With Rafferty, miniature wirehaired dachshund, on Hedderwick Sands in East Lothian.

East Lothian, January 2025

I thought that it might be a good idea to do a monthly rewind, sharing a few favourite photos from posts I’ve already published while also sharing those photos that never make it here - because they’re moments captured on a very local walk, or perhaps we’ve been down the coast but I’ve only grabbed a few shots because of the weather or the light. There are always walks that will never make it to this blog, but they’re still moments of life; moments when there’s been a reason to capture an image and record a memory. So maybe a monthly rewind post is the space for those.

As I started this post, before uploading the photos, I was writing different words. I was thinking of all the reasons that this month felt heavy, both globally, in terms of the news and with all the reasons to feel worried, alarmed or dismayed by people and events, and closer to home as January has also felt like a low month for various reasons.

But then I scrolled through these photos and while these moments don’t change any of the wider weight, they reminded me of the lightness within it. The walks with Raf, watching him run and explore. Low tide at Yellowcraig, walking along the shore and listening to the waves. The steady rhythm of nature reminding us to breathe. Big skies at Belhaven, and pink-tinged skies over The Lamb and Craigleith and Bass Rock. Cuddling Raf on the breeziest walk at John Muir Country Park. Within all the complexity of life that we all carry in different ways, these are simple moments to be grateful for as I look back over this first chapter of 2025, and also look forward to the next.