Author: dirtieswebspinner

As we traveled to Easter Craiglockhart Local Natural Reserve on a meteorologically indecisive Sunday morning, the ancient rivalry between bus and bike people was once again renewed. This time, the cyclists won.

After a brief introduction from Ewan and David, who are responsible for the nature reserve, we set to work. A number of us donned wellies and waders and, now bearing a striking resemblance to a band of goblins, started clearing silt and vegetation from the small ditch draining a nearby pond (Which, as it happens, is home to group of famously aggressive swans. We maintained a healthy distance).  The other group equipped themselves with hard hats, a bike helmet and a ladder and installed bird boxes throughout the wood. After a hearty lunch of sandwiches, biscuits and Ewan’s homemade rocky road, we returned to work with renewed enthusiasm and only started making our way back home as the sun was disappearing behind the rooftops.

I’m sure the birds enjoyed the day even more than we did: An all you can eat buffet from fresh river mud and a wealth of bird boxes to choose from is enough to make any bird’s heart beat faster.

Thanks Emma G

This past Sunday, October 19, we enjoyed a very robust turnout for a visit to Aberlady Bay. Once the bus/train/minibus mini debacle had been resolved, we were able to transport everyone to the nature reserve, which is located on the Firth of Forth southeast of Edinburgh. Once there, our guide, John, led us through a land of golf into the grassy dunes. Once assured that we were protected from Third Reich tank advances, we turned our eye toward the real enemy, sea-buckthorn, a shrub reintroduced to areas of Scotland that outcompetes other plant species essential for the functioning of the dune ecosystem. It’s everywhere. So, John led us to the “affectionately named” Fox Hollow where we picked, lopped, and dug out as much sea-buckthorn as possible for the remainder of our day, tossing our sea-buckthorn victims into a glorious bonfire that raged the whole time, and occasionally munching on the buckthorn’s berries filled with sweet and sour orange paint-like juice.

So, my second Dirty Weekend was a wonderful, sunny day of good things, with a fine unwinding at the Auld Hoose (spicy chicken dippers this time). Also, thanks, Amy, Margaret, Rosie and special guest, James for preparing a bountiful sandwich lunch, and thank you, Ellie for once again driving that minibus!

Topher

One fine Sunday morning in a galaxy far far away, some dirty folk set off for the strange land known only as the Pishwantia System. It was a long and perilous journey in which the majority went in the big red intergalactic minibus which I can only imagine was a magical place filled with happiness, magic, wonder and emus. I myself travelled on a scooty puff junior.

We met up at exactly somewhere around 11, and we were met by the well known jedi master known by his great jedi name of Roger, and from here we went into the space woods to begin galactic tree felling, using supernova saws (like normal saws only with a vaguely sci-fi name). We apologized to the space trees as we felled them, and then we used them to make fence posts (for space fences) and the smaller bits we weaved in between (using a space technique of weaving). It was great fun using laser axes to sharpen the end of the space tree into a point!

Then sudden jeopardy! An attack happened in which the great moon god Rabobo sent his alien warriors to smite us and we were left to defend our mighty space fence using only spoons and a great fondness for cake. After our fondness for cake left the alien army of the moon god in tatters we got back to reality and Margaret turned up (A lady who works at Pishwanton) with a fella called Wolfgang and a Labrador. At this point nothing else really mattered as there was a Labrador called Toffee to play with (a space Labrador no less). Aren’t Labradors great?

At lunch time we stopped and congregated in a small asteroid belt at the edge of the Pishwantia system and we were given a decent portion of amazo-soup, (like soup only better and more space like) along with biscuits, and homemade biscuits and brownies given by Roger and Margaret, which were yummy! Lunch time was also when Ivy taught us a game called Mafia which was really fun!

Sadly the fun and space games had to come to an end and it was time to head back to the planet Hoose in the Edinburgh galaxy. On the way back since Goodles had skived there was space in the intergalactic minibus red thing for myself and my scooty puff junior, and we merrily headed back to eat some space nachos!

Before this you probably all wondered how many times someone can write the word ‘space’ in one blog post, and now you know. Lots.

Transmission out, from Spacemarshal Bamalam.