People trees

Lewis and many of the Hebridean islands are known for being low on trees.  It has come from a history where the people were evicted to make way for sheep farming. Though now fenced in the sheep are still abundant and graze down any new shoots that may self seed.  Add to this that the soil is quite shallow so any larger trees that reach maturity are often blown down in our winter gales, their roots not able to reach down very far to anchor themselves.  It is what gives Lewis, particularly, the unfair label of 'bleak' - visitors used to the lush green fields, hedgerows and woodland of southern England, do not see past the expanse of the moor.

The benefit however is that the landscape stretches out before you, with nothing in the way to interrupt the view. It allows you to see for miles and gives you that feeling of being a giant, or as free as a bird - a far away view is good for the soul.

On our croft we have tried to plant some trees to provide some shelter and some interest, with varying degrees of success.
After trying for years to have a line of Ash along a track, one ash has finally survived rabbit attack, sheep attack, wind and frost and this year is about 5ft high.  But I'm not used to something interrupting the curve of the hill, so every time I am working in the area, I catch sight of it out of the corner of my eye and for a moment I think it is someone standing there.  I wonder if this is how some of the old myths and stories of the trees being alive came about.  Perhaps Tolkein was working in his garden and a new oak tree kept grabbing his attention.

Treebeard

The green man is an old pagan image of fertility, symbolising the circle of the seasons and rebirth in springtime.  He is usually portayed as a face intertwined with leaves and vines.  He is not unique it its occurrence in Britain and is found all over the world with similar meanings.

Trees have been with us for millenia, they are important not only for shelter, fuel and food but offer us some anthropomorphic comfort too.  Pre-civilisation, you can see how they would have been given deity status. 


We have one area on the croft we call the magical forest. After years of trying to cultivate the native Scots pine in pots, with not much luck, we noticed that the patch of wind damaged, fallen over pine trees was actually self seeding.  The trees are know to grow in a crack on the side of a rocky crag, they don't need much vegetation to get on.  So in all my efforts to feed and tend to the saplings, it seems they are just better when left alone in the environment they know and call home!

Newcomers, self seeding pines

Everyday People

I took the boys to a funeral today.

Our next-door neighbour James died, unexpectedly while on holiday from a heart attack.
We weren't close in the category of 'friends' but actually by being physically close to them in space, his death has affected us all just as much.
He wasn't 'an old friend' , 'a pal from college', 'an army mate', but just by living next door for 5 years, he was an un-noticed part of our lives.  We took this relationship forgranted, so that now when it has suddenly been removed, it is a shock that I just can't quite get my head around.

His daughter would come to our house before school in the morning, while her Mum & Dad left early for work.  As she is only 1 year older than Austin, they have been at school together for most of their lives, up until the break to senior school happened last year.  I lost my own Dad when I was 18.  She is just turning 13.  I know she will handle it ok, she has lots of family and caring folk around.

The funeral was great - he was typical Scot - you can't go round the house without sharing a drink, so after a chapel service and visit to the resting plot, everyone went to the local pub. 
Everyone was stunned, but also knew he would want there to be drinking and friendship. 
Wouldn't we all.