Majestic Maple

We have the honor of sharing back garden space with a very majestic maple.  No, not the largest one I have seen, but quite the beauty.  This morning there has been an occasional break in the clouds, so I went out and took a couple of shots of it and the changing canopy of colors over our yard.  The two newest photo additions are Photos 16 and 17 of the current Autumn photo album up on the site.

 

We have a perfect view of these changing colors from the window over the kitchen sink and have been watching the outdoor pallette change over the past few days and weeks.  At times it has seemed to be a very gradual process and then at other times it seems almost instantaneous…at least overnight.  Like all the trees convened during the night and said "Okay, so at daybreak we do it…we CHANGE!" 

 

I’ve heard customers going in and out of the little store behind us commenting on what a gorgeous tree this is in our yard, so I guess we’re not just prejudiced "parents."    Hope you enjoy the snaps.

 

My Texas trip is coming up and I’ve started preparations for it…preparing my traveling tunes (a very vital part of a 3-day road trip!), gathering other things such as maps and the like in a box, and today am seriously going to look at what clothes to take.  That’s the most difficult part.  Here in MN, it’s downright chilly and sweaters/flannels have made their appearance.  HOWEVER!  Texas is a whole ‘nuther country with temps still in the 90s….yet a front could come through and you’d be down in the 40s the next day.  With all the traveling in the past year, I’ve gotten to be what I consider a fairly light traveler, so this is somewhat annoying even….having to take things to cover all bases.  Three days of driving?  A breeze compared with figuring out what clothes to take! 

 

The LAF Summit message boards are blazing away these days and some emails are being exchanged as folks reach out and say "Howdy" to one another from all over the country before meeting in Austin next month.  Such fun! 

 

Dave is going shopping over in Grand Rapids this morning and I’m staying here to mull over the packing situation, do a bit of vacuuming and be a little hermit…then when he gets back he’s planning to hop on the bike and I may take the truck and run a few errands.

 

 

Cheerio for now!

 

 

 

 

Falling into Fall

Here it is Sunday evening and September is winding down.  Where has it gone?  I’m not sure…it seems in some ways to have been a whirlwind. 

 

There are new photos on the site.  The first series is catching the birds feasting on the plentiful fruit of our Mountain Ash in the front yard.  This particular family of trees is related, interestingly, to the Rowan found in the UK.  In trying to identify the tree, I finally found it in my UK tree book which I purchased while in Scotland.  Cross referenced it to the Mountain Ash found in this part of the States and, sure enough, that’s what it is.

 

Sorry.  I digress.  The birds were taking their meals on out front…there was one particular side of the tree laden with fruit and it was fun watching our feathered friends for several days.  Unfortunately, that limb was weak and, in preparing for the coming winter weather, it had to be taken off.  Just the limb…the tree itself is still there. 

 

The next set of photos was taken just a little while ago this evening after dinner.  The fall colors here are spectacular.  This was looking up at our trees in the back garden, where we have a couple of maples and another Mountain Ash/Rowan.  The one maple started turning way up top several weeks ago and, seemingly, the rest of it virtually overnight.  The sun was hitting it "just so" and so I ventured out for a few snaps. 

 

We’ve had a nice weekend…very stress-free.  A bit of solo shopping/errand running for both of us yesterday, Friday Pool Night, and today Dave got some bike time and we ran errands together.  I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce yesterday, as it was perfect weather for it…very Scottish, very overcast, rainy, and chilly. 

 

Dave is headed into his second week of daytime work, settling in at the Public Utilities plant plying his trade as a pipefitter.  During the weekdays I work, do some housekeeping chores, and have been allowing the writer’s muse to awaken…keeping it slightly at bay…now perched on my shoulder biding time and just waiting until I’m ready to "play." 

 

OH!  Having napped yesterday afternoon, we stayed up late watching a movie and when I went out that last time with Baby-dog just the back of midnight, lo and behold there were Northern Lights!  I got Dave outside and we were treated to a nice display of eerie-green lights for a wee while.  I’m glad he got to see a better "show" than last time.  Earlier on I was honored by witnessing a falling star…classic example, so beautiful, so fragile-looking.

 

My road trip to Texas is just about three weeks away and Sarah Connor is awakening.  Will be gearing up for that this coming week…planning what clothes to take, checking out the truck, stocking up on things for Dave and the pooch while I’m away, and so forth.  It will be good to be in the company of friends I hold so dear and hopefully to make new ones in Austin at the LAF Summit.

