Fowk aften spier at me gin I miss Scotland. "Nae a bit o’t!"I’ll tell them. Syne they gie me "the look." Fit wye is’t that ye can ca’ yersel’ "Oor Margit" an’ nae miss Scotland? I’ll tell ye fit wye it is.. . I’ve taen Scotland wi’ me!
Files, I micht hae as weel be in the Catbow yet. I pit oot my washin’ first thing every morning, an’ hope for a gweed drocht. I even got a story oot o’ pittin’ oot my washin’. We were gan’ tae move tae Washington, DC, and were looking at hooses. I spiered at the Estate Agent wifie far tae hing oot my washin’, and she telt me it wasna alloo’ed! Fa’ iver heard the like o’ that? So we didna ging tae Washington aifter a’. We’re livin’ in chinged days tho’, fae fin fowk left Scotland and couldna’ get back as easily as we can nooadays. Fa mins on the photies in the auld Buckie Papers o’ faimilies at the Station, sayin’ cheerio tae a quine or loon that wis awa’ tae Canada or New Zealand? That wis the time fan there wis nae sadder soon’ than that o’ a lone piper on the quay playin’ "Will Ye No Come Back again?" as a Cunard liner steamed doon the Clyde tae cross the Atlantic. The Aul’ Scots sangs were a’ aboot longing tae be back hame at yer ain fireside. Even "Scotland the Brave" has us singin’ aboot "yearnin’ for the kiss o’ sweet Scottish rain." A’ I kin mine is hale water. I mind fin Granda Carrit wid aye buy a “fleein’ paper" fin he gied up the toon for his pension. That wis fit he ca’d the air-mail letter he wrote tae Uncle Bill every week. That wis the only wye they cwid keep in touch. Bit thanks tae the telephone, the Internet, email, and affoordable air fares, we really are "nae awa’ tae bide awa"’ ony mair. I hae "Instant Messaging" and cyber-yarn tae ma freens in Scotland in "real time." Oor fingers "clip cloots," raither than oor tongues, fin we git gan’.
An’ dinna forget a’ the Scats that bide here, in California, an’ a’ the Highland Games an’ concerts tae ging tae. Jist last month, Richard and I gied tae see the group fae Aiberdeen, "Old Blind Dogs" fin they were playin’ in Berkeley. We had a wee yarn wi’ them during the interval, an’ I spiered for a request. They sang "Tatties an’ Herrin" for me.
Syne there’s a’ the websites. I’ve already mentioned the "Friends Reunited" site far I see a curn familiar names fae Buckie High. http://www.fiiendsreunited.co.uk/ There’s a’ kin’ o’ websites aboot Scotland, and ye kin book yer holidays in Buckie online.
Fin we were in Buckie last eer we gied tae Loch Garten tae see the Ospreys’ nest. The ospreys were sittin’ on the eggs then. A webcam wis trained on the nest, and fin I got back tae California, I wis able to watch the nest ilka day till the wee chicks hatched an’ eventually fledged. Some nichts, afore bedtime, I tak a lookie at the webcams set up in Edinburgh, and see the sun comin’ up ower the Royal Mile. Richt Bonnie.
Noo, I’ve feenished this bittie an wi’ ae moose click, it’s awa’ tae the Newsletter.
Oor Margit
Click to return to Margaret's page