Memories....

Today at work I'm entering journal entries which means that my mind can wander while I do countless data entry. And here is where my mind has wandered. Apparently, I need a vacation...

First was the tiny, narrow gauge rail from Bwetsy-coed to the end of the tiny, narrow gauge rail line in Wales. Our group of 5 were the only ones on the train because it was just going to the end of the line, waiting there for 20 minutes and coming right back before it took us on to our real destination. But this little jaunt was extremely beautiful and showed us some very unique scenery. There are apparently whole HILLS OF SLATE!! Which is why every house within a 100 mile radius is slate stack. And it looks like some giant dump truck just dumped the slate all higgledy-piggledy. Very weird. But it was so peaceful with just the 5 of us, on a rocking train, with dappled sunlight, and my cousin playing his little flute/whistle. Wonderful nap opportunity. Which I took advantage of.

The next flash of a memory was when I was like 10 or 12 and we spent a family vacation in Yellowstone National Park. All 4 of us in the old Suburban with the let down tail-gate that was perfect for, well, tail-gating. We had the huge blue ice chest full of stuff. We had stopped beside the Snake river where lots of folks were fishing off a bridge. We fixed our lunch there and found...the grapes. We'd been traveling for well over a week, occasionally buying groceries to refill the ice chest. Mom had stored the grapes in a clearish tupperware thing to prevent them getting crushed. But they had been sitting in the sun (not a big deal, they didn't need to be cold) and had FERMENTED ON THE STEM! My teetotaling family found this to be especially funny and elicit. We have alcoholic grapes - NEAR THE KIDS!! They might be corrupted!

The next flash memory was of the cove of the lake below my parent's house. We've started swimming here more often because my husband who is magnetically drawn to bodies of water. The lake is just RIGHT THERE! Why are we not neck deep in cool water again. So down we all troop. This flash of a memory was oddly from the far bank toward the muddy top of the cove. But it was still relaxing to think of being neck deep in lake water.

Now, we're on the street in Edinburgh shopping for some pretty pendant pins for me that don't cost the moon. A medium amount of foot traffic on the Royal Mile, with lots of guys in what are called sport kilts. These are made out of canvas or broadcloth and have some pockets built in. They're the kilt equivalent of kaki's for men. Dark socks and sneakers with regular T-shirts. I can smell the air of the city. Definitely not unpleasant, but a lot of cities have a distinctive smell.

And now we're in Armagh, Northern Ireland. We've just driven for quite a while through the medieval city in our tiny car, on the wrong side of the impossibly narrow streets and actually managed to find our youth hostile with the GPS and dumb luck. The main thoroughfare of the city, I swear, is 12 feet wide and they consider that a two way street with sidewalks. And it's not like there's a ditch for leeway. It's 12 feet wide because there are very tall stone buildings on the edges. Anyway, we got to the hostile and sat in the parking lot for a minute, just breathing and marveling that we had found the place. Hubby says, "how about we tour this whole city on foot and not move the car again?" "Deal!"

So that's where my mind has been so far this morning. It's kind of nice!