Journeying

As I start this post it is nearly 100 hours since I drove onto the ferry to leave Lewis.  The ferry leaves at 0700 which means getting up at 0500.  0530 on an ordinary day is not too unpalatable unless, and it's a big unless, I actually have to get up.  I wonder why that is.  The journey through the Highlands of Scotland is always wonderful and as I was in absolutely no hurry I had the opportunity to take my time and enjoy the journey.  

The road between Ullapool where the ferry lands on the Western side of the Scottish Mainland and Inverness which is on the East side is about 60 miles (about 100 ks) through some stunning and spectacular landscape until I arrived in West Wemyss at about 1730.

Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands on the road between Ullapool and Inverness.

The road between Ullapool and Inverness above the Aulthuish Inn

Ruthven Barracks by Kingussie (on the A9 Inverness to Perth Road)

The Watermill Café at Blair Atholl

The back of Falkland Palace in Fife

Just what the Doctor ordered on a hot afternoon in Falkland

All the places I visited were worthy of a post on their own and hopefully I will eventually do one for each of them.  The Falkland Palace is part of the Scottish National Trust and so photography is not allowed.  I must get back onto that bandwagon!

Thankful Thursday

I had a nightmare. No a night stallion.  Far too horrible to be downgraded to nightmare.   I'm fairly used to nightmares but this was a particularly horrible and seemingly prolonged one.  I was confined to a room in a house.  I was free to leave but couldn't.  If that sounds odd it's because it was odd.  And horrible.  There was a lot more to it, of course, but I can't remember all the details now.

So today I am thankful, very thankful, for the fact that I am free.  I am free to go where I wish.  I am free to do as I wish.  I am free to speak as I wish.  

CJ and I were fortunate in that we were brought up with a remarkable freedom.  There were no barriers other than our own understanding that we had freedom so long as we didn't abuse it.  I often wish that society could work on that basis. 

Rain Rain

There is an old nursery rhyme (come to think of it are there any new nursery rhymes?) which goes:

Rain rain go away,

Come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play;

Rain, rain, go to Spain,

Never show your face again!

My Mum used to say:

Rain rain go away

Come again on washing day.

I thought of that this morning because I have things to do outside and with the car and it's pouring - yet again. Then I thought how irrelevant both the above are in this day and age.  Little Johnny (in the UK at least) is far more likely to want to play on his computer or watch TV than go and play outside.  Washing day?  This is a concept swept away with modern washing machines, women going out to work, tumble driers and an ethos of wear-it-once which was a luxury few could afford or indeed think of in my childhood.  Now if something is worn for half a day into the wash it goes.  Let Mum (or Dad) deal with it.

Just a thought.

The Ah Factor

Pat remarked the other day that the birds used my birdbath (which Pat and Dave gave me and which the birds use for drinking rather than bathing) and that they didn't use her's.  She thought it was because her's was too near the house but mine is less than 2 metres from the Study window.  I see the sparrows feeding their young a lot but this one even provides the young with water.  How lazy can a young bird get?