Vicarious

I've just been to Iona . Its not  the Isle of North Harris but will do for now. 

My screensaver reminds and enthrals. The one on my main PC does a slideshow of all my picture files , and I particularly like the way it gets many windows out of one picture by zooming in to bits of one . So one seemingly ordinary picture of a field, when seen another way,  is a fascinating collection of random items; bent grass stems, patch of Butterbur, spoor and droppings of Canada geese, rainbow, stream , stile and clump of earth . I then remember that the picture was taken just after dawn when I was trying to see a Corncrake  , could hear one  , but not see one .This time . 

So I've revisited Iona where I've been 5 times for week visits. One has to go  for more than 2 days to ensure at least sunshine on one of them . I've been back to my favourite "Bay at the back of the ocean ", Ive imagined the sound of the spouting cave , and the smell of rotting seaweed , and the inconvenience of the accompanying flies. 

These last two months I've been in the Hebrides nearly every day as neighbour has lent me the Lewis trilogy by Peter May . I'm on the third one now ,The Chessmen . Unlike many trilogies , and I should know, as spouse has just read the Hilary Mantel one , which got heavier and heavier , literally and metaphorically , the Lewis ones tick all my boxes. They are Murder mysteries, can stand alone, but better read in order, are well written , are about the sort of landscapes I love , are in the DNA, speaking as one whose forbears came from Skye, whose detective is flawed but  interesting, and best of all for me, a cartophile,  can be enjoyed best with a map. 

So I'm in the Isle of Lewis in my head. I know more than is recounted in the books , as I have explored all the other interesting places on the island , the brochs . the archealogical sites, the cafes and distilleries , the peat bogs and the flora. I've had a holiday all of my own choosing from my home . 

I've had many vicarious holidays this year. I've been round Australia with Arthur Upfield, a holiday I do every 2 years , binge reading each novel with my new map .The last 2 Australia maps dropped to bits from over indulgence. I've been again to Monterey with Steinbeck and Sweet Thursday and all over the rest of California with same map with Sue Grafton's  Kinsey Millhome (read 6 books so far). I gave Peter Robinson another go as the March cosy reading season began, got through about 5 of those, yes I quite liked them , but totally unsatisfying as none of the places are true to a map. They are hybrid . I shall only read when there is a famine of who dun its.

I've also been on holiday with Susan Calman on Channel 5. I could watch her all day . She is so clever and funny . Yesterday she too went to Lewis and Harris , so now I've been to see Harris Tweed made , and saved money by not buying any as I would have done on realtime holiday,  and then put the material in my sewing box for 40 years like the piece I found with the trade mark ,still waiting to be made into a skirt .

Just incase you are wondering about my fantasy holidays , Yes! I've been all round Middle Earth too  with Journeys Of Frodo , The Atlas of Lord of the Rings , and I would  quite like Rivendell for a quiet few days . 

   

 

Had to go home

Iona 

This is the first time I have ever been defeated by the elements. Years of Youth Hostelling in the days when the hostels were shut all day and one was not allowed to travel anywhere except on foot did not defeat me. I remember staying at the Lochranza hostel on the Isle of Arran where it rained all day every day .  My travelling companion and I could not stay in the hostel after 10am and before 4pm and had to tramp the paths. In those days the waterproof clothing was not so good as now, and certainly much heavier. Similarly in Iona last year , Rain !Wind ! Rain !Wind! for days, and yet well clad and warm in our light waterproofs it mattered not  for my sister and me.

Our Sheltered way to St Os

The gales here are still raging . I will not let Heart Patient spouse out . He can use the wall and tree lined path along the ravine to St Oswalds, a tunnel of calm and shelter.But Today was not a Choir Practice Day or a Church day , so even the short trip to the Paper Shop was a no go area .  Iona and Arran had no oases of calm out of the wind either but in Iona we could sit down with our backs to the rocks and watch waves and wait , and in Arran we  were young! 

Here in Filey -by- the- sea we remain indoors and see that the frail are not allowed out . We listen for slates falling from nearby roofs, listen to bulletins about fallen trees and watch the brackets holding up the TV aerial .

