Referendum - final say & moving on.

"If Steve does not live in a house how come he is able to vote in the Scottish referendum?"

Barbara reliably informed me this was the question fired at mum Kirsten by six year old Angus as he was being driven to school.

We were visiting Barbara's niece Kirsten, partner Pete and children Angus and Rowan in their lovely rural Scottish Borders home. The previous night Barbara and I had thoroughly enjoyed a concert in 'Kelso' of Scottish Folk music by Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain. Two highly accomplished musicians with a wonderful line in banter. The evening was excellent and so was the walk back to Sadie afterwards. We were parked up for the night right outside the concert venue and a lovely park where Tanya could be walked.  

We were now twisting our way up a narrow lane toward 'Woden Law' which looked on the map to be a good 'Cheviot Hills' walk for a sunny and warm autumnal day. As I drove I pondered on the question asked by Angus. A six year old asking such a question sums up the almost unbelievable involvement by all strata of society in the recent roller coaster Scottish referendum. Schools from primary to senior had been involved as well as people from all walks of life. Many of whom had never before been motivated toward any sort of political involvement.  

This was the 'win win' of the referendum. From six year old youngsters to the very aged. All had got involved. Got involved enough to think about things and ask questions. Got involved enough to enable 3.6 million individual votes to be cast. 3.6 million votes indicating the governmental staus quo of the United Kingdom was not, in it's present form, OK.

The vote is over. The backtracking and mistrusted slippery political manoeuv'ring has now resumed. Oh but Wow! Scotland! What a place to be those few weeks before the referendum. I don't suppose I will ever experience anything quite like it again in my lifetime.

Now the leaves are dropping and the time has come for Sadie to turn South. Saying farewell to the little cottage called 'Sunnybraes' and Barbara contains an emotional roller coaster in its own right. One we both understand and know is the key to our times together being

 enhancing of both our lives.

Bye bye East Neuk of Fife and welcome to new travels.

Independance etc

Barbara and I walked ceremoniously away from Sadie toward the village post box. Two postal votes were safely consigned to the familiar red depository leaving us no turning back from the individual decisions we had made. 

Scotland was proving to be an exciting, fully involved, and impassioned, place to be in this, the run up to September the 18th and the momentous referendum on Scottish Independence from Westminster governance which, depending on 'yes' or  'no', could also mean separation from the established and historical norm known as the United Kingdom.  

My years of experience in the counselling room showed me emphatically time and time again the value of change, of stepping outside comfort zones, of facing up to difficult decisions. Whether and what sort of change will happen to our nation will be decided on Sept 18th. My hope is that whichever way it goes the energy that has been created by so many will not be lost in the acrid dust of political stagnancy.

"That's it done then." I said to Barbara as we walked back to Sadie to commence our journey. 

I had for the last 10 days enjoyed staying with Barbara in 'Boarhills', Fife. Her company and charming sun blessed wee country cottage made for a delightful pause in the journey that is 'Steve and Tanyas wanderings'. Sadie got to once again rest for a while at neighbouring Kenlee Green farm curtesy of Frank and Bernice. Big tractors, combine harvesters and straw balers busy with harvest and constantly in and out of the farmyard. This was familiar territory to me and I will admit to enjoying being in among it once again. Well, I  admit to it with one caveat. Distance. I am no longer directly involved. In my days of selling into this industry I used to call this busy time 'the season of the demented beast!' A time when weather, machinery breakdowns, bureaucracy and overall pressure forced farmers and agricultural contractors into tired anxious and often ill tempered mental states. Boy am I glad to be well past all of that.

How things move on though. A long chat to farmers son Andrew educated me as to how much 'Self steer' is now in use. This is a system whereby the tractor driver sets up a computer and Mr hunking big tractor and Mrs hunking big implement decide for themselves the best way to 'do' the particular field they are in. Tractor driver then sits and catches up with his facebook pals as Mr and Mrs hunking big clever and precise sprayer/cultivator or whatever do the job. They maximize on land usage while minimizing wastage. Clever clever stuff made possible by the same GPS signal that my motorhome Sat Nav system relies on.

Right now though we have taken advantage of the calm before the storm. Literally and in a weather sense rather than political. There is a large high pressure area sitting atop Scotland and as I raise my eyes to take in the vista I see the result. Here on the empty and remote peninsular west of 'Arisaig' it is Stunning. The islands of 'Eigg and Rum' loom out of the sea mist to the west. They are barely visible across a mirror calm and sun drenched silent sea. To be on the west coast of Scotland parked but ten yards away from glassy smooth incoming high tide with no waves crashing or gale force winds blowing is very very special. All the huge and universal forces, normally so vociferous here on this violent coastal 'edge' now silent, benign, still, sun blessed and beautiful. Such a moment in time is privilege indeed. Privilege which outwardly says unwordable; while simultaneously inwardly demanding mind to fling electronic words at smartphone screen so others may in some way be similarly touched, calmed and inspired.