Edinburgh Tourist 5 – Innocent Path

Home from USA – see previous posts. Now trying to shake off the jetlag, so got the bicycle out.

The Innocent Railway Path has not been a railway for many years, but it was one very early, 1826, nicknamed “The Innocent Railway” because it was originally horse-drawn in an age which thought steam engines dangerous! More info here for those interested. It is now a cycle route and walkers path running hidden below Arthur’s Seat.

Photos from a ride early this morning:

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Leaving Boston

The boats from the island were cancelled on Monday when the wind and rain came in, so I thought I was in for a rough journey when I left on Tuesday. But the weather cleared again and I got away on the first boat, then got a ride to the train-station (thanks Bruce and Adonis), caught the earlier train, so was in Boston by lunchtime. With a suitcase to carry around – so I took myself to Silverline Way and the South shoreline which is a part I do not know. Trundled the case around in a cold wind, there are a lot of new buildings, Bank of America, and World Trade etc. and lots of restaurants full of lunchers. Nice quiet time, took a few photos, then off to Logan Airport. Quite a relaxing way to spend part of a journey. Click for bigger pictures.

Bank of America dome in the background, from Liberty Wharf

The red boat is called the IRON LADY – can you read it?

Seagull with no fear or interest in nearby person. This is Liberty Wharf, posh restaurant behind me.

The photos are all from Liberty Wharf. Like all waterfronts nowadays it has several restaurants, wooden decking, clean walkways, nearly clean water, and lots of historic photo stands telling the story of the working life held in the memory of this place. (Bristol, Belfast, Leith, Plymouth, London, New York, Shanghai, Wellington, to name those I have seen in the last four years!!!)

Weekly photo challenge: The Sun

Sun: Sun through shade, Sun through tree, Sun at my back.

The sun… I was so determined to get the photo of the sun I always think of … diffraction, sparks and shards of light, squinted at through eyelashes or leaves… I spent about an hour outside totally failing. Then when I came back in, this is what I saw from the book room, through the window shade. I like it.

The sun, through the book-room window shade

I like this one too.

There is some nice physics in this - where the white light comes through the green leaves to produce a complementary red circle.. I think.. if I remember that stuff..

 

and this one was fun

Sun on my back

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Down day

Today I am having a down day. About time – I have been active since getting up early to catch the plane last Wednesday. Just let the photos say it, and no serious thought today. Friends and family, enjoy looking.

"Can I jump here?" Low tide off Old Harbor breakwater into the bay

This was Monday – the weather is very warm for April, the water is c….o.o.o.l.d…

They jumped anyway... and then did it again....R and friends C and M.

 

The boat had been sunk in Fresh Pond for several years. They got it up and out at the weekend, and are now cleaning and patching. Launch party is to be next weekend.

Hard at work

More hard work, more help.

Just a few days

I have been here, on Block Island, only a few days. But they have been filled with family and grandchildren and welcome from friends I have not seen since last year. Tonight, Sunday is the first night we have eaten at home, as the invitations are flying in, and we have had T and M here to say Hi. Though of course my family here and all the Block Islanders are always in and out of each others’ homes, so it is not all just because I have come back. That is the word I am hearing, hey you’re back, I feel I am made welcome and thanks to all. And the place is just one of the most beautiful corners of the world.

Setting off from Point Judith. This place where the ferry leaves is also called Galilee. Whatever its name, on Thursday it was calm and beautiful although there are rainclouds gathering.

Leaving Point Judith, Narragansett, on the Block island Ferry

Guys on the ferry working to get us all across to BI

Block Island on the horizon, what a glorious sea and sky.

Wood stack on the BI dockside

Old Harbor beach footprints

At Old Harbor beach, the winter storms sunk a boat, its skeleton is traced by the sand and seaweed under the water

Out walking on Saturday, Clayhead in the distance

Saturday, Lisa and Socha on the Harbor breakwater

Saturday night, preparing for the Poetry Project “Wild Rumpus”. Lisa untangling the fairy lights, Cindy [says she is used to hanging] sorting out the wall hanger.

BI drummers getting ready

Drumming nearly ready to start

Just a tree outside the family door? There is a cardinal on a branch. Click to full size and look. Now I know I am here.

Pussy willow in the trees around the house here

This one is behind the house, but this whole island is daffodil heaven at this time of year.

Late Sunday evening, more spring branches and sky, wherever I look

The BI bike – this is my transport and freedom – ready to go

Yesterday, Saturday I had two places to go, so I went to both, first to family friends and joined their party, then later in the evening it was the Block Island Poetry Project Saturday evening “Wild Rumpus” a celebration of the Poetry Arts and Dance which we have been ‘workshopping’ since Thursday evening. The Block Island drummers – I took video see the youtube  – I danced – not quite till dawn but at least 2 hours and thought I would suffer for this next day. But no, today I woke without a single ache or pain. There is a message of some kind here, we have been involved in NIA dancing and Yoga and both these body attuned practices and  good company is good for me – or anyone.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Two Subjects

This theme from WordPress will make me think about composition – I think I have got on to a big learning curve with photography since joining in the weekly photo challenge. I hope this one works for you – I confess it was accidental – Do you think I wanted to record the water, or the swan?

