Melatonin

Found this on Wikki:

Mood disorders
Melatonin has been shown to be effective in treating one form of depression and seasonal affective disorder, and is being considered for bipolar and other disorders in which circadian disturbances are involved. It has been observed that bipolar disorder might have, as a "trait marker" (something that is characteristic of being bipolar, that does not change with state), supersensitivity to light, i.e., a greater decrease in melatonin secretion in response to light exposure at night. This could be contrasted with drug-free recovered bipolar patients not showing light hypersensitivity.

Sanders doesn't show any signs of being bipolar and neither do I, luckily for us, but there is a shortage of light up here so the SAD is definitely a problem.

My most delightful encounter so far today has been with a youngster I remember as a toddler, locked into her own world and evidently autistic. She has been through a programme in the USA that helped her parents learn how to communicate with her, helped her to communicate with them and to look the world in the eye. Now at 15 she is comfortable enough to hold a conversation with me, a stranger. Impressive.

We could do with a few breakthroughs here as we look for ways to deal with my grandson's insomnia. He wasn't able to stay on the adventure holiday he had so looked forward to because of homesickness, but that was compounded by his inability to get to sleep. Searches on the Internet bring up hypnotherapy, which we are going to give a shot, and Melatonin which he's been on for ages now. I've started taking it myself because after a lifetime of sleeping soundly I too have started to find sleep eludes me. It's much more worrying for a youngster to be losing sleep though - diminished ability to concentrate and heart problems in later life.

The weather in Scotland this July has been extremely disappointing, at least on this side. A trip to the west coast to pick up the g'son on Sunday showed us beautiful blue skies and real heat making Oban glow like a proper seaside resort. And so many peeps - I haven't seen that many in one place since I was last in London! But then I don't get about much.

Rogue seed.

Looking at Gillian's blog inspired me to make a comment on my own gardening efforts this year. I too bought a cherry tree and had it planted in front of the kitchen window to give me something nicer to look at than the neighbour's ranks of cars. It produced a dozen nice fat little cherries which wasn't bad for a first time. They'd just got ripe enough to harvest when - they'd gone!

Damn those birds. And to think I'm getting them a bird table to protect them from the clever pussy catty-o's round here.

The other excitement has been the nasturtiums. A packet of seed has yielded a row of weedy looking smalls that have nevertheless flowered, and one colossus that threatens to take over the garden. It's as well they aren't all like the rogue seed.

Sweaty July weather here. Some nice sunshine but clammy with moisture. I was glad to have to rescue g'son from a camp-out that he wasn't enjoying because the other children were too young and noisy (he doen't like disorder!). To get him back I took the water taxi over the bay to the forested dunes on the other side. Very enjoyable.

He returned unscathed from the big ride, although we found later that the place where his pony spooked and skittered at a wood lorry a horse and rider were killed outright nine years ago. It's no wonder that riding is the sport that costs the most to insure.

So farewell to the News of the Screws. Are we down hearted? No we are not.

More horsey pics.

They are on the way now and we are chewing our ails since a phone call with Sandy last night telling us about nasty incident with a wood lorry. Thse things really are a blight. Their drivers seem to have no respect for anything else on the road. There will be a security vehicle with them today when they have a main road to cross and after that we think there aren't any more big roads in the way so perhaps can get a better night's sleep.

It reminds me of the days when Chloe was riding a lot. I was never entirely easy when I knew she was riding out - not surprised I feel a little worn now.

Follow the ride on www.findhorntoknoydart.blogspot.com

http://www.findhorntoknoydart.blogspot.com/

(Please will someone tell me how to make these connections live?)

The Moray Cowgirls and Sandy.

G'son doesn't have his own pony any more because time and space made it impossible so Star is now with a lovely lady owner enjoying the good life. He now rides at weekends locally with a young woman doctor who owns a veritable herd of hairy beasts. She organised a big ride for fun but also to raise awareness for a charity. This is no Sunday jaunt for chickens. It will take the adult riders 150 miles to the other side of Scotland, crossing rivers, through glens and across rivers, camping overnight. The youngsters, one of them Sandy, are going for just a part of this marathon then being brought back when the track goes out of range of support vehicles and quite probably mobile connection (there will be one satellite phone just in case). It was planned to begin at a pub on this coast and end at a pub on the west coast so today they rode down to Findhorn to the Kimberley to join supporters, eat fish and chips and limber up for the hard slog which will begin Tuesday.

No more Itchy Fridays.

The Kilts' last outing. Suits for formals next year. Sighs of relief all round.

He found that his mum and grandmother were right when they told him that girls find suits sexy. Lots of attention (and hugs) at the Leavers evening it seems. They were treated to a silver service meal (with waiters he reported, evidently impressed), then a ceilidh/disco with a live band and a smoke machine that set off the smoke alarms in the school. When his mum arrived to pick him up the lawns in front of the dormitories were filled with weeping smalls wrenched out of their beds by the bell!

Whilst England swelters we have maintained a nice temperate 19 degrees with a downpour almost every day at some point. You'd hardly think it was the same island.

I've done almost nothing interesting and certainly nothing worth reporting. So sad. Lots of reading though: Susan Hill x 2 (that's enough for the time being. Sansom (not bad but I'm uncomfortable in Tudor times. Too many bad smells; too much pain. Rankin: his first published novel 'The Flood' which is good (would be pleased to have achieved it myself) but obviously by a 'young' writer. Then 'Bleeding Hearts' which surprised me by being, in tone, akin to American crime fiction with lots of shooting and racing about from one seedy motel room to another. Well written but no surprises. Then a couple of re-read Rebuses. A Kathy Reichs re-read - OK but I prefer 'Bones'. The novels seem humourless and self-congratulatory. I think that's the danger with first-person novels. Not one that Sansom falls into.

Must be time for some more Reginald Hill. I wish the Red Cross would pull some in because I'm on a budget here and trying to eschew Amazon.....