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

Feb 14, 2005

Weekend

Filed in Britain 2005 (1), Landmark-Hunting, Travel

I’m leaving Scotland on Tuesday, and my time is likely to be limited online after that point. Also, I won’t be so much touring as spending time researching and writing, as well as visiting and chatting with friends. So if you don’t hear much after Tuesday, that’s why. I return to the USA on the 21st of February.

Friday 11th

The weather’s been wild and windy all weekend, really. Dad took me out for a short drive in the morning; we first visited an ancient burial mound which is just round the corner. What a wonderful site…it is just behind some residential estate, but the silence is almost complete. The mound rises up from the forest floor, and at the top is an old yew tree, gnarly and interesting. You can still see the stones which covered it - until recently the place was overgrown - and get a sense of what it was like. I could have sat there and contemplated the nature of the universe for quite some time…

I love still, ancient places like this…I always have. I remember on one of my earliest trips to Scotland the fascination I had for them. I was crawling inside ancient burial mounds when I was nine.

We went to Strathpeffer for a better look around this time. There were a few daffs in bloom, and the odd blackthorn with white flowers. Took a look at the old buildings and went to say hello to the eagle stone, an ancient Pictish symbol stone with an eagle and a horseshoe on it. I took lots of pictures of the country lane and its flora, and then loved with a very friendly little cat which showed up, tail straight up in the air, to be paid its due respects. ;-)

In the afternoon, we went to meet Mam’s friends Ann and Archie. I did enjoy the visit. They’re both well-educated, interesting and have a sense of humour. My parents enjoy their company. I had a bit of trouble managing their steep driveway in my heels though. ;-)

The Weekend

I spent almost the whole weekend with my brother, sister in law and the girls. It was fun, a change of pace; I took books with me. We caught up on one another and chatter, but the weather was literally foul and we didn’t go anywhere on a trip. We did, however, play ten pin bowling. I was unutterably bad at it, but I did score a flukish strike, which I could hardly believe. It was a hoot though. I got a kick from the decor being a scene of the Las Vegas strip. ;-) (The pyramid is a dead giveaway. ;-)

Beyond that it was chat, watching films (I loved Shrek 2!), waiting for and watching the snow, shopping, watching Bethany do brilliant stuff with The Sims, eating, watching Lauren twirl to Angelina Ballerina, and getting addicted to Bob the Builder. ;-) It’s interesting to me but it’s basic family stuff and not very interesting to you.