Adventures in Scotland's Highlands

Many months ago, my friend Becky (blue coat) and I planned a trip to Scotland to visit our friend, Sheila (middle) who lives in Ayrshire (west Scotland) and to take a road trip through the Highlands. We enjoyed five days with Sheila, who showed us her beautiful shire, including castles, a ferry trip to Arran Isle, and the full range of lochs, firths, and rivers. This photo was taken on the esplanade of the Firth of Clyde (a firth is an arm of the ocean).
Arran Isle was beautiful and had new snow on the mountains. We purchased cheese there and
walked around this firth to tour the castle you can just see on the right of the picture.

Sheila went to Perth with us, by train where we enjoyed the old city on the River Tay. It is in the southern part of the Highlands and was where Becky and I started our road trip.
Of course, when in Scotland, one spends a certain amount of time in the local pubs. We enjoyed a couple of visits to Reid's Pub, in Perth's oldest hotel. None of us tried the Sheep Dip but I thought the statue of the veiled lady just below the sign was an unusual touch.
We left Sheila in Perth and set forth in our Land Rover, on the "other" side of the road. Now, I must say, learning to drive on the left side of the road, looking left to look into your rear-view mirror, and staying out of the verge (the shoulder) is a challenge---one which we undertook on my birthday!!

Our ultimate destination was the Isle of Skye, in the far northwest. Just before crossing a bridge onto the island, we stopped to visit the Eilean Donan Castle, which was built in the 1200s, sacked by the English and then rebuilt. It is on a tiny island with a causeway to the mainland. It had many little hidden stairways for escaping from the enemy after they had breached the castle. It is now the domain of the Clan Macrae...they have reunions and weddings there!

The Isle of Skye was remote, rugged, and beautiful. Near the end of the road we found a stone shop where we bought hand-knit woolens knit by the local farm wives. Their cottages are right by the sea and even in October the wind off the sea was COLD!
After we returned to the mainland and the central Highlands, we had a lovely sunny morning so we drove up Glen Lyon, touted to be one of Scotland's most beautiful and relatively sparsley-populated glens. The fall colors were at their peak and it was glorious country. We saw four huge red stags (deer) and wonderful fluffy sheep. Our little road got even more narrow than this photo shows, and the final track took us up and over a mountain and down into the next glen. At this point we were unsure just where we were but a conveniently located policeman solved our puzzle and we returned to our lodging before dark.
One of the rams in the high country was quite at ease as I photographed him...
We enjoyed the highland cattle, after we finally found some. They are great, shaggy animals with long horns and a direct gaze---sort of a sullen look---but hairy!!!!
Scotland was rainy and misty much of the time but so beautiful. Even though it has been inhabited by man for ever-so-long, there don't seem to be huge scars on the landscape. The roads wind along the mountain-sides or rivers, the villages are tucked into a glen by the river, and the rural countryside still seems to dominate. Here is a rainy-day shot of Glen Coe, the heart of the Highlands---it was spectacular in the mist and would have been glorious in the sun.
We enjoyed so many things about Scotland, including a dinner of Haggis with Neeps and Tatties, which is a specialty made from sheep's organs and oatmeal along with turnips and potatoes. Come visit me and we'll have some. I'm not sure where I'll get a sheep's liver and heart but I'll do my best!

End of Summer in the High County

October 17, 2010---Silverton, Colorado

Summer in the high country goes by much too fast, although we are having a lovely, long, late fall. Thought I'd take you on a whirlwind tour of a few of the things that I was privileged to enjoy during the summer---hang on! Here we go!

Camping at Redstone with Maggie, Travis and Finn. Dear, dear Maggie...guided us to the Maroon Bells (one of Colorado's famous mountain ranges near Aspen) as neither Travis nor I had ever seen them. Finn and I enjoyed a little cuddle along the trail with the mountains as our spectacular backdrop!
Travis, Maggie, and Finn in the same glorious setting. Later that day heavy rain caused us to be trapped at our campsite due to a huge mud slide---see Maggie's blog for great pictures and a
video, all of which were on the Denver news! www.mooresgo.blogspot.com

Oops---I seem to have acquired a Minnesota wolf, quite by accident!

A short trip to North Dakota gave me an opportunity to visit with life-long friend Patti Goodall.

She and I joined our former piano teach, Marlys, for breakfast. Marlys was getting ready to celebrate her 80th birthday with a Mississippi River Boat cruise! I admire women who keep going and doing and having adventures!

Our family gathered for the burial of our cousin, Butch. My cousin Pam (middle) and Arlene

(white hat) and I had some great times together that week. Arlene and I had not seen Pam

since about 1980---we hope to get together again soon.

It was lovely to have a reunion with Patti's sister, Joan, and see her beautiful new home on

the Missouri River. We three grew up as little cowgirls on neighboring ND ranches.

Silverton folks love the years when the wild mushrooms are abundant. Friend Kevin brought me these gorgeous boletas. I wish you could have shared the cream of mushroom soup I made with them---it was heavenly!

