Squirrels and Scarecrows ........ more from Sammy the Squirrel

 So, here we are, back at the Botanics once more. Seem to spend so much time here I might even get my own bench one day! But there is always so much to see, so much to enjoy, so many nooks and crannies to explore ........ and of course, Sammy the Squirrel. With bright sunshine getting the better of the rainclouds, at least for the time being, Sammy was bound to be around somewhere, twitching his nose into other people's business, scrabbling for food, or just making the most of another fine spring day. And it wasn't long before I spotted him sat upright in the grass, taking stock of all around him.
"It's still here, up there in the sky. The sun, it's still here. Exactly what a squirrel needs, a bit of sunshine. So much rain, so much snow, I was beginning to worry my poor old tail may fall victim to rising damp. It does you know ..... rise ..... damp. Not good for a squirrel my age. Mustn't complain, though. Here we are, a beautiful spring day, the larder is full, the youngsters now fending for themselves. So easy to find my hidden store of nuts when the ground is dry. Easier on the paws, not so much wet mud flying around."
I took a seat on the nearest bench and looked around at the myriad of colours splattering the borders and flower beds. Sammy pulled up a leaf beside me, his tam o'shanter set at a somewhat rakish angle on his head. Balancing on his hind legs, tail spread out behind him, its grey-brown colours catching the sunlight, he nibbled on a beech nut he seemed to produce from thin air before continuing his conversation.
"Been making the most of the good weather, having a good nosy around. Bumped into the strangest of creatures. Lopsided face the colour of an over-ripe tomato, arms waving around like the sails of a windmill, silver discs dangling from each wrist. A scarecrow apparently ...... or so Hamish the heron said. Goes by the name of Sally ...... Sally the Scarecrow. Whatever next! Keeps birds away from newly planted seeds, well crows anyway I assume. Didn't appear to be working too well with the pigeons. Maybe we need a scarepigeon as well. Still, I wouldn't like to meet her on a dark night."
Did I detect a shiver running down Sammy's spine and out through his tail? The thought of a midnight encounter with Sally the Scarecrow obviously unsettled him. He adjusted his headwear, bade me goodbye, and in the twitch of a whisker disappeared across the grass muttering something about the urgent need for a glass of elderberry wine and a lie down on a mossy bed.
Thought I would take the opportunity to pay the Queen Mother's Memorial Garden a visit. The garden itself is based on the motif of the historic Eassie Cross near Glamis Castle. The four corners of the garden represent different geographical areas of the world - Asia, Europe, North America and the Southern Hemisphere. Plants and shrubs representative of these areas have been planted, including the Welsh poppy, English Rose, the yew from Northern Ireland and the Scottish bog myrtle. The circular path and the geographical areas are divided by a double hedge of common hornbeam, whilst the labyrinth at the heart of the garden is planted with the highly ornamental and attractive myrica gale. Bedecked in golden catkins during the spring months, and golden yellow autumn leaves later in the year, it is good to sit awhile in one of the carved seating areas and soak up the tranquil atmosphere. Engraved tablets of Caithness stone bear the names of charities, societies and companies with whom the Queen Mother was associated, the same material as used in the making of the path.
The detail contained in the structure of the Memorial Pavilion is a true celebration of Scotland, its landscape, its wildlife and its resources. The ceiling is made from native and exotic cones representing all four corners of the globe, collected from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and its three regional gardens - Benmore, Logan and Dawyck. The walls are covered in shells and pebbles collected by children across Scotland. The centrepiece of the Pavilion is an engraved commemorative memorial slab, a relief bust of the Queen Mother replicated from the bronze of the King and Queen Consort in the church on the Royal Estate, Sandringham.
This is another wonderful area of these wonderful Gardens, another place to sit, wander, reflect, absorb the natural world around us. Where next, I wonder ........