August 6 to Aug 12 Edinburgh, Scotland.

Flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh Tuesday evening was great. Had a terrible time trying to use my new travelling phone on a bus that jounced all over the place. I couldn't make a connection and the bloody phone kept putting me back to square one so I had to start all over with tiny letters on a tiny phone ( shit!).  I took a taxi and found that, although I didn't  know it, it , the bloody phone, had rung and Hilary , who,  knowing it was me, drove to meet me. We passed somewhere. I rang the bell and Ian, her husband,  greeted me with a whiskey. They left early in the morning for Ian's Uncle's funeral in Southampton. We had porridge together at breakfast ;  I  fixed a chair, a carving and am working on a lawnmower. Lazy day, reading and putzing. Have to take the dog ut for a walk. He's a black lab named Czerny, which I believe is Czech for black.

 On Thursday night. Aug 8,  we, Hilary, Ian, and I went to see an excellent play " The Shawshank Redemption" an adaption from Stephen King's  novel. Great characters, scenery, lighting. Started at 5 pm and ran until 7:15. My bottom was telling me it was long, but my brain was involved. An impressive study of life in a brutal prison with a warden who acts as a  GOD and treats everyone, guards and prisioners, as his personal slaves. Afterwards we had superb lemon sole with samphire, a delicious seaweed sort of green spagehetti in a tiny French restaurant and then walked home from the center of the City. It was clear, soft sunshine and because we are far north, light until about 10:30 pm. The city IS heaving, streets clogged with people and entertainers, reminds me of Fasnacht, wide streets blocked and only for pedestrians, buskers everywhere, people handing out leaflets enjoining spectators to come to their event. I'm dog and cat sitting for the next week , as H & Ian are going away. It's great as it saves them boarding fees and they are glad to have someone looking after their place. Meanwhile, and around my dog and cat  responsibilities, I can discover Edinburgh.
   

Friday I experienced an hour of Japanese drumming today, by an English group called Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers who were mesmerizing. "Thundering rhythms on huge taiko drums, choreographed muscular synchronization timed to perfection".. My legs were tired from tapping. Some of the drums were as big as a closet, actually bigger, a dumpster.

I discovered my ancestor, Robert  Bryson has a building named after him at a college, now a University that he helped  found in 1830 something. I'm going to visit on Monday expecting red carpet treatment, tanatrala tantrala!!

I joined Ian for a Chinese dinner with a few of his friends, one a referee for the rugby league and a bit of a poker player, another who played the English version of"Who wants to be a Millionaire" and won 125,000 pounds. Hard drinkers, nice guys, good food.

Due to my close association with Czerny and "poop" , I've devised a device to catch turds when he craps on the street; a stiff coat hanger, bent and sprung to hold a common , small grocery plastic bag, open. When the dog begins to squat, you slip the open bag under his tail and, voila, turds drop into the bag. No fuss, no mess but , sometimes the dog moves away !! and so you still need to roll them into the bag.   Maybe my next million ?

Sunday I climbed Arthur's Seat a dramatic mountain just out the window of my ancient forbearer's place, on a glorious sunny, breezy day. Stunning views of Edinburgh and over to the west, the Firth of Forth; sailboats heeling, seagulls screaming and in the foreground, swaying, long green and tan grasses, interspersed with fireweed. Magic and right in the middle of the city! Hilary returned from an overnight at St Andrews and with Ian's help produced my first ( for this trip ) Steak and Kidney pie. As tasty as I remember washed down with a beer brewed at Herriot-Watt University called "Darwin" made by Two Scots, a Canuck and a guy from New Jersey. How about them apples?

Today, Hilary and Ian went to London for the week.  I didn't go to Herriot-Watt; instead I walked downtown again, about 2 miles, stopped at the Library of Scotland and was given precise information how I should proceed to discover my Edinburgh ancestors; go to the Scottish Peoples Museum. I  walked down the Royal mile to The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Hollyrood and saw that a special show about Leonardo : Mechanics of Man was on offer. 500 years ago he dissected people and drew almost as good, and in some cases better than those illustrated today, by X-rays, MRIs and CT scans. An interactive APP called Leonardo da Vinci Anatomy, with 250 drawings is on offer.

I then realized I was very near the graveyard of Robert Bryson: " The New Carlton Graveyard", actually about 200 yards from Hollyrood on the side of the hill rising to Princess Street. After a 1/2 hour search I found it, facing south, cleanly carved in pink marble. Two plaques on either side of the main one to Robert Bryson, "Clockmaker in Edinburgh for 50 years". Ironically the descendants who died later and had their names carved in the sandstone support have not faired as well; their names are fading. I'll go back and scratch them legible.  Marble is best for posterity. I took lots of photographs and will get to Scottish People's Museum and Herrioit-Watt maybe tomorrow?

