Treegate
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2975434/Scotland-s-answer-Route-66-North-Coast-500-unveiled-drivers-scenic-trip-past-fairytale-castles-beaches-ruins.html
The above link is specifically for the attention of my friends Ross and Yogi-Max who make it all the way from the Deep South of England to Lochaber every year (except this year, sniff) and have loved the area so much they have not realised that further great beauty lies beyond. Also for my Minnesotan blog-buddy who is basing her new found pleasures in the beauty of Scotland (where she has some strong blood links) on my photographs - only the tip of the iceberg - honestly. I haven’t even gone up the mountains -just stuck the camera out of the car window!
The suggested Scottish version of Route 66 is a mere 500 miler called NC500. (Don’t let me burst into song).............this is the way to go - fantastic. Ross - it takes in your very own namesake region. You will want a strong voice to speak for it, believe me, as the remote areas are a very long way from Westminster - not that you are that close to it in lovely Devon. Choose your own strong voice.
As for the tree saga. I’d sneaked the trees in without Mamma J’s input as she wanted special treatment with root growing compost and top soil. I thought I could get away with digging a hole and sticking them in it. I hadn’t realised that she had stuck arrows in the ground where she wanted them. I thought the arrows were a throwback to the children’s Pocahontas days, and unfortunately the site I had chosen would “blow the leaves to b.gg.ry” - so my sweet mamma said.
On discussing the issues, I did point out to her that as a support worker, it was important that I recognized and promoted the diversity of the people I support. She said “what does that mean?” I said “It means I have to get the bloody top soil.”
Running Girl stepped in and said she and MJ would go look for topsoil while I was at work - promoting diversity for anyone other than my mother. I came home to find 2 big bags of the fancy root compost and 2 buckets of topsoil and a spade. Running Girl had failed to find a shop with the soil, but had ‘borrowed’ some from Campaign K’s house site down the road, which is currently a big pile of topsoil - well, 2 buckets short of a big pile now.
I still planted them while MJ wasn’t looking just in case there was another set of instructions. I hope they come into bud soon and don’t wither up.
I’m sorry I didn’t have time to take a photo of Climbing Kev and Paul The Auld Heidie taking down the Banavie Christmas lights today, as I was late for work. They looked so sad, I didn’t know if it was because Christmas was over, or that it was such a long time til next Christmas. Or if they would just rather have been climbing something more challenging than lamp posts.