Cat Witch Speaks

A Big Hello! And Free Leonard Peltier!

Yeah...a big FAT/PHAT hello goes out to my fans in Belgium! I ♥ you guys...and I shall try to do better by you & any lurkers out there!

And I shall start like this: last night we watched Incident at Ogalala: The Leonard Peltier Story. I have seen it before, which got me interested in Leonard's cause, but my loving man hadn't seen it, although he has lately become interested in Leonard's plight. Let me direct you to the 'Twinklinks' over there → and the links that will direct you to this noble man's wrongful imprisonment story and the tireless efforts of those who are trying to correct this injustice.

Please do take a look and if you agree that he was wrongfully accused of these crimes, then perhaps you might wish to urge our new President Obama that Leonard's freedom is long overdue. This past Friday, 6th February, marked 33 years since his arrest. As I said, his rightful freedom is long overdue, to say the least. The Friends of Peltier site contains links to petitions and a letter to Barak Obama--very easy to do!

I thank you, and I am sure Leonard, his family and people thank you, too.

Blessings!

Where Am I?

Blimey! I've been so preoccupied with other things that I've neglected this overly-neglected blog again. Not sure if anyone has even noticed or cares, but will that stop me? Certainly not. I often feel that I'm babbling to myself, anyway. My sister said that when I was little, they would often hear me in my room, happily playing by myself--having conversations with cuddly toys, dolls, etc. Probably because those were my truest friends, at least in my childlike mind. Sometimes, even now on the eve of my 48th (WHAT???) birthday, I still believe it. Except now, in addition to the inanimate cuddly toys, I include my cats and dog, and of course, my long-suffering spouse.

I think a good thinking cap, a strong cup of coffee and a bit of time this weekend are in order. I simply haven't the heart to cease all communications here, even though my life hasn't been a veritable fiesta--not that it's mind-numbingly dull or anything; it's just not full of crowd pleasing anecdotes and escapades. And I don't always feel confident revealing my opinions regarding current affairs or musings on life. Really, I should get over it; old habits die hard, I guess.

Watch this space.

Oh...and...I shall wish you all a very Happy & Peaceful New Year.

Oh...and one other thing: GOBAMA! I am one pleased ex-pat Americat!

Blessings to all!

♥

Our Man in Baltimore

Last night, we watched John Water's This Filthy World--what a good larf & what swell guy! If you enjoy his films, it's a must-see...oh, yes!

Warning: This clip contains naughty bits.

Holidays, Rain & Birthday Pup

Greetings, dear readers!

Well, I can smell it in the air--autumnal days are just around the corner, and our fleeting summer is, thus far, going out in a deluge...sigh.

First off, let me say, 'Happy 1st Birthday' to our cheeky pup, Rowan! I'm just sorry that it's a soggy day and we can't do much to celebrate outdoors :-( But we shall see how we can compensate in other, perhaps, more delicious, ways!

We spent the last week of July/first of August in Kintyre, on the west coast of Scotland, and I have to say that it was a marvellous way to spend our holiday, and the experience was well-derserved, particularly since we haven't had a 'proper' holiday in years; i.e. a holiday that didn't involve DIY or simple day trips/overnighters. I really, really, really love the seaside--it's so calming, and I think that Kintyre is a beautiful place, like so many in Scotland. I know I'm not a very good photographer (verily, I'm a 'snap-shooter'), but I hope the photos below will convey the beauty beheld by our own eyes.

