The Heatwave is still going

It has been decent weather since I arrived in the north last Wed. 5 days of glorious sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. The locals are all starting to melt. Am sitting here in the library and they have all the fans going - it is not THAT hot. However I bought myself a pair of sandals this morning because that is one thing that I did not pack as I really did not think that I would need them.

Walked down to Dalkeith with Vivien this AM as she had to go pay the mortgage. Caught the bus back as it is a reasonably steady up hill walk and V does not walk up hills. I went on the top deck of the bus because I like travelling up high but I was on my own up there.

I find the lack of 'can do' outlook in a lot (certainly not all) of the people extremely stultifying - lots of moaning about what needs doing but it seems that it is up to someone else to make it happen, any suggestions are met with multitudinous reasons as to why not. Some are undoubtably valid but some totally bemuse me. And the kids are scared of all sorts of ordinary life experiences; sad, sad.

Anyway enough of social commentary.

Saturday we went to Galashiels which is down on the borders. Interesting driving. most of the way there is an abandoned railway line - as in ripped up 40 odd years ago but the rights of way and the viaducts, bridges etc all still there and complete. It would be a really superb place to get the likes of a Rail Trail going but I doubt that it will ever happen because the will to do something just a little different just isn't there. Whoops back into the social commentary - again.

Trip a round Galashiels was a real un Sheila like afternoon, as I really, really do NOT DO SHOPS. However even in Scotland amongst the suburbs, shopping would appear to be the recreation of choice :( Guess that is not so different from suburban NZ.

I went to buy some stuff at Tescos (food of choice) and not so surprisingly I guess, things which I consider to be basics do not even register here. Something as normal as Balsamic vinegar - no idea as to what it is. In Sainsbury's they have a Balsamic Vinigraitte made by Paul Newman's outfit but that is full of crap. It would seem that the basic building blocks of cooking are just about non existant in the supermarkets and to get stuff like balsamic you have to go to specialty shops which are needless to say, expensive. Everything (and I mean everything) is prepackaged, pretreated, or pre cooked. Buying loose fruit and vege? Forget it.

You would be pretty hard pressed to cook what could be loosely called Pacific Rim cuisine here...

Yesterday afternoon we went to a 'barbeque' at Drew and Vivien's daughter's place. Please note the 's' around the barbeque. All the kids and adults thought that it was really good and enjoyed being outside - things which we so take for granted.

In the morning V went to visit her mum in a nursing home down at Leith so Drew and I went to look at the Britannia which is now permanently moored there as a tourist attraction. Of course is cost lots of ££s to go ont he boat and the whole thing is set up that you cannot get to the wharf etc to have a closer look. However we went up onto a balcony (which one has to go through a shopping mall to reach) and therefore were able to look up the Firth and across to Fife on the other side. At least I was able to stretch my perceptions and have an infusion of 'space' which i I badly need. I am really hoping that when Glenda and I get up to the Highlands next week that there will be enough space and few enough people for me to be able to really enjoy.

Vivien has given me a couple of pairs of summer trousers which are now to big for her, for which I am very grateful, as I packed one light pair of tidy and one pair of casual and with the lovely weather my wardrobe has been somewhat lacking.

I see from 'Stuff' that the weather back home is really crap. Hope you are all OK.

Marian Sargison has managed to borrow a Clarsarch for me (Scottish harp) to play on Sat. (From the music dept of one of the schools where she teaches) so I get to try it out on Wed. I think that in return I get to go along to the school and give a wee talk on NZ :)

Not much else happening today - am going to now do some research on the internet for D&V and then walk back to their house.

BTW the sun is rising here about 4am and it is still light at 10pm. Neil said that up in Keith when the sky is clear it does not actually go totally dark at all at this time of year. This will be an interesting experience - not quite light all night as in the Antarctic but getting there.