ANNUAL OPEN GARDENS - GENEROSITY-SEARCH AND RESCUE

There were some gardens open a few miles away, for the annual visiting Scotland's gardens. It would be hard to describe all that we saw. There were four gardens that were milling with interested people; each of them were very different. I marvelled at the generosity of house owners giving over their pride and joys to the tramping feet and ogling eyes of absolute strangers. We were all very well behaved, even the children. 

One show of flowers and bushes was planted out on the most exposed and arid plateau of land, just over an old quarry. the common question here was, "How do you get it all to grow?" Another husband and wife team had organically developed their elements of gardens over twelve years. I came away with the name of an unusual plant which I must note down for next year. A third was a complete surprise, one kiddie cried "It's a magic garden". All developed and terraced on a slope down to a little river that used to run some miles to long gone mill. There were so many nooks and garden corners to discover.

Out at sea, a rescue helicopter was searching, hovering and searching. It was rising and descending, moving onto clifftops and the scrub of the headland; more hovering and searching. The search and rescue helicopter is usually not good news, not unless the crew are successful with a live result. 

At tea with home baking, in the village hall, all part of the end of trail refreshment, I got talking to a disabled elderly lady and her husband who are visiting to help their daughter look after the grandchildren while son-in-law is being treated for a serious medical condition. During the conversation, I was told that the son-in-law was a local church minister. I soon realised that this was the man who kindly helped me and drove me home, in December 2010, when my car came off the road due to black ice. 

Here was the generosity of families supporting their loved ones. The couple had taken time out to view the open gardens, to benefit, even in the rain, from the different beauties in nature and also benefit, insofar as they could, from the welcome and friendliness of strangers, and also the calming distraction of those lovely and interesting gardens.

IS THERE MORE TO COME?

What else can happen this week? 

Monday night: the distinctive throbbing sound of a helicopter flying low over our rooftop was heard. The blades whizzed. It was not the type of craft we might see in these parts, for example, the air-ambulance is bright yellow. The helicopter hovered around for quite some time in the dark, particularly in one position not far away.

The reason: A seventeen year old lad had fallen over a cliff walk. The accident was, fortunately for him, seen and reported quite quickly. The life boat was alerted as were the coast guard and a search and rescue helicopter from further down the coast. The crew found the injured boy and winched him up taking him to hospital. Very few people survive falls in that area. We know much more about the survivors because they have lived to tell their tales. So far, I know of only one survivor who now apparently leads his daily life relatively physically unscathed. 

At about 10.15pm last night,(Tuesday 14th September) we heard the most awful crashing sound. Had our neighbour had an accident with a large tractor perhaps? There was nothing to be seen out of our window but the usual night scene of farm equipment at rest. The street was also quiet. Then we heard the crashing noise again. Hubby and I looked at one another. It couldn't be surely, not with the day of torrential rain and hailstones we had just had. Just as we verbalised our thoughts, the sky was rent with lightening twice in quick succession. 

Today is Wednesday, the week is not over yet.