A Saturday Ramble - Still together after all these years...

No, this isn’t as post about partner-who-loves-tea and I (that’s coming up to 24 years in the autumn) it’s about a Vermont Girl and I. We started blogging about the same time and I don’t know how we came across each other’s sites but unlike many others who have come and gone in the meantime we are still enjoying our visits to the other’s xxxx. Why the xxxx? Because I can’t think of the right word. A blog is so much more than writing and photos. It is a peek into the person’s mind and yet to say I visited Heather’s mind would be not only presumptuous but not quite what I wanted to express. Hopefully those who have become blogging friends over the years will understand the concept I’m struggling to define.

In the olden days one fitted people into various categories – family, friend, acquaintance, work colleague and so on. (I have always been fortunate that some of my best friends are also family.) Nowadays one has two extra categories – blogging friends and blogging acquaintances. And, because we often feel freer to express our feelings in our blogs than we would at home over a cup of coffee, sometimes those blogging friends know us even better than the people we see in ‘real’ life. We can empathise with their thoughts, sympathise when they have difficulties, cheer them on with their new ventures, enjoy their successes and share joy in their good times. Heather is currently revising her blog and I know that however it turns out I'll still be visiting for a long time yet.  If you aren't already a visitor there why not take a trip over to her blog.

One of the only ‘challenges’ in which I partake is the Friday my town shoot-out. I do that primarily because of the people involved – a fascinating range of individuals from across the globe. This week’s challenge has been one of the best yet – matching a photo of one’s town with an appropriate quotation. The skill and imagination exhibited has been tremendous. The participants are all well worth a visit.

I’m still relying on my brother’s hospitality and holidaying in the Western Isles on the Isle of Lewis. It’s giving me a great set of photos to sort through to share with you. Even though the weather has been a bit on and off there have been enough sunny intervals to afford me plenty of shots. One advantage of GB’s location is that one only has to set foot outside the front door to this view. (In fact one gets it from where I’m working on my computer by the kitchen window).

The other day I went into Coll Pottery for the first time since GB sold it.   It's only GB's second visit since then and his first since it was taken over by Karen Woods of Paint-a-pot.

It must have seemed strange to GB to sit down and do his crossword over coffee in the coffee shop. 

There are still plenty of his pots on sale there and if you ever visit the Isle of Lewis you must call in for a coffee.  Karen is a delightful hostess and her paint a pot business is original and well worth a visit.

I wish her the best of luck in her new venture.

The seven mile trip into town from GB's can yield such creatures as Great Northern Divers like this one which was treating us to its moaning cry as it swam away. It’s not a bad place to live or visit!