BIG APPLE

7/30/15 Thursday

We made it to NYC, the Big Apple, late, late, late on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, arriving into the airport (JFK) at midnight and getting to our Hotel Edison, smack dab in the heart of Times Square, well after 1:00 AM.  What a trip!  There was a bit of a mix up with the reservation, but we managed to crash by about 1:45.  The kids were troopers, even though Will has a bit of a cold.  He took a pull out sofa bed, and I slept between Sarah and Aubrey in a king bed.  Didn't have great rest but it was okay.  Wow, what a day.  Jet Blue was delayed due to mechanical difficulties, and we owe it to a young flight attendant named Lauren, who did double duty and made it so we could fly.  A late night but we made it safe.  We enjoyed a lazy supper at the Chili's restaurant in the Jax airport.  Not bad.  Had some delicious shrimp and pulled pork tacos.  Surprisingly good.

Right now, I'm enjoying a cup of good coffee at a Starbucks in Times Square.  This place is noisy and busy--there must be 300 people buzzing in and out.  The bright lights of the monitors are just outside, and Hotel Edison where we are staying is so convenient.  Way to go Sarah!  After our rather short night, we got up and got cleaned up.  The shower was great, especially on my aching shoulder.  We scored some free food vouchers from the hotel late, and so Will and I went next door to Danny's deli and got juice, yogurt, muffins, and fruit for breakfast.  It wasn't bad and probably saved us about $40!  We ate in the room and the Burton's came over to meet us just after 10 AM.  Wow, talk about a happy moment, we ran towards each other in the lobby and hugged grand hugs!  So fantastic to have us together for some fun.

We settled luggage and headed out for M&M world.  That was way fun, even thought it was a bit smaller than London's version.  It has 3 stories and candy of every color.  Will and Aubs each got a half pound, and we enjoyed all the NYC displays.  We went to the Hershey store across the street.  It was very small and crowded and had this sickly sweet smell of syrup.  We didn't stay long, kind of made the head spin. Imagine a heavy smell like Waffle House but instead of chocolate syrup.  Yuck.  We then wandered to Toys R Us, and had a blast looking at the indoor carosel.  There were giant dinosaurs, huge Lego displays, and employees playing with all kinds of flying and remote control toys.  It was like being a kid, and I joked with Scott that the Hot Wheels display contained a car  bigger than his Toyota Prius!  We then headed out for                                             food before our 2 pm show.

We tried finding the noodle house I remembered from 2005, but had no luck.  We opted for Carmine's Italian right off of Times Square, a few blocks away.  We sat at a large round table in the back, and we ate family style.  We drank lots of water--very smart--and shared a platter of Ceasar salad and angel hair pasta and meat balls the size of my head.  The waitress said each plate feeds 3 people, but 8 of us easily ate the food, and it was a gracious plenty.  So we made it through lunch for $10 a person.  What a deal!

With happy bellies and feeling cooled off and refreshed from the rest, we ventured to Wicked at the Gershwin theater.  It was a few blocks away and was a huge, wonderful old NYC playhouse.  So fantastic!  Our seats were almost center stage on the lower level about 30 rows back.  It was just perfect, and I sat by Will and really enjoyed the music, the sets, the story, everything.  I was a little sleepy in the theater due to the short night, the cool air, the dark, and all that but to say I enjoyed the show would be the understatement.  It was a great story to talk with our kids about how people stand behind various curtains in life--like the wizard--and how people treat one another.  Good stuff.

After the show, Jon from my Alta ski trips, met us and it was so good to see he.  He is a native of Brooklyn, and he is retired from Goldman Sachs.  He is so warm and friendly, a Jewish man of faith who has become a dear person to me.   He took us to a local place for some refreshing lemonade and a potty break, and then we headed out on the stuffy subway to go to the edge of the financial district so we could walk with him and his daughter Sarah across the Brooklyn bridge.  Wow, what a views of the city, the Statue of Liberty, and of the Freedom Tower.  The bridge is an architectural marvel, and to hear him talk about his love for his city, to hear his stories, were all gifts of grace.  It was hot, and it was a long walk, but it was so meaningful.  Our destination was an old pizza place (Grimaldi's, I think) that was pretty much under the bridge.  There was a line out the door, but we got our orders in and a guy wearing a fedora working the crowd, got us a seat upstairs and took our orders early.  We were hoping for beer, but they weren't serving any due to a loss of the liquor license--oye vay!--so we had sodas and a Peach Snapple drink, yum, and had some of the best pizza this side of Rome: fresh dough, crispy crust, and very fresh toppings.  It was all cooked in a coal oven.  To die for, especially when you have walked a lot.  Jon got one with peppers, capers, and extra basil.  I loved it!  Supper was a fair price: $60 for the family (splitting the bill) including tip, that's $120 or so for 9 people to eat!

We devoured the food, and then headed out to the dock just down the road from the pizza place and got ice cream at an old Brooklyn creamery.  It was really a fantastic local place.  The moon was starting to rise, and there were the sounds of acoustic music being played by some locals as they day winded down.  I got a hearty scoop of butter pecan, and it was so rich and creamy.  Aubs got double chocolate, Will got peach, and Sarah got coffee.  I had a bit of jealousy for Aubs' choice.  The chocolate was amazing.  We ate and then walked a few blocks to the subway and Jon took us to Rockafeller Center.

