Gallery – moving in time

Found this exciting! I spent a thrilling adventure there in a howling gale, came out alive and made one of my accordion folded books featuring Skye and its magical environment. It inspired me to write the poem in it too! http://etsy.me/1nVM9L8

Archaeology Orkney

NUTS found during an archaeological dig in Skye were from the hunter gatherer period more than 8,000 years ago, tests have confirmed.

The hazelnut shells were discovered during the five-day excavation by Staffin Bay in September 2015 when University of the Highlands and Islands archaeologists investigated a suspected Mesolithic structure, in collaboration with the Staffin Community Trust (SCT).

Radiocarbon dates have now confirmed the excavated lithics date to the Mesolithic period, towards the latter half of the 7^th millennium BC.

Two fragments of charred hazelnut shell both returned dates of circa 6800-6600 BC (calibrated). The hazelnuts were recovered from soil samples from the lower part of the sequence at the site, suggesting human activity may have occurred over a long period of time.

The north Skye archaeological excavation has yielded a fragment of worked bone, and several thousand flints which could provide a fuller picture of Staffin’s hunter-gatherer period…

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So, today is the day I became the mum of an adult. Robert made it to eighteen today, and I have to tell you this, I couldn’t be more proud. Not because I’m a disgustedly smug mother, although I probably am, but because I look at him and see how smart he is, and how capable, in an increasingly complicated, technological age, and how true he remains to the values he has invested in. Integrity, humour, the appliance of understanding, and humility. He doesn’t take after me then. He would roll his eyes if he knew this was going out into the ether, but if he can Facebook and block me , then he deserves everything he gets. I hope he enjoys his party tonight, can’t say I envy him, as there will always be revelry that threatens to unravel into anarchy at these events. Still, he has a group of friends that apear to belong to the human race, so hopefully all will be well. Wonder what I will be saying this time tomorrow though.

Managed to spend a couple of hours with my lovely friend Mairin, who greeted me at the door in full ballroom regalia, looking like a princess. Not for my benefit, I turned up out of the blue, and never manage to spend any time with her really, so it was purely serendipitous that she was dressing up tonight for St Patricks Day, and wanted to choose outfits. She’s wearing the turquoise , gold and cream and will knock ’em all dead. Totally envious because I adore dressing up, and rarely change from dog walking regalia. Oh well. Wanted to take a picture of her but I was banished. Fell in love with her dog, who is cuddliest of cuddly things, in grey and white. Simply adorable. And Conor’s birthday tomorrow, I still remember his arrival 15 years ago, and the adoration I received for introducing nipple shields into my friends life. Joy in small things. Ha!

Remember to be kind , and mostly when you want to scream and shout. Or punch someone’s lights out. That’s when it counts. It’s called civilization. Welcome.