We stayed in a static caravan in the wee village of Muasdale on the Atlantic side of the peninsula. Rowan had a great time, as she usually does! She's turning out to be a good little traveller, though she plays stubborn mule when it comes to getting into the car. But once she's out and about, it's all systems go! She was quite frightened of the gently lapping waves on the shore, but when we played football with her on the beach, eventually the powerful lure of the ball won out over her trepidation, and she actually went into the water to retrieve her beloved toy. She also had her first trip off of the mainland when we took the ferry one day over to the wee island of Gigha, a very lovely place with some pretty little beaches. During a couple of afternoons, we managed to put her into 'doggy daycare' at a really nice kennel near Campbeltown, where she was spoiled and adored. The first time was so we could go pony trekking, but unfortunately, I had a wretched migraine, and the place we checked out was rubbish, so that was the end of that plan. The second time, however, we used our free time to go on the Mull of Kintyre Seatour, which launches from Campbeltown. We didn't see any whales, porpoises or dolphins (the dolphins had been spotted recently, so that was a bit unlucky), but we enjoyed seeing the other wildlife: puffins, seals, gannetts, etc., and the scenery was fantastic. We would definitely do the seatour again, and I highly recommend it--well worth the £25!

Only two things really annoyed us: the ticks (horrible!!!) and the rain. Poor Rowan was infested with the beasts, and we each had a run-in two. Now we have this nifty tick removal tool, so at least we can deal with them more effectively in the future.

The weather was perfect for the first few days, but then the rain came, which one has to expect in these parts. However, by the last couple of days, it cleared up a lot, though it was a bit cooler. At least we had a good amount of dry weather, which is pretty lucky. Naturally, the second week at home featured gloomy weather, but we didn't get up to much anyway. We had planned on hitting the Fringe, but of course, laziness ruled the week! Every year since moving here, we agree that we'll go, and every year it's the same--we don't! Well, it runs for the rest of the month, so perhaps we can try to spend a bit of time in the city...we shall see.

And that's about it for now--back to the same old, same old, but with added rain...oh, joy!

Hope you all enjoy the photos.

Blessings
♥

One last sunset--sigh--I miss it!

A boat trip at dusk

One last walk along the beach

The estuary as it empties into the ocean

This pair of swans was swimming up and down alongside the shore the whole time we were in Muasdale. We think they might have made their way via the nearby estuary.

I was hoping to have a better shot of the puffins, but alas, no such luck.
Still, they were also a joy to behold!

It was pure joy seeing the seals on Sanda Island :-)

The lighthouse on Sanda Island and excellent rock formations

Heading towards Sanda Island

The caves on Davaar Island

The lighthouse at the Mull of Kintyre

Heading towards the Mull of Kintyre

A view of Campbletown from the sea tour boat

A live jellyfish that was bobbing along on the current...wonderful!

Another jellyfish!

From a very pretty beach (one of the twin beaches of Eilean Garbh) on Gigha--it reminded me of the beaches in my dreams.

Pretty heather everywhere!

A view of Jura from Gigha

Does anyone want to hire Rowan for dog food adverts or for border collie calendar work?

This is where we had our lunch, al fresco, on Gigha :-)

Jellyfish

The wee Isle of Gigalum as seen from a beach near the South End Pier

On the ferry to Gigha

Hot dawg!

A view from our caravan--those mountains on the left are the Paps of Jura.

An estuary that empties into the Atlantic on the beach near to where we stayed

Chris and Rowan on the beach in Muasdale, Kintyre

Silly Girl, Wasn't She a Silly Girl

I was perusing this blog's archives and noticed something rather annoying: I sure do stop and start this thing a lot. And I make a lot of apologies whenever I start the process again. It's really indicative of how I am always apologising for everything.

And I was also wondering: does anyone ever look at the archives? Probably a good cure for insominia, if so.

Off the topic and totally for your amusement (and mine), this is a picture I made ages ago and was inspired by one of my Denver cats, Merlin (who is still alive and well, I'm happy to report!), entitled Merlin is a Bee.
♥

These Rollercoaster Rides are Overrated

Talk about extreme lows and highs...well, where shall I start? I think I should just dive in...sort of in medias res, as you've already read about the puppy problems (and I've an update about that, too).

