The Sassenach

 SONG - Clare/Jamie Suite from Outlander

Day 24 - May 23

I woke up with a sore throat & head cold and so Mr. B let me sleep in while he brought me back breakfast.  So sweet!  Today it’s raining quite a bit so instead of walking around the Royal Mile we thought we might go to a garden Mr. B discovered and Midhope Castle which I have been wanting to go to for 8 years. 

We decided to go to Midhope first which is near the Firth & Forth Bridge. Midhope Castle was used as the stand in for Lallybroch Castle in the TV series Outlander.  I got us tickets online and off we went in the pouring rain but by the time we arrived the rain had turned into a mist and then stopped altogether.

 We walked up to the castle, which is just a ruin inside and took some photos.  Walked around the to the back & explored a bit. 

Mr. B hamming it up a little with his “air sword” 

He looks just like Jamie right?  (Wink)

It was perfect without any crowds. We even had a few moments alone there. 

We then headed for Mallory Gardens but it was pouring by then and the parking lot was quite a bit away so we scratched that idea and headed to the Sheep Heid Inn for a late lunch/early dinner. 

Sheep Heid Inn - Established in the 14th Century 

We were both quite happy with our front door parking spot!

The Sheep Heid Inn is a great little gastro pub with a skittle alley (bowling) and even the Queen of England has dined there too in 2016. We enjoyed it in 2017 for my birthday and it oozes atmosphere. 

That bright thing above the chairs is a plaque stating that the Queen had been there but it’s got a spotlight on it so it glows…..

I remembered that Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish (both from Outlander) had been here recently and sat in big chairs like these. 

I just had to do it!

However as we headed home we hit a lot of traffic. They had closed down parts of the freeway due to flooding and everyone was trying to get through on surface streets. We made it back to our hotel several hours later and headed to the bar - but it was closed for a wedding. A very nice man who was affiliated with the hotel told us that the wedding wasn’t yet and the band was just warming up and to come on in. Wonderful one bagpipe player and three drummers. Got some shots and a video while Mr. B was getting our drinks.

Perfect end to a great day……

Well it wasn’t really “the end” as we were siting in one of the “sitting rooms”, the fire alarm went off and I thought it was someone near us with an obnoxious ring tone. But no, the staff came through telling us it was a real alarm and we needed to proceed outside. It was pouring outside but they handed us silver protective blankets and told us to go away from the building to the meeting spot.  

We went to our car and finished our glass of wine and watched people coming out in workout clothes, wedding attire, bathrobes and lots of silver blankets. The entire bridal party & the band we just heard inside were outside too.  Finally the fire department came and we got the “all clear” signal from the staff to go back inside.  Well done by the staff and all of the people here who were so calm. We visited with a few people from Texas and Glasgow and then came back to our room. 

An hour later I realized that the sun protector  on my camera lens had fallen off somewhere along the way. Mr. B went out to search and came back in about 10 minutes chuckling and saying “you won’t believe what just happened “   He searched our route through two elevators and down several halls, the table we were sitting at earlier and then went to the reception desk to ask if anyone had turned one in. A woman sitting nearby overheard the conversation and said a friend of hers picked one up on the floor and it was in her room. She came back within minutes and gave Mr. B my hood!  Hooray for today!

Sassenach = an outsider, especially one of English decent 

The Balance of Mother Earth

Song - Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple 

 

 After a long and crazy year, 

Mr. B and I were ready 

for a relaxing vacation in Tahoe.....

.....or so we thought!

The first day in the Sierra the skies were fairly blue. I could see a little haze down low.

By the next day the smoke was getting a little thick. I could just barely make out Mt. Tallac in the background from Baldwin Beach.

 

 

By the third day things were looking pretty bad so we hung out at the cabin with my new best friend - an air purifier and played some Canasta. Mr. B had to head home for a few days so I had some time on my own to paint, go to the beach, read and work on some needlework.

 

 

By the time Mr. B returned a new fire (Caldor) had begun to burn and it was blowing smoke our way.

We went to the beach to retrieve our emails and phone messages (no WiFi at the cabin). 

There was no one around and it all felt rather eerie. 

It was snowing ash....

We packed our essentials and headed home for a few days while things cleared up.

I hope the earth can find her balance again.

 

 

And now for a little excitement....

 

One afternoon while sitting on the cabin deck enjoying a glass of wine with Mr. B, I noticed a large brown dog playing at the cabin next door.

It was a baby bear playing with his mama above.

Mr. B grabbed the air horn as I grabbed my camera just as they were coming our way!

They were walking behind our cabin.

 

Junior doing a tough guy pose

 

 

 They walked all the way around the cabin and when Mr. B fired the air gun, Junior scrambled up a tree and Mama went to see if he was OK.  All was well so they continued their walk.

 

They crossed the street in front of the cabin and Mama decided something smelled mighty good in the "bear proof' garbage box.

Meanwhile Junior decided that he wanted to check out the "greens only" dumpster.  Well, it really is brown in color but it is for depositing branches, sticks, pine cones, yard waste, etc.  He found a nice pine cone to play with until Mama went in to retrieve him.  

 

 

I kept imagining if someone came by at this point to drop off some material into the dumpster - what a surprise they would find - two bears inside!

 

 

 Mama finally wrestled Junior into following her down to the creek 

to hopefully find a sip of cool water!

Ahhh....life in the mountains!!!

 

 

 

"Love, like fire, goes out without fuel."

--Mikhail Lermontov

 

Notre Dame Cathedral

Song - Je T'aime by Lara Fabian

I have no words......

Closing Down

Song - October Road by James Taylor

The intense heat that we endured in California this summer has faded and we are now officially into Autumn. The days are comfortable and the nights are crisp.

Everything seems to have received the earth's message that it's time to close down for another year. I listen to the acorns "thud" on the roof of our house or on our little lane.  Cars drive by and you can hear the tires crunch the acorns into dust.

 The leaves on our maple trees are beginning to change color.  

The last of the Dahlia's and roses are blooming.

Unfortunately they were not happy campers this year as they were trying to survive the blazing heat spells, lower water consumption and not having Moi take care of them. 
It was just too dang hot to go out there!  

My friend, the Flicker sings to me every morning and in the late afternoon.

The days are decidedly shorter and our shadows are much longer.

I am harvesting apples in hopes of future cobblers, applesauce or my mama's famous apple pie!

The birds are filling up on nuts and seed for the approaching cold weather.

 As I plant my spring bulbs......the squirrels are planting and hiding their acorns.

 All day long I am replanting my flowers that the squirrels have dug up to make room for acorns.

YES.....I am talking about you Mister!

Meanwhile, there are so many wildfires in Northern California right now.

It's difficult to complain about the smoky air around here when so many have lost everything.

I am reminded of my Great-Aunt Theresa who at the age of 82 lost her home 

and belongs in the 1991 Oakland firestorm - she told me that everyone was so generous 

buying her new mixing bowls and beautiful fluffy towels.  

But it was her old chipped dishes and comfortably worn bedspread that made her feel at home.

"Mostly it is loss which teaches

 us about the worth of things." 

--Arthur Schopenhauer