Today Arran disappeared from view (turns out there is such a thing as Scotch Mist after all!), the winds blew and a fine but penetrating rain fell, and it was still lovely to be here – especially since, being on the west coast, it still felt quite mild. The sea was choppier than it’s been all week, but that didn’t stop the ferry from bringing visitors over, and by late afternoon, when there were even fairly sizeable waves to be seen, Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, founder of the Holy Isle Project, himself made the trip over.
It’s been beautifully quiet here over the past couple of days, and Marian and I head off tomorrow morning just before it gets busy again as people flock over for Lama Yeshe’s meditation course. We’ve had great laughs here and, without having to sit down and purposely think about things, it’s also been the perfect place to gather thoughts together and clarify plans about the future.
My gorgeous photographer, known around these parts as Maid Marian, has, amid her daily duties slaving away in the kitchen, found the time and inclination to provide the great photos that have accompanied my daily musings. This morning I borrowed her iPhone in order to turn the tables – or rather the lens – and get at least one pic of her in the blog. So here she is in a particularly glamorous pose in the kitchen, avec pinny and mug :)
It’s been beautifully quiet here over the past couple of days, and Marian and I head off tomorrow morning just before it gets busy again as people flock over for Lama Yeshe’s meditation course. We’ve had great laughs here and, without having to sit down and purposely think about things, it’s also been the perfect place to gather thoughts together and clarify plans about the future.
My gorgeous photographer, known around these parts as Maid Marian, has, amid her daily duties slaving away in the kitchen, found the time and inclination to provide the great photos that have accompanied my daily musings. This morning I borrowed her iPhone in order to turn the tables – or rather the lens – and get at least one pic of her in the blog. So here she is in a particularly glamorous pose in the kitchen, avec pinny and mug :)
On this tiny island there’s not much to do during any spare time other than stroll among the Soay sheep, the wild horses and the Scottish midges or, more adventurously, go ‘over the top’ (avoiding the crevasses along the way, of course – thank god I didn’t even know they existed when we did that walk – sometimes ignorance is indeed bliss). But somehow the days have rushed by and I haven’t felt bored for one second. I did bring some editing work with me, but I was very disciplined in getting a certain number if pages done every day so that I could spend the maximum possible amount of time here doing those other nebulous things that have left me feeling so glad I came here.
I’ve loved getting to know the people I’ve met during my stay here, whether they’ve been full-time volunteers, guests or course participants. Saying goodbye is all part of the experience here, but there’s always the feeling that paths will cross again as many of those who come here end up coming back repeatedly.
I now possess a singing bowl that creates the most amazing vibrating resonance, though the actual note that it rings with is still a bit of a mystery to me. I can’t seem to match it on my guitar, and I like to think that’s because it’s a mysterious note all of its own. Admittedly I could be getting fanciful here, and it may simply be that my hearing isn’t discerning enough to pick up the exact pitch. We did go through the entire stock of singing bowls, though, until I found this particular one – the only one – that I could make ring. So whether in reality it’s unique or not, it does feel special to me. So there. :)
I’ve loved getting to know the people I’ve met during my stay here, whether they’ve been full-time volunteers, guests or course participants. Saying goodbye is all part of the experience here, but there’s always the feeling that paths will cross again as many of those who come here end up coming back repeatedly.
I now possess a singing bowl that creates the most amazing vibrating resonance, though the actual note that it rings with is still a bit of a mystery to me. I can’t seem to match it on my guitar, and I like to think that’s because it’s a mysterious note all of its own. Admittedly I could be getting fanciful here, and it may simply be that my hearing isn’t discerning enough to pick up the exact pitch. We did go through the entire stock of singing bowls, though, until I found this particular one – the only one – that I could make ring. So whether in reality it’s unique or not, it does feel special to me. So there. :)
Time to reflect
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