Every day I walked 20 minutes each way from 34 Bread Street along West Port to GrassMarket and up a steep incline to George IV Bridge. The streets went through Old Town past where the town wall once stood. So, let’s stroll on my morning commute.

WEST PORT GARDEN

West Port Garden is a charming oasis created by Norah Geddes in 1910 to provide green space for children living in Old Town’s slums. There were other similar gardens at the time, but few remain. The garden opened every afternoon from May to September under supervision of a Lady Helper. Activities included swings, a sandpit, and an area for ‘football.’

GRASSMARKET

GrassMarket is almost deserted in the morning and bustling in the afternoon. In times past, the All Hallows Horse Fair gave the market its purpose. Stables and yards were built behind the area’s houses where cattle could be fattened before being auctioned at the market.

The area was also a frequent site of public hangings, beginning about 1660. Over 100 Covenanters (opponents to English rule) gave up their lives between 1661 and 1688 in what was known as the Killing Time.

There is the tale of Margaret Dickson who was hanged at GrassMarket in 1724 for murdering her illegitimate babe. Pronounced dead, she was put into a cart where she awoke. She could not be executed a second time. Later the words “until dead” were added to execution orders. Today Maggie Dickson’s Pub graces GrassMarket.

GREYFRIARS KIRKYARD

Continuing uphill, the entry to Greyfriars Kirkyard appears. The cemetery dates back to the 1560s. During the nineteenth century the University of Edinburgh had a prestigious medical program which inadvertently sparked an underground trade in corpses. These were acquired by bodysnatchers who sold them to medical students. Families countered the crime by boxing graves in metal grates called mortsafes. For this and other reasons, Greyfriars Kirkyard is thought to be haunted.

GREYFRIARS BOBBY

The most famous grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard belongs to a Skye Terrier called Bobby. In 1850 John Gray moved to Edinburgh with his family and joined the police force as a night watchman. Gray took Bobby with him on his rounds. Eight years later, Gray died from tuberculosis and took his place in the cemetery. Bobby refused to leave his master’s resting place.

Finally, the gardener built Bobby a shelter by the grave. The little dog became famous throughout Edinburgh. Every day crowds gathered at the cemetery entrance waiting for the 1:00 gun salute. At this time, Bobby left the gravesite to go for his meal at the same Coffee House he’d visited when his master lived.

The inscription reads:

Greyfriars Bobby died in 1872. His headstone reads Greyfriars Bobby – died 14 Jan 1872 – aged 16 years – Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all.

At the corner where GrassMarket turns onto George IV Bridge, there is an attractive pub named for Greyfriars Bobby.

And at the opposite corner, there is a granite fountain with a statute of Greyfriars Bobby on top. In the afternoons it’s hard to get around the tourists taking pictures standing next to the immortal pup.

The inscription reads:

A Tribute to the affectionate fidelity of Greyfriars Bobby. In1858 this faithful dog followed the remains of his master to Greyfriars Churchyard and lingered near the spot until his death in 1872.

GEORGE IV BRIDGE (STREET)

George IV Bridge is a 300 meter elevated street built on a multi-arched bridge completed in 1832 to allow greater access between the Old and New Towns.

ELEPHANT HOUSE

A few blocks beyond Greyfriars Bobby’s monument is Elephant House, a purveyor of gourmet tea and coffee that opened in 1995. Though its beverages and pastries are excellent, Elephant House is most known as a place where authors write well-known books. Among them: Ian Rankin who writes the Rebus novels, Alexander McCall-Smith known for the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, and the most famous of them all, J. K. Rowling who wrote several books about wizards.

Naturally I tried to absorb some of the authors’ magic “ink”. Whether I succeeded or not will become known as “Malice” develops beyond the research stage.

Also on George IV Bridge are two notable buildings. The first is the National Museum of Scotland, and then there’s the building where I spent most of my time, the National Library of Scotland. More on these next week.

???

All Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

Elephant House: Gourmet Tea and Coffee Shop

Greater Grass Market

Greyfriars Kirk.

“Geddes Garden Reveals Story.” Edinburgh World Heritage. Aug 27, 2014

Ben Johnson. “Greyfriars Bobby.” Historic UK

Nicola Strochlic. “Welcome to the Most Haunted Graveyard in the World.” Daily Beast. Oct 30. 2013

The post COMMUTING PAST GRASSMARKET, EDINBURGH first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Two years ago Spencer retired. Reflecting on his life, Spencer thought blogging might be a good use of his time. I gave him a slot, but after his first appearance Spencer decided he’d rather not pursue the writer’s life. You can read his blog here.

Like the Handsome Bloke, Spencer loved Hawai`i. He also loved to travel. Within a year he joined the Handsome Bloke and me on vacation in the Canadian Rockies. This entailed a long distance flight to Chicago, followed by a short hop up north to Toronto on a much smaller plane. The kind of plane that encases the boarding stairs in the forward door. The first step was over a foot off the ground. Spencer had never seen anything like it. How, he wondered, could he make the first step, let alone get to the top?

