After years of long winter months with nonstop rain and a sun which refused to shine, I packed up my car in Seattle and followed the sun to the warmth of San Diego. I was not disappointed; the city was blessed with 12 months of sunshine with an average temperature between 55 to 75 degrees. Plus, it is now a model for urban renewal where having a car isn’t even necessary. Never-the-less, I would think of my family living in my ancestral homeland of Washington State often. While exploring San Diego’s infinite treasures, I lamented that I always seemed just too busy to explore the wonders in my own home state. My brother-in-law suggested that I should check out the Palouse, a sweeping pastoral area in the eastern region of the state. It’s a four-season destination, he added, and in the spring and fall the sun is always out. Then he said something that really stuck with me: ‘It is paradise found.’ Next family vacation I was off and running.

First Stop — Spokane

Nestled on the far eastern border of the state, Spokane was originally the home of The Spokans (“children of the sun”), who were drawn to the hunting grounds and abundance of salmon in the Spokane River. This changed with the arrival of the first European settlers who established a trading post and eventually a railroad industry that built the city.

Spokane — now the second largest city in Washington — was put on the national radar when it hosted the world’s first environmentally themed World’s Fair in Expo ’74. The event transformed the city’s urban core, removing the rail yard along the river, converting it into the 100-acre Riverfront Park, the centerpiece of the fair. Its legacy remains today with many of the attractions still in use.

On what was a perfect Sunday afternoon, I strolled through the park, watching families frolicking on the Looff Carrousel and the Skyride which glides over the Spokane Falls. As I branched out into the city, it was easy to see that Spokane boasts the best of both worlds: a setting in spectacular natural beauty, but with a plethora of urban pleasures of a re-invented downtown, restaurants, book stores and vibrant nightlife thanks to the presence of Whitworth and Gonzaga Universities. I was hungry to see more. So I rented a car for an exploration of the Spokane Region, where I discovered a world of ancient cedar forests, pristine rivers, quaint small towns, deserted ghost towns and scores of golf courses.

Where to Stay in Spokane: The Davenport Hotel

The iconic Davenport Hotel is a grand hotel of the gilded age. It helped transform Spokane’s dying city core into a vibrant destination where people have returned to live. The district is even named the Davenport Arts District. With that said, it is well-worth a self-guided tour, but it can be hard on the pocketbook.

The Montvale Hotel

A pleasant alternative to the Davenport is just down the street: The Montvale Hotel. On a much smaller scale than The Davenport, this property has re-imagined itself as a premier boutique hotel with a modern twist, while still maintaining the ambience of the downtown’s bygone era. If you’re in town just for the day, it too rates a tour.

On to the Palouse — The Seven Wonders of Washington State

In October 1805, Lewis and Clark arrived in the Palouse region. They were stunned by the beauty and magnitude of this sweeping landscape of rolling hills and plateaus. As with other tribes on their historic exploration, they made friends with the nomadic Palus tribe, renowned as expert equestrians. The term Appaloosa is a derivation of the Palouse horse. Traditionally, the Palouse region was defined as the fertile hills and prairies north of the Snake River in southeast Washington and north central Idaho.

Today The Palouse Scenic Byway combines 208 miles of sweeping hills and spectacular vistas, expansive wheat fields of amber autumn gold, lentil farmlands, and small towns with distinctive, rich history and unpretentious charm.

There is no center to the Palouse Scenic Byway; it is a place to simply leisurely drive along the gentle curving highways, sprinkled with antique shops, wineries, easy access venues for hiking and biking, and, above all, photography. If you ever needed to stop the world and simply relax, this is the place for it.

Selected Stops

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is a restored dairy barn surrounded by a fence consisting of more than 1000 wagon wheels. Here you can watch local artisans at work. It’s also a great place to shop for regional gifts. Then head down the road to the historic St. Boniface Catholic Church (circa 1904). The church houses the original stained glass windows.

