Colorado and the Caledonian Canal

Rememberance

As Remembrance Sunday nears poppy displays are appearing, not least an amazing display of crochet from the Kelso Ladies Poppy group.

New project!

 Flying Tommy the Harris Hawk from Chamfron Colorado.

Spotted on my travels (14)

On the hunt for unique Turfs we have been bimbling about East Lothian and the Borders the last few days, spotting various monuments, sculptures and strong statements.  In 2017, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele ten silhouettes were  erected on the Frezenberg Ridge, Flanders, Belgium.  Three of the plates from which the silhouettes were cut now live in Hawick.  I've also spotted my first #womenwontwheesht in the wild.  

Time changes everything and nothing.

Something happened this week and I mentioned it to friends and work colleagues, if I'm honest looking for empathy, sympathy and a massive dose of shared outrage.  That didn't happen, people said "who?" and when I explained "oh, who was Mark?" and that is a the most massive head f*ck.  Why would they know?  I've moved house, moved jobs and they know the me that is in a relationship with Craig, not Mark.  They know a different person to the person I was pre 2015 and a very very different person to the one I was in 2016.  

I never had the privilege of being able to fall in a heap and I didn't, only two friends saw me break (and possibly the postman when he drove past and I was howling in the car in a lay-by).  I wouldn't change what I did then or how I live my life now.  

When your partner dies everyone has an opinion on how you live your life, they judge, dating included of course.  Eventually acquaintances dished out the platitude "Mark would have wanted you to meet someone else" and I'd cringe a little and roll my eyes.  Maybe, maybe not (interesting conversation one night when I'd found a lump and casually said "oh well, if this kills me, crack on and meet someone else" - lets just say it did not go down well!!)  In my head I say "he doesn't get an opinion, he's dead" but the years when I had absolutely no filter (common in widows) have gone and I don't actually say it.  He would however have been proud of me.  

What no one realises until it happens to them is the broken guilt of loving and wanting the future that is in front of you – even though you couldn’t have had it without the loss of the person behind you. 

"Talk to the heartbroken ones.  

They will teach you what is real, how to live alone.  

How to finish 

And how to start all over again."  

Life Tales | Sahil Verma

Japanese water gardens

A wee stroll at Stobo today.

Home International

Scotland win the home international, best turned out team and are second in the Celtic challenge.   Chamfron Colorado best Novice in the Celtic challenge and a grade 1 - what a cracking end to his and Jessica's first competitive endurance season!

Best entrance!

 Laura and Gemma's fabulous wedding last night.

Girl Power

Chamfron Firefly winning a 60cm a few weeks ago and Chamfron Paloma at the WES Nationals.