Balm of Gilead - Balsam Poplar

One day in the Highlands of Scotland, I looked down to find a bunch of leaves on the ground from my all-time favorite tree --the Balsam Poplar. I think it might be in the cottonwood family. I know these leaves by their wonderful smell--the backs are streaked (but not sticky) with this wonderful bronze resin. If I could bottle this scent, I'd wear it--and I'm not much for perfumes.

These are pretty common trees in Northern Wisconsin. It's also known as The Balm of Gilead for it's healiong properties--whatever they are. My dad cuts these wonderful trees down for "popple."

Anchors

My friend J has a theory that certain people in our lives act as anchors--no, not that they weigh us down. Rather, these are the people that we connect with so effortlessly, people who help us find our true selves, people who bring us back to ourselves when we run astray/aground. These are the people who remain important to us, even though the distances of time and space may seem overwhelming. It's more like these people are the little bit of weight that keeps a kite from flying off and out of control .... We still get to fly, but they keep us grounded (in a good way) and tethered to home.

For me, Sandy was an anchor. So are CL, J, SKS, Caroline, Dottie, DO, Sinden, DMJ.

Thank you to all my Anchors. I wouldn't still be here without you. I only hope I can return the favor.

That was Your Mother ... with an AK-47

My friend J was a sharp shooter in the Coast Guard. Her husband came upon this semi-automatic AK-47 in his line of work. One day while I was visiting, we got to shoot it ... I know it was kind of a rush. Can't remember what the kickback was like now, or if it tended to jam ... At the time, we were preparing to move to Alaska where we knew we'd be hunting some of our food. That never quite happened, but we were preparing!



This is one of my husband's favorite pictures of us loading the magazine clips with ammunition--while wearing sun dresses and sipping juice. Seems like an unlikely juxtoposition, but we did it that summer's day.

When Opportunity Knocks, Take the Wilderness Tour!

In 2004, J and I were visiting Scotland for the 1st time (not to be the last). One day, we had planned to ride the Inverness City Bus Tour to several sites that day including Cawdor Castle (with links to MacBeth) just outside of town. When we were passing through the lobby of the Scottish Youth Hostel at Inverness, a woman was there looking for a few people she was supposed to pick up for a Wilderness Tour. They were no where to be found. So she asked if WE would be interested ... We said we had plans and a budget for the day ... She made us a deal we could not refuse. We went on this Wilderness Tour for something like 8 Pounds (Normally 35 Pounds for the same tour). The only catch was that we had to be back by 2 pm to catch her mini-van down to beautiful Glen Affric.

We did see Cawdor Castle--briefly, and made if back in time for the Glen Affric Wilderness Tour. It was absolutely GORGEOUS country. I felt all my stresses melt away on that trip. The pain in my neck subsided. I'd read a card in the seat pocket ahead of me that the company started because the owners knew people (specifically world leaders) with stressful, high-power jobs needed a way to de-stress. What better way to get grounded than in Nature? It worked for me! I realized, then, too that this was something that had been missing from my life since moving to Oshkosh. In Madison, I had my favorite natural places ... and I went to them regularly, but had not found comparable haunts in the Fox Valley.


On the drive back, we stopped at the edge of a field to watch deer having their evening dinner at dusk. I used to do that at Cherokee Marsh outside of Madison just about once a week ...

To this day, J and I are convinced that this trip was a gift from J's Gramma, Erma Kerska who died a few years ago. For about 25 years, she lived alone in a cabin in the north woods of Wisconsin. She had a great appreciation for the Wilderness--with a shotgun by the front door. This trip was not one we planned, but it was exactly what we needed. And Erma knew it!

This tour guide happened to be English, working in Inverness. On the weekend, she was going to be teaching a folk dancing class at Findhorn. She invited us to tag along. We had been trying to figure out how we would get there and finally gave up. We'd already made plans to go to The Isle of Skye for the weekend.

You don't have to take every opportunity put in your path. But it is certainly worthwhile to take advantage of some of the opportunities that come our way. You may be pleasantly surprised!

Caledonia / Scotland

I just got back from my 2nd trip to Scotland. Sigh! J and I actually climbed up to the top of this hill on the Bay of Uig, at the tip of The Isle of Skye. Watched kayakers below us in the water until the clouds came down on us. Neat experience!

I should state that I was able to return to Scotland because my husband won a trip for 4 to London last summer because he bought the last Harry Potter book from our local bookstore. This was a huge deal last summer, and the local Rotary Club offered this prize trip to London for 4 to see the Harry Potter sites. We decided to take the money and build our own trips ... CL and Oliver went to Japan (Land of Pokemon). I went back to Scotland with J. My thanks to The Oshkosh Rotarians!

If you've never been to Scotland, here's a song that will help explain what Scotland means to me, how I miss it, how it feels like home ... Enjoy!

Dougie MacLean's Caledonia



If anyone is interested, here's a link to the Photo Album on Picassa of this most recent trip. Lots of hill walking through those vast green countrysides. Scotland has more sheep than people ...


Near Uig (pronounced Oo-ig) on The Isle of Skye. This is the road to The Faery Glen ... Hey there's a reason I don't vacation in the Carribean ... As a Child of the North, I melt in the sun. I love these cloudy changing skies. Don't even mind the rain.

Here's another song that sums the trip up for me :

"I spent my life watching sky and sea change color
Hypnotized by the beauty of it all
And you ask me why I'm singing
Well, it's good for me. It can be good for you ..."
--Hothouse Flowers, "Good for You"

Signs of Fall

* First day of school
* Canada Geese flying low overhead and honking loudly
* Mice move back in the house. Time to set traps again ...
* A few leaves on the Virginia Creeper are turning scarlet already
* 4 Honey Crisp Apples ripening on the little tree this year (It's an off-year. We'll have a better crop next year.)