From Kamiak Butte’s 3,641 feet crest travelers enjoy awesome panoramic views of the Palouse’s rolling hills, and a patchwork of the fields and farmlands below. Its 298 acres is ideal for hiking, picnicking, camping, and sightseeing. For wildlife viewing, the Kamiak Butte area features over 130 species of birds, 170 species of plants, and close to 30 species of mammals. Make sure you hike to the crest for unsurpassed photography opportunities.

Steptoe Butte presents a spectacular 360 degree view of the Palouse. Drive or hike the three miles to the top of the 3,618 feet butte for bird watching, hang-gliding, paragliding, photography, and picnicking.

The Snake River Trail, nestled at Boyer Park & Marina, is a four mile trail that leads to the banks of historic Almota Creek, which was a resting place for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail offers a series of interpretive signs explaining the Columbia and Snake River’s system, dams, river geology, and hydroelectric power.

A hidden oasis rests a short drive off the byway:  the Palouse Falls State Park.  The off-the-beaten-path will lead you to stunning views of waterfalls, cascading 198 feet into a round salt-rock canyon. Just outside the park is a small cluster of historical basalt houses and cabins.

Other highlights include the J.C. Barron Flour Mill, built in 1890; the Tekoa Train Trestle that leads to the John Wayne Trail; the Rosalia Visitor Center, housed in a historic Texaco gas station; the four-acre Steptoe Battlefield State Park in Rosalia, the 1858 site where Lt. Col. E.J. Steptoe led 159 U.S. soldiers in a running fight with a large band of Spokan, Palouse and Coeur D’Alene American Indians. Make sure your day ends or evening begins with a visit to one of the many wineries or pubs in Pullman.

Pullman — My Home Base

With a population of 27,030, the charming town of Pullman is similar to the much larger Spokane with spectacular natural beauty surrounding its core, plus offering urban amenities due to Washington State University towering above it. It’s also located right smack in the middle of The Palouse. There’s a refreshing small town feel, and the locals are welcoming and excited that you are exploring their area. Just across the river is the university town of Moscow, Idaho that also makes an attractive home base.

A number of Pullman restaurants have embraced the slow food movement with the emphasis on seasonal and locally grown food. With bread made from local wheat, produce from nearby farms, Cougar Cheese made at WSU, and fish from the Snake and Columbia Rivers, you are quite literally tasting the landscape.

Recommended Pullman Restaurants

Southfork Public House is the brain child of co-owner Jim Harbour, who is also a professor at WSU. Utilizing regional ingredients, it is known for its wine and beer pairings with seasonal local food items. My favorite dish: MAC & CHEESE — penne noodles tossed in WSU-made Cougar Gold cheese sauce, topped with locally smoked bacon & seasonal scallions. The torpedo-like grissini, made with Palouse wheat, is ideal for dunking.

The Black Cypress is a venue that reflects the qualities of the Palouse region that have kept people living here. A hybrid of Greek and local food items, owner Nick Pitsilionis places an emphasis on an appreciation for honest regional food, company and drink. Many of the produce items come from his own farm. A hybrid of Greek and local food items,  many of the produce items are grown on his own farm. My favorite dish: GOLDEN LENTIL SOUP — Washington is the US’ leading producer of lentils — served with seasonal bruschetta that consists of grilled local Panhandle Bakery bread made with Palouse Sheppard’s Wheat.

Where to Stay in Pullman

A Holiday Inn may not seem regional or unique, but there’s something about Pullman’s Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites that takes service and amenities to the next level. And even better, with many self-guided tours beginning and ending in Pullman, the Palouse is right at your doorstep.

Southwest Airlines offers non-stop flights from Seattle to Spokane.

