Books, black peony poppies and bucket filling

My midge net is packed and I’m Highland-bound. But first, a weekly hit of curiosity, joy and wonder.

1 - I’ve felt too overwhelmed to tend to our garden this year, despite its diminutive size. My daughter has reminded me more than once that its neglected state has been making her feel sad and the rain-lashed view from our living-room has been dipping into my bucket on the daily (if you’ve not heard this term before, here’s how it became part of our fam…