The end of September I met Audrey and Suzie in San Francisco for a wonderful week. Suzie's college friend, Whitney, had a wedding celebration over the weekend. During the week we had fun taking Audrey places an almost two-year-old would enjoy. Here are Suz and Audrey on

the ferry to Sausalito where we found a wonderful interactive children's center. (More to come.)

Audrey has all the makings of a true beach bum! Here she is, with her mom as a safety net, having fun on the Pacific beach. The cold water didn't bother her a bit!

Audrey loved the play trout at the the Sausalito center---she really is my grandchild! She

collected all the traut she could find and carried them around with her! When she is just a bit

older I shall teach her to fly fish!!!

As soon as I returned from California I went to Denver for a week with Travis, Maggie and Finn.

Maggie had surgery on her shoulder so I helped out a bit. One day we went to a ten-acre pumpking patch to seek out Halloween pumkins.
Isn't this a nice photo of the Travis Moore family in the pumkin patch?
Of course, fly fishing consumed as much of my summer as possible! My trout talley this year was 59 traut caught, 58 released! (That one was mighty tasty!)
Part of the reason I enjoy the fishing so much is that we have such beautiful, rugged, remote country in which to fish. It is a physical challenge, as well, and, amazingly, I like that!
The road home from fishing just recently---at the end of summer. Doesn't it make you want to dig out your old dusty copy of Robert Frost's "Road Less Traveled?"

Thanks for checking in. There has been a long blank spell while I've been outside, enjoying lots of company (the Patterson family from Kansas City were here---special relatives), doing a bit of painting on my house, etc. etc.

Next week I'm off to western and northern Scotland for three weeks of adventuring. I have my International Driver's Permit tucked safely in my purse---wish my friend Becky and myself good luck driving on the "other" side of the road. (Travis cautioned me not to say the wrong side of the road. I guess he learned that in Ireland and Australia!)

Best wishes for the rest of your fall, wherever you are! Love, Penny

Why Am I So Slow? Summer is Too Short!

It has occurred to me that I am very slow in posting blogs! Suzie and Maggie post and post and post while I am regretful that I don't. Why is that? I have decided it is because summers in Silverton are so short that if I don't keep moving and doing, summer is over before all the things are made to happen that I have spent all winter planning! So, here's a little catch up...(thanks to James for some of the pictures)...
Beautiful Cow Parsley in front of the wood shed, with the largest blooms ever. A sure sign of
summer---they look very lush and tropical and visitors ask, "What is that?"

Granddaughter Audrey Heskin---I enjoyed a visit in Denver with Maggie, Travis, Finn, Suzie, James and Audrey. We all settled in at Maggie and Travis' and had a wonderful family time.

Grandson Finn, celebrating birthday #3. Of course Lightning McQueen graced his ice cream

birthday cake and we all wore our happy birthday hats!

Finn, Maggie, Audrey, and Suzie (l to r) riding the merry-go-round at the zoo. Note that Finn is practicing his "celebrity wave" (to his dad) while Audrey is checking the engineering feature

that made her ride go up and down!

Travis with Finn and Audrey riding a huge hippo (sculpture)---going to the zoo is such fun

with KIDS!!!! Maggie packed us a lovely picnic and we had a marvelous day! I believe it was here that I truly realized how great it is to be the grammie---just trail along and enjoy!

Back home in Silverton it was time to start cleaning out the dear old woodshed, preparing for

it to be torn down before it falls down. The local antique dealer came and hauled stuff out and put it in two piles---one to throw and one for him to purchase. Which is which?****
Close-up...such treasures to be found in old sheds in Silverton!
This old cot was hidden in the upstairs loft of the shed. It is now on display in the San Juan County Historical Museum as part of the furniture in the upstairs of the Caledonia Boarding House. Note that it even has a collapsible headboard and folding legs!
Another feature of summer, besides fishing, hiking,and enjoying campfires with friends staying out by the river, are the car "parades" that come through the village. This tidy little group of Corvettes parked in front of my house today...makes my red Durango in the background look huge, doesn't it?
I've enjoyed several sets of houseguests during the summer and would be happy with more.

This is the flower pot by the front door---thought I'd close with it so if you come to visit you'll know when you find my house! Off tomorrow to go camping with Travis and family...my fish count so far is 29 beautiful trout caught and 28 released. (Guess what happened to #29" Yep, he turned into a delicious dinner.

Until next time....Penny ****The right hand pile was sold to the dealer!

Minnesota Replaces Iceland!!

My friend, Marie King, from Minneapolis and I had planned to go to Iceland in July but because of the volcanic excitement there, we decided to go to another cold place instead---northern Minnesota! After a day in Minneapolis, doing "city" things (a marvelous exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls and a great tiki bar named Psycho Suzie's were two things) we set forth for the northland.