 

Hope you enjoy the snaps.  It’s still early evening, dinner is done and dusted, as are the dishes, so I think I’ll go spend some time with my man!

 

Keep on keepin’ on!

 

Peace – B

Monday Musings

Monday is done and dusted…well, it will be as soon as I finish visiting with you here.   It will be a rather early turn-in tonight, as we were both up fairly early.  Dave started working on a pipefitting job with the utilities company today, day shift, YEEEHAW!  So it’s a reasonably early start and then a nice early finish.  Glad it’s here in town…very convenient…and it’s somehow comforting to know he’s not far away.

 

You know, it’s weird being apart from him during the times he’s working now.  We’ve been almost a year in one another’s company virtually 24/7.  I feel literally like my other half is missing when we’re apart.  Sort of…but then again, not really…we’re still connected by that wavelength that spanned 4000 miles of ocean at one time….so if not geographically in each other’s company, he’s with me all the time.  Darnedest thing I’ve ever experienced…but I sure like it!

 

Ahem…meanwhile…so it’s into "the real world" now…work and living our life together.  I was able to get my work done by the time he got home, so if I can do that every day, we’ll have nice evenings together…and, of course, the weekends. 

 

I need to turn my focus to preparing for my Texas trip…I’ll be leaving in about a month from now, headed back to The Lone Star State.  I may teach a Reiki class while in Brenham, will spend about a week with my mom, and then head to Austin for a three-day Lance Armstrong Summit.  Should be a heck of a trip.  Looking forward to spending time with my mom and seeing some dear friends. 

 

It’s nice to make new friends in a new place, but you know, there’s nothing like spending time with people who you know…really know…and who know YOU.  I have history with my Texan friends…history spanning decades in many cases….and so many life changes….it’s comforting to hear their voices on the phone…and it will be so good just to be in their presence again.

 

Do I miss anything about Texas?  Well, okay, the little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in The Heights in Houston…but really….I miss my friends….the PEOPLE.  You know who you are…and you’re a crowd…and I hold each of you dearly in my heart. 

 

 

I’m getting excited about the LAF event, and I’m sure I will feel more so as the time nears.  I’m so honored to be attending the Summit…to be doing work still for the LAF.  It’s more than a debt of the spirit I owe….I am somehow driven to do what I can for that organization.

 

Dave’s son Paul will be flying over from Scotland to spend Thanksgiving week with us and we’re just sooo excited about that!  We have a few things to do around here in preparation for his visit and will tackle that in earnest once I return from Texas.   This will be our first Thanksgiving here in the States together….oh boy I get to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner!!    And how special that Paul will be here to share it with us.  What an adventure for him…traveling here by himself…and we hope to give him a brilliant holiday! 

 

Can you believe I have grown stepsons….lordy…I am old….HAHAHA!  Well, I certainly don’t feel it!

 

I am listening to my Moira Kerr CD…"Celtic Soul"…and this song…."Will Ye Go Lassie Go" simply transports me back to that Bonnie land.  Does music do that to you, too?  A certain song can virtually flip a switch and…there…you…are….a time, a place, smells, sounds….the scene from our room at the B&B in Glen Coe…the sound of another high-speed train passing our London-bound coach….the view from the front window of Dave’s flat watching the lights of Dunfermline twinkle on in the night as I wait for him to come home from work….his arms around me at so many different times during our treks…Okay, I gotta stop.

 

We’ve talked about how it will be when we do return to Scotland…we figure we’ll be like a couple of kids on the plane, giggling, so excited…no sleep for this wee sheep during that flight, I bet.   Sleep….yes, I suppose I’d better wander that way.

 

Thanks for stopping by….I hope you’re enjoying the coming of Fall wherever you are….

 

Peace, light, love, and laughter

 

 

 

Weekend Wanderings

Friday nite was a typical one for us lately…deemed as Friday Pool Nite…we three (Baby-dog included, of course) trek down to the basement for a few beers, munchies, and some pool, or billiards, depending on which side of The Pond you happen to hail from.  Pool is really a fascinating game and I am proud to say I’ve developed a few rudimentary skills…sooo much better than when we started a few weeks ago.  Dave is quite an accomplished player, so at least I’m giving him a good game these days.  Tunes, a Guinness or Sam Adams according to your preference, some crisps, and a fun laid-back evening.  Just as much fun (if not more so) as going out, less expensive, and absolutely positively more cozy.  I look forward to Friday nites!