I knew a few hours in the sunshine would help my mindset today. I had the weather gear. My allotment is free from falling slates and falling trees. It was empty of punters today , beside  me and our Butcher  two plots away, or might have been our Electrician his identical twin. I cleared the end of last years composted manure onto my plot from  its pen. That took thirty minutes, The plot was so noisy. I could cope with that, corrugated metal sheets clattering are my boundary fences. Everything is an upcycle on this site. Except my Greenhouse, where I retreated for my cup of tea , sojourn and sit with the seed catalogues and last years seed  packet remains to enjoy and peruse. That is my special time on my plot. The GLASS was rattling , and I just couldn't stand the noise of it. It had already seemed a miracle that no panes had shattered so far, and when one goes and the wind enters the greenhouse, other panes follow. The slightest gap in the door was making it worse, and even shutting myself cosily out of the wind in my little glass house brought me no peace. I had to go home. I was too aware of frailty . 

So I packed up and departed, and walked all my mud into Filey Library. I am so sorry ! I forgot that even though I was not in my Work boots and had changed back into my Home boots the path to the road is filthy. All the mud gets into the grooves, and I forgot to paddle in the hug pondlike puddle by the Allotment car park.

Filey is a mess . The newly formed (I think) Keep Filey Tidy  group is doing a great job , but there is no point picking up all the litter until the winds have ceased. Wheelie Bins are being blown over and the litter bins are disgorging their contents as the bags blow out.

The gales are highlighters.They do show up the scale of the household rubbish incorrectly bagged and left , or dumped in the streets and not in the bins. Its always bad in the summer when the seagull population scavenges all the black sacks left by litter bins . Ill go and have a tidy up on my plot tomorrow!

Missing the Plot

The Organic garden here at the St Columba Hotel has 2 young full time gardeners. I watch them every day from our dual aspect . They are out there every day battling the horsetails just as I do . We have eaten homegrown Asparagus, rhubarb and salad. I see the neat potato rows and many fleece covered mini tunnel rows of spinach and beetroot (I think) and herbs and beans and peas. They know their stuff , have notebooks full of plans and the grass is neatly patched. I dont know how they manage the rabbits and wild geese .

It took me a while to work out what the nets were on the grass beneath our window. This is Iona after all where spirituality often involves the alternative , big time. So I imagined the networks were the latest expression of Prayer or a 'joining in with the earth', until I realised that sometimes one can look and find the New Age in everything when its not actually there. They are covering  the patches of new grass seeding.

Our friend living on Iona Rev  Joyce Watson wrote a very useful book on the New Age Movement 20 yrs ago and its still available online. When we were re-homing my mothers books , I came across a copy , much annotated as mother does with everything. It made a useful re-read. 

The last time Colin and I went to a service in Iona Abbey was about 12 years ago. We vowed we would never go again as we didn't like some of the liturgy used, and didnt trust the theology behind it. We thought it very New Age. We  were schooled by Colin Urquart and Kingdom Faith Ministries in the 80s and 90s, and read so much about Soap manufacturers and triangles and the evils of certain Martial Arts and New Age philosophies that we  have remained confused christians until the teaching that came with New Wine in the 2000s and this present decade. The Grove book has as Colin Urquart would say 'not lost its anointing', though he usually referred to Old Hymns.

Back in Iona Abbey years later we were very at home. The welcome and housekeeping arrangements were excellent , the Communion Service held no liturgical surprises, and whilst I thought the visiting preacher  was not to my taste, I got some Apples of Gold from what she said.  I think I am beginning to grow up , and have a more rounded view of the ways of doing God.  AS long as I keep reading the Manufacturers Instructions and spend quality time with my Father the Gardener. (As CU once wrote*).

*My Father is the gardener  . 1982 Hodder . by Colin Urquart

Dual aspect rain

We love our room . it has 2 picture windows looking over the sound of Iona to the East and the garden and distant Jura across and being Mull on a fair day. We did go out this morning , walked up to see the Fallen Christ sculpture and then a tour of all the galleries and shops on the island . That took 30 minutes. We did see some lovely things,  island crafted jewellery , hand woven scarves, and watercolours for the holidaymaker-just like Filey really. 