The train this go round had a/c--what a gift!  We bid Jon farewell around 8:45, and then we got our tickets that Scott scored for us for free from a member of the church he is serving--way to go, mate--for Top of the Rock.  

It is hard to put into words how cool this place was/is.  We went in a group up a super fast elevator that allows riders to see up through a clear ceiling as images are cast on the Plexiglas



from NBS studios.  Way cool.  It was like an amusement park ride or something.  We got out then made our way to the various viewing levels and got to look at a panorama of the city with a big full moon hanging over it from over 700 feet up!  It was awesome and made you feel so small.  NYC is absolutely HUGE.  Will noticed that due to all the lights, you couldn't see stars.  Bit of a bummer, but the skyline took one's breath away, totally the best way to end a long day.  We were all happy, and to make it even sweeter, Aubs wanted to hold my hand and cling to me a good bit.  Being up that high kind of makes you reach for loved ones in the best possible way.  

So we took a short walk back to the hotel Edison, got our new rooms, and crashed really hard.  My feet were pretty sore from all the walking, and it felt so good to wipe down my skin with peppermint soap on a hot rag and then to rub lotion on the feet.  Aubs wanted me to rub hers and that was such a soothing way to end the day.  This go round in our new room, we had 2 queen beds, and we enjoyed crashing around 11:30.  I woke up around 7, got showered.  The old back is a bit tight today.  I headed out for a good cup of coffee, and Starbucks always delivers.  

Today, we are hoping for a slower pace.  Maybe do some shopping in Chinatown?  Maybe catch little Italy?  Can't wait to see what the day brings.  Better go check on the family.

STRANGE IN-BETWEEN

Since we have been back in the states for the past week, I have felt this strange sense of in-between.  I love being back at home and am so thrilled to feel at home on the island and back in the land of humidity!  It truly feels good, but when we came back, we only had one night at home—hardly enough time to unpack at all—before we were with our friends pretty much nonstop as we made the most of our time with them before they had to go back to Perth.  It was so good to hang out, talk, process, debrief the exchange, and to listen to how God moved in so many ways.  We are all transformed by God’s grace in this exchange, and yet as we settle in back at home, we feel this heart-tug back to Scotland even as our heart strings are getting tugged here.

I read a lot of Rick Steves’ work before we left, and I watched many video clips of his online.  I loved this thought of his the moment I read it: “travel changes people. It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Many travelers toss aside their hometown blinders. Their prized souvenirs are the strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop. Travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry.” 

Travel indeed changes people, and it changed, shaped, and transformed us in some many amazing ways.  We have so many more vibrant colors in our yarn shop, and the Wesberry family tapestry (let’s call it a tartan, say a MacLeod or a Black Watch) is much more colorful thanks to the trip.  Overall I am really feeling thankful for all that happened even as I feel overwhelmed by the trip home, the rapidly growing “to-do” list, the many people wanting to talk or needing a decision, and the things that can no longer be ignored.   The people in our lives here in Fernandina have made us feel so very loved and missed. We really give thanks to God for that even as we feel like there are more than a couple yarns that haven’t been tightly knitted into the overall fabric of our lives back home just yet.

The feelings of in-between have taken my mind and soul back to some places in scripture that serve as metaphors for how life can be.  There’s the wilderness of the ancient Israelites where through travel, wondering, frustration, prayer, dialogue (with Moses and God), and even utter emotional collapse, God’s people learned to trust God more as they tried to keep their focus on the Promised Land.  There are the numerous places of exile that caused God’s people to lament and to dig deep into themselves for faith that did not seem possible.  Though I hardly feel like I am in a place of exile, now is the time that I find myself digging deeper inside.  There are places of rest and retreat captured in the wilderness and the mountain top moments for Jesus.  There are the roads that the disciples walked on together, the boats they found themselves in, and the temples where Jesus taught and where he and his friends got thrown out from time to time.  All of these places come to mind as I move from home to church, from the middle school to the nursing care facilities, from fun places such as the YMCA to the places of utter beauty and freedom (the beach and the pool).  God is there in each and every place, and what a joy that is. 

I guess I can sum it the feeling by saying that blessed is the state of being a bit in-between, of feeling a little of neither here nor there.  I know that it will pass and will, God willing, transition into something deeper and even more brilliant.  No need to rush or worry.  I’ve just got to keep plugging away and let it be.   

HEADING HOME

It is Tuesday, July 29th, time to head back to the states.  Wow, what an adventure.  We've been so busy that I haven't had the time to blog.  The weather has been unbelievable:  light winds, lots of sun, highs in the upper 70s.  We have enjoyed a most gorgeous Scottish summer.  In recent days we have spent time with new friends and have eaten in their homes and enjoyed their stories about life.  Craig and Donna Dobney, O how we thank God for putting you in our lives.  You even introduced us to a dish with blood pudding, and we all liked it!  They plan to come to the island and visit in November, the kind of thing that my pal in ministry, Scott Burton and I hoped would come as a result of the covenantal connection between the church he serves and the one I serve.