 

Friday itself was spent running errands, suspecting that Dave may be working a day shift this coming week and would have the truck.  We were both still short on sleep from his 4-night 12-hour shifts in one of the mines Monday through Thursday.  He was plying his trade as a pipefitter in one of the taconite mines in a nearby town…hard work and long hours…but his first job here in the States…and he did it!  What a way to start his career here in the States.  He’s so damn brave and I’m so damn proud of him.

 

I had adjusted my sleep/work patterns so as to be working when he was, staying up all night, and then sleeping when he did during the daytime.  Besides, I just wanted to be up and "conscious" when he got home in the mornings…to simply greet him… Rough week for both of us.  Yes, I was familiar with late hours, having done a few on my own…but not ALL night EVERY night for a few running.  By Friday I was fried, absolutely brain flat-lined.  We both survived, tho, and really none the worse for wear.

 

Saturday…um…what did we do Saturday?  Ah yes, more errands…marketing, washed the truck (it was covered in taconite dust from the mine), and so forth. 

 

Sunday we were up early yet once again and out the door at about 6:00 AM headed for the small town of Isle and Lake Mille Lacs, two hours’ drive from here.  The trees….oh man…the fall colors were absolutely stunning as we drove south on Highway 169.  We were headed to BRAML…the Bike Ride Around Mille Lacs.  Well….through mist/drizzle/light rain and then wind…we made it to the staging spot, a resort in Isle, MN.  Preregistered, we picked up our goody bags, changed, and unloaded the bikes from the truck. 

 

Now, Dave – being the Scot he is – is used to riding in inclement weather…rain, wind, cold.  Me – being the Texan I am – am not.  A few turns around the parking lot and I decided I just didn’t feel safe on the bike…Heck, in Texas we don’t ride in the rain ON PURPOSE.    Beautiful scenery or not, I decided this was lunacy.  So, we got changed and put the bikes back in the truck….and then….

 

The heavens parted to blue blue sky and the sun came out.    Yep, you guessed it….

 

"Normal" clothes shed and bike stuff back on AGAIN and the bikes back out of the truck! 

 

Within the next few minutes we set off and the sky grew gloomy again.  Oh well.  What the heck.

Away we went and WOW what a nice ride!  Yes, it was drizzling now and then and we bucked a stout headwind on the initial stage heading out, but the heavy rain held off and it really was a GOOD ride.  My first 35 in a long long time…didn’t do bad at all, mind you….felt good afterwards…guess I do still have some cycling legs!  Just toodled along, on a cycle path part of the ways and then on a quiet road that did circle the lake….nice nice nice.  Much flatter terrain than I’m used to back in Texas….actually what I’d call a flat course…but soooo good to be on the bike outdoors and with my man.  Gosh…can he RIDE A BIKE.  Wowsers!

 

Oh yes…I’m pretty sure I experienced my first spontaneous bear sighting.  Ahead of us quite a bit on the cycle path I saw this form cross over into the brush/woods…I thought "Wow, that sure was a big dog…"  On retrospection….it was a BIG STOUT black dog….actually much bigger than a dog…and one just doesn’t see dogs running loose up here much, especially not headed off into the woods…so, I do believe I saw a BEAR!  Hmmmm….

 

Thinking even more on that right now, I bet Bear was just checking up on me…looking out for me.

 

OH!  And on the drive home, we spotted two – yes TWO – eagles together.  So majestic.

 

Back at the truck afterwards, we packed everything up and then went to a bar/restaurant at a fishing camp for lunch…burgers…YUM.  Then the two-hour drive home…again enjoying the spectacular fall colors, which lessened the farther North we traveled. 

 

It is so wondrous being in a land where one gets a Fall season.  The colors of the trees are simply stunning.  I would have taken pictures, but the weather was just too gloomy for photos.  We do have a maple in the backyard…it has been turning high on top for a few weeks, the vibrant red leaves now turning farther and farther down the tree….a sprinkling of bright red leaves on the grass.

 

Speaking of weather…today has been a very Scottish/Texan winter type of day….drizzle/light rain and chilly temps.  BRRRR.  Tonight it’s breezy on top of all this, very much like a deep winter day in Texas or…ummm…much of the time in Scotland. 

 

Scotland….ahhhh….I do miss her, folks.  You’d be surprised at how much my heart yearns for her.

