Autumn is officially here – the rain and high winds hit yesterday. This is the reality of island living.
A month ago I booked a flight to Edinburgh, bragging that I could leave my house at ten to eight, catch the 8:35am flight to Edinburgh, and be on board my cruise ship in Rosyth by noon. I wouldn’t dare to try that in any season except summer. Next October I am on a cruise in the eastern Mediterranean, and I will have to arrange my travel such that I will spend at least two nights en route in hotels: one just getting there, and one as a buffer against possible ferry/flight cancellations due to weather. The upside? At least Scout and I both revel in rainy windy days. Last month a friend and I took Scout for a walk. Lorraine is from Aberdeen, so no stranger to Scottish weather. We were halfway ’round the Peedie Sea on a wet and windy walk, when Lorraine started to rail against the weather, and how wet, grey, and miserable Orkney can be. I began to agree with her out of habit, when I realized, I didn’t feel the same way. I actually quite liked bundling up in a waterproof jacket and hood and feeling the stiff breeze against my face. Clearly why I opted for Orkney and not Madeira.
Having said all of that, I cannot begin to imagine what people in Newfoundland and the Maritimes are going through, post-Fiona. They desperately need our help – you can donate via the Red Cross here.