We have experienced the richness of Scottish history in the past week, and we really enjoyed our time visiting Bannockburn, the site where the Scots beat the British some 700 years ago, led by the mighty Robert the Bruce and his 10,000 fighters against the 20,000 English.  The memorial was stunning, and the tour of the new interactive center was really informative.  We got to do a high tech battle simulation, and the kids really enjoyed this. In our simulation, Aubrey was King Edward, and Will was Robert the Bruce, and lets just say that in their battle the Scots didn't fare so well!  Way to go AJ! You can only imagine the razzing Will received.

Amidst all of the touring and adventures, I had a funeral to do last week for a dear woman, Gina McRae.  It was at the crematorium and about 50 people came.  Gina's children, Lesle and Robby, were so wonderful to ask me to do the service.  They said her mother loved to travel to Canada and the states years ago, and she would have thoroughly enjoyed knowing that an American pastor did her funeral.  We gave her a very loving sendoff, and all went well.  Right after that, I had another death to deal with for a man named George Stuart, and the circumstances were vire unusual.  All his sons are out of the country, and he lived in a village outside of Perth.  We got all the arrangements made for a funeral on the Thursday after we leave.  Thank God for some back up pastors in the area who cover for one another. I have been so impressed by the many ways people look out for each other here both pastorally and just in general.  The man helping with George's arrangements was a social worker and an elder in another Church of Scotland kirk.  We had a great time getting to know each other.

Last Friday we enjoyed a family adventure to Pitlochery and to Aberfeldy where we got to tour the smalled distillery in Scotland: Edradour, and where we got to see one of Scotland's greatest independent bookstores.  Both places were amazing.  The distillery was like going back in time, and the people there had a passion for making small batches of some of the best whisky I've ever had.  The book store was housed in the building of an old mill and had all kinds of unique features that tied back to the days when they ground meal and made homemade breads of all kinds.  We could have stayed in this shop for days.  The old wooden rafters, hard wood floors, old machinery were just pleasant to enjoy as you walked through the buildings the floors creaked a little under foot.  There was a cafe on the bottom floor, and the smells of fresh coffees and teas were floating through the building.  A wonderful afternoon.

Later on Friday we made it to Andrew Bruce's ceilidh in celebration of his 18th birthday.  Andrew is a special young man and a new fast friend of Will's (and all of us, really).  He has downs, but he does not let that stop him from doing nearly anything!  He and his family live a few houses down from the manse, and we thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with him.  The party was a snapshot, I believe, of a heavenly banquet: people of all ages laughing, eating, and enjoying one another.  We did old Scottish dances (ex. gay gordon), and people of various abilities danced together.  There was Andrew's spirited choir who sang, but the real show stopper was Andrew's speech where he thanked everyone for coming and gave a special, loving thank you to "his beautiful mum."  Of course, Sarah cried buckets!

Saturday was an adventure to Glasgow for the Commonwealth games.  We left very early and got to Glasgow with time to spare.  The city was hopping, and the Rugby 7s were really thrilling. We watched 10 games and got to see New Zealand play which really delighted Sarah.  I enjoyed watching Wales and that took me back to 1995 when I watched them play in Swansea against England.  It was like the super bowl.  We watched Scotland almost beat New Zealand, and we even saw a guy propose to his girlfriend on the field in between one of the matches.  People got really into the games, and were so respectful.  The loved cheering for the underdog teams such as Uganda.  The whole stadium roared for them: "Uganda!  Uganda!"  Nothing could beat, though, the way they cheered for Scotland.  It was awesome, and we all joined in.  Even Aubrey was into it--yelling and jumping!  The fans were really wonderful as well, asking us where we were from and if we were enjoying Scotland.  They were great.  We were wiped out when we made it back home to Perth, but we were really, really happy.

Sunday was both happy and sad because it was our last day of worship and a time to say goodbye.  The people were so loving and gracious to us.  I preached on Exodus 17, and God making water come from the rock.  I spoke of how God will be with us wherever we are.  That afternoon we had lunch with a new friend of Aubrey's Georgina, and we ate with her family and spent time in their home.  Then we came home for a brief rest before enjoying a feast at Donna and Craig's.  It was tough saying goodbye to them, but we are looking forward to their visit to us in November.  Donna is a big Harry Potter fan and hopes to see Universal.

Monday was a time where I got to play golf at Gleneagles thanks to the generosity of a church member who works there.  It is the site of the 2014 Ryder cup and though I didn't play the course that the big boys will be playing on, I got to play the King's Course with Craig, and we had an amazing morning, slugging it out in the narrow fairways, knee high rough, and bunkers that are as deep as swimming pools.  Didn't score my best, but the views of mountains, the blue skies, the cool breeze, and the fact that I just got to spend a few hours on the course were all memories I will not soon forget.

