The last leg seemed impossible to divide - but Gordon saw a way and now - if I feel it's way too much, then there's opportunity for mercy and hopefully to still complete the route. I praise God for my husband!
Okay so this looks a bit scary - especially as we had virtually 16 days in a row of midge-plague last year in the North West of Scotland - car-camping. Some places bring back the fear to us such as when we slept high up next to a forest overlooking a loch and a mountain peaks, soon before going in at Skye.
Skye itself was pretty horrendous - especially on the West and North Coast. Well we never slept over on the East Coast so that doesn't count. On the Isle of Mull we drove at dusk with a continual cloud of them escourting us along and one beach in particular at the South of Mul saw us grabbing our half-eaten sunset picnic and ran for the protection of our car!
Pleasant surprise to see Loch Lomond pretty midge-calm. We'll be appreciating any breeze blowing them away!
Yesterday I walked from the shop and then down to Cramond and back - just over 5 miles. Had to nurse my feet twice, but feeling more confident about the breaking in of the boots. Maybe I can use the first easier leg as further boot break-in opportunities. Overdoing it will be totally counter-productive.
So we have set the google map finder for Gregs in Milngavie - for the start of the WHW - with a chicken pie.
By the way.....Milngavie is pronounced Mullguy. So now we know that will spare the very polite local of hiding their amusement!
I've packed and repacked the blue rucksack several times.
The weather is terrible tomorrow so we have not got away - everybody thinks we have already left.
Car-camping makes anyone look harder at the weather.
At the same time we are planning to switch off from the Scottish weather - unless really extreme weather is expected on exposed riches with no shelter for miles and miles.
Our route is down to the boggy corner, the fast flowing burns, hawthorn hedges, drywalls, military roads, steep paths and long downhill slogs. We've seen when an alternate route is cheating and when you should blush till behind your walking socks if you take a short cut or a bus.
We have only told our children for 2 reasons: 1) takes the pressure off us 2) don't want anyone to worry.
Reading matter: we don't care how prudish this sounds but this makes both of us really happy, happy: Don Carson's commentary on John and sharing with one another. And a small Bible reading Acts. I've read the first few verses of chapter 1: imagine how thrilled the disciples were that Jesus was alive (for evermore) well and happy, not dreading the cross and facing to be killed. He spoke to them about the kingdom - they asked questions and still misunderstood. Jesus eats with them and commands them to wait a few days and they will be baptised with the Holy Spirit - according to all He told them about the Holy Spirit. Everything oral then. Even us who have the gift of the printed page will not all be able to recall what Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit.
