24 June 2016

Yes, I know how pointless, daft and downright boring this blog is.  There have been several times I've thought about not bothering, but there's an obstinate streak keeping me going to the end of the year.

The nearest I've come to thinking it wasn't worth it, and was just so trivial in the grand scheme of things, was definitely today.  Waking up to such depressing news has cast a shadow over everything.  And today's 'usual' shots are much the same as they were last week.  And will probably look strikingly similar to those that go up here next Friday.

But then I remembered I had something a wee bit different to add into the mix, something that might even draw a reluctant smile to a few faces, so here I am again.

But first the usual boring pics showing trees and green bits and a few flowers and that once again the sun isn't shining.

If you take a close look you might spot the squirrel scurrying along the wall at the bottom.  Perhaps he's my little friend from earlier this month?

But last Saturday brought something a wee bit different.  And I don't just mean the sunshine.

Around what I know to be a very young child's grave, a family gathering was taking place.  Eating, drinking, chatting away.  And the kids playing swingball.  Not something I'd really expected to see in 'our' cemetery.  Part of me thought it bizarre.  But on reflection, it's beautiful really.  It's quite a recent grave, perhaps this was some sort of anniversary, and they wanted the dead child to be there, and the other children to feel a part of the occasion.

You can get a better impression of what was going on if you click here to see a short video.  Is that a barbecue or have they brought a portable crematorium along?  All quite heartwarming really.

Unlike this morning.  It felt like the graveyard of hope.  But, tenuous link time, Edinburgh voted 75% to remain.  In this constituency (this graveyard?) it was 78%.  So here's an image to remind us that today didn't bury hope.

17 June 2016

What a dull and damp week t's been weather wise, with this morning doling out more of the same.

The mowers are in action again this morning

And they do keep the place looking pretty tidy, and tidily pretty, for a nineteenth century graveyard

And it gets ever greener outside our window

But the pattern of the week has been grey skies, drizzle, rain, wind and "isn't it a bit chilly for June?".  The nearest we got to any excitement was the sighting of a small boy, perhaps only around eight or nine, running about among the headstones in the rain one evening.  He was too far off, and light too low, for me to get try taking a photo.  And he'd never have heard a shout from up where we are.  There was no sign of him being there with anyone, and eventually he wandered off and, presumably, out.  Just a bit odd to see such a youngster playing about in a cemetery at nine at night.  Maybe it's a new psychological challenge for kids....

Here's a reminder of how nice the place can look when the sun actually shines.

10 June 2016

Dull, dull, dull this morning

 

But green.

So it's time for a bit of history.  Rosebank Cemetery contains a memorial to the dead of Britain's worst ever rail disaster.  It took place on 22 May 1915 near Gretna Green.  The huge majority of the dead, and injured, came from an army unit drawn from around the Leith area (then an independent burgh, but part of the City of Edinburgh since 1920).  You can read about what happened here.

There's a board describing the events behind the memorial alongside.

And here's some geraniums to end this post on a more cheerful thought.

3 June 2016

There's no denying Summer

This thing is now getting so green....

That it's blocking our view of the 'cones' by the monument

There are always people coming along to tend to the more recent graves

But the new one I first mentioned back on 5 February still doesn't have a headstone

Down for a walk there yesterday I came across this wee fella

He even decided to check me out a bit

But the big interest today (I know, I should get out more) has been the return, en masse, of the tractor mowers.  Three videos showing what they get up to.

Here's five of them in action.

It's fascinating to watch them weave around the narrower stretches of the cemetery, blades waving up and down as they try to get as close a cut as possible.

And one more closer look at the control they have over those machines.