Wet...

                                                                            The weather has been seriously wet on The Isle of Skye.

 

Not too chilly though....in the low 60's for the high and low 50's for the low.

It has not dampened our spirits though, and with rain pants on board we have been trapesing about this magical island.

We have also been eating our way through Scotland....the smoked salmon has been the best...buttery and delicious.

Tomorrow we head for Glasgow....the land of Charles MacIntosh

Edinburgh....

Our first few days in Scotland have been spent in Edinburgh...

These are my impressions...

 

Roslyn Chapel...

 

 

Amazing stacked rock everywhere we look...

 

Villages within a city...

 

 delightful passages...

 

And lanes

 

My happy place...

 

Bountiful hanging baskets...

 .

More pubs than we could count...

 

A haunted graveyard...

 

A meet up with an old friend...

 

Lots of hills and interesting architecture...

 

Baffling artifacts...

 

And an inspiring exhibit of Joseph Beuys works on paper...

We spent these last few days mostly recovering from a grueling journey here plus jet lag.

Now rejuvenated, Mr. H and I are driving (he the pilot, me the navigator, itinerary in hand...)

north through Cairngorms National Park and we'll spend the night in Aviemore.

We head for Findhorn in the morning.

The weather has been lovely, we have great wheels and a GPS....we are in heaven.

Goldilocks........

I've been looking...

High

and

Low

for a new place to be.

To fill you in, I recently gave myself a 'gap' year.

That is normally the significant year after ending one school before entering another......and although mine did not correlate with formal 'schooling'.....but a significant change in life circumstance....

a 'timeout' seemed appropriate.

A friend or two suggested mine could be as long as I wanted.....gap 'YEARS'.....they suggested might be in order.

And that may be true, as this time in the high desert punctuated with many trips, 

is growing into a gap 'Year and a Half' come December.....

 actually more if you start from the beginning of this blog story...

In July of 2011 I took the leap.......put all my 'stuff' in storage in Michigan.......and drove to a dusty little  town in the middle of New Mexico........to rest........and drink in sunshine and heat.......and the deep sense of history and Spirit that permeates this landscape.  

The biggest struggle I have encountered is this concept of 'where' do I belong?  I've been spending a lot of time between the little town and the bigger one more than an hour's + drive away.  I have not put roots down in the little town as I had expected.  

So with the winds of winter.......I'm expecting to be blown in another direction. 

When one is not laden with their 'stuff' (OK, belongings)......

I suppose one can more easily move around.

(although my bags are getting heavier, as I'm prone to collecting things along the way)

One of the biggest challenges I've encountered is with the way I work.  I am process oriented ....and unlike some of my friends who seem to be able to work on the 'go'.......I need a place to sit.....a table and lots of supplies and tools to busy my hands.   And although I have been able to find a place to sit in my little casita.......and the shared 'shed' I call my studio......I feel like Goldilocks.......the place has been too hot, or too cold.......or too small.......and I have not found anything yet that is 

"JUST RIGHT"........

But now I am looking...........and for the months of November and December........I have decided to land here.......it is a bit far from my little town........but I am working out the logistics......

and for now.....

it seems......

JUST RIGHT