It was now September, and as I worked only till the end of it, then go on a holiday before going home, Liz and self sat pouring over the computer to try and decide where to go. I wanted to go to the Outer Hebrides, and when one of the women in the village, Catriona, told us that we could rent her mother's cottage at Lewis for a very nice and easy sum, our minds were quickly made up, and we started getting into the mood.
It was still beautifully warm, and on my next day off, with the sun pouring down deliciously, I packed the wee Panda, tent and all, and took to the road.
I love to just drive around and when I saw a nice place where I could chill out, I simply stop and put up my tent. There are just about thousands of magic places in the highlands, and even perthshire has some wonderful spots. I was feeling real sad to think that I had to leave my mountains, glens and rivers where I roam so free and without fear, and go back home where I lived behind barred doors and windows, and even have to lock my doors when I went down to the toilet.
But today the little Panda had a mind of its own, as without really thinking, I ended up in glen Lyon, which was of all my spots, the most favoured one. It is quite a climb down to the river, where I would pitch my tent before having a swim in Christina's pond. After I had a long and delightful swim, I lay in the sun reading, thinking, and then sleeping.
When I woke up it was late afternoon, so I lit my little throw-away barbeque thingy, and the smell of my minted chops was just overwhelmingly appetizing,and my poor tummy, not fed at breakfast time, was growling like an angry lion! But before long my meal was ready, complete with baked potatoes that I had cooked the night before, cut up, and then smothered in butter, and baked in tinfoil on my fire! OOOH, so delicious!
When the sun started going down, the bally midges rose upwards, but I was ready for them with my Tabbard, and just about covered self and tent in the stuff. Tabbard is any midge's moses, and after that hellish night when Liz and I had to run for our lives in the middle of the night, falling in deep muddy holes and slithering downwards two steps for every three we took up the mountain, I was not taking any chances!
I read for a long time, then fell asleep like a baby, and slept like one, and was feeling like the queen of the world when I woke up with a nosy sheep peeping at me through the hole when I opened the flap.
Nearly bally fainted, as a nosy sheep first thing on waking up is not a pretty sight!
The rest of the day was spent swimming, reading, and just contemplating life, and when the sun started to make ready to depart, I sadly packed up and struggled up the mountain to where my Faithful wee Panda was waiting!