Where we pose as bell-ringers!

Wilf and Wendy went all out to show us a good time. We took the Wee Mad Road up to Lochinver (if you go to our website and wait for the video to load, you can drive it too!). We went down the coast to Inverewe Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in the UK. It was built by Osgood Mackensie in the 1800's and contains trees, plants and flowers from all over the world.

Again, I hated to leave, but it was good to know I'd be back to stay for a long while. Nancy and I then took the train to Edinburgh and stayed at the Halcyon Hotel at the foot of Observatory Hill. During our 3 days there we toured the castle, ate lunch at the Deacon Brodie Tavern, went through Lady Stair's house, had tea at Clarinda's, went down the Royal Mile to Holyrood, toured the Georgian House on Charlotte Square and walked to Leith Water (charming and picturesque neat old house by the bridge). Every night we ate at the Doric Tavern which had great food for very reasonable prices.

We had tea in the formal rooms at the Roxburgh Hotel, visited Greyfriars Bobby, wandered around St. Mary's Cathedral and shopped in old book stores. While walking down Princes' Street to the gardens, we heard bells ringing changes, and since we had both just read "The Twelve Tailors" we decided to investigate. We found St. Cuthberts Church and noticed a button on the bell tower wall with a notice that said "If you are interested in ringing, press button". So we did. A window opened in the tower above us and someone leaned out and threw us a key. Interesting. We found that the key opened the door to the bell chamber so we climbed up into the tower where a group of ringers were practising changes for the Sunday service. We realized after we got up there that the sign was for trained ringers - which we were definitely not. But the people were lovely and let us sit and watch while they finished their practise and we had a wonderful time. The moral is - grab the chance when you can - it may never come again!

I find our new home

The day after we arrived in Polbain, Wilf and Wendy took us to see the four houses that were possible rentals for us. Three of them didn't feel like home - but the last one we went to welcomed me like it was fated to be mine. Castlehill was an old crofting cottage - white, slate-roofed with a red gate framed by rowan trees (rumored to ward off witches). It took its name from the round hill rising right behind it. W&W's sheep were grazing in the yard - mowing the lawn.

The house was full of comfy furniture (except for the beds which were much shorter than Jack) and had a fully furnished kitchen. The only heat was from the fireplaces (coal or peat) so we'd have to get a calor gas heater for the kitchen. There was a small stove and two tiny refrigerators - no freezer space - so I knew that would be a problem. I made a list of favorite kitchen gadgets that I used all the time at home but were missing here. I would be sure to bring those with me.

The house belonged to Murdo and Joan - an older (70's) brother and sister, both unmarried who now shared a cottage down the road a piece. I loved them both the first time I met them and the price they wanted to rent Castlehill was well within our budget. I agreed to the terms without hesitation. I had found our home.

Coming to my Beloved Country

The train trip from London to Inverness was comfortable but we got little sleep. It was a milk-train that stopped at every station along the way, waking us up at every stop. (Yawn). Our friends Wilf and Wendy picked us up at the Inverness station and drove us across the rather desolate Dirrie Mor and down through the lovely glen leading to Ullapool. You come down through trees and masses of blooming rhododendrons to the sea, where the white houses and shops of the town line the quey and trawlers ride at anchor along the shore. It is a beautiful sight.

Then over the mountains on a one-lane winding road to Coigach and the tiny village of Polbain (about 30 full-time residents). We stayed with Wilf and Wendy in their sea-side Seaview Cottage. Here we were introduced to their 6 pet sheep, and fed over the course of our stay on lamb, haggis, fish, and home-made wine.

Polbain's white-washed houses are strung out mostly along the upper (northern) side of a single-track road that circles the Coigach peninsula, on the far northwest coast of Scotland. The country is wild and open - mostly heather and gorse with very few trees except around the houses and gardens. On the south side of the road croft fields sweep down to the sea where the Summer Isles lie just off shore. Across the sea loch are the snow-capped Dundonnel mountains, and to the west across the sea you can make out the blue outline of the outer Hebrides.
The mountains behind the village are like the mountains of the moon - each standing seperately with it's own particular shape and personality. Stac Polly crouches like a lion, its top a spiky, rocky mane. Suillven is a sugar loaf. The Coigach mountains offer some of the best hill walking in Britain. This is not the soft green beauty of the Borders country or the pastural beauty of the Black Isle on the east coast of Scotland. It is wild, Heathcliff-on-the- moor-type beauty that fills my heart with joy.

On the road again

So - Nancy and I flew to London and spent 2 days kicking around looking at the usual sights. There are some special things I've discovered over the years - one is evensong at St. Paul's every day at sunset. The boy's choir is wonderful - and if you sit in the front row in front of the altar, just before the service the deacon will come down and ask if you'd like to sit up in the choir stalls. It's a delightful experience.

One can take a boat from Westminster pier to the Tower of London or to Grenich and it's much more fun than the bus or underground. It was fun to come into the Tower by the water-gate - shades of QE1.

We went to Selfridges and they happened to have a large number of the life-size terra-cotta Chinese army tomb figures - both mounted and foot soldiers. They were amazing. After spending time in the British Museum we took an over-night sleeper to Inverness.

Another diversion

"Diversion" is what they use in the UK instead of "detour". When driving in Scotland, we often sat in our car waiting in a line for a flagman to signal us through, wondering what the diversion would be - dancing girls would be nice.

Anyway. When we were younger Jack and I did a lot of backpacking and wilderness canoeing - loving the wild places, campfires and solitude. As we got older it got too hard to sleep on the ground and deal with wet gear etc. so we were sadly watching our camping days recede into the past. Then we found the egg. A little fiberglass camper made by U-Haul in the 1980's and only 13 feet long including hitch. We could tow it behind our van - didn't need a SUV or truck. And it has everything but a bathroom - heater, stove, closet, storage, dining table and a wonderfully cozy, comfy bed. It's airy - but eliminates wet gear and is always ready to go. We can park it in tent sites (it has a solar panel so we always have electricity).



That's what we take to the Black Hills.

Detour

Again I digress - we've spent the last week camping in the Black Hills at our favorite US Forest campground at Bismark Lake. We visited all our favorite sites - but our favorite thing is to drive the Wildlife Loop in the late evening. This year was the very best for meeting the natives!



Spring must be the time for turkeys - it's the only time we've met them in the Black Hills. They were all over the place. Love in mind I think!



Mother love was also in evidence - hundreds of buffalo dotted the hills as they must have done in the distant past. The new calves romped and fed (at one point in the middle of the road stopping traffic for quite a while).



Antelope - very at home on the range - played everywhere. But this one just wanted to eat the pretty blue flowers. We saw a road sign once that said "Caution - antelope entering roadway at 55 mph." And they sure can move when they want to!













"Danger! Stranger!"
Sentinals raised the alarm while the babies rolled and wrestled and generally had a great time.









"I've always wanted a screened-in porch!"







What?









"Got Lunch?"










Ex-natives - mammoths, camels, lions & bears, Oh my!











"It gets mighty dry out here on the prairie!"