A week ago last Thursday, I was walking the dog after work on the path where the lupins were photographed. It starts at the high school and then carries on as part of the National Cycle Network, following a part of an old railway, going through some nice countryside. So, there we were, just past the high school, when I spotted a man and his two dogs that I see there sometimes. Just in front of this man, I noticed a teenage boy, and initially, I figured he was with the man. But then as the man passed the boy, they exchanged greetings, so there went that theory out the window. My next reaction was, oh, what's this kid up to, eh--sometimes kids get up to mischief and/or vandalism on this path, so I immediately felt suspicious. I passed the man and his dogs and we exchanged a friendly greeting. Then I passed the kid, and immediately, a red flag went up. I didn't say anything to him, as I didn't like his vibe, and I really didn't like the way he looked at me. I carried on a bit and suddenly had that sensation of being watched, so I turned around, and lo' and behold, there he was...following me. I thought, don't panic, Sheri...just keep walking a bit and get out your mobile. I rang home and conversationally told my husband to 'talk to me for a minute,' to which he responded, 'Are you all right?' I think the boy was about 20 metres or so behind, and I didn't want to provoke him, so I tried to act like I was having a random conversation. Chris knew something was up and said that he was coming down to the high school. At first, I insisted that I was fine, all was fine, and that there was no need, but eventually, I agreed, telling him I would walk as far as the overpass (a bypass is being built and it passes over this footpath) and then head back.
I carried on towards this overpass and noted that I could see some workmen about on the bypass ahead, and shortly thereafter I saw a cyclist coming from the opposite direction. These things gave me a slight sense of relief, and just before I reached the overpass, I turned around to head back. Shortly thereafter, the kid approached me, but I forced myself to remain calm. All of a sudden, he produced a knife of some description and said, 'Tie up your dog,' to which I replied, 'WHAT???' and he repeated his demand. I responded with a firm, 'NO!! Get away from me!' and he started to back away, saying 'ok, ok', and I added quickly, 'I've rung my husband!' He continued to say 'ok' and backed off and then turned around and headed towards the bypass. I quickly walked on in the direction I'd come and after a short distance, rang my husband. He said he was stuck at the traffic light, but nearly there. I told him what had happened and said I would call the cops, which I did. When I was nearer to the school grounds, I saw Chris approaching, and he had the steering wheel club in his hand. I was still on the phone with the police dispatcher, and Chris took the dog from me and told me to go to the car park to wait for them, and he would carry on down the path to look for the kid. I went to our car and paced around it for what seemed like an eternity, but it was really only a couple of minutes.

Eventually, I saw Chris and Rowan coming towards us with the kid a few paces ahead of them, telling him 'whatever your wife says is a lie.' Chris informed him that if he has done nothing wrong, then he has nothing to fear. About 30 seconds after their arrival, the police showed up...wow! So, they put him in the van and I gave my statement. The kid, of course, didn't have a weapon on him, so the police called in for the sniffer dogs. After I gave my statement, we went home.

It was all so very surreal...I could not believe what I'd just been through. Chris remarked later that he had expected the kid to react in a more nervous fashion, particularly since Chris is 6-feet tall and was carrying that club. But this kid was very calm and unemotional, which we both found a bit disturbing. The sniffer dogs never found the knife, but did pick up his scent on an iron bar. Chris had thought the kid had dropped an iron bar as he approached him, because he recalls hearing a loud clanging noise on the pavement, but was later unable to identify what was actually found. We also found out that another woman, who had been on the path jogging, had called in a similar incident. I told them that I had passed a female jogger at the start of the path. She had been coming from the opposite direction, and I noted at the time that she did look a bit distressed, but I put it down to a bit of exhaustion after a long run, perhaps.

It also turns out that this kid, who is 14 years old, lives all the way over in East Lothian (in a town about 20 miles away!), has been in foster care and has been in trouble at school for trying to touch girls inappropriately. He has been charged and put into secure children's accommodation, but because of his age, he may not go to trial. I have yet to hear anything further on the matter.