Pullman Chamber of Commerce

The Palouse Scenic Byway

Visit Spokane

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I am the product of a Dutch (immigrant) mother and I grew up on a farm.  My childhood diet consisted of mostly boiled, sometimes baked, and on rare occasion, fried foods, all grown on the farm.  In my mother’s armamentarium of, shall we say, flavor enhancers, were ground salt, finely grated black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, (powdered) ginger, cloves, vanilla flavoring and cream of tartar.  In the refrigerator were — the cheapest brands of — margarine, mayonnaise, ketchup and worcestershire sauce.  Food was fuel and I had little interest in it until … I moved to the ‘big city.’  Oh, I had been beginning to learn before, in my years in Seattle, that whole worlds of tastes existed that I’d never had the chance to explore, but I was too poor then to seize the opportunity there.

Once in LA, everything changed.  It felt like I could try foods from nearly every country in the world here, and since I now had a good job, my culinary exploration began.  And then I “bumped into” Ed Boitano and that exploration ramped up.  Now butter became a staple in my kitchen and I could never find a spice rack with enough jars to hold all of the tantalizing flavors we found.  But mostly, my love for Italian food began, as Ed’s grandmother had taught him what her mother had taught her and her mother before that …. you know how it goes in regional Italy.  One of my favorite — and one of the simplest — dishes remains Nonna’s pesto, which we often make with walnuts, but in the hills above Genoa where she lived, pinoli were used.  Butter is shown in this recipe, but (extra virgin, of course) olive oil may be at least partially substituted for a healthier version and is actually advised if you are going to serve your pesto cold.

Pesto is always best when served fresh, but if making a large portions it can be frozen. Just make sure you pour a layer of olive oil over the top of the jar or container.

Buon appetito!

For one cup of Pesto alla Genovese

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup sweet basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic
• 1/4 cup Romano Cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup of cream

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I am planning a trip to Amsterdam. My plan is to purchase Dutch products for gifts. I have an hour or two at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for a layover. I noticed in the past there were tulip bulbs for sale, which I thought would make a perfect gift for friends and families. But I’d heard that they are not of the highest quality and sometimes don’t even grow. What is the best place in Holland to purchase the bulbs?
— Linda of Vancouver, Washington

Dear Linda –

Schiphol generally tops the list for the world’s best airport shopping, in particular for chocolates, Stroopwafle, Dutch Genever Gin, Gouda and Edam cheeses, Delft Pottery – but definitely not tulip bulbs, often old and difficult to grow.

The most well-known flower bulb ‘sanctuaries’ in the Netherlands can be found in the region south of Amsterdam, in the uppermost part of the province of North Holland, and in a section of the province of Frevoland.

Linda, will you be visiting Holland in spring? If so, make sure to put Keukenhof Gardens on your list; you’ll be surrounded by a kaleidescape of blooming Dutch tulips at the most famous and largest flower park in the world. Keukenhof’s spectacle of 320,0000 square meters of flowers is a short and easy drive from Amsterdam, and it is essential to plan your visit in advance. AND YES, this is the place to purchase tulip bulbs.

Tulips grow best in maritime areas, preferably not further away than 30-50 miles from the coast. In the Netherlands the area most like this is near the North Sea. The best types of soil are the sandy-clay grounds in the provinces of South and North Holland, Flevoland and the Noordoostpolder. In particular, the maritime climate and the vicinity of water are optimum conditions for growing tulips. I noticed that you live in Vancouver, Western Washington State, which is close to the Skagit Valley. Once a year there is the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which should prove to be an easy location to access the bulbs when not visiting the Nethlerlands.

Dear Dutch-American –

Why are there so many bicyclists in the Netherlands when the nation has public transit, automobiles, trucks and buses?
— Barry of Omaha, Nebraska

Dear Barry –

The Dutch can afford automobiles, but the price of petrol is over $9/gallon. City fathers have made parking cars in town centers highly expensive, making it much more affordable to simply pedal into the cities. Plus, over 26% of the Netherlands is under sea level, and for centuries the Dutch have battled against the ocean water with a system of polders, dykes and weirs. This has created a stunning and unique flat as a pannekoeken (pancake) landscape of reclaimed land across the country, ideal for bicycling. As one of the world’s most forward thinking democracies, Dutch citizens are highly educated, aware that unregulated fossil fuel could not only damage their health, but also the life of our own planet. I’ve noticed that many Dutch people find it perplexing that ignorant far-right Americans consider monetary profiteering more important than the health of their own children. Please note: When strolling through a popular tourist destination, it is the bicyclist who have the right aways on the pathways — so keep your wits about you and be quick on your feet.

