Vocabulary

It just snuck up on me. I can't remember the exact moment.

It didn't take long for me to pick up many words/phrases that I hear daily in Scotland. But there is one word in particular that would not come naturally. It sounded so awkward, forced, foreign when I said it. I even practiced saying it when I was alone. After a few months, I gave up...figured it would just never become part of my natural vocabulary. Then last week I realized...aye, I do say it...aye has become natural. Yes, yeah, ok...are all still in my vocabulary. "Aye" is just added to the mix.

A three munro weekend

Time for me to get high again. I hit the road in my hired car Saturday morning with munros on my mind. Destination: Loch Tay. Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve.

The walk I chose begins through the forest (that would be the sparse collection of trees in the foreground), then climbing up to the ridge in the distance.

City centre

Working in the city centre. I have joined the stream of suits flowing into the city each morning. Quiet morning trains with people reading the morning paper, busy on their phones, enjoying a few tunes, or catching a few more moments of sleep. Upon arriving in the city centre, we all whisk away to our respective workplaces.

Adventurous or lost?

Adventurous or lost....sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. No one has openly suggested I may be lost but it has crossed my mind a few times over the last few years. Well, now that I think about it, the idea has come up periodically throughout my life.

Sticks in the park

I admit I am easily entertained. I just can't seem to get used to seeing a boy and his dad walking down a city street, wee golf bag with a handful of irons, headed to the park. There is a designated pitch and putt in a park nearby. I often see folks there, working on their game or having a fun competition among friends or just playing. What shocks me is that they are often using full swings and hitting distances of 150 yards. I love the casualness of grabbing a few clubs and heading to your local park.