A partial list of interesting features of "Up North" turned out to be:

• a three-way area of continental divide where the water splits and runs to the Atlantic,
  the Pacific and Hudson's Bay
• lots of bedrock! There are areas that look like the backs of whales. Rocks include pink and grey granite, biotite schist, greenstone
• the International Wolf Center at Ely--where we saw the wolves have their weekly meal
• fresh wall-eye on every menu---even for breakfast!
• an iron mine tour: down 1/2 mile at 10 miles an hour and in 3/4 of a mile by train
• a huge open pit iron mine, complete with giant trucks that carry 240 tons!
• short visit to the National Hockey Museum
• Cornish pasties for lunch (originally brought from Cornwall by the miners)
• a walk across the Rainy River to Ft. Francis, Canada
• a tour of a Boise paper mill that makes 20 ton rolls of paper---did you know paper is coated with liquid cornstarch to make it smooth?
• a visit to the headwaters of the Mississippi River where I could walk across it
• a visit to Voyagers National Park where we enjoyed a canoe trip (yes---we paddled!)

We also saw the only gas station Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed:

Viewing the wolf pack was most interesting; our reaction to them was that they are huge and quite beautiful. Here is the white male alpha wolf watching his pack...
Another view of Shadow (the alpha male) observing one of the younger males...

That evening we watched the wolves be fed their weekly meal of road kill. They were each given a beaver (skinned and turned in by trappers); here is Shadow starting his dinner!

This wolf is getting ready to "sleep it off"---they are quite sluggish for several days after eating.

Now, on to the open pit iron mine. Here is one of the huge trucks hauling iron ore to the taconite plant where the ore is formed into small pellets, which are shipped across the Great Lakes to the iron mills of the east. Each truck has six tires that cost about $30,000 EACH!

(Well, shoot, the next picture is my usual sideways one---) Here is Marie standing beside

one of the huge trucks..

Here she is inside the bucket---28 cubic yard capacity!

And. finally, find me dancing down the stairway near the cab of this truck!
Of course no visit to Minnesota would be complete without seeing Paul Bunyan and Babe...can you find Marie and me?
Here we are at the famous headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca State Park...
Crossing the headwaters where they run out of Lake Itasca and start down the river...

We enjoyed our week in northern Minnesota where we found friendly people, no crowds, and interesting things to do.

PS---almost no mosquitos!

Final Word on the Pennsylvania Roadtrip

June 28th: As always, much time has passed between my posts. I admire the young women with children who seem to post often...

Arriving in Pennsylvania, it was wonderful to spend time with my granddaughter, Audrey (as well as her parents!). She, of course, does not sit sideways in her little rocker, but instead has a grandmother who consistently has at least one photo in most blog posts that lands on its side. My apologies to you, Audrey Grace!

One of the joys was seeing how Audrey loved the giant bear that rode to PA with Karen and me. It was a long-ago Christmas gift to Suzie from Travis. Audrey loved "sitting in its lap" to look at books and simply pouncing on the bear just for fun. A Mother's Day and birthday gift to Suz and me was a lovely tea at the Front Porch Tearoom near York from Travis and Maggie. We enjoyed scones, two kinds of tea, salad, soup, and

delicious desserts, all in Victorian ambiance. We enjoyed acting like ladies---thanks, Travis and Maggie!

Another day, when Karen had returned from visiting her mom and a friend, we trooped off to Intercourse, PA, a charming little Amish village (yep, that's right!) where we finally got to tour

the Museum of Edged Weaponry, which we've been eyeing ever since James and Suz moved to

PA. We always try to tour one unusual museum (we've logged the National Dental Museum,

the Watch Museum, the International Weight Lifting Museum and now this masterpiece!).

It was very interesting, having every sort of knife, sword, dagger, and bayonet you could imagine! Here we are with Suz's friend Jen who consented to go with us---

Finally it was time to turn the red car west to return to Colorado. We visited friends of Karen's in Ohio and then began the long, long, long road through the trees: I-70 across Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri! A picnic lunch at a nice rest stop in Illinois broke the monotony and what should we discover in the rest room but an innovative item: an all-in-one hand washing device. One simply held your hands in the opening (the dark area) and they were sprayed with liquid soap, followed by a soothing warm water rinse and then a blast of hot air! Slick! It is amazing what one can see and learn on an American road trip!!
Driving through St. Louis was exciting for me because I had never seen the arch. The morning was clear, the traffic was light, and I was able to take great photos on the move...
The river boats were picturesque at the base of the arch...
Finally, nearing Colorado, after an overnight in Kansas City with my family, we enjoyed a stop to see the Cathedral of the Plains, a Catholic Church in western Kansas, which presides over the vast plains. It was built in 1909 and is stately and elegant and a surprise to find amidst the huge wheat fields.
If you have never taken a road trip with a good friend, I highly recommend it. Karen and I visited, laughed, said "oops" when we took a wrong turn and usually found something interesting while correcting, stopped when something looked interesting, met friendly people, ate new foods, and, in general, enjoyed every one of the 5300 miles we traveled.

I look forward to the next road trip---any volunteers?