 

We were in bed early last night, after spending the evening parked on the couch, very mellow, very relaxed, simply enjoying one another’s company.

 

To be continued…

 

Saturday Catch-Up

Although I enjoyed the pure teaching/mentoring part of my recent duties, it’s nice to be back "in the trenches" simply doing transcription.  My time is more my own and I am reclaiming my life.

I’ve found a local yoga class and am going once a week again.  Surprisingly, I still retain most of my flexibility and I’m enjoying the discipline of yoga practices again…good for the body, mind, and spirit.

Next weekend I have a Reiki student coming and possibly another one later in September. 

My attention is turning towards planning and preparing for my trip to Texas in October.  It will be great to see friends and family.  New friends are nice, but there’s nothing like being in the company of time-tested friends…who you know and who know you!  I’ll be spending about a week in Brenham and then heading to Austin for a three-day Lance Armstrong Foundation Summit. 

I’m getting excited about the LAF Summit and so very honored to have been accepted to attend.  It is three days of speakers (Lance, Senator John Kerry, officials from the National Cancer Institute, etc.), workshops, and so forth…with focus on preparing and energizing representatives such as myself from around the country to work in their communities as survivorship advocates, raising awareness of survivor issues, educating the public, etc.  Kewl, eh?

Please take a minute or two to check out Dave’s blog at:

http://northlandscot.spaces.live.com

He’s enjoying working with it and he’s very talented at expressing himself.  He’s an interesting guy and I think you’ll enjoy hearing what he has to say.  Yep, that was one of the things that impressed me about him right from the get…"Wow, this man can actually form a complete sentence and can express himself…WOW  he’s LITERATE!"  Teehee!    Anyhoo, he’s got some blog entries and some photos…and more to come, I’m sure, so stay tuned to his channel, too, to hear about his adventures.

Let’s see…I get back from Texas and then about 2-3 weeks later Paul, my 25-YO stepson, will arrive from Scotland to spend some time with us!  This will be Thanksgiving week or a time around then.  We’re waiting to hear what dates he gets for a flight.  What fun!  We’re both very excited about his visit.   I know how much Dave misses both his sons, and seeing Paul again will be such a good thing. 

Dave is deep in the job search and has some prospects.  He really hasn’t been looking for very long, but I know he’ll be glad to be working again.  He has so many skills….pipefitting of course, computer skills, again is very literate and has excellent interpersonal skills, and gee…he’s so handy and strong!  He’s very analytical and knows how things work.  Put all that together with being reliable, punctual, and having a strong work ethic…well…heck…some organization would be lucky to have him as a team member!  Something will turn up soon.

In the meantime, I tell him to get out and enjoy the cycling, because it will be all white and COLD soon, and he’ll be back in the workforce.

Speaking of winter….we’ve been doing some things around here recently…trimming trees and so forth…getting ready for the winter months.  Our maple in the backyard has been turning for several weeks, and I’m told that early turning is a sign of a harsh winter.  That seems to be the talk going around…that this will be a rough winter here…old-timers predicting 40-60 F below and twice as much snow as last year.  It’s almost unimaginable…four feet of snow?  I’m thinking having a market right across the alley is going to be a GOOD thing in February.

Life is good.  Different being married and sharing space with someone, but oh so good.  Yes, there are fleeting moments of missing my aloneness…staying up till the wee small hours of the morning writing or whatever….but the sharing of life with Dave is so precious…so joyful…so much laughter and caring….just the little things shared…so nice.  Guess I’ll always be the free spirit (and I do still need to nurture that part of my soul) but it’s so wonderful to be cared about/for, to be "tamed" a bit…I’m such a lucky gal…and he’s such an amazing man. 

Okay, I’ve rambled on enough.  That’s us up to date.  Hope you’re doing great and enjoying this long weekend!

I leave you with this thought, a quote from Carlos Castaneda’s "Wheel of Time,"

Warriors say that we think there is a world of objects out there only because of our awareness.

But what’s really out there are the Eagle’s emanations, fluid, forever in motion, and yet unchanged, eternal.

 

 

 

Just a Quick Note

Good morning!

 

It’s Saturday and I’ll try to update recent happenings during this long holiday weekend.  For now, just a heads up that Dave has started his own blog!  You can read his thoughts and experiences and view his photos at

 

 http://northlandscot.spaces.live.com/ 

 

 

Enjoy!