Judd spent most of yesterday shoveling and raking snow off the roof then snow-blowing again. Then , while he was at UMO hockey, it snowed 6 more inches. But we've had a warm snap and now the snow is racing off our tin roof and it's getting all wet heavy (or heavy and bothered.) Two of the four kitchen windows are occluded by snow.
We have a Scotland itinerary ! The count-down calendar says it's 54 days til departure.
Friday the 13th ( of March, 2015)
Getting ourselves excited for travel by reading travel books (they keep multiplying in my house.) The Outlander TV series ended for the season so we're on hold, watching other junk TV at night. We're trying to get all the Jon Stewart's Daily Shows in since he's announced his retirement. We talk about ways to scam free tickets to his last live show in NY, but then we take no action .
It's only 2 weeks until spring, but not many signs. I did see a robin out the window at work, but it was almost like Noah's ark, in that there was nothing but snow all around for him to alight upon. And certainly no worms anywhere. We did have a warm day and much snow melted but going from 6 feet to 5 feet didn't put much of a dent in it. An ice dam has been dripping through the mudroom ceiling for a week. Judd actually climbed on the roof, rope around his waist, and hacked blocks of ice off right into the driveway in front of the door. Now the garage door is open until spring so we have an egress.
We had dinner a few weeks ago with Rick and Sandi Lawrence. They told us all their favorite places in Scotland. They go back to Islay ("eye-la") every year. They've bought their own cask of Scotch and it's aged 10 years so is about ready to bottle. They cooked amazing pork and veggies from their whisky cookbook.They've given us several travel tips:
www.calmac.co.uk to reserve ferry tickets from Oban to Islay
visit Bruichladdich ("Brook-laddie") distillery (where THEY have a cask)
eat lunch at The Old Kiln at the Ardberg distillery
eat dinner at The Bridge End Hotel or Yuans.
eat seafood at Loch Indal at Port Charlotte (and visit the Museum of Island Life
visit the Celtic Cross
March 29, Sunday
18 days + 20 hours
Just got roll along suitcases and carry -ons and back packs picked out. We've been combing our maps and perusing travel guides. We've been practicing whisky tasking and responding "Aye!" anytime an affirmation is needed. Judd is almost done reading MossFlower (in the red Wall series.) I'm almost a third done with book club book that, atypically, Omer read first then Judd then Carol who recommended it. The Harry Quebert Affair.
We've still got a foot of snow covering the entire lawn and 8 feet in the shady crevices of the house. So we're reading by a roaring fire with Daisy, Juno and Velcro in attendance, waiting for outdoor recess. The road has suddenly thawed with those two 45 degree days and the mud makes 4-6 inch ruts with whichever car slides down or crawls up the hill. When it freezes again, and it does on those 9 degree nights, the ruts are hard tire traps. By the time we walk the dogs later it is soft again and we sink into mud season. Daisy comes back like a reverse penguin: white back and black belly and legs.
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| Judd shares his toy with me |
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| Isn't spring grand? |
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| Tea Time in the bistro |
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