are reserved for visitors (max. vessel size 10.5 metres)
For current harbour rates and dues please contact the Harbour Master.
Disabled Access:
Ramped access to pontoons. Toilets accessible.
Opening Hours
Mon - Fri 0900 to 1700 hours
Sat/Sun 0900 to 1200 hours (April to Sept)

Above the entrance to the Scottish Fisheries Museum Anstruther.
Situated on the harbour front in Anstruther, in the heart of the Fife fishing community, the Scottish Fisheries Museum tells the story of fishing in Scotland and its people from earliest times to the present.
Since it was opened in 1969 the Museum has grown in size and in the range of its galleries. Well worth a visit.