I Need More Words for Rain

It rained most of the day yesterday, starting before sunrise, though we never saw the sun. None of it was what I would call rain back in Maryland, the steady dropping of water.  There were waves of heavy mist which shifts into what could be called drizzle except that it is always at an angle because of the wind with the descending water.Then really hard, steady rain. There there are periods of in-between each of the different ways that water can fall down from the sky when anything could happen.  But in the middle of the afternoon the BBC weather app predicted not just lighter clouds but even occasionally sunshine.

So the three of us decided to hike up to the northern end of Iona and climb up the top of the highest peak, Dun I (that is pronounced Dun-EE).  While the path was soggy, and we had to pick our way around boggy spots, we did reach the top while leaning into the wind.  All but the southern end can be seen from Dun I at 332 feet above sea level.  While there were only occasional holes in the clouds that the sun came through, it was good to get out and exercise.

Throughout the island are large fuchsia hedges and bushes.  Mom would have been both thrilled and irritated.  She always had trouble keeping fuchsia happy in pots.  The hedges are sheared back at the end of the summer, to branch back out in the spring.  The weather is much more temperate than would be expected because the gulf stream swings by Iona, protecting it the freezing temperatures.

So when today was going to be cloudy and rainy, again, the decision was to spend time at Iona Abbey.  Our Scottish Heritage guide, Laura, said she has been working at the Abbey for a year and a half.  She covered a lot of material in a short time.  On the right is St. Martin's cross that has been standing in front of the Abbey for over 1,200 years.  This side is a snake and orb design; snakes representing resurrection because they shed their skin.  Scholars believe that carvers on Iona started putting the circles around the center of the cross, because otherwise the arms of the stone crosses would break off without the extra support.  It is amazing.

I close with this picture of a tired traveler with a dog in his lap.  The dog looks like a Border Terrier, so my heart melted when I saw them together.  Fortunately the dog has a wool jacket to keep it warm and dry.  We still had a half hour walk before we got home to Tighshee and have our afternoon tea.