Ken Cunningham / The lonely sea and the sky…

And so to the day out in the hills – alone – sans watch; sans camera; sans technological aids; sans voice (well that was the theory at least – the best laid schemes aften gang agley). It was a long day from before dawn to after dusk. But if you’re into creation, it was simply a joy to behold. Was it Calvin who wrote: “ The creation is quite like a spacious and splendid house, provided and filled with the most exquisite and the most abundant furnishings. Everything in it tells us of God. ”

The weather was kindly – dull and overcast – one briefest of moments when it thought to drop a little moisture – the drops evaporating even before they hit. The views spectacular as on the very first sighting on Monday.  The Chiaroscuro effect all the more dramatic in the gloomier light. As dusk began to fall, the long walk home was one of the most pleasurable experiences, drinking in the sights and sounds of one of the most tranquil places on earth, unless, of course, you happen to be a rutting deer – the Rolling Stones at their raucous best would never have stood a chance – no contest!

And despite some colleagues’ benighted experiences, nary a ‘Tick’ came near to spoil my day – I had the threaded noose ready to choke the little blighters anyway – the Web is a wonderful source of all kinds of murderous ways in dealing with the little critters! We never got that on our teaching practice – Graham Donaldson should note for the next generation of teacher recruit!

Back to the Tepee (Tipi) to finish the course and another ‘silent night’.

Into the glen…

After a day’s reflections, Friday saw the weather decline still further but it didn’t hinder a glorious trek into the hills and glen. Must come back and keep on going some day – somewhere beyond these hills and glens, some twenty cloying miles or so away, lie the banks of Loch Ness and civilised and tarmacadamed roads – General Wade, bless him, never got into the Knoydart peninsula as far as I know and neither did the island authorities by road!! It has left room for the braver amongst us to make such ventures – one day, hopefully we shall try.

A fire by a river set the scene for some animated discussion around values – one day that particular message will get home and hopefully not before it is too late. The Curriculum for Excellence despite its sceptics gives our profession huge room for manoeuvre. Let’s hope this generation of teachers takes it. I quoted Goethe and Jacob Bronowski recently in a conference.  Since this is probably my last Blog for just now the words seem an appropriate place to stop: “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” Said Bronowski as he stood below the graphic image on the site of the razed concentration camp at Krakow and concluding the ‘Ascent of Man’: “We have to touch people”.