These photos, like all of mine these days, are hosted on Flickr, and can be viewed in different sizes by clicking on them.

16 June 2006

Waiting for the bus

They made a sand castle, sort of. (The little one with the sticks. The other one was someone else's work)

All fall down.

2 June 2006

Portrait of Fiona and me, by Alex

Portrait of Alex, by Fiona

"We're best friends"

Watch out, Fiona! There's a cow!

Fiona meets a cow she likes in the Cow Parade

Alex and Fiona meet Robocow

The roses are past their best in George V Park, but I still love them.

Taken 15 June 2006

Taken 15 June 2006

Splendidly bizzare monkey puzzle in the Botanics.

Taken 1 June 2006

Tender shoots of holly, Arboretum Avenue

Taken 1 June 2006

I rarely find the classic London landmarks inspirational for photography. They're too...well...big.

But the pavement by Tower Bridge really got my interest.

Taken 17 May 2006

Taken 17 May 2006

Taken 17 May 2006

The leaves of an ornamental plant near the Tower also caught my eye.

Taken 13 June 2006

On one of my visits, I walked by the crew setting up for a concert on the Tower grounds. The ironmongery was interesting.

Taken 23 May 2006

Taken 23 May 2006

I was also fascinated by the bright yellow locks on the gates to Trinity Square, a tiny park dedicated to naval war dead near the course hotel.

Taken 24 May 2006

Rainbow over the Thames

Taken 23 May 2006

Overall, though, London does not appeal to me photographically. I guess my heart is in Edinburgh.

It was a good ride - he started slow and hesitant, but I started challenging him to races. As the trip went on, I found myself striding less and running more to keep up with him. He was thrilled to be pushing me, but insisted after a time that we were "a team" and should cross every minor finishing line at the same time.

At the midpoint of the ride, we all stopped on the beach. The kids threw rocks into the water. I found a couple of old bikes on the stony shore, slowly rusting in the salt and being buried by the tides.

The first bike, frame and cables

Taken 14 April 2006

Cables round the stem of the bike

Taken 14 April 2006

Pedal mount on the second bike

Taken 14 April 2006

Rust replaces chrome on the second bike

Taken 14 April 2006

Handlebar mount on the second bike

Taken 14 April 2006

Sprockets in stone, bike 1

Taken 14 April 2006

Stone in sprockets, bike 2

Taken 14 April 2006

Wheel mount, bike 2

Taken 14 April 2006

Not just a bike, but the headphones for a walkman too!

Taken 14 April 2006

Handrail hardware by the firth

Taken 14 April 2006

I could take the "industrial site" type pictures of all of the machinery they use to dye leathers, or the "variety of stuff" pictures of the rolls and rolls of finished hides, or the "run down melancholy" shots of the light from the dusty windows falling on the worn boards of the upper floor. I'd photograph the staff, who always treat me so well, if it wouldn't embarrass them.

But I don't, because I am there to buy. I did take a few shots of the pale leathers they had piled on the Low Value Shelf upstairs.

Edges of a stack of pale goatskin

Taken 7 April 2006

The same grained goatskin, with the marks of the stretching clips still visible.

Taken 7 April 2006

Pale calfskin, un-grained.

Taken 7 April 2006

Maybe I can find a market for a feature article on the company - its history, its processes, its business. I'd love to do it. I'd love to have the excuse!

Taken 1 April 2006

Occasionally, I could get a shot in that it didn't ruin, but that was rare.

Taken 29 March 2006

Fortunately, my phone insurance covers the functionality of the whole instrument, including the camera. I called Vodafone, and they sent a new phone to replace the old one. So now I have my camera back!

I tried it out on Fiona this morning.

Taken 4 April 2006

Then I was back to taking the pictures I've been missing.

Leaf growing through a fence, Newington

Taken 4 April 2006

Shadow of a doorknob, looking like a warmer day

Taken 4 April 2006

Cut-off fence post.

Taken 4 April 2006

Framing the world, one tree at a time (this photo has been cropped)

Taken 4 April 2006

Yay new phone!

Taken 6 March 2006

I love this city, too, though it doesn't show its affection in the same way.

I love the Botanics, and they show me the delicate drops of rain on a branch.

Taken 7 March 2006

The first yellow flowers come out for me, even on a cold day.

Taken 9 March 2006

The side doors of St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile stand solemn and graceful.

Taken 9 March 2006

And the door handles from the back of the cathedral have their own rhythm. (Yes, this has been cropped.)