Monday afternoon and evening was filled with packing and getting the house ready for the Burtons to come back.  We ran some errands to fill the car with gas, get some food at Tesco, and take the recycling one more time.  We washed clothes, packed, threw as much away as we could, but we had fun talking about the highlights of the trip over one last meal at Wetherspoons.  I had to get the fish and chips, and man were they yummy.  We crashed hard last night and are ready for the big day.  Eric Fraser--who is amazing--is taking us to the Glasgow airport for our flights, and we look forward to chatting with him. He and Bo have been the most gracious and generous people.  Thank God for them!

We head back today with many stories to tell about the goodness of the Scottish people, the love of God they have embodied for us, and the many, many things we have learned about their traditions, history, faith, and customs.  In a word....wow....we leave a landscape that is so picturesque and a country that is so drenched with history.  We leave new friends who we wish we could bring back to America and keep.  We bring back lots of pictures that each tell a story of how fortunate we have been to be here.  We bring back hearts overflowing with love and prayers of thanks to God for such wonderful gifts of grace to us.  Will, Aubrey, Sarah, and I have been so blessed by this exchange, and we eagerly await our time with the Burtons and with our old friends to talk about it.   Thank you, God, for your daily provisions of goodness and love, and thank you First Presbyterian Fernandina for helping make our dreams come true.

EXPERIENCING EDEN

The recent days for us have been trying to work through our family dream list for Scotland.  We enjoyed seeing a life shepherd in action, seen some amazing cities, villages, and hamlets (really small communities of people).  I have worked in the morning and stayed on top of worship and pastoral care responsibilities, and then during the middle part of the day we have ventured out to see what Scotland and God have in store for us.  Thursday, July 17^th, was a true dream come true in so many ways.  We got to experience St. Andrews and the wonder of Eden.

The city of St. Andrews itself is a kind of Eden.  It is lush with stunning views of old buildings, deep and rich history when it comes to academics, architecture, religion, politics, food, and Scottish culture.  It is both busy and bustling and quaint.  It is surprisingly modern and yet really, really ancient.  It feels like something from a movie on the one hand and then on the other it is real, non-fiction, and comes with the smell of the salty sea and views that one would think could only be manufactured by God’s wild imagination.  And yet, one can drive right into the middle of this amazing place, park a car, and wander around. 

 

I am a guy who really enjoys the sport of golf.  I like the game, the way it puts you in a battle with self and with nature.  In the states golf has become in many corners of the land a bit of elitist sport.  It is very, very expensive to play.  Joining a club is out of reach for so many people, and getting a chance to see—let alone play—some of the great courses in the states (Augusta, Pebble Beach, TPC, Pinehurst No. 2, etc.) is either impossible because one has to be invited by a member or impossible because it was way too expensive. 

St. Andrews is the birthplace of golf, and if you like golf even with the least bit of affection you will love St. Andrews.  As one who is pretty into the sport and has been accused of loving it more than Jesus at times (so not true by the way!), St. Andrews is like a holy grail, a city on a hill, a site so holy one wants to take off his shoes (rather than putting on golf shoes) before treading upon the grass as the ground is like that of Moses and the burning bush.  Golf is woven into the quilt of the community, and all of the courses of the city are open, public, and enjoyed by people who love the game and who could really care less about it. 

The Old Course sits as the grandfather of all the others, but the course’s children and grandchildren run just along side of it and create this stunning, expansive landscape that connects a visitor to the game, to sites of the ocean that are truly amazing, and to views of the town that take words out of one’s mouth.  I am sure I tripped over my bottom lip numerous times on Thursday.  The courses are all open for play, but on Sundays they are not because they are for the public to enjoy to walk around, to run their dogs, and to do things such as---not kidding here—dry the laundry on the bushes!  This, of course, doesn’t happen now, but long ago it did, and so they keep that provision as a possibility!  Even in the midst of golf rounds on the Old Course, it is possible to walk across various bridges and through paths to enjoy the scenery.  Many photo opportunities here.

One of our very friendly and welcoming new friends here in Scotland, Eric Fraser, set up the round at the Eden Course for us.  It was a sunny day with a light breeze.  While the boys played, Sarah, Aubrey, and Eric’s wife, Bo (someone who grew up in St. Andrews) went on some site seeing adventure that included the aquarium.  After we teed off, they went on their way.

Our round of golf was glorious, very challenging, and a whole lot of fun.  There were moments were I’d be standing over my shot thinking, “I cannot believe I am playing golf right now at St. Andrews!”  There were many, many times, especially on the front nine where all that separated our course from the Old Course was a little bit of rough and a very small (about 2 feet tall) stone wall.  I couldn’t tell much difference between what we were doing and what they were doing, although the Old Course was very crowded, and we had Eden pretty much all to our selves.  We never really felt rushed. 

I forgot to mention the value of playing Eden: 40 pounds for me, 20 for Will—compared to 165 pounds for each of us on the Old Course! 

We found Eden’s fairways to be pretty expansive along with the greens, but if you got an odd bounce or hit an errant shot—as I did right a few too many times—the rough had a way of humbling you.  Let’s just say there were more than a few shots where I was humbled.  The links course layout is quite unique.  I was prepared for the rolling hills and for the severe difference between the rough and the fairway, but what is hard to describe is how the wind blows and swirls.  One shot it is pushing your ball yards and yards further than you plan and on the next hole, it is like hitting into a brick wall.  The ball just stops, falling far short of where you intend for it to go.  We actually had a most forgiving and fair wind day. 

