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(2hrs) Today I took my completed 'memory staff' from Orkney to show everyone at Beechbrae. This is a hazel stick on which I practiced my whittling skills, and other crafts, to create visual reminders of things I encountered while on Orkney in June. Some of the work was done on the island, and the rest at home. From the top, which is decorated with a wool skein I spun myself while on Orkney, through shells from various locations, and pictures of the history and nature of Orkney, it is a roughly chronological depiction of the present day through mediaeval times, to the Vikings, Picts, Neolithic people and back to an early fossil found nearby at the bottom. On the reverse I practiced relief carving (never again - it's HARD!) to sign my name in Viking runes. At Beechbrae today we trimmed rocket (again! it grows fast), harvested vegetables, mended a path with gravel, and dug out an old raised bed whose timbers were rotten. Hard, physical work, I'll be developing muscles if this continues!

(2hrs) Last week I made contact with the leader of the Friends of Almondell group to volunteer (they meet on Thursdays). Today I learned to use a scythe with Stuart and Ian from Friends of Almondell. It was stupidly humid and 23C, so i'm absolutely knackered. But it was very interesting, trying to get the knack it's all in the swing of the blade. My section looked chewed rather than cut compared to the experts, but not bad for a first attempt. Watched a baby buzzard crying unsuccessfully for food, while its parent ignored it. Also sat by the pond for 30 mins but not much going on, in or around it. Lovely to sit in the shade of the ancient chestnut tree next to the pond - it's so old some of its branches have sagged to the ground.

(2hrs) My rowan tree was full of baby great tits this morning :) To Beechbrae, more trimming of herbs to stop them flowering (offcuts used in my lunch salad, pics) added strings in the polytunnel for peas, harvested strawberries and broad beans. I also made some observations in and around the veg plot, including berries on the potatoes (a result of the very wet and warm weather, and poisonous to eat - you can really see that potatoes are the same family as my solanum bush in my garden, the fruit and flowers are very similar). Also noticed a cabbage white caterpillar and weird mushrooms. Finally, we restored the ring of stones bordering the fire pit, which were almost lost in the moss and grass.

Damp and humid at Beechbrae today, where we spent time building a barrier from coppiced hazel branches to prevent dogwalkers from taking a shortcut across a sensitive piece of land. Clouds of flies everywhere, even with lemon balm leaves rubbed all over our skin, so we were glad to retreat to the polytunnel, where we we trimmed the flowers off the rocket to keep it growing without going to seed, and we rescued some baby hazel trees from an overgrown planter and potted them up. Later, I whittled some plant markers for use in the polytunnel, and learned about courgettes (they have male and female flowers, a swelling behind the flower shows it will turn into a courgette). Also got a new 'staff' to decorate after my trip to Canada.

Driving to the shops this morning, and a strange bug landed on my windscreen. I drove very slowly to the nearest car park while it clung on, and I was able to take a photo before it flew away. A rather beautiful hawthorn shield bug, with the less beautiful Latin name Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale. Feeds mainly on hawthorn berries, although a range of other deciduous trees are also used, inlcuding oak, hazel and birch.

(2 hrs) Not strictly an outdoor pursuit, though I did have a walk in the lovely woods around the collection which took an hour. A friend and I looked around the Burrell Collection and played a game of looking at all the animals and plants we could find on the exhibits. And my goodness, there were a lot! Some were a bit of a mystery, such as the creatures on the middle eastern rugs, but the medieval tapestries, and some of the very old stained glass, had some plants I still have in my garden today. The tapestries also had creatures we no longer see at the zoo - cockatrice, unicorn and gryphon, to name a few!

From brilliant barks to leaves filled with hosts of mini beasts and life! While squirrels darted from tree to tree looking for food and affection we learned of the habitats of mini beasts and the stories of trees who had found safety and sanctuary within this Glasgow Park. We learned to appreciate the colours of fallen leaves and even had a bit of fun throwing them and watching them dance and twirl on their way back to their leafy beds. We loved the stone wall that provided shelter and a home for so many mini beasts and gazed cautiously as a wasp tramped its way from rock to rock. With the day now coming to a close we wondered at the words of John Muir when he said 'All Natures Wilderness tells the same story, the socks and outbursts of earthquakes, volcanoes, geysers........' For us we found the same story and feeling a beautiful park in our city and with through the stories of our Glasgow Countryside Ranger Friend who help make the story of nature really come alive!!!!