Taken 9 March 2006

The snow fell thick onto the rosemary.

Taken 3 March 2006

On this one, you can see the individual snowflakes (cropped).

Taken 3 March 2006

The holly, too, cupped the snow.

Taken 3 March 2006

My favourite of the day, probably, is this shot. The hole in the top of the fence post and the angle of the sun left a spiral of fallen snow.

Taken 3 March 2006

(Miraculously, none of these photos show my usual tendency to want to abandon all colour photography in the snow!)

And, from a previous dramatic weather day, hail in a hedge top.

Taken 1 March 2006

Last weekend, Fiona decided she was "full up" of wearing trousers (meaning she didn't want to any more), and stripped them off. She was clearly very comfortable in this state.

Taken 26 February 2006

Alex, meanwhile, scampered around and around his prone dad until he fell down giggling.

Taken 26 February 2006

Finally, Fiona got him to burn some of his energy off pushing her round the room in the block trolley.

Taken 26 February 2006

This week's notable burst of photography was Friday, when the snow was falling thick and fast. We went out into the back garden to play in it until we got cold.

Fiona with snow in her hair.

Taken 3 March 2006

Alex, inevitably, picked up a toy gun to play with.

Taken 3 March 2006

Fiona, after a time, was troubled by the snow sticking to her gloves

Taken 3 March 2006

So we all went inside and had hot chocolate. Fiona likes hers foamed with my latte milk foamer. Alex prefers mini marshmallows in his.

Later, we went out to the local garden centre to get materials for planting basil. En route, Alex decided to try making snow angels. This one turned out rather well. (I very nearly tried one myself, but Fiona was getting a bit wigged out, and having Mom lie down in the snow wasn't going to do her any good at all.)

Taken 3 March 2006

Sadly, the kids got cold on the way back from the garden centre, and much weeping ensued. Fiona turned out to have been sickening with a cold anyway, and spent Saturday fevered and listless. She recovered quickly, crunching through the remnants of the snow with me to the shops that evening.

Today was more fun again, but sadly unphotographed. You will simply have to imagine it, dear reader.

(Have I been enjoying the family more as my energy levels have lifted? Probably. Why have they lifted? Because this is the view when I walk to the bus in the morning.

Taken 2 March 2006

And this is the view when I get back in the evening.

Taken 1 March 2006

Note the visible sun!)

Taken 25 February 2006

After the white stuff stopped falling, it seemed to vanish. Only a few balls were left to convince me that it wasn't a dream.

Taken 21 February 2006

The hailstones didn't last, but the raindrops were beautiful as well.

Taken 21 February 2006

This shot reminds me of one of my favourite poems, No Road by Philip Larkin

Taken 21 February 2006

I've had a few other photos building up that didn't really deserve their own entries. Of possible interest:

The sacred cow is coming home to roost.

Taken 20 February 2006

Plant in the car park at the Cuddy Brae. Very red!

Taken 19 February 2006

Bus stop hardware...one of those tiny details of life that looks so good up close.

Taken 19 February 2006

Fiona had a birthday party to go to quite late today (4:30 - 6), so I had half-intended to spend the morning quietly so as to leave her with energy for the afternoon. But the day was so sunny, and the kids so chirpy, that I decided we all needed a trip out. There's been a geocache near us, unfound, for some time: Craigmillar's One of Four. Off we went.

Alex pointed the way.

Taken 17 February 2006

Fiona checked our heading with a compass.

Taken 17 February 2006

We lucked out. We found the cache really quickly, got good loot, left our trades, and thought, "now what?"

So we walked on round the castle, whcih was magnificent in the glorious sun.

Taken 17 February 2006

Fiona took her own path, at her own pace.

Taken 17 February 2006

We saw lots of trees.

From far away.

Taken 17 February 2006

From up close.

Taken 17 February 2006

And all wrinkly.

Taken 17 February 2006

Ones that look like dragons.

Taken 17 February 2006

And ones that look like island chains! (Cropped, I confess.)

Taken 17 February 2006

Then we rolled back down the hill (no, really, Alex wanted to barrel roll. Fiona tried to join him, but needed a bit of help.) After a brief visit home to lunch, nap and change clothes, we went to Lauren's party. The kids were perky as they waited for the bus.

Taken 17 February 2006

Fiona loved the party, particularly when painted as a puppy. (Yes, I know it's out of focus, but she was dancing.)

