Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

6th November

Went to the post office and bought stamps. The international stuff took a long time because the lady had to look everything up in the Book Of All Things Royal Mail. Not many people send postcards to the USA from Culbokie, but it’s worth asking because it’s a cheaper rate.

It was kind of funny because first she had run out of 1p stamps and needed to dig more out of the drawers, and them she ran out of airmail stickers and had to dig more of those out of the drawers.

One must not be in a hurry on the Black Isle, and indeed in most of the Highlands.

We then proceeded to visit a craft fair in the middle of nowhere. Lots of single lane roads with passing places. They are replacing the traditional diamond passing place signs with square ones. The square ones suck. They’re just not right - what *are* they thinking???

Mam made zlikrofi today. They’re a Slovene speciality and a real treat. Pictures and description some other time. They don’t last long. Dee-LICIOUS! :: smile ::

Craft fair - nice enough but I wasn’t shopping, so I left and wandered up and down the country lanes and took pictures of trees and mossy dry stone walls and other such pretties.

In the evening, pretending we hadn’t heard the weather forecast, we head down to Cromarty for the bonfire party. Again, I wrote a travel article about this, but it was awesome. To say it was an organised do, it was almost completely hands-on. We were only feet from the show, they burnt a boat (very pagan!) and as the rain started to pour they stoically carried on anyway, adding fireworks only a few at a time. The entire crowd endured the rain and cheered at all the right points. :: giggle :: One guy had to light a catherine wheel with a blowtorch. They have a different attitude to things over here in Scotland :: smile ::

All these fireworks and things made me feel very happy. I had missed this time of year, lots of celebrations of light of various kinds. In Germany there was a saint’s day and that involved lights and candles too. I love it.

7th November

This was a family day. My nieces were dropped off first and, armed with booty, er, presents, I was able to break the ice. Bethany immediately started fixing up her Native American house and making plans for it, and told me about her Viking project and her Indians project. Lauren plonked herself on my knee and we coloured teddy bears in purple and orange, and did dot-to-dot puzzles. She gets most of them right. ;-)

When Anne and Ian came back, we all chatted and had a huge traditional Sunday lunch and afterwards “Gran and Dandad” remained home so the rest of us could go to a garden centre. It was nice. Just a bit of time to be together.

Bethany had been nattering for sparklers and was feeling deprived because she was missing out on a fireworks party this year. I eventually let drop that I bought a box of fireworks and got an enthusiastic hug. I am now Super Cool Wicked Auntie Linda. :: bow :: ;-)

So when it got dark we let off rockets and fireworks. I ignited a few of my own. The little one didn’t like the loud ones that much and Anne and she ended up watching from the car. The neighbours let off a few of their own, and there were flashes of light elsewhere. I should have made jack-o-lanterns from turnips, but forgot. Aside from that it was great. (We forgot the Catherine wheel though.)

Finished up with sparklers galore. They were so welcome that next time I’ll buy lots more. I really got my money’s worth from the fireworks; they last a lot longer these days. And it was a beautiful clear night from which one could see the Milky Way, right out there from the back garden. Magnificent.

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