Peggotty's

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying
to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

After a day away yesterday I decide to stay on the island to make the most of what it has to offer.

Blue skies and sunshine to start the day as I make my way down to the harbour.  Still plenty of signs of the place being a working harbour.  There are several upturned half boats - man sheds? - dotted around the perimeter.  Reminds me of David Copperfield when he visits Peggoty's family at the coast.

Plenty of material for photos here, and lots of others doing more or less the same thing - pottering around, walking the dogs, photographing, picnicking.  Some serious birders too, see some expensive looking kit being trundled around.  Fortunately manage to get a good selection of photos early on because the weather turns cold and a bank of cloud moves in and settles, as if from nowhere.

I head inland to investigate the church, maybe have a Meditation there.  Talk about busy!  Can't move for tourists and the locals are also preparing the church for harvest festival tomorrow. A quick look around and I'm out, past a couple having a quick cuddle and a snog in the back row of pews.

Stop off at the store for some basics - crab sandwiches - then back to the cottage for lunch and a doze.  It's 3.30 by the time I surface again and remember I don't have enough milk for breakfast.  Too late, the tides in, causeway is closed so the shops have shut up for the afternoon.   I'm out so I head off to the church for my Meditation.  It's quiet when I get there, not a soul about.  So much different here when the tides in and the causeway under water.  I manage to squeeze in my Meditation before the locals are back preparing for the evening service.  I've already forgotten that the island is a place of pilgrimage for more than just ageing hippies like me.

I head off to explore the other side of the island, to be greeted by a seal playing in the water between the island and St Cuthberts Island, a small spit of land nearby.  The skies begin to clear and the bank of cloud just moves off to the East.  I've been told by several people they get lovely sunsets around here, The land is low lying which makes for a huge expanse of sky.  Looks like it could be a good one tonight, so I head off to the causeway, which is on the West of the island and faces the setting sun.

I'm not the only one of course and small groups come and go.  I see a car moving along the causeway, which I can't believe at first as it's only 6.30 and the seawater is still covering the road.  Official safe time for crossing is another two and a half hours!  Then I see spray coming up from the car, it's ploughing through the seawater!  It drives past and up into the village without a care in the world.  Yesterday I was a bit hesitant about crossing 20 minutes before the "safe" time, but it was dark as well...

Plenty of Curlew flying around, and a Heron taking to the skies nearby startled a dog which immediately barked.  "Unusual" comments one of the nearby sunset watchers, "don't often see a barking Heron".  So now, Lindisfarne will be the island of the barking Heron, and if you ask me it's not the only thing that's barking around here.

Walked back to the village chatting to one of the locals walking his dogs.  Have some suggestions for a walk to the dunes for tomorrow, weather permitting.