Spencer walked up to the step. Nope. The Handsome Bloke led him back, circled him and encouraged another go. This happened several times. At last Spencer made up his mind and took a giant leap that took him half way up the stairs. He kept his footing and sauntered through the door, smiling.

Spencer made many trips to Honolulu, Seattle, and England where he became a supporter of the York City Football Club.

Spencer traveled to Greece. Note the red collar he’s wearing. It was on sale at Harrods Department Store.

Off duty on Crete, Spencer joined The Handsome Bloke for some relaxation.

When the Handsome Bloke and I renewed our wedding vows, Spencer led the way. Notice I wanted to go right.

Spencer transitioned to another existence last week. I think of him smiling and enjoying his new home. The Handsome Bloke and I were blessed to have him in our family. We miss him.

Acknowledgements:

Hawai`i and Crete photos by Author. Greek photo by guide on author’s camera. Formal photos taken by David Golding Wedding Photography. All Rights Reserved.

The post Retired Guide Dog Spencer McGarrett – A Remembrance first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Ever curbed that urge by thinking about how you’d never get the glitter out of the carpet?

If you answered yes to the first question, you are either a water sprite or carefree child.

If you answered yes to the second, you
a.) Had a parent with eyes in back of his or her head
b.) Have been the person who had to clean the carpet
c.) Have a strong desire to please others
d.) Have actually given in to the urge and then had to clean up after yourself which would not have been necessary if you had remembered to cover the carpet with plastic first.

The correct answer is “D” – because it means you can now cover the floor and run around flinging glitter while being chased by an over-excited dog.

Glitter is fun. It sparkles. It makes any attempt at artwork look somehow better.
Glitter is a cornerstone of crafting – and March is National Craft Month.

Glitter comes in various containers and a rainbow of colors.

It can be attached to practically any surface including your eyelids and other body parts.

Glitter draws the eye. It makes me laugh. Its mundane ingredients are magical.

People have always been drawn to glitter – the very word comes from Old Norse – glitra. People living in caves used flake mica to give their artwork a glittery surface. Ancient Egyptians used the iridescent shells of beetles and ground malachite crystal to make things sparkle.

Modern glitter is made from plastic – less romantic than sparkling beetle shells, but more amenable to mass marketing. Which means that if you go down to your local craft store, they probably have plenty of green glitter as well as undecorated hat forms. You need to stock up now, because March 17 is when we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and you need a proper green hat, trimmed in green glitter to wear while you drink green beer.

That’s the thing about glitter – it makes you want to celebrate.

Do you have a favorite use for glitter? Leave a comment.

Information:

Featured Image by Evi Michaelidou, Creative Commons Attribution, Wikimedia Commons

The post SOME PROPERTIES OF GLITTER first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

I did find this picture taken in an English garden a couple years ago. Here you see me at work guiding the Handsome Bloke around the garden feature. Without my constant attention, he would have stubbed his toe at the very least. You also get to see my harness and how well we work together. What a team we are!!!

I promised a story about my first train ride. Let’s begin with a picture of the Rocky Mountaineer Train that runs from Banff to Vancouver. Last week I told you about the plane that took us to Toronto. Then we took a regular train to Jasper National Park, drove by car down to Banff, and finally boarded the train to Vancouver: the VIA Rocky Mountaineer.

I draw your attention to the distance from the rail to the actual level of the car. You may never have thought of this before. I certainly hadn’t. And this was my first train. Since then I’ve ridden on BritRail a lot, and it’s much easier, because we always use the station platform. That means I just have to get up and down the steps.

The problem was that between Banff and Vancouver the train only makes one official stop – at Kamloops. That’s a long time for me to keep my puppy legs crossed. The Handsome Bloke had a long conversation with the conductor. The train does make other stops during the night to take on fresh food and stuff. So, the conductor said he would knock on the door when we were coming to a stop area, and Sandra could take me out.

Okey-Dokey. So, it’s zero-dark-thirty and Sandra puts my lead on, takes me to the exit, and believe me, I never did anything like this at training school. It was a long way down. The first two steps were connected to the car, and then they put down this plastic step stool that looked pretty dicey. I wasn’t too happy, and there’s Sandra in back of me like she thinks I’m going down. ‘Cuz there wasn’t space to turn around.

Well, it looked easier than getting on and off that plane. And, I was still young and spry then – not even two years old. Plus, I needed to find some grass, pronto. I took a deep breath, took the first steps and jumped the plastic one. Whew! And Sandra said I was a good boy. Duh!

So then, she walked me back and forth until I found the perfect spot. I had more of an audience than I prefer. I was their first distinctive canine passenger. And then we got back on the train. That was much easier than getting off, because I could get a running start.

The Handsome Bloke was so proud of me. After demonstrating my heroic traveling abilities, he knew we were the best team ever.

So, next time you see an official Seeing Eye Guide Dog, remember how very special we are, guiding our handler through every obstacle and making super canine efforts to go wherever our person leads.

WOOF!

For information on Canada Rail Vacations, check out http://canadarail.ca/packages/rockies-escapade

The post PUPPY BLOGGER RIDES HIS FIRST TRAIN first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.

