Less than 2 Days to Seattle

And the NASFIC program schedule is finally posted.

www.cascadiacon.org/programming/schedule/

Ok, it might have been posted this weekend, but I didn't have a chance to check.

No panel participation for me this time around, though. I thought I was going to be busy with the SFWA table, but we changed our minds about a couple months ago. So, for a change, I am free to wander about and do as I please.

Katrina

To all those with friends and family in the path of this storm, my heart and prayers go out to you and them. May they all be safe.

The storm can be tracked here.

www.nhc.noaa.gov

4 Days to Seattle

Yep. I'm heading off to yet another convention, NASFIC, and using up the rest of my vacation for the year.

Ah well, I start earning the next round at the end of September.

No travelling companions this time. Wow! I don't think I've been to a convention by myself in 10 years. Should be interesting.

Flying Home Today

The convention is over. It's time to go back to the normal everyday life. And, tomorrow morning it's back to work for me. I have to admit, the only thing that has kept me from checking in with work every day has been the inaccessibility of internet--and the cost, of course. It's quite expensive here.

More on Scotland, with photos, later.

Scotland, Day 7

August 2

Heavy rain again. We decided to tour the battlefield at Culloden. I think the rain and the gloom added to the atmosphere. I know several people whose last names are Scottish, so I checked for their clans on the lists, but I only found two—Ferguson and Gordon (I actually hadn’t been looking for this one). Both fought on the side of the Jacobites, the Gordons in the second line of defense. Ferguson is the sir name of three of my younger siblings. There were no grave markers set aside for the smaller clans, including these two, so I can only assume their dead to have been buried under the mixed clan markers. After all these generations, people still leave flowers at the markers. The sadness of the place drew me. I walked the entire length of the battlefield and returned to the car completely drenched.

Culloden
Photographer:Zara Elis, Editor:David M. Gordon

Culloden
Photographer:Zara Elis, Editor:David M. Gordon

Culloden
Photographer:Zara Elis, Editor:David M. Gordon

Culloden
Photographer:Zara Elis, Editor:David M. Gordon

Culloden
Photographer:Zara Elis, Editor:David M. Gordon



Then, after picking up souveniers for a few friends, we headed off to Glasgow, with a quick stop along the roadside for another photo of Blair Castle. We turned in the rental car and checked into our hotel. Did we get lost in Glasgow? Yep, but only for a couple minutes.

Blair Castle
Photographer:Zara Elis, Editor:David M. Gordon

Scotland, Day 6

August 1

This morning—definitely early this time—we met our tour group for Loch Ness and Skye. It was an all day tour with a small group that took us to several scenic spots. We were also able to tour Armadale and Eileen Donan (sp?) Castles.

(PHOTO to arrive soon)