The traps were not so forgiving and if you got into a deep one, as I did near one of the greens, it can be quite challenging to get on to the putting surface.  The greens ran pretty fast and true.  Another feature of links style greens is that they are very firm because of all the wind, and you have to play shots such as the bump and run, where you hit a ball low with a good bit of over-spin and chase it up towards the flag.  Will is actually getting really good at those.  I chipped and putted pretty well at Eden which made up for some inconsistency off the tee.

I found it safest not to play the driver very much, so I relied on the fairway wood. Eden is not a terribly long course, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in demanding accuracy off the tee.  Again, if you hit it in the high rough about the best you can hope for is a bogey.  Will felt very challenged by the layout compared to the very forgiving North Inch course in Perth.  He had his moments of frustration, but he did a really good job shooting a pretty true 99 from the reds.  I came in around 88 and was pleased at that considering it was my first time out there and I pushed a good many shots.  Eric had a good day and was the ever helpful caddy for us and the most gracious host, telling us all kinds of interesting bits about the course and the town.

One more significant feature about golf in Scotland is that everybody—unless one has a significant medical reason—everybody walks.  Most people use trolleys (golf pull carts) to hold their clubs, and I opted to carry my bag since it is so light.  I like this tradition very much because it keeps golf more of a sport and exercise oriented activity.  I’d love to see more of this back at home. 

After our round, we joined up with the girls at the New Course club house and enjoyed lots of incredible views of the courses.  We ate some food around 3 PM and enjoyed catching up on the events of the day.  There were people in the clubhouse from all over the world, and the buzz in the room was one of joy and leisure.  Following our food, we enjoyed a round on the Himalayas (putt putt style course) just outside.  It only cost us a few pounds, and it was something that even Sarah and Aubrey could do.  It is an 18 hold hilly course designed way back in the 1800s by a Scottish women’s golfing club.  It is really family friendly and a whole lot of fun.  It doesn’t have the windmills and plastic animals like our crazy golf mini courses at home, but it brought a lot of joy and laughter for the group. 

After that event, we went way out to the end of the beach and took a brief and breezy walk on the same sands where the movie Chariots of Fire was filmed years ago.  We did our running impression, and we learned from Bo that the burned in the back ground came from a bale of hay that the movie producers purchased from one of her relatives!  Aubrey made sure to stick her feet in the water, but it was very, very chilly.  It felt good to smell the salty sea air which gave us the feeling of home at Fernandina Beach.  That was nice, and it was so enjoyable to hear Bo and Eric talk about some of their memories of coming to the beach when their own children were little.  They would do so as a Christmas Day tradition after opening presents, and they described the beach being filled with families all out to enjoy the scenery.  They are really looking forward to retiring in St. Andrews in the months ahead.  The stroll was quite cool for us, cool enough to cause me to put on a fleece pull over (in July!).

After our beach time, we drove through the city and to the opposite sound of the area to take a look at the house Bo and Eric are renovating.  Our next stop was to have a spot of tea at the club house for the Castle Course.  It in on a hilly track of land right by the sea, and Eric says that it is one of the most challenging layouts of any course in the area.  It is owned and managed by the trust that oversees all the other courses, and the views from the clubhouse are nothing short of stunning.  We enjoyed scones and tea and watching a few groups come through the 18^th who struggled with the weeds and the wind.  We were glad that we were not them!

That adventure pretty much finished up our day in St. Andrews, and what a day it was.  We headed back to Perth and bid farewell to the Frasers who could not have been better guides and hosts for us.  We were all pretty tired from the day, but we were all very, very happy.  There were many times throughout the day where I found myself thinking about the first Eden as described in Genesis, a garden filled with all kinds of delights, food, flowers, trees, a stream, and God’s own beloved creatures who were placed there to enjoy the goodness and grace of their Creator.  Before human sin enters the story, it is quite an amazing narrative of harmony and coalescence between the Creator and the creation.  I like to think that we got to taste a bit of that harmony between the Creator and the glorious creation called St. Andrews during our time there.  From the people to the places, from the food to the fun, from the golf to the glorious views of the city, we really sensed that by God’s providence we were being given a huge gift, one that will not soon be forgotten.  

SHEPHERD

On July 15^th after a morning of work, we decided to head north in the silver Prius to visit a working sheep farm where a man named Neal works in the old fashioned way with sheep and sheep dogs.  He is known far and wide for his expertise, and we wanted to check it out thinking it would be a great family adventure.  It was such an amazing experience.  For starters, the drive up was very scenic—lots of hills and mountains to enjoy.  The A-9 highway was a pretty easy road for an American to drive, plenty of opportunities to pass the occasional slower car or big semi truck.  The trip up took about an hour and a half, and we had plenty of time to spare. 

As we were getting closer, we decided to stop for a break. We found a little rest area/café/highlands visitor center.  We enjoyed stretching our legs and hitting the toilet.  We also found a neat little gift shop called the “Highland Coo” (named after the ever-so-popular highland cow).  We got some neat gifts for friends and family, and Will found a funny children’s book about a character named “Hamish the Hairy Haggis.”  Hilarious! 