Taken 17 February 2006

It was a magnificent day. Alex impressed me with his maturity at the party (I asked him to sit out the party games after he won the first one, to give the smaller kids a chance. He not only did so, but he made the effort to smile about it as well. Wow.) Fiona was funny and beautiful. Then they had a delightful bath and went to bed.

Something sprouting through the rocks

Taken 15 February 2006

Something about this drystane wall spoke to me too.

Taken 15 February 2006

Then, on the walk home, I was struck by the beauty of these balustrades in the raking sunlight.

Taken 15 February 2006

But that was nothing to the sky over Calton Hill! (Photo cropped to remove a crane)

Taken 15 February 2006

The best moments came at the end of the day - playing tag with the kids on the walk home in the last of the sunlight. Noticing that Alex has finally figured out how to moderate his pace so Fiona can catch him. Chocolate cake. Silly kids in their bubble bath. A chance to talk to Martiin in the evening (and to thank him - I am aware that the flowers, the presents, and the cake only seemed to appear magically at the right moments!)

In some ways, having such an ordinary working-day birthday was better than having an all special day, because it made me look at my everyday life afresh and see it sparkle. I hope I can hold onto that for a while yet!

Actually, it was a whole family out searching for the Butterdean Wood geocache, but two keen little children found the idea that a Gruffalo might be lurking among the trees pretty exciting. Martin, clever bunny, proposed a caching expedition to get us out in the beautiful (if chilly) sunshine, and this was a good cache to look for. It was about half an hour's drive from home, taking us over flat paths that were just wild enough to seem adventurous. They were also perhaps a little muddy.

I brought my phone camera, of course, and stopped from time to time to take pictures.

Fungus on a fallen log.

Taken 4 February 2006

Alex took the GPS and went ahead, following the arrow and talking of treasure. Playing Zelda has sharpened his taste for quests and adventures. He waited patiently whenever I would stop to take a shot.

The twisted stem of some vine - I don't know what kind. (This picture has been cropped.)

Taken 4 February 2006

Two leaves on a twisting vine.

Taken 4 February 2006

Fiona strode along the path, first with one parent, then with the other. At two, she is rock-steady on her feet and entirely unafraid of any mystery the woods might hold. She has been a strong walker for some time, and I think she enjoyed the challenge. When we were walking together and I would step aside to take a picture, she would venture onward without a backward glance.

Fir cone among the leaves.

Taken 4 February 2006

Eventually, Alex relinquished the GPS in favour of a stick sword, and Fionaberry took over as navigator. (We pretty much followed the path.) She thought my eTrex was a camera, and every now and then would stop, hold it to her face, bend very close to the ground, and say, "I take a picture. Cheese!" before going on. Not a landscape photographer, I guess...

Tangle of sticks, a pattern shot.

Taken 4 February 2006

Lichen on a branch. It's almost blue!

Taken 4 February 2006

Alex was soon wrapped up in Zelda-esque adventures, which reminded me vividly of my own childhood games. The forest around our cabin was always Lothlorien and Mirkwood, Stephen R Donaldson's The Land and Sherwood Forest. For him, East Lothian became Link's country, and he crept and ran through it like the hero of his favourite Game Boy game. I'm happy that our mostly urban life has opportunities for that kind of imaginative play.

He has not yet developed the love of the woods and trees for their own sake that I have. But I learned that a bit older than four. Maybe one day he'll see it.

The pattern of decay on the limb of a fallen tree reveals so much of its underlying structure.

Taken 4 February 2006

Concentric rings on tree bark. I don't know why this occurs.

Taken 4 February 2006

Alex used his stick to open "gates", mostly by keying his name into the trees. This one, in particular, required a number of passwords to be entered. We touched certain parts of the branches and said certain letters, spelling out our names to pass onward along the path.

Taken 4 February 2006

By the time we found the cache, a good half mile from the car park, the kids were running out of adventurous spirit. They weren't crabby, or unhappy, or even tired, but they were more focused on getting the "treasure" than on telling themselves (and us) stories on the way.

We found the box easily enough - it's both well hidden from the casual passer by and easy to find if you know where to look - and there were toys enough for both of them. Alex chose a deck of cards, and Fiona took a mini pencil set. I left some stone animals and an amethyst in trade, and we turned back to the car.

Although she wanted to be carried early on for the return journey, Fiona soon regained her energy and did a good deal of walking on the way back to the car. We covered over a mile as a family, and she managed about two thirds of that. Alex walked the whole distance, and wasn't worn out at the end.

We left the wood as the sun began to head for the horizon.

Late sunshine on brown leaves. The shot looks warmer than it was!

Taken 4 February 2006