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Friday, 16 April 2021

N for Noticing Nature & News Updates

A-Z Blogging Challenge 2021  - Scottish Borders in Lockdown    
Recording My Everyday Life  - A Picture for Future Generations 

 

NOTICING NATURE  - there is nothing like a walk in the countryside, or in a park or by a river to invigorate spirits  by noticing the sky, the shape of the trees, the show of flowers,  ducks in the river, birds and butterflies darting around the garden,  or  the smell of freshly cut grass or  hearing the woodpecker in the woods

I know I am lucky in this respect,” living in a rural area.  My cousin in a town suburbs says she has taken to walking the streets, to view the neighbouring  gardens in the changing seasons. 

All natural subjects for my camera - and great at counteracting  NEGATIVITY during Lockdown.

 

NASTURTIUMS  - one of my favorite flowers - and so easy to grow. 
  


 The River Teviot at Hawick where we lived for 40 years.

 

             The heron in Hawick is a familiar sight on the Slitrig  Water.  

A woodland primrose  
A robin spotted in the woods
 
A calming woodland walk 

A sunlit woodland glade
Butterfly on one of its favourite haunts - the buddlea bush 
 
The River Tweed at nearby Melrose
 
 
NEWS UPDATES - way back in March 2020 it was almost a  relief to hear on the news something other than Britain's protracted,  fractured Brexit  negotiations on leaving the European Union.  But that reaction soon palled, as Covid-19 totally dominated the media  with harrowing reports on the pressures in hospitals, of families facing tragic deaths,  of the economic impact & deserted High Streets, of the rising statistics etc. etc.

I made a  point of listening to the brief local news reports on BBC Borders, as I wanted to know what was happening in my immediate area.  Regional  figures were good and reassuring - up to September 2020   hovered around 350 in a population of 115,000, but then in the last 7 months have shot up to over 2800    - but still one of the lowest rates in mainland Scotland. l would like to have known where these cases occurred in the Borders - which towns were hotspots, but the media was rather quiet on that front. 

I did wonder what other news we were missing out on  because of the Covid coverage, but, just for the record, major events, unrelated to Covid,  which did make the headlines  were:

  • At long last just before the deadline date  the completion of the Brexit negotiations.
  • The USA Presidential Election and the fallout following President Trump refusing to accept he had lost. 
  • The violent storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters.

  • The death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh just two months before his 100th birthday and in his 75th year of marriage to the Queen, recognised for his years of public service tothe country and to the Commonwealth.

  • Leaving the life of being a Royal for a move to the USA  - Prince Harry and his wife Meghan - an event which spawned thousands and thousands of words in media coverage.


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4 comments:

  1. The River Taviot is beautiful and it's interesting to see the difference between your robin and the one in the US. The robin we have here has entire red breast just not the upper part.

    It sounds like much of your news mirrored the news in the US.

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  2. Excellent observation about natures. After spending a year within a few blocks of my home in NYC, I was astonished at how much nature there is even an urban setting. An fortunately I have a garden plot on my building's grounds, so that provided endless doses of nature as well -- at least until mosquito season begins :-) https://mollyscanopy.com/2021/04/norm-my-career-building-dad-atozchallenge/

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  3. I’ve been quite envious of your woodland walks. While the beach is within the 5km radius we had for a while we stopped going when it got colder and family commitments took over. Good habits fade easily but poor habits have longevity. Nature can boost our spirits in any season. Your news stories echo ours AAll and though there will have been others I’d have to think on them. Perhaps the biggest was our governments moving to a National cabinet. I watched the worldwide coverage stats assiduously and clipped the data regularly.

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  4. Sue - walking is definitely my mood enhancer. The dog has to nag me out the door every day and she is to be commended for her faithful devotion to the size of my bottom. Once I get going, I'm fine. It's the getting going that's the trick. Domestic violence is most unfortunately a constant headline here in Oz. That and the #metoo movement. My heart goes out to those who are in wretched situations which must only be exacerbated by loss of jobs, lockdowns and lack of options.

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