Highland Line Number 37

Turning leaves: It is well and truly Autumn. The rain seems to have set in, too, although it is following an interesting (and welcome) pattern. We get rain in the morning and at night (often through the night) and then a few hours of sunlight in the middle of the day. The central heating is on more often now; the highs are in the low 60s and lows, in the high 40s. More significantly, our daylight hours have dwindled to almost 12 as opposed to the 16 hours of sunshine we enjoyed at the peak of summer. The change will become more rapid this month and more noticeable to us when, at the end of the month, we retreat from British Summer Time and "lose" an hour. From that point, dawn will come later and later while afternoons will get darker and darker earlier and earlier. We are happy that new windows throughout the house and the new fireplace in the sitting room keep us much snugger than we have been in the past, especially in the evenings when we sit down after supper.

From Tour Guides to Tourists: We had quite a busy month in September, what with a visit from Don's cousin Ruthellen and her husband Russell for the first two weeks of the month and then being tourists ourselves at the end of the month. Our guests weren't with us the whole time, but what time they were with us, we were on the go and had a great time showing them some of our favorite scenery. If you haven't seen the blog in September, you'll find photos of St. Andrews and the fishing village of Crail in the East Neuk of Fife featured on the September 6th blog. (To retrieve these blogs, click on September 2006 under Archives, the final item on the lower right of this blog page.) The blog for the 7th features photos of thatched cottages in the village of Fortingall, a Roman bridge and waterfall in Glen Lyon, and the Falls of Dochart in the town of Killin. Increased rain in September meant that both falls were particularly spectacular. Ruthellen and Russell journeyed on their own to the northern Highlands for a few days then returned to us for a last few days of sightseeing before moving on to Glasgow. The blog for the 16th features photos of Loch Katrine in the Trossachs, Loch Tummel, and the city of Dunkeld (not very large but so-called because it hosts a cathedral). We never get tired of showing off these beautiful surroundings.

A week in Provence: Just a couple of days after our guests left, we packed up and took off for Provence for 5 days to visit with Bethesda friends Claudine and Bernard Dussert (who are French and who have a condo in Cassis on the Mediterranean). There we enjoyed sunny days with highs around 78 and absolutely amazing scenery (see blogs for the 24th and 25th). We had a most enjoyable and relaxing time with these friends in what was our first experience in France outside of 3 days in Paris back in 2000. After 3 days in Cassis, we spent one day on our own in Aix-en-Provence before flying home on the 25th. We are in love with Provence and now see why it is so popular with people the world over.

Mon Dieu! France again? Yes, as I write this we are preparing for a second trip to France in as many weeks. Timing just worked out that the Friends of Cognac group we belong to will have their usual even-yeared visit to Cognac from October 4th through 11th. You may recall that this organization promotes the cultural exchange between the Perthshire region of Scotland and Cognac in France. We will be staying with a French host family (Mme et Msr Dominique Taylor) for the week. On weekdays, the organization has arranged various tours, lunches, and other programs. On weekend days, our host family will take us on excursions in the area. It should be a lot of fun, so check the blog sometime around the middle of October for details and photos from Cognac.

From Chez Taylor to Chez Bunis: We arrive home on the 11th and entertain another guest starting on the 12th when our friend Kathryn Hansman-Spice arrives for a few days with us prior to teaching a massage techniques workshop in the Cotswolds. October looks as though it will be every bit as busy and eventful as September was. We look forward to Kathryn's visit but hope she understands if we sometimes forget where we are!

Back in the Groove: I have managed to get into the quilting studio for a couple of small projects. Gradually the usual activities of the year have resumed. The Crieff Choral Group is well stuck-in to their rehearsals of music from The Merry Widow, Die Fledermaus, The Gypsy Baron, and Strauss Waltzes for a late November concert. I hosted the second meeting of my sewing group on Monday afternoon, went to chorus rehearsal that evening, went to Pilates on Tuesday, had coffee with the chorus girls on Wednesday, went to a coffee morning for Thursday Club volunteers on Thursday morning (this is the group who provide for the weekly lunches in the White Church on Thursdays 10 weeks prior to and 10 weeks following Christmas each year), and attended my book group meeting that afternoon. Don continues to play golf nearly every day but has also resumed attending Tuesday afternoon music programs in St Fillans. Further, he is spending considerable time these days doing Strathearn Music Society committee work as well as getting two distance courses running for AACRAO. In addition to all of these activities, we managed to entertain a couple for Friday afternoon coffee, which was a nice way to finish out the week. They had been in this house when the previous owner, Maris Donald, was still here and were quite taken with the way we have changed it.

We have heard from many of you about upcoming travel plans, completed (or almost completed) home renovations, children's weddings, the birth of new grandchildren, moves from one coast to another, and the continuing responsibilities of caring for aging parents. Thank you so much for keeping in touch. It is lovely to have e-mail and the Internet as bridges across the miles.

Love and Happy October!

Lynn and Don