After our stretch break, we arrived early to the farm.  First of all, it was out in the middle of nowhere.  We’re driving along a small 2 lane road and then a sign appears about a daily sheep and dog show, and then we turn left.  We are out in the middle of rugged highlands country, and we head up a very narrow dirt road that is quite bumpy. We arrive around 3 pm with an hour to spare and learn that one tour is finishing up and we have time to kill.  So we enjoy a wonderful walk through the pastures after being greeted by an adorable little black and white Border collie puppy who was so loving and friendly.  The kids really enjoyed that, and we could tell that all was falling into place. 

During our walk around the farm property, we went through large fields of sheep, saw many rabbits running all across the hills and grass, and we even found an old run down and falling in farm house of sorts that gave us a glimpse into the past:  dirt floor, wooden timbers for roof supports, dirt cover, then wood and medal covering.  It was all falling apart, but it was a powerful image for us to talk about the way of life for farmers not too long ago.   We noticed an older man with a shepherd’s crook walking for dogs, and so we made our way down a small hill to speak with him.  He was in his 70s and lived next door to the shepherd who we were actually there to see.  He was friendly and his dogs were curious and energetic and inviting.  He asked about us and after telling him about the exchange, he made certain that we knew he was an atheist.  We tried to listen and to be respectful, even though I was rather floored that someone could live in such a majestic place and not believe in God at all.  He said one of his close friends is a Catholic priest, and he adores him.  We said our goodbyes and made our way to the main attraction, the sheep herding demonstration.

 

By the time we made it back to the farm, we noticed many cars in the lot that only an hour earlier only contained our car.  There were people from Scotland, England, and even India.  We met a really sweet family who had a daughter working in Glasgow.  She has been here 8 years, and this is her parent’s first time to visit her.  They were so lovely.  We all paid our money to the main guy, Neal, and he had a little cash box that he put all the money in.  After paying, he sent us down to a little field where we sat upon the rocks overlooking a large pasture.  No sheep were anywhere in sight, but there were a few of Neal’s dogs roaming around.  All of his dogs are black and white Border collies.

Neal comes down, and he does a bit of a brief introduction.  He is a self-described shepherd.  He has grown up in the area with his extended family, and he considers what he does not just a job but a way of life.  He is probably around 50-55 years old, has a scruffy beard, and longish hair.  He is a very fit man of about six feet tall who had on the long green farming rubber boots with his button down shirt and fleece coat.  We all needed extra layers because of the wind.  It was only about 60 degrees.  Neal told us about being on the land and caring for his sheep.  He is responsible for thousands of sheep covering many, many acres.  Once a year he brings them all in, and they use 35 dogs and 7 shepherds to bring the sheep in over a 5 day period from more than 12 miles away! 

Neal had a shepherd’s crook, a long stick with a curved sheep horn handle.  He spoke commands to his dogs in Gaelic, and he did a lot of whistling.  It was a bit hard to hear him due to the wind and his rather hoarse voice, but we understood well what was going on once the dogs began to work.  Neal said he was going to have his dogs bring in about 20-30 sheep.  He yelled the name of one dog, gave it a command, whistled and it ran like lightening far down in the distance, then Neal would send another dog, and another.  Within a few minutes and a good bit of whistling, way ahead in the distance we could see the sheep coming towards us.  By this time, Neal had about 6 dogs working, and by the time they came to us, he had as many as 12 dogs involved.

It was all incredible.  Each dog knows a variety of command, and each one has his own whistle commands.  Neal has to keep straight not just the verbal commands but all of the dogs names, all of their whistle commands, and how the sheep are responding to the dogs at any given second.  Occasionally a dog would nip at a sheep, and Neal would offer a firm correction with the staff.  Neal show-cased different dogs in action.  He would have dogs circling the sheep clockwise and counter-clockwise.  He would let the sheep run a bit, and then show the dogs moving them back. 

The real show stopper for us was this bright little 13 week old puppy, a small fry of only a few pounds.  Neal let the little guy work the sheep back and forth for a few minutes, and we all cheered!  It was really something to see.  Neal showed us how to use the shepherd’s staff, and he even scooped up the puppy from the middle of the herd of sheep when the little guy got a bit covered up during the demo. 

One part of the show included a sheep shearing demonstration, and unlike the guy at the Game Fair, Neal did it the old fashioned way with hand shears.  They looked like oversized scissors.  He was very skilled, and he told us all about the sheep as he worked through shearing them. He invited people to take turns shearing, and Will jumped up first to volunteer!  Aubrey didn’t want to do it, but Will had a great time. 

After the shearing, we headed back up the hill to the small pens where Neal brought out soda bottles that had been rigged with special nipple tips for the baby sheep.  He let out a whole bunch of babies, and the kids got to feed the sheep by bottle.  Both Aubrey and Will loved this!  It was so cute to watch the sheep feed and how energetic they were by the whole event.  Neal let a number of puppies out as well and did some great demonstrations on how to train a dog.  The puppies followed him very obediently.  They knew his every move and voice.

