Childhood moments

Along the Ardentinny road that winds down to the beach the low stone walls and trees are covered in lichens and mosses - they are old these walls - round riverboulder topped as west Scotland walls are made to endure. Walking along by them on a chillsnap February day the quiet is precious. On the wet open tussocks a flock of Curlews forages alongside of a gang of Oystercatchers and in the conifer branches there the yellow flash of Siskin. Out on the water of Loch Long the Eider duck oooh! ooh! to each other as though permanently surprised. We walked along the beach - tellins and mussels strewn by the sw gales just yesterday. Just the one pot boat that plies the Clyde for crab to send to eager diners. On this brisk day it was a time for a wee lass to toss pebbles at waves and wonder at things to see. These are fleeting precious moments easily forgot in the bustle of days. A shell in a pocket - a birdsong - a shared smile and holding of hands.
There is an irongrey about a winter beach - a corpsecold wind that nips little fingers. But nobody ails and laughter is singing its own goodtime song. For an adventurous pirate there are trees to climb and things to see and dare. Childhood like this is just the best and what wonder it is to share its moments. What would we now offer to visit its wonder again if but for a few moments. It is for us to make the moments for our children and grandchildren and hope we have made the memories that will be as ours are - precious treasures of times past that made us and gave us the will and need to love life and cherish its future.


Trees don't have to be high - its not the height - its what you can see and imagine when you get there.