About time I put another post out there, keen to extol blogging as I am yet not doing much of it just now…
Blame spring cleaning, early summer cleaning, oh there’s another cold snap, cleaning and general furniture shifting. But, for a change, blame holiday…where we deliberately kept off-line.
Actually, this gets easier if you go somewhere which doesn’t have internet access. Scottish island, family cottage owned by great aunt (who is also a great-aunt) who isn’t online but keeps very busy in other ways, thankyou. Even though the island has a public access internet point, we managed to keep away.
This isn’t so hard: holidays are about doing things you don’t get time to do (or don’t get round to): watching films, reading books, eating porridge. Even playing Scrabble and drinking tea from pots (not directly, you understand, mugs were still involved).
It’s also about doing things that you don’t get access to at home: watching red deer from the back window of the cottage, watching storms (and strong moonlight) from the front.
Going to the beach when it isn’t really spring yet, and having the place to yourself. Leaning out of the front door (which is conveniently a stable door that you open the top half of), surveying the morning’s activities – of other people.
There was even drama surrounding getting home yesterday – a call before 8am to say that we would need to make a 10.30 ferry if we wanted to get off the island that day. A wait to see if the second ferry would divert to the other side of island 2 because of rough seas, as it had the previous day – which would have meant quick moves to a bus across to the other port. Harder to achieve when you’re foot passengers, and the bus doesn’t go that often.
Thankfully going home by coach, though time-consuming, also meant we avoided having to drive in slushy conditions.  Say what you want about Scottish summers, these factors are not part of our more usual visits to this island home from home.
Yes, we missed out on a genuine opportunity to be stranded away from work. It was quite tempting, actually.  But we gained a story to tell, and some further kindness from those based on islands, who understand how easily plans, including travel plans, may have to change if the weather does.
This time next week, I’ll be preparing for travel with work. But for now, I’m holding on to the sophistications of cooking my breakfast, looking out of the window…and rejoining our book collection at home.