It was such a gift for us as a family to do the event.  As a pastor, I was so impressed by the way Neal talked about his love for the land, for the animals, for living as a good steward of the creation and caring so faithfully for the creator.  He spoke of being willing to work hard and how being a shepherd is a life-long process where you never really arrive.  He told us about the many, may shepherd who were in the highlands years ago and how now there are only a few left.  We all left being really thankful for Neal and for what he taught us.  I left thinking a great deal about Psalm 23 and John 10.  I have worked with those passages many, many times, and because of Neal I have some entirely new ways to look at God as our shepherd and more specifically Jesus Christ as our good shepherd, who knows all of the sheep, and who is willing to lay down his life for the sheep. 

Our ending to the trip was a bit noisy.  We bought some books and postcards and shepherd’s whistles!  The kids got a crash course from Neal, and most of the way back to Perth tried there best to make them sing.  The day ended with coming back to town and grabbing some grub at Wetherspoon’s.  It was really crowded and the food was just so, so (unfortunately).  Mediocre food couldn’t take away the joy we felt. 

STRATHMORE

On Thursday July 10^th, mom, Lisa, and Neal headed back to the states after a week of family fun, site seeing, and memory making.  It gave us a great feeling to know that we were able to host them and help them experience a little of the wonder and beauty of Scotland’s land and people.  We covered as much ground as we could in a week, and after they left we spent time washing clothes and working on our new normal.  The rest of the week involved some worship planning and sermon writing and a chance to play some golf.  The weather was really fantastic—sunny, warm, low humidity. 

Since I haven’t hit a ball in many weeks, I decided to venture out to the North Inch, just across the Tay River right in the heart of town.  It is a small course open to all—like many here in Scotland—and it has a really easy lay out with wide fairways and holes that are not too long.  Will went with me, and we enjoyed just warming up our swings on 4 of the 18 holes.  By the time we got there, it was late in the day so we didn’t have time for much more golf than that.  We played a few holes, met a few locals, and enjoyed just getting some fresh air.  We also learned that the North Inch course is the 4^th oldest course in the world.  That tidbit of golf history made up for the fact that the greens were like putting on shag carpet.  What was also fun about the course is that there were a lot of locals out and about walking dogs and riding bikes, rugby clubs practicing nearby, and so all of those things gave the course an added degree of energy. 

Friday was a day of sermon writing in the morning and letting the kids rest.  Sarah had some work to catch up on as well, so we just enjoyed time around the manse.  It was, yet again, a gorgeous day—low to no humidity, sunny, a light breeze blowing.  Eric Fraser had arranged a round of golf for Will and me at a place called Strathmore (about 30 minutes away).  It was a place that he and Bo recently discovered, and I have to say that our afternoon there was about as good as golf can be. 

Strathmore is in a rather remote place.  To get there we took a number of very narrow roads that wound us through farm land and fields all covered in various vegetables or wildlife.  When we reached the club, we soon discovered that we about the only ones there.  We warmed up a bit, got checked in and played our 18 holes.  The course was hilly, not too long, and the greens were very large and fast.  It was great; however, the rough was wicked.  There was a first cut that was much like many American courses, but the after about 8 to 10 yards of that, there was this wicked long grass that was about knee high.  That grass could eat golf balls in an instant, but we were fortunate to find about as many balls as we hit in there. 

Will had a banner front 9, shooting a 45!  It was his first time breaking 50, and Eric and I were so proud of him.  I came in with an 88.  It was a great way to spend an afternoon, and Eric found us a discounted rate of 30 pounds for both of us!  We walked the 18, and I learned in Scotland riding in golf carts (what they refer to as “golf buggies”) is really not what real golfers do.  The walk, the round, the conversation, and the views of the mountains were all fantastic and made us hungry to play more.  Eric treated us to a drink after the round, and it was such a wonderful afternoon.  We ended the day with a family trip to Wetherspoon’s for fish and chips, and we came home and all crashed pretty hard. 

Saturday was a bit of a cloudier day, quite a contrast to the gorgeous sunny weather of the previous few days.  I was really tight and sore from the golf the day before, but thanks to a hot shower managed to shake off most of the stiffness.  We enjoyed some breakfast together at the house, got changed, and then took a family trip to St. Andrews for a few hours.  I braved driving over there rather than taking the train or bus.  We got a little lost, and I got a little frustrated, but all in all it was a really scenic drive over to the home of the royal and ancient game.  St. Andrews was really packed with tourists, but we had a great time checking out the ancient ruins of the old cathedral, wandering by the castle, checking out some of the key sites of the university, visiting the Old Course’s 18^th green, and enjoying some local food. 

We found a wonderful little pub below ground right across from the 18^th green.  We got some soup, salad, sandwiches, and Will got a tasty burger.  I was in heaven because nearly everything all over the place had something to do with golf.  Just in the hallway near the men’s restroom at the pub there were commemorative lockers for the previous British Open champions.  So cool.  We ate, and then we walked all over town, spending the bulk of our time walking around the ruins of the cathedral—which was destroyed some years ago. It was a glorious structure and provided lots of great photos. 