I think that three factors saved me: 1) I was very assertive with him and not passive or afraid; 2) The dog was wearing her halti, which many people mistake for a type of muzzle, thus, assuming the dog bites; 3) His behaviour hadn't escalated to the point where he was able to carry out such an act. I feel that this is the first time he had attempted to use force and he lost his nerve. Whatever the outcome, I sincerely hope that this boy gets help. Clearly, he has not had an easy life and he has some real problems that need to be dealt with now, otherwise, I fear this lad could grow up to be a serious threat.
I'm actually doing all right, considering.

Yes, it has added to my stress levels, which have been related mostly to the dog and the usual money woes. And, naturally, the stress has made my eczema break out most horrendously. But I'm not going to let it spoil my walks. I want to return to that path, though I won't be doing so until I get a personal alarm of some sort. I think my years of living in the city have given me a bit of savvy because I've always known that I mustn't appear vulnerable; this experience has reinforced that belief.

On a lighter note, I had a wonderful visit from my Radiohead message board friend, Karen, last weekend. She had been over here doing the solstice and going to Radiohead gigs, and I convinced her to come up to Scotland to see them in Glasgow. Now, I wasn't planning on attending any of the gigs, but had decided I would pop over the day after the show (28th June) to have breakfast with any 'boardies' who wanted to have a mini-meet. Karen decided she would go ahead and do it, as she was also interested in visiting Rosslyn Chapel--what a coincidence! Rosslyn, as it happens, is only a few miles from my home! And so I popped over to Glasgow on that Saturday morning, had a fab breakfast at Where the Monkey Sleeps, and then Karen and I caught a train back to Edinburgh. We then spent a lovely afternoon at Rosslyn--an amazing place, steeped in much history, legend and mystery. I managed to take some snapshots, as you will see below, but unfortunately, photography is not allowed on the inside. Still, it's an amazing place, and the surrounding Roslin Glen is magnificent place to walk and explore. I plan on doing some more walking/exploring around the glen.

Karen (who, incidentally, is a LOVELY person & I cried when she left!) also gave us some excellent advice to help us train Rowan, as she has two huskies and does a lot of obedience classes with them. And then the behaviourist came along on the 30th, and she was quite agreeable with the advice that we had taken from my friend and gave us more exercises to try. It's going to take some time, but hopefully, we'll end up with a super dog! She did tell us that because Rowan comes from 'farm' stock, meaning, she comes from the bona fide working border collie stock, that she is going to be harder to train. Not because she's stupid--au contraire!--but because she is so intelligent and also very willful. The farm-bred collies are a lot more work, full stop. But once they're trained up, they can be great dogs! It's going to take a lot of work and a whole lot of patience, but hopefully, our efforts will be rewarded.

One other 'downer' of the past week: poor Rowan picked up a tummy bug and was pretty sick. She had to have an antibiotic jab and got some medicine tablets that helped with her gut and she's right back to her cheeky self.

Phew! I'm really looking forward to our fortnight off now! I really think we deserve it, and we're really grateful that for once, it's not going to be a DIY holiday.

I'm also really grateful to Karen. She gave me a much-needed tarot reading and was a much-needed light. I've got a lot of work to do, of course (I mean, isn't that what life is all about?), but the outlook is...hopeful :-)

Blessings & Love!

♥

The Sinclair Family Crest - a Templar Cross

Rosslyn Chapel--the scaffolding is due to a canopy that is over the top of the building, which is necessary to dry it out. It will be coming off in a couple of years. The structure is amazing, both outside and inside. Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside, so I suggest you get yourselves over there for a visit sometime--well worth it!

A skull

A demonic face

Another face/gargoyle-type creature--also note the Sinclair crest to the far right.

A hand holding what appears to be a plume.

There are many symbols carved all over the inside and outside of the chapel.

No shortage of gargoyles!

There are many faces all over the chapel, including the greenman, though I was unable to photograph the one I am thinking of (see the official website linked above).