Hello – Guide Dog Spencer McGarrett, puppy blogger, is back. Last time, I told you how I grew up at Guide Dogs Victoria in Melbourne, Australia and was assigned to join the Handsome Bloke in Hawai`i. Today, I’m going to tell you about my first travel adventure with the Handsome Bloke.

I learned lots of useful things at the training school. They taught me how to do my “business” in a bag attached to a special harness. Frankly, it’s not very comfortable, but it makes things easier for the Handsome Bloke. Moving on. I know how to climb stairs and withstand the rigors of a long haul flight. I’ve done lots of those. I’ve been to England, Scotland, Greece and the U.S. Mainland. I love flying. The flight crews all want to give me a cuddle. Sometimes the pilots put their hats on me and take pictures to prove I was there.

But, my first trip with the Handsome Bloke was to Canada. First we went to Seattle. Smooth as silk. Then we connected to Chicago. No probs. Then we transferred to a different plane to go to Toronto. No jet way.

Woof, woof – No problem, Boss, I do stairs.

We went on the tarmac. I was expecting nice wide portable stairs, the kind I could get a good grip on. But, no. It was a small plane, and the steps were also the door. I found pictures, but Sandra said I couldn’t use them due to copyright issues. So, they were the kind of steps that are part of the door. And the bottom step is way off the ground, and they were steep and narrow. To this day the memory makes me whimper in my sleep. [The Handsome Bloke thinks I’m chasing something, but actually I’m reliving the moment I encountered the stairs.]

I’d never seen anything like these steps. I’m a big boy – I weighed 90 pounds – and I’m not much of a jumper. So, I did what any sensible dog would do. I sat down. Handsome Bloke walked me around the plane, stopped in front of the steps, told me to go up. Well, it was a dilemma I can tell you. The Handsome Bloke is my god. I would do anything for him. But, gee whiz. We walked around the plane a few times, and then some folks in uniforms started gesturing. I guess I was making the plane late. Shucks.

Then, Sandra went up the steps. So, she was on top waving her arms. And the Handsome Bloke was getting a bit testy. They would never have left me, but I was new, and I didn’t know what might happen. So I decided the best thing would be to get a really long head start and then launch myself into the air and hope I landed at the top . . . or something. To my surprise, I made it. Everyone applauded. Said what a brave boy I was. I loved it until I realized I could barely fit in the aisle. But the Handsome Bloke squeezed me in and off we went to Canada. Can you believe it? I was a truly international dog.

Sandra is laughing so hard; she says I can continue the story next week. So, I’ll see you then.

WOOF!

Photo by Author.  All Rights Reserved.

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“Please, can I do a guest blog?”

“You’re a guide dog.  What do you know about writing a blog?”

“What’s to know?  I’ve watched you for weeks.  You put your paws on the keyboard and away you go.”

Well, she had no answer to that, so here I am.  Guide Dog Spencer McGarrett, puppy blogger.  Check out my picture.  Aren’t I handsome?  I am a yellow Labrador Retriever.  Not that I could ever be bothered to retrieve anything.  Oh, and I’ll tell you right now, I hate water.  People think because I’m a Labrador I like to swim.  Excuse me?  Have you ever smelled a wet dog?  Why would I want to smell like that?

The next thing people ask is why I have so many names.  I am a pure bred Labrador – although I may have an unknown relative somewhere in the gene pool.  Shhh!  Don’t tell anyone!  The way I heard the story, every litter delivered during a calendar year gets a letter.  So there’s an A-litter, B-litter – you get the drift.  I’m from the S-litter at Guide Dogs Victoria (Australia) (https://www.guidedogsvictoria.com.au ) in 2003.  My littermates and I all had names starting with the letter S.  There was Sasha and Sam.  And, I’m Spencer.

Fast forward.  I’ve made it through training and been assigned to the Handsome Bloke who is completely, totally, and entirely blind.  Can’t see his hand in front of his face.  I was so excited, ‘cuz he lives in Hawai`i.  I’d get to see hula dogs.  Wow!

Fully trained internationally certified guide dogs are very expensive.  I’m embarrassed to tell you how much we cost – maybe later when we know each other better.  Even though we are expensive, our handlers don’t pay for us.  We are supported by donations.  In Hawai`i there’s a television show called Hawai`i 5-O.  There’s cops and bad guys, and mostly beautiful scenes from Hawai`i.  The first Hawai`i 5-O starred Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett.  He died before I was born, but his widow Marie lived in Hawai`i and donated to various charities, including Eye of the Pacific Guide Dog Foundation. (http://www.eyeofthepacific.org ) Mrs. Lord’s donation paid for me so I could work with the Handsome Bloke.  The Handsome Bloke was so excited, he changed my name to McGarrett in honor of Jack Lord.  There was a special proclamation from Governor Linda Lingle and Harry Kim, Mayor of Hawai`i County.  I felt like royalty.

I have to stop now.  Sandra told me to keep it under 500 words.  I hope she lets me blog again.  I’ve really enjoyed meeting you.  Woof!

The post GUIDE DOG SPENCER McGARRETT-PUPPY BLOGGER first appeared on Sandra Wagner-Wright.