I have enjoyed being indoors today as I have been able to get on with my Plant Identification Course. That has taken me until 3.45pm. Its still raining , not the gentle drips but the soak u thro windy kind. So we have retired to our dual aspect room  where I can use the wifi as no laptops are allowed in the (sun )Lounge. The fire is alight in the small sitting room where the bloggers and skypers and Americans and Norwegians all sit contacting home or trying to organize tours to Loch Ness from Iona in 1 day starting from tomorrow.

Imogen and I have worked out that facebook messaging is the best, and that can be done on the phone from the breakfast table without anyone caring a dam. 

Colin turned to me a while ago and said living in this hotel would be good, just taking meals and lounging around and having walks when the weather is kind. So I guess all my worries about him having a good time in the middle of nowhere with dual aspect rain are unfounded.

in on the plot

Two small boys in Reighton Nursery of the Botanical kind can actually have quite a good time if a visit to the 'cafe ' is factored in. I say 'cafe' but actually it is a small decked area in the middle of a green house down the houseplant end with a few tables and chairs and a vending machine. The boys loved it,  worked out all the options for the money available and enjoyed every mouthful and sip. A blackbird was the entertainment , resident no doubt amongst the verdage . Then on to the seeds. I gave them a sort of free rein.
Reuben chose Carrots and Zak, Sweetcorn . Colin and Zak have planted the Sweetcorn in modules ready for transplanting later . Plastic potlets are sitting in the corner of the yard waiting for warmth. Reuben and I ,with Cleo did serious business on the allotment. Reuben dug his metre square, removed the stones and strung 2 string marker lines across his tiny piece of England. He made the drills, sowed the seeds , covered them and watered them and now he is waiting too for warmth. Bernard my allotment partner will water them  whilst we are away. I am praying for gentle rain every evening as my Asparagus bed breathes a sigh of relief that its only in its second year and the pigeons are hopefully thwarted by the bird scarers . I am on my way to Iona , but thinking of what I'm leaving behind for 12 days and expecting miracles of the Growing Kind.

Thank you! Scotland

The taxi drivers

of Glasgow are wonderful. So are the people who work for Calmac and Scotrail, not to mention the Buchanan Street Premier Inn and the wonderful staff of the St Columba Hotel on St Columbas isle of Iona. 

My sister*and I have not  Cheshire mouse hunted or Fileygardened  for many days. We dont actually remember what day of the week it is,  and have seen no TV or listened to the wireless since leaving home.

Port Ban

Sue and I have been to Iona with our aged parent as all my Facebook friends will know. I have not blogged our  adventure. You do not want to know the fine details or the menus or the itininary. We sent pictures to the family every day using the wifi in the hotel in Iona. 

Sue and I snatched moments when aged parent did not need us . We took it in turns to take a walk when we could. Sue managed the Staffa trip on the day the boat managed to get away.

I managed to go corncraking several times, but heard and never saw. 

The taxi driver across Mull, David Greenhalgh  made the journey so interesting for us, pointing out Hen Harriers, Buzzards, The Great Northern Diver, moraine, and a crannog and  Telford bridges .
Am home now and tired.Have already booked for next year!

*Just before leaving home Sue found a mouse invasion in her roofspace.

Mag and Nunc

I miss them but could easily put on a CD .

In the midst of an extremely busy weekend I just caught a snatch of this setting of the Nunc Dimittis on the BBC Morning Service for today . I remembered then that it must be Candlemas and checked the lectionary. I rarely get to hear any beautiful church music these days, its doesn't matter a bit . For many years I worshipped in churches where the music was indeed sublime, I ironed surplices for all my family, I got to church an hour before time so that chorister husband and children could do run throughs of anthems.  

Stumbling back into my very own Music Appreciation Society has recently begun as I start the routine of a new life in this little home. I have been playing my favourites again when spouse is out, and I have mental space to do my own thing. Last week I was back into all my Jacques Loussier Play Bach, next week I might be up for Handels Theodora. Today I will get to know this setting of those wonderful words from Luke 

28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

Sister and I are busy arranging a Simeon and Anna trip for aged parent. She has wanted to return to Iona for many years . My sister last took her 10years ago, It will take 2 of us now .

Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

Isaiah 46 v3