© 2020 Donna Hébert, all rights reserved.
We live inland from the coast about five miles as the crow flies. It’s a bit longer in a car and there are multiple ways to get there. Yesterday, we took the back way south around Broad Cove and came out by St. Margaret’s of Scotland, where the big concert has been held for years every July but the past one.
There are often clouds in the sky and facing west into the sun from St. Margaret’s, we saw a sun-bow to the left of the sun. One of the last photos shows them together in the sky. I’m not that skilled a photographer. These are iPhone snapshots of our life here and I’m relying on the landscape to speak for itself – and does it ever!
We live on the sunset coast, so when the light is good, we jump in the car and look for pre-framed photos waiting for us in the landscape. Bob drives and I direct – “over HERE!” I say, jumping out of the car when he stops and trying to grab multiples of what I think I see. The sun is in my eyes but shades don’t help me see the phone screen, so I take as many as I can and sort them out later. I just try to hold the camera still when I shoot. Really, till I get them home and start straightening out the horizons, it’s a mystery.
Since roads in the neighborhood are often rough, we had avoided this one. Still gravel, it’s been re-graded and widened since last year, with new drainage as well, so we checked it out late yesterday afternoon, allowing me to further my obsession with Margaree Island, just off the coast of Dunvegan. You’ll see how close the island is from McLeod’s campground, where Bob and his family first fell in love with the island.
I can’t get around rough ground easily, so we stick close to the road. I’m avoiding shooting homes that look occupied for obvious reasons but abandoned buildings are fair game and there are plenty of those waiting for another photo essay. We also noted how close to the cliff edge some of the fancy new houses are. Money doesn’t make you smart, now, does it? They might just end up with a mermaid on their doorstep one of these days.
The slideshow music, the Scots air The Mermaid, is from my recording with Jane Yolen, Lui Collins and Max Cohen, The Infinite Dark. (CD download link)