Image for 5-16-11 - Scotland Flashback: Punk Rocker

The first day of my trip to Scotland, I stumbled on a group of Scottish Socialist and Anarchist protesting the Royal Wedding. There was also a small group of British loyalist literally wrapped in the Union Jack taunting the protesters and singing "Hail Britannia" from across the street. The cops and journalist out numbered them all. I grabbed a few pics of this guy, an archetypal punk rocker, roving through the crowd drinking a beer and providing a perfect photo-op for the photojournalist and tourist. Good to see some people still flying the flag of punk rock.

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Image for 5-15-11 - Rain Barrel Time

Got the rain barrel deployed for the season. I like using rain water for watering our plants. Just makes good sense and saves some dough on the water bill. Trying to grow potatoes-in-a-bag again this year. Last year was a bit of a disaster with no growth or potatoes, but feeling more optimistic this year with some good, sprouting taters to start with. Now we just need some rain to fill the barrel and away we go!

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Back in the USA

My mystery friend enjoys a pint.

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Rainy Sunday in Edinburgh

Sorry for the lack of posting. I have been Twitting (@Weaverwerx) and posted a few updates on FB. Don't have an easy way to upload photos while on the road overseas. Nearly upgraded my iPod to the latest with the built in camera and wished I had. Next trip.

This has been a fantastic trip. Dave and I have covered alot of ground in the last week-and-a-half. Hiked the full length of the Union Canal. A couple of days on the coast visiting friends in Dunbar. And now back in Edinburgh for Dead by Dawn, a must viewing for any horror fan.

I hope to post a photo or two tomorrow before we fly back Tuesday. There will be much more to follow when I get back for the big catch up.

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Image for May 1, 2011 - Union Canal - Ratho to Linlithgow

Union Canal Aqueduct

The Union Canal features several aqueducts that carry the canal over roads, rivers and walkways, sometimes all at the same time. It's a strange feeling to be walking along the secluded path only to come out over a roadway with cars speeding underneath. I guess it's easier then building a bunch of locks to help the boats transverse the landscape.

I threw in an extra photo from this day of Dave and I in front of a field of rapeseed that a fellow walker took for us. The rapeseed fields were in full color and photos will never fully capture the intense vibrancy of the yellow flowers. For the first part of the walk, we'd see the yellow fields far off in the distance shimmering like the yellow brick road, seen but always out-of-reach. Finally at this point of the hike we came right alongside a field and had to use it as a backdrop. I've done a far bit of solo hiking, but I always prefer to have a good friend along. Anyone reading this would be fortunate to have a friend as good as Dave has been to me. He's a solid trail companion and I look forward to many more adventures in the future with him.

Hal and Dave along the Union Canal

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Image for 4-30-11 - Danger of Death!

I love that sign, saw while hiking the Union Canal. It's warning against the overhead power lines. Judging from the barbed wire wrapped around the pole, I guess they've had a few people try and climb it. I think that sign is applicable anytime though. The end can come anytime, so you better get out there and live your life. The samurai would "freshen their minds with death" every morning to remind themselves how short and fragile life is. I do the same.

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Image for 4-29-11 - The Old Castle Town

The castle is the symbol for Edinburgh. I saw this old relief logo on the side of a small utility shed (or was it a public toilet?). I'm a sucker for peeled paint and I like the icon design.

I pulled the photos off the camera last night, all six hundred and fifty-two of them. I know my pal Dave shot about double that. It was a very well documented journey. We saw and did a lot in the twelve days we were on the ground there, the trip featured a little of everything, some hiking, visited new places I had not been to before in Scotland, catching up with old friends, some urban exploring and finally, Dead by Dawn, my favorite horror film festival. It's been six years since I last set foot in Scotland, also for DbD, as my circle of horror film friends refer to it. I was surprised at how little had seemed to change in Edinburgh, a few new shops  here and there, but when the city's essential layout was made in stone hundreds of years ago, there's no easy way to modify that without obliterating part of your history. Tidewater (I refuse to use "Hampton Roads", a rant for another time), seems to revel in destroying any building new or old that stands in the way of "progress", I use the term loosely as it generally means making way for a parking lot, chain drug store or, more likely, luxury condos. I'm sure that if I lived in Edinburgh for a while, something I'd love to do, that I'd see the creepy corporate influence there as well. On this trip, I was blissfully happy to wander The Meadows (a large park in the southern part of the city) or hang out in the Grassmarket ( area with pubs and shops in the shadow of the castle). Oh Edinburgh! I love you!

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Back in Edinburgh

My flight arrived on time. After all the drama yesterday, I'm amazed that I got out at all. Fully expected to be sleeping in Newark airport last night.

My friend Alan Smart picked me up at the airport. I know Alan from my time living in Ireland. We were both kitchen help in an Italina restaurant in a small town in the west of Ireland. A long story for another time.

Edinburgh is strangely quiet today because of holiday for the Royal Wedding. The empty streets fits my mood.

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Enjoying a Guinness in NJ

On the ground in Newark. First pint of the trip. The second pint was bought a a swell Scotish guy named Paul. He and his wife were just returning from their first visit to NYC.

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Norfolk Airport Carpet

Yeah, still stuck here. Flying sucks. OK HW

image for 4-28-2011 - tiki mug drawing

 

Delayed at the airport. Made this sketch from memory. Compare with the yesterday's photo.

Image for 4-27-11 - The New Tiki

My friends Casey and Laura picked this Tiki Mug up for me in Reno, NV. He's a real beauty and a fine addition to the collection. He sports real, plastic green gem eyes!

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Image for 4-26-2011 - The old Space Park

This was taken at the old Air & Space Power Park in Hampton, Va. I remember visiting this park on a field trip back in second grade. The park was in much better shape back then. It's sad to see all the rockets and jet planes rusty in this unkempt and forgotten place. I recall as a child wandering among these technological wonders and dreaming of a future full of space adventures. Now, with the Space Shuttle nearly retired and nothing to replace it, it will be the first time in my lifetime that the US will not have the ability to but people into space. NASA's current budget is about eighteen billion dollars a year. Considering the fact that we're spending two billion a day on the wars, it's hard to believe that we can't find the money to keep America on the leading edge of space technology. Hopefully this park of decaying relics is not our future.

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