 Czerny and I continue our experiment.  I'm getting quicker at noticing the moment and deftly place the "bagger" between his hind legs.  So far, so good. Gets a little awkward juggling the dog pulling on the lead, a full, hot bag, house keys and trying to open the door. Life is tough in the tropics !  All love and best wishes, Dad, Dadadski, Nick

A day in Hawai'i, the Big Island, January 6, 2013

Yesterday we drove south to Hilo from the west Kona coast and then north towards Wiamea to connect with the saddle road between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the 2 big volcanoes on the island. Hank, Marla, Niah, Heather and I piled into the rented Honda 7 seater with the idea we'd stay overnight with old friends from Alaska, living on the Hilo side.

The saddle road climbs to 6600 feet passing through a military area where there is a toilet.  The wind was blowing 50 mph. Note hair standing 90 degrees to H, M&N and driving away from the area, a fine dust filled the air and swirled down the highway like brown snow. 

At the top it's a moonscape which, going down the other side, changes to fringes of green grass and small hardy trees; then to ferns and forest and finally to full blown jungle, elephant ear leaves clinging to vines weaving around mango trees, milo, banyan;  from dust and wind to torrential rain; windshield wipers, full on. 

About an hour and a half into the drive we came into downtown Hilo, a ramshackle place of corrugated roofs , peeling paint in pastel colors. Great atmosphere.

We met our friends in an extraordinary Mexican restaurant. All  8 of us ate delicious meals for less than $70.! The Hilo farmer's market was just across the street including many stalls offering artist's handwork. Heather and Marla got stuck, for about 1/2 hour,  on a guy who happened to be a graphic artist and poet, selling soap. His work took a decidedly pornographic tilt. "Filthy Farmgirl" was his banner and naturally" Filthy" superseded the name of each of his many soaps. ( Bitch, Cock, Teacher, Ass etc..) He looked like Mark Twain in his straw hat and goat tee. The descriptions of each soap on the wrapper were very funny. He said, some people smelled the soap, others just bought it for the poetry (?)

It rained, heavily during the 2 hours we were in Hilo: twice while we were sheltered under tents in the market, once while in a Co-op Art Gallery, and once while in a Ukulele store. Between squalls, the sun blazed ;  Hilo weather, wait a few minutes and the weather's different.

Our AK friends, Tim, Cashell and Cassin their  4 year old son, made a delicious Northern California steak dinner. Afterwards, Cashell stayed home with the kids, while the rest of us drove the 30 miles to the rim of the volcano crater to watch it glow red - pink - red, casting color onto the night clouds above. It was cold, perhaps mid 50ies in 30 mile winds which the ranger said probably gave us the best view possible because the winds cleared out the hovering smoke. Above, the milky-way blazed between passing overcast. 

During the night it rained like 100 skeletons dancing on a tin roof. Nice to be cozy in a warm bed while outside was awash. Once it stopped the night chorus of tree frogs resumed, no volume control but lovely.

Today we awoke early to coffee,  buck wheat waffel cakes , peanut or cashew butter and Cashell's home-made jam. Minutes after eating we headed out in 2 cars to one of the most extraordinary beaches I've visited perhaps 20 miles from their house. Down a narrow road lined with a cathedral of towering trees where we had to yield to oncoming traffic because of the narrow parts.  Gnarled trees framed the ocean. 


12 to 16 foot waves curled offshore and broke into foam and rushing water to the delight of surfers and boogie boarders who caught them at great speed and ditched just before they ( the waves) smashed onto volcanic rocks. The air was a fine mist and smelled of the sea, fish, seaweed, wet stones, jungle;  exhilarating and archetypically Hawaiian. The ocean dragged stones back into the sea with a most satisfying rumble.

I wandered into the jungle and discovered a 20 foot diameter, hot pool with one guy, stretched out floating on his back , a Cheshire cat smile on his face. Niah put her feet in and said " OOOH , I want to go in." As you see, the pool filled quickly with family and friends.

Lunch was at a 20 acre Farmers market:  Thai chicken with hot peanut sauce, Mexican tacos and burritos, French crepes, Hawaiian BBQ Huli chicken, Greek something or other and more on offer, chased with Coconut milk and exotic popsicles. Many of the same sellers from the previous day in Hilo were present but now we knew their wares; 3 more T shirts, some books, tiger eye stone. I had a great conversation with an old guy who was a certified Tahitian drum maker carving  3 foot long , 3 to 6 " diameter Milo wood. It is a warm, pinkish wood which cuts cleanly without breaking or splitting. A favorite wood of carvers in NZ as well. He was probably my age, no teeth, but happy to be making these remarkable instruments. I  drummed, beat 'em up one side and down the other. Would have bought one but they weighed a ton.

We left Tim, Cashell and Cassin in the parking lot in another downpour and returned via the west coast through Wiamea stopping at Asaka Falls, a 400 foot high cascade up a twisty mountain road. Sadly... it was raining, ( surprise!), so we didn't hike the 45 minutes to the plunge pool. A brief stop at the Parker Ranch Mall for a pee and ice cream and then back over the Mamalahoe Highway in fading sunlight to Kailua-Kona where we began 36 hours ago. Trudy and Larry had prepared a supper of Alaskan boar chops, sweet potatoes and salad. Another super Hawaiian day.!