We hereby proudly present to you the latest batch of blackberry wine:
The fruit for the Black Border wine came from Peterculter and Wester Ord, which is where the boundary runs between City and Shire. I picked them on a very early, cold August morning with the sun low in the sky and the mists hanging over the fields (and I regretted wearing cycling shorts!). The Hirness fruit is named after the hamlet of Hirn, about 14 miles from Aberdeen. I always say to John that I would love to live there. Hirn feels like the centre of the Shire to me, equally close to lots of places I enjoy being. I picked the berries on a warm, sunny afternoon.
When we bottled them last night and (of course!) had a sample, we felt so rich and grateful for the endless gifts we receive from our Shire.
Today I went out to Millstone Hill and walked a path that was lined with mushrooms – most of them not edible (to humans) but a magnificent sight nonetheless. There was nobody else, just me and tall green larches that gently swayed. No traffic sounds, no lawnmowers.
I know that my Psychology students are following this blog, so this paragraph is just for you: how I felt being in nature today, was what I would call the perfect example of ‘self-actualization’. Being where I want to be, how I want to be. Happy with my own company and no more ‘ideal selves’ to strive for. I’d love to hear what self-actualization means to you!
The healthy forager 