Union Canal, Edinburgh
Sun sinking low on a February evening

I just love it when this happens, I take a picture as best I can, I am using an iphone, but can hardly see the screen for the light reflections. Then I get home. have a look at what I got, and WOW I just feel I have been given a huge unexpected gift.

But this week I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else posts.

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Friday 13th

Friday 13th – Sidey noticed the date this weekend, so gave it to us for the theme. Now it so happened that I traveled from my home in UK to my other home in USA earlier in the week. As I am visiting Block Island Poetry Project I thought I would write a poem about a particular event which did take place on this Friday 13th . [There is more poetry on the other blog.]

In my mind I have a picture of myself

My bounds in bounded body

Overlaid with other selves

So many

Each borrowing this body for their elaboration.

Arms legs muscles wind in my face

feel present full

laughing quiet sounds

Sounds gurgle, the smile happens

lips lifting lift the heart

suddenly shocked by the passion the laughter brought.

A thought. Who you? Emerges here

Recently traveled across the wide blue sky

I got my bicycle out from the garage

Dusted it off, happily rode

All the way down High Street

Not on the right side.

Block Island Ferry about to leave for Point Judith

Old Harbor breakwater

Boston in Spring

Today I am in Boston on the way to Block Island to visit my granddaughters. It is springtime and the blossoms are out. Photos from Appleton Street beside the Berkeley Residence Hotel, very two-star but adequate, quiet and near the Amtrak at Back Bay. Not too much lugging cases involved.

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I do feel lucky to have such an accidental roving life. I didn’t have to become a war correspondent or a live on the hoof travel writer to get the chance to experience so many different parts of the world.

Now I am thinking most of the world’s people are not anything like lucky, though I suppose some of it is an attitude of mind, some of it is definitely not. There is such a thing as a hard life [poem here]. I have seen it first hand at home and also I have recently been involved with a charity, FROK, which stands for Friends of Kwendo Kor, KK . That stands for “Sisters Home” in pashto, the language of NW Pakistan. Hear about them here.

Human Rights, Women’s Rights, Children’s Rights have to be fought for. KK is there making change in Pakistan, one of the most impoverished regions in the world. Look them up, but beware, doing so might need a health warning as it knocks you right out of your comfort zone. Rights, like to vote, to worship or not as one wishes, to be safe from heedless or needless harm, were fought for in the countries called First World, and that not so very long ago. They are not well established anywhere. For instance, it comes to light that the UK has been involved in extraordinary rendition very recently. What on earth is ‘extraordinary rendition’ why use words like that? It means taking away people’s rights to justice, open and seen to be done, it harms our rights too, not just the unfortunates who are rendered. [if that is the passive of the act].

The question I have great trouble with: How do I fight?

It was all a dream

It was all a dream – the end sentence of some fiction especially the sort that I used to write at school – how long ago is that? The weird and wonderful wander in imagination, get away with it! I am making it the first sentence because it is what I thought when I read Sidey’s weekend theme this week. Following Kate’s great maze post, Sidey said:

We reached the centre of the maze… “this is the centre, you now have two choices”… I noticed an odd shape in the ground…a brass ring….a wooden trapdoor… “do you suppose this is the second choice?”…Now finish the tale…….

Endless doors

The Trapdoors in My Mind… open in the night … it is all a dream…

What comfort is that? Did I really really really have those images hidden in the depths? [Wish I had had any as beautiful as this Jock Cooper, thanks] Well yes, it isn’t anyone else’s mind is it?

The worst one is also the best one, my alternative life, and if you think I will put this on a public blog, think again. My trapdoor. I never know when I will be there but oh I recognize it when I am, I have been here before … and then I am out of it again

Did I choose to wake up? Not my first choice.

The next best is … coming tonight … dream on … am I weird and wonderful to like all these old friends in the maze of my mind?

More Jock Cooper:

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Journey

Well – someone had to do this interpretation – isn’t this how they all start?

Life, supermarket, plane, train… take the first step outside your door… leave the comfort zone…

Where to?

Then I remembered – in my house you have to unlock the door first and that made me think about how many points might mark a start to ‘the journey’.

Opening the door - see how old this place is?

Opening the actual door is easy (though this door is so old the keys keep sticking and new locks are metric so buying a new one is not just a go-to-the-shop-and-get-one-job.

How you open yourself depends on the kind of journey you have in mind.

I look forward to what others post – journey’s end as well as beginning, and a whole lot of in-between.