HeyJaredLesley
Enjoying a slower pace of life in the Scottish Highlands in a quiet corner of the Isle of Skye: crofting in mud, baking with mud (no, not really)
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 14
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- Sep 26, 2026
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- Jul 21, 2026
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The grains of a small life (opens the original)
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I lie in bed rumpled up in the duvet listening to the rain on the windows. There’s a small black puppy wedged into my side, breathing softly, his long silky ears migrating over the pillow. There’s another dog pinning my feet to the bed, breathing a bit more loudly. My lovely Toby. My husband is on the other side of the bed somehow managing to sleep through the tumble of slumbering bodies who have wedged us both to the outer margins of the mattress. It’s moments like this that make up my life. In
The Terraces of my Mind (opens the original)
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We’ve been discussing what to do with the area at the front of the house since it was designed and first built five years ago. Most larch houses here have wooden decking by their big front windows and sliding doors to create a sitting out area (a sit-ooterie as it’s known here) but we were a bit concerned that a wooden deck wouldn’t last long in our weather, and also probably build up with moss and become slippery. I’ve seen a few decks here covered in a mesh of chicken wire for extra traction -
The Puppy Chapters (opens the original)
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I know now what parents who have children later in life must feel like. Permanently exhausted. I can only be thankful of the fact that we’re doing it now with a new puppy rather than in a few years time when we’d be even more raddled. To be clear, Ben is an absolute delight. His tail permanently wags and he’s such an affectionate wee soul, always wanting cuddles. He bursts into each morning like a firework, fizzing with excitement and love. If only we could capture that feeling and bottle it - i
On autumn, books and honesty boxes (opens the original)
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It seems a little strange to be writing of autumn whilst the sun is beating down today as if it were July. But that’s September here on the island for you. It’s not all swirling mists and storms. Some days can be unexpectedly glorious. However there’s a heavy dew on the morning grass most days now and that’s the precursor to overnight frosts. It’s a fragile balance until we tip over into winter. <a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3A8E!,f_au
Reimagining Retirement on a Small Island (opens the original)
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When I was a younger version of myself I didn’t think that much or that deeply about retirement. I think in mid-life many of us don’t, caught up as we are with the pace and complexity of our daily lives. I did the things that you were supposed to do, albeit not as much as I should have - like paying into a pension and trying to build some savings - but I didn’t carry any long term plan or a vision in my head, and I didn’t take it all very seriously even though it nagged at me increasingly throug
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