Back on the Left Hand Side of the Road

I have been back in Caithness for nearly a week now. The first few days were like sleepwalking. Gradually I picked up pieces of my left-side of the road life and shrugged off the jet lag. After two days I decided it was time to drive again both to get my brain back into left-side thinking and to enjoy the country that I love.

Fortunately we had a sunny day and an excuse to go out into the countryside. I soon discovered that positional-cues helped me remember where to drive, and the how followed with the where. I was glad to discover that my sheep-avoiding behaviors were still well in place and I am sure the ewes seeking a bit of fresh green grass would have been grateful, too, if they had that sort of a brain.

I met with my knitting pals around a friend's kitchen table and stitched myself back into the conversation. It was remarkably easy to pick up the threads. And today I went down to the sea with a new friend and her dog. There is nothing the equal of a dog for the sheer joy of being in the world. Cats are marvelous for inquisitiveness and comfort and resourcefulness, but a dog bounding along with a stick in his mouth epitomizes glee.

Hugo chased sea birds and played fetch with large strands of sea weed and managed to find a dead rabbit, a dead fish, and a large sea bird--also dead. He found pleasure in these treasures, too. Admirable, at least from a safe distance.