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.

Columba's Bay

The weather prediction was cloudy in the morning with rain returning in the afternoon, so we started at 10:00 a hike down to Columba's Bay, the traditional site where St. Columba arrived on Iona in 563.  We walked through the golf course, and you can see the sheep and cattle grazing the grass to keep it short.  Then we followed a wide path that is alternatively muddy or rocky, sometimes both. 

Here is David posing at the top of the hill before we descend down the trail to the Bay visible in the distance.  This picture will be sent to the church to provide evidence he has not actually gone somewhere warm and sunny.  After spending some time on the top of the rock overlooking the Bay, with the wind picking up and a scatter of rain, we returned the way we came.  Arriving back at the golf course, the cattle and sheep were moved away from the edge of the water, their back ends into the wind.

It was not a hard decision to stay in the house the rest of the afternoon after our 3.5 mile hike.  Ralph, a friend who is staying with us for a week, tried out his skill at starting a coal fire.  That is now burning nicely, keep the lounge toasty while the wind blows outside.

Here is the front door for Tighshee, a simple cottage.  However what you can see beyond those sheep is the Sound of Mull, and the view is even better from our bedroom upstairs.  One of the windows into the lounge, their name for the living room, is on the left, and with another window on the opposite side creating a bright, pleasant space.

While it is still very windy with random showers blowing through, we hiked up to the north end beaches.  The walking is through pastures, and this trinity of cows were taking it easy with the rock sheltering them from the worst of the wind.   You can see the rain covering the island in the distance.

The tide was low, so the beach was beautiful, parts were rugged with rock and others were covered with white sand.  This side of the North end of Iona is Lewisian Gneiss, which predates any living creatures on earth.  The island is all that remains of a mountain that once was a high as the Himalayas worn down by millennia of erosion by wind and water. 

 We attended a communion service at Iona Abbey by the Iona Community tonight.  The leader quoted Ellen Degeneres speaking to the need to hold onto hope in these times of destruction and death.  The service leader had us turn to someone we didn't know and describe what we see that gives us hope.  The beauty of this place, while battered with turbulent wind and pounding waves, gives me hope that I, that we can live through these times with grace and beauty.

Reaching Tighshee

Tuesday morning we decided to take our chances.  There were still high winds, but conditions were better.  It was good to get onto the large ferry, and I took this picture which shows it was still raining but there were very few whitecaps.  The ride over to Craignure was smooth and uneventful, taking less time than expected.  There was a two hour wait for the next public bus across Mull.  Fortunately there was a waiting area for the ferry.  I have never been so happy for a fiberglass seat inside where it is warm.  Finally the 96 bus to Fionphort drove up just before the ferry returned for the second time.  I dozed much of that ride, finally able to relax.

I was watching every body of water, whether in inland lock or a bay of the Atlantic, for clues about how rough the water might be when we reached Fionphort.  But it wasn't until we turned the corner, and could see the ferry in the dock that I knew there would be no problem.  A large crowd of day trippers were coming off the ferry, so it had been running all day. I finally let go of my anxiety and worry about getting to Iona  once we were out in the water.

Tighshee is the name of the cottage where we are staying, pronounced "tie-she."  We rolled our suitcases down the road in the typical Scottish mist-rain to finally arrive at our home for the next four weeks. It is a 10-15 minute walk from the pier.  I knew it was the right place when David discovered a silly tea cozy, which will be a regular part of our lives.  Here is the cozy with sheep while outside the window you can see sheep grazing in the pasture.   We have arrived on Iona.

Possibility of Weather Disruption

While there were patches of clear sky and sunshine, the ferry company was warning about the possibility of disruption of services.  High winds and unpredictable squalls would cause the ferries to stay in port.  So we stayed in Oban until Tuesday.  Underneath one of those red roofs in the photo above is a Michelin guide EE-USK seafood restaurant.  David had the Scottish oysters as a starter, which were large and tasted great.  I know because he offered one to me.

We sat next to the windows, and I kept my cap nearby to slip on when the sun came out.  Then we saw a storm approaching from the West as a ferry was coming into port.  However the ferry turned around to wait out the storm. You can see it in the distance in the photo below.

The rest of the afternoon was very windy and rainy, with gusts up to 40 or 50 MPH.  We could hear the roar of the wind in our hotel room throughout most of the night.  Still dealing with jet lag and not able to sleep, I struggled all night with worry that we would be stuck in Oban another day. 

We were pretty sure the large ferry from Oban to Craignure, the port on the East end of Oban, would be running.  And we knew the bus across Mull would be running without concern for the weather.  However, the ferry from Fionphort on the Western edge of the Island of Mull over to Iona is much smaller, and cannot handle the waves as well.  Fionphort is also very small, with few places to take shelter if there is a long wait for the ferry.  There was no way to know until morning.

Changing Plans

Arriving in Glasgow on Saturday, we quickly found our hotel and were able to get into our room before Noon.  After eating some lunch, we walked over to the Queen Street Train Station to buy tickets for the train to Oban.  However, the train only runs part of the way because the track is out. So this morning we took a Citylink bus to Oban.

Here is the Buchanan Bus Terminal at Glasgow, Stance 54. The bus driver warned us that if we didn't behave she would put us off the bus, or start singing to us, which would be much worse.
We wandered around Lock Lomond with a steady rain most of the way.  We passed Inveraray Castle, the ancestral home for the Duke of Argyll.  It also was featured in an episode of Downton Abbey.

We have arrived in Oban and are staying for the night at the Kelvin Hotel, with a view of the ferry dock.

Again, plans have changed.  Thanks to the remains of hurricane Maria, just now arriving on the Scottish coast, the ferry service is disrupted.  Both the large ferries to the Island of Mull and the small ferry to Iona will not be running.  The weather report predicted gusts could be up to 70 MPH.  Fortunately the hotel is not busy, so we can stay here for another night, or two, if needed. 

The cottage on Iona will have to wait.

Where have I Been?

This picture was taken back in July at the Amherst Early Music Festival during a Renaissance Recorder Consort class. I am playing my Prescott G Bassett recorder.  It is a wonderful instrument with a beautiful tone, very responsive and comfortable to play.  During the festival I also picked up a new G Alto from Tom Prescott, and I have been working on learning how to play it well. 

So while I have not been doing a lot of writing on this blog, I have been do a number of other things. Recorders have played a big role, including writing reviews of recorder music for the American Recorder magazine.  I am posting photos of flowers and animals in the garden on the Labyrinth by the Bay blog.  I wish I could get a picture of the young fox who has been wandering through, but it is very skittish.  Finally, having been away for five weeks in July and August, I have been digging large buckets of zoysia grass that invaded all of the flower beds.