A Monday

Like Sunday, Mondays are taking on a pattern, one imposed by our consecutive Pilates classes in the morning. Today my lift was away being indulged by her daughter, so Himself had to run me there and then go home for the inside of an hour before coming for his torture class. I was actually feeling very sore when I went - I'm not sure if it was all the standing at the sink on Saturday, or the fact that I went for a walk in my new shoes with the orthopaedic insoles - a whole new range in the brand - which make me stand tall and straighter than usual, but which obviously put strains on new muscles ... Anyway, the exercise, though knackering, made me feel much better.

As did the walk we took in the late afternoon, in Benmore Gardens. First of all we almost didn't go the whole walk, as we stopped to chat to a pair of teachers from Haddington who were staying in the outdoor centre with a bunch of Haddington school children for the week. It was strange how two total strangers were within minutes chatting away like old friends, how we parted with expressions of enjoyment in our meeting - people we'll likely never meet again. Me, I think it's the magic of Benmore ...

The magic was much in evidence as we did indeed finish our walk, right to the top of the Chilean garden and down through the azaleas and past the pond with its primulas and meconopsis and more azaleas and the most wonderful pools of scent from various bushes. I've chosen the photo that gives an idea of the peace on the hillside looking down towards the river Eachaig, with the white blossoms on different shrubs and all the things I can't share, like birdsong and perfume and just the hint of the sound of children from the centre far below. I've added a collage as an extra of some of the portrait style photos I took of plants ...

We were late home and I made ramen for dinner and now I'm dead as usual and we have an unusual and not at all routine activity tomorrow. Bath and bed, I think ...