Taexalia

wild.life

Peas Don’t Like Onions…

The veg plot looks like a veg plot today. The salad bed is overflowing with goodness, the brassicas appear to be flourishing under their bridal veil and the potatoes are hinting at underground promise. The Everything Else plot isn't big enough. There were originally two Everything Else plots in the plan but I randomly decided to grow tatties and figured I'd figure everything else out later. For now, the EE bed is full - although it doesn't look it yet as some seedlings are tiny and some ... read more

Getting High With Mither

If you are going to climb Ben Nevis then I highly recommend not doing it on the first heatwave day of the summer. I don't recommend doing it during any other heatwave either - but the first heatwave of the year and climbing Ben Nevis is a combination that will leave you puffin, pechin, puggled an pitifu... Last year we didn't heed this advice. Thinking about it, we didn't really not heed it, we just didn't really think about it in real terms. The day before we just thoucht "Aye fine ... read more

Women With Altitude

My Mum and Dad have been known to do the odd bit of walking in their time. Their pursuit of height has seen them conquer more than one hundred Munros, as well as many other smaller hills and winding paths. I have joined them on occasion and my own walking resume includes some long paths like the Lairig Gruh, as well as a small puckle of Munros and assorted hillage. There are various reasons why our hill-walking exploits have been curtailed in recent ... read more

Sandwood Bay

I have wanted to visit Sandwood Bay for quite a while. In March 2008 we found ourselves at the top of the track in an unexpected and un-planned stop but the lateness of the hour meant we could not undertake the four and a half mile walk to the beach (and the four and a half mile walk back).When I created my Day Zero Project, it was an easy and obvious goal to add to the list - and a quite stunning goal to mark "complete". That said, I want to make the trip ... read more

Movement

Movement is the word I chose as my theme for 2009, and movement is what I have been up to for the last couple of weeks - moving house involves nothing but movement from place to place and from dawn til dusk... and beyond. I will miss the foxes, Crow and the mannie doonstairs, but apart from that - I am not sure words can express how in love with our new home I am. I have views, I have peace and quiet, I have the sight (and sometimes the sound) of Buzzards discussing territory high above the ... read more

I am not on a diet

Diets don't work. If they did then millions of women around the world would not be constantly on them, repeatedly. Diets are a way to sell books, charge membership fees and a leg trap that keep women constantly feeling bad about themselves as they strive to achieve the perfect weight and body shape. I have only once gone on an actual diet. I amazed myself by diligently following the meal plan without cheating. I lost weight. In fact I lost quite a lot of weight and did, in fact, fit into ... read more

A Goal in Gairloch

You may have noticed my Day Zero linky in the top bar - the page that lists my 101 in 1001. This is an experiment in goal setting, and also a bypass of New Year's Resolutions - instead giving myself 1001 days to complete the list and, quite probably, also embrace failure ;-) I found writing the list an interesting challenge - despite all the To Do lists floating around in my brain I had to really get creative to make it to 101. On Sunday I was taken on a surprise trip to Poolewe and ... read more

Pound for pound

That's lb for £. Yes, look to the left sidebar and you will see two new widgets... One is the pounds off progress bar, and the other is the pounds on widget. That'll be pounds off me and pounds onto the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society bank balance. I need all the motivation I can get, and the whales and dolphins need all the support they can get. It's a marriage made in blubber. You can sponsor me for as little as £1, or as much as you like - and if you are a UK tax payer ... read more