We enjoyed watching a few groups come through the 18^th hole of the Old Course, and we even watched a guy shank a ball onto the road just to the right of the fairway, bouncing his ball off of a small car parked there.  Who would park there anyway?  I wandered by the starter’s hut, and I learned about all the rules of playing the old course.  (A) It is really expensive—like 165 pounds, and (B) I’d have to do a lottery to play it.  Since there are a number of other St. Andrews courses, Eric and I are planning to play one or two of them.  They cost far, far less money and so I am hoping to make that happen before we leave Scotland.  Also, after visiting the Old Course and seeing how covered with people it is, I think I’d prefer a quieter venue.

We did some shopping at the Old Course pro shop, and we got some really fantastic ice cream at Scotland’s best ice cream shop.  I got some amazing rum raisin—yum!  We even ran into the Seigling family on the street.  Holton is doing a pulpit exchange in a town not far from St. Andrews.  One of the great highlights of the town wasn’t the ice cream or the golf, it was popping into a little used book store just off the main street.  Will and Aubs found some Broons and Oor Willie books, and I found a wonderful old book from about 1930, a first edition book of church history on the Church of Scotland.  What a find! 

We headed home around 4pm and had a quiet time at the manse.  The kids played, and Sarah and I cooked fresh salmon, roasted veggies, and we had fresh strawberries for dessert.  What a good, good day.  We logged some priceless family time and made some more great memories.  

SCOTTISH GAME FAIR

Saturday, July 5^th, was yet another adventuresome day as we took the advice of many locals who encouraged us to go to the Scottish Game Fair on the grounds of Scone Palace. The palace is just a little ways down from the house, and so we opted to walk to the event.  We packed a picnic lunch of fruit, sandwiches (called “sarnies” by the locals), carrot sticks, and drinks.  The day started kind of wet, cloudy, and cool, but when we decided to make the trek to the festival (about 9:30), the rains were breaking.  The walk to the festival was all mostly downhill, and the views were really fantastic: cow pastures rolling as far as the eye can see, mountains and hills in the distance, and a sky that swirled with clouds and sunshine leaking through.  

We got to the gate of Scone Palace in about 20 minutes, then took the pedestrian route all the way in.  That route led us down a small road through the grounds of the estate, grounds that include wildlife, a small house looked to be a care taker’s/gate keeper’s cottage, and the scenery as we made our way down was like something out of a book or movie.  It was just us, and there were many times we talked about how unbelievable it was.  The walk down to the fair included a great children’s playground in the woods that even had a zip line that the kids loved. 

We had added about another 30 minutes to the trek by now, and we could see ahead through the woods the droves of people pouring in for the festival.  We made our way down to the lines, paid our way in, and found ourselves amidst ourtdoorsmen/women of every stripe.  There were tents of arts and crafts, hunting rifles and scopes, camo, rubber boots, fishing rods, lures, tractors, cars, kids inflatables, and a whole lot more.  We really were amazed at all the people, many of whom brought their dogs.  We loved people watching and dog spotting.  Lots of hunting dogs entered various field trial competitions, and that was a real joy to see the animals work.  We wandered around and had a great time experiencing a different side of the Scottish culture, a side that I really resonated with more than I expected.

The big crowd pleasure, I have to say, was the New Zealand, sheep shearer.  He was a traveling showman, a guy who does a sheep show on the stage of a trailor that he pulls behind his rig.  He was educational and entertaining, and it was a great family show.  At the main stage, we also enjoyed shows by the Welsh Axe Men (who did amazing things with chained saws too), a lady who brought out various birds that flew right near us (eagles, falcons, and crows), and the sheep guy who did a great presentation of herding dogs, who worked a little flock of ducks in an amazing way right in front of us and even got little kids involved. 

As the hours of the day passed by so quickly, we enjoyed lots of warm sunshine, blue skies, and the kindness of many people.  We went expecting more of a Scottish hammer throw competition and bagpipes and all that, but we learned that this event was all about hunting, fishing, land management, resource preservation, and all the things that relate to those sort of activities.  There were droves of families and children, people of all ages enjoying God’s glorious outdoors, the creativity of people, and the kind of community that comes from sharing a really great event.  What an enjoyable day, and as we soaked it all in we felt really blessed beyond our deserving.  I couldn’t help but thinking about the notion of stewardship: for the land, for all of God’s resources, for creatures great and small, and for one another.  By the way, we all agreed that the port-a-potties were without a doubt the cleanest we had ever seen!

We began the trek home around 5:00 ish, and my what a trek it was.  We hiked out a bit of a quicker route from the property and were encouraged by the easier path off the property because the traffic line was really long.  What we learned once we reached the main road is that it was no short cut.  We still had a couple of miles to walk back, this time—you guessed it—mostly on a gradual incline.  We were all a bit tired from the day, but we soldiered on and got back home hungry and ready for some food.  So we went to town and ate a wonderful meal at Wetherspoons, the beloved restaurant just next to the church.  We came home, and mom and Lisa got their heads around a Sunday afternoon trip to St. Andrews, and Sarah helped them get the buses and train schedules all squared away.  We all crashed hard with Sunday in our sites, looking forward to worship at St. Matts.