Grounded

Opening the mail this morning I was delighted to receive a bill, I was, really.

I had been on the point of having another rant about the press in these parts, wailing that horse meat seems to have greater priority than the drivel spouted down Westminster way as the order that gives Scotland the right to hold a referendum is passed. For those interested in such a rant, Wings is the best port of call. Rev Stu says it all, as usual.

Anyway, grounded that was it. The mail item with the accompanying bill was the latest volume of Earthlines Magazine. The bill means that a year has passed, the magazine goes from strength to strength, and I’m delighted to sign up for the next 12 months.

This latest issue, after a very quick glance whilst dealing with mail that others might deem to be more important even if less enjoyable, delights me with articles to read later from both Sir John Lister-Kaye – his Aigas Field Centre is back on our screens with WinterWatch this week – and an interview with Robert Macfarlane, whose name seems to crop up everywhere these days. There’s a delightful editorial on the how daily chores on a working croft fit seamlessly in with the magazine and website. For Earthlines is the quintessential cottage industry.

Now I’m a big fan of both Lister-Kaye and Macfarlane, and will read every word of those articles. But first though my attention was grabbed by a book review. J A Baker’s The Peregrine was first published over 45 years ago. It tells of a year in the life of our fastest falcon, tales gleaned from a decade of observations.

I’ve a volume on the bedside table right now, not the first edition but a pretty old one, purchased after a certain trip to Wales a few months ago. There was a new edition back in 2011; it’s a work that still grabs the interest of much more than birdwatchers. So my dilemma for the moment is whether to read the review before the book, or to delve into the book first. Oh, decisions, decisions

But Earthlines is about much more than satisfying my needs on books and authors – I see the names of Miriam Darlington and Kathleen Jamie in there as well – and some time out taking notice of our landscapes and our nature is just what I need when it all gets a bit stressful. Go on, dip into the Earthlines website, whilst I get on with renewing my subscription.