A Feast for Midges

Got up about 7.30 and perused a book on fibre art, I thought I’d take a short walk Southeast around Kirk Hill.

I paused to do a drawing and became a feast for midges, found a spot where the surface of the earth was all that was left; the roots were hanging down, exposing the process of growth.

I came to a stream and made an attempt to cross it elegantly, which failed.

The light was extraordinary and the grass and plants were almost glowing. There was a profusion of August flowers shining out from the grass.

The path sloped upwards, but I was curious to see what was at the end. As I climbed the vegetation gently changed from the slug and wild flower strewn grasses to a much more conservative scattering of less colourful plants. As the walk continued I noticed more strange plants and started thinking about the proto-trees. An early ancestor of trees as we know them, they grew taller and taller without adding any girth until they eventually fell over.

Eventually I return 2 hours later and have a meeting with Richard over a cup of tea. We discuss my ideas for the end product of the residency, he seems quite happy with my thoughts.

Going to go to Lockerbie now to pick up Brendan and Méabh.

It is a neat little town; I arrive almost an hour early and decide I need to buy string, big needles and thick needles. It is a god excuse to go into all the shops, I find 2 small rolls of cotton string and a much larger one of sisial twine from a well-stocked ironmongers. There is a fantastic drapers shop selling clothing and Scottish souvenirs