Dear Dutch-American –

My time in Amsterdam is far too limited to see all that needs to be seen. What is your pick for the city’s best museum?
— Wendy of Portland, Maine

Dear Wendy –

This is a win-win situation. You really can’t go wrong.

MUSEUM SQUARE is a brief tram ride from Amsterdam’s city center, home to the RIJKSMUSEUM, which includes the works of Rembrandt and Vermeer.

The VAN GOGH MUSEUM is short walk away, and contains the world’s largest collection of paintings and drawings by the artist.

JOODS HISTORIC MUSEUM consists of four adjoining synagogues, linked by internal walkways to form one large museum. The synagogues were central to Jewish life until WWII, and were restored in the 1980s. Most Dutch tourist who visit the museum today are not Jewish, and consider the museum a part of their own history, as well.

ZUIDERZEE MUSEUM in Enkhuizen, an hour away from Amsterdam by train, recreates local Dutch village life throughout history.

“You can always give something, even if it is only kindness.” – Anne Frank.

ANNE FRANK HOUSE & ADJOINING MUSEUM: During World War II, over 103,000 Europeans of Jewish ancestry were deported from the Netherlands to Nazi concentration camps. The most famous was a 13-year-old German girl named Annelies Marie “Anne” Frank. In 1942, the Frank and van Pels families went into hiding in the secret upstair’s annex of a canal building in Amsterdam. For two years, Anne worked on her diary, giving an account of growing up during one of the most inhumane periods of modern history. She made her last entry three days before being arrested. Anne and her older sister Margot died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945, only a few weeks before the concentration camp was liberated. The heroic Amsterdamer, Miep Gies, who had helped to hide and feed the Frank and van Pels families at the risk of her own life, found Anne’s manuscripts and gave them to Otto Frank, Anne’s father, the only family member who had survived the concentration camps. With the utmost respect for the privacy of the Frank family, Ms. Gies never once opened the manuscript. In 1947 the first Dutch edition of the diary, “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” appeared. Since then the diary has been published in more than 55 languages. Anne’s hiding place is the most visited site in the Netherlands. Today you can retrace her steps where she entered the secret annex hidden behind the bookcase.

Meet our Dutch-American: Deb Roskamp

This installment of our advice column comes to you from T-Boy photographer Deb Roskamp, a first generation Dutch-American, whose ancestral home hails from Andijk in the province of North Holland, the place of her mother’s birth

Readers, feel free to ask our staff any questions regarding their ancestral homeland of your choice at ed****@tr**********.com . T-Boy has an illustrious team of writers ranging from British-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Nigerian-Americans, Norwegian-Americans, and more, who have an acute understanding of their ancestral homeland.

The post Dear Dutch-American by Deb Roskamp appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I had it all wrong. U.S. Government warnings have repeatedly alerted us to watch our backs in Mexico. Yet La Paz (“The Peace”) experiences only a fraction of the robbery, rape, assault and murder found in most US cities, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In fact, it’s so safe that Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman made La Paz his hideout. The real question: what is Mexico doing letting us reckless Americans into their county? With ten universities, statistics also indicate that La Paz is the most educated and affluent city per capita in all of Mexico.

Once a sleepy fishing village nestled along the protected waters of Southeast Baja Sur, La Paz was put on the radar when immortalized by John Steinbeck in his novella, “The Pearl” in 1947. Sportspeople journeyed from around the globe for the deep sea bounty of marlin, Dorado, roosterfish and yellowtail. This component of tourism is still very much alive today, and so are snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, and eco-tours. For lovers of sea life, it is the dream of all dreams.

My first day was spent snorkeling with sea lions and whales, just off Isla Espiritu Santo, followed by a catered picnic lunch of local seafood at Espiritu Santo Beach. After an afternoon of kayaking and more swimming, the Fun Baja boat tour cruised over to a native bird estuaries. The days after it was tours of historical attractions, which allowed a deep understanding of La Paz itself. The Los Pacenos were just as excited to see our pack of U.S and Canadian journalist as we were to see them. Like Mexico itself, the local citizens have graciousness and hospitality in their DNA.

Despite the fact that La Paz is the capital city of Baja California Sur with a population of 220,000 it still maintains the charm of ‘Old Mexico,’ with quaint shops, museums, galleries, markets and restaurants serving indigenous food. But if you want action, there’s a dazzling nightlife with cafes, clubs and bars. Plus if you desire to take it to a higher party level, Los Cabos on the southern-most tip of Baja Sur, is just a scenic two-hour drive away.

What to Eat

The Baja is the birthplace of the fish taco, served with the above mentioned fresh seafood caught that very day by local boats. The chocolate clam gets its name from the shell’s brown color, and is eaten alive with a twist of lime. If the clam doesn’t flinch after a lime twist, it’s best to move on to the next one on your plate. Another treat is the hotdogueros, a La Paz hot dog, wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled onions, jalapeno ketchup and peppers. This should be all washed down with a Baja-style cerveza – beer on ice with lime juice and a salt rimmed glass. The beer of choice? Baja California’s own Tecate, of course.

Where I Stayed

CostaBaja Resort & Spa redefines luxury. The centerpiece of the 550-acre CostaBaja development, it is the first 5-star resort in La Paz. The resort is just ten minutes from downtown, set on the Sea of Cortez overlooking a 250-slip double-basin marina and a white sand beach. What was I doing there? The 115-room hotel offers a selection of ocean, mountain, marina and golf course views.

Mexico’s only Gary Player-designed 18 hole golf course meanders from hilltops to sea level with stunning water views just steps from the resort. Built into the landscape, as opposed to the opposite, this very ‘green’ course only utilizes desalinated water. The resort is also home to Steinbeck´s restaurant, and the first spa in La Paz, which features locally-inspired treatments. A dip in one of the three luxurious pools is not a bad way to end a day of activities.

Retirees and Real Estate

By 2021 as many as two million foreign retirees have made Mexico their home, according to the Mexican Federal Tourism Ministry. CNN Money Magazine and the New York Times recently named La Paz one of the top ten places in the world to retire. Mainland Mexicans, Canadian and US tourist are visiting La Paz in droves, then buying second homes or becoming full-time residents. For American retirees, a Yankee pension goes a long way in Mexico. Come to think of it, maybe I should consider retiring there, too

The post Finding Peace in La Paz – The World’s Aquarium on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez appeared first on Traveling Archive.

People and art have long been a recurring theme in Deb Roskamp’s photographic studies. In The People & Art of Guadalajara, Ms. Roskamp explores the relationships between the Mexican people and the great plazas, cathedrals, architecture and sculptures of Guadalajara. Considered to be the most Mexican of Mexico’s cities, Guadalajara has long been a favorite domestic tourist destination for families throughout the nation. Ms. Roskamp captures the joy, excitement and spirit of Mexicans as they experience the city’s great art, and thus become part of the artistic landscape themselves.

The People of Guadalajara was photographed over a weeklong period while Ms. Roskamp was enrolled in Spanish language studies at IMAC.

Below are copyrighted photographs by Deborah Roskamp. You can look but you may not steal. Click on the photos for enlargements. For hi-res images, please write to: de*@tr**********.com

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Hallowe’en

By Robert Burns, 1759 – 1796

Upon that night, when fairies light
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta’en,
Beneath the moon’s pale beams;
There, up the cove, to stray and rove,
Among the rocks and streams
To sport that night.

Among the bonny winding banks,
Where Doon rins, wimplin’ clear,
Where Bruce ance ruled the martial ranks,
And shook his Carrick spear,
Some merry, friendly, country-folks,
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, and pou their stocks,
And haud their Halloween
Fu’ blithe that night.

The lasses feat, and cleanly neat,
Mair braw than when they’re fine;
Their faces blithe, fu’ sweetly kythe,
Hearts leal, and warm, and kin’;
The lads sae trig, wi’ wooer-babs,
Weel knotted on their garten,
Some unco blate, and some wi’ gabs,
Gar lasses’ hearts gang startin’
Whiles fast at night.

Then, first and foremost, through the kail,
Their stocks maun a’ be sought ance;
They steek their een, and graip and wale,
For muckle anes and straught anes.
Poor hav’rel Will fell aff the drift,
And wander’d through the bow-kail,
And pou’t, for want o’ better shift,
A runt was like a sow-tail,
Sae bow’t that night.

Then, staught or crooked, yird or nane,
They roar and cry a’ throu’ther;
The very wee things, todlin’, rin,
Wi’ stocks out owre their shouther;
And gif the custoc’s sweet or sour.
Wi’ joctelegs they taste them;
Syne cozily, aboon the door,
Wi cannie care, they’ve placed them
To lie that night.

The lasses staw frae ‘mang them a’
To pou their stalks of corn:
But Rab slips out, and jinks about,
Behint the muckle thorn:
He grippet Nelly hard and fast;
Loud skirl’d a’ the lasses;
But her tap-pickle maist was lost,
When kitlin’ in the fause-house
Wi’ him that night.

The auld guidwife’s well-hoordit nits,
Are round and round divided,
And monie lads’ and lasses’ fates
Are there that night decided:
Some kindle coothie, side by side,
And burn thegither trimly;
Some start awa, wi’ saucy pride,
And jump out-owre the chimlie
Fu’ high that night.

Jean slips in twa wi’ tentie ee;
Wha ‘twas she wadna tell;
But this is Jock, and this is me,
She says in to hersel:
He bleezed owre her, and she owre him,
As they wad never mair part;
Till, fuff! he started up the lum,
And Jean had e’en a sair heart
To see’t that night.

Poor Willie, wi’ his bow-kail runt,
Was brunt wi’ primsie Mallie;
And Mallie, nae doubt, took the drunt,
To be compared to Willie;
Mall’s nit lap out wi’ pridefu’ fling,
And her ain fit it brunt it;
While Willie lap, and swore by jing,
‘Twas just the way he wanted
To be that night.

Nell had the fause-house in her min’,
She pits hersel and Rob in;
In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
Till white in ase they’re sobbin’;
Nell’s heart was dancin’ at the view,
She whisper’d Rob to leuk for’t:
Rob, stowlins, prie’d her bonny mou’,
Fu’ cozie in the neuk for’t,
Unseen that night.

But Merran sat behint their backs,
Her thoughts on Andrew Bell;
She lea’es them gashin’ at their cracks,
And slips out by hersel:
She through the yard the nearest taks,
And to the kiln goes then,
And darklins graipit for the bauks,
And in the blue-clue throws then,
Right fear’t that night.

And aye she win’t, and aye she swat,
I wat she made nae jaukin’,
Till something held within the pat,
Guid Lord! but she was quakin’!
But whether ‘was the deil himsel,
Or whether ‘twas a bauk-en’,
Or whether it was Andrew Bell,
She didna wait on talkin’
To spier that night.

Wee Jennie to her grannie says,
“Will ye go wi’ me, grannie?
I’ll eat the apple at the glass
I gat frae Uncle Johnnie:”
She fuff’t her pipe wi’ sic a lunt,
In wrath she was sae vap’rin’,
She notice’t na, an aizle brunt
Her braw new worset apron
Out through that night.

“Ye little skelpie-limmer’s face!
I daur you try sic sportin’,
As seek the foul thief ony place,
For him to spae your fortune.
Nae doubt but ye may get a sight!
Great cause ye hae to fear it;
For mony a ane has gotten a fright,
And lived and died deleeret
On sic a night.

“Ae hairst afore the Sherramoor, —
I mind’t as weel’s yestreen,
I was a gilpey then, I’m sure
I wasna past fifteen;
The simmer had been cauld and wat,
And stuff was unco green;
And aye a rantin’ kirn we gat,
And just on Halloween
It fell that night.

“Our stibble-rig was Rab M’Graen,
A clever sturdy fallow:
His son gat Eppie Sim wi’ wean,
That lived in Achmacalla:
He gat hemp-seed, I mind it weel,
And he made unco light o’t;
But mony a day was by himsel,
He was sae sairly frighted
That very night.”

Then up gat fechtin’ Jamie Fleck,
And he swore by his conscience,
That he could saw hemp-seed a peck;
For it was a’ but nonsense.
The auld guidman raught down the pock,
And out a hanfu’ gied him;
Syne bade him slip frae ‘mang the folk,
Some time when nae ane see’d him,
And try’t that night.

He marches through amang the stacks,
Though he was something sturtin;
The graip he for a harrow taks.
And haurls it at his curpin;
And every now and then he says,
“Hemp-seed, I saw thee,
And her that is to be my lass,
Come after me, and draw thee
As fast this night.”

He whistled up Lord Lennox’ march
To keep his courage cheery;
Although his hair began to arch,
He was say fley’d and eerie:
Till presently he hears a squeak,
And then a grane and gruntle;
He by his shouther gae a keek,
And tumbled wi’ a wintle
Out-owre that night.

He roar’d a horrid murder-shout,
In dreadfu’ desperation!
And young and auld came runnin’ out
To hear the sad narration;
He swore ‘twas hilchin Jean M’Craw,
Or crouchie Merran Humphie,
Till, stop! she trotted through them
And wha was it but grumphie
Asteer that night!

Meg fain wad to the barn hae gaen,
To win three wechts o’ naething;
But for to meet the deil her lane,
She pat but little faith in:
She gies the herd a pickle nits,
And two red-cheekit apples,
To watch, while for the barn she sets,
In hopes to see Tam Kipples
That very nicht.

She turns the key wi cannie thraw,
And owre the threshold ventures;
But first on Sawnie gies a ca’
Syne bauldly in she enters:
A ratton rattled up the wa’,
And she cried, Lord, preserve her!
And ran through midden-hole and a’,
And pray’d wi’ zeal and fervour,
Fu’ fast that night;

They hoy’t out Will wi’ sair advice;
They hecht him some fine braw ane;
It chanced the stack he faddom’d thrice
Was timmer-propt for thrawin’;
He taks a swirlie, auld moss-oak,
For some black grousome carlin;
And loot a winze, and drew a stroke,
Till skin in blypes cam haurlin’
Aff’s nieves that night.

A wanton widow Leezie was,
As canty as a kittlin;
But, och! that night amang the shaws,
She got a fearfu’ settlin’!
She through the whins, and by the cairn,
And owre the hill gaed scrievin,
Whare three lairds’ lands met at a burn
To dip her left sark-sleeve in,
Was bent that night.

Whyles owre a linn the burnie plays,
As through the glen it wimpl’t;
Whyles round a rocky scaur it strays;
Whyles in a wiel it dimpl’t;
Whyles glitter’d to the nightly rays,
Wi’ bickering, dancing dazzle;
Whyles cookit underneath the braes,
Below the spreading hazel,
Unseen that night.

Among the brackens, on the brae,
Between her and the moon,
The deil, or else an outler quey,
Gat up and gae a croon:
Poor Leezie’s heart maist lap the hool!
Near lav’rock-height she jumpit;
but mist a fit, and in the pool
Out-owre the lugs she plumpit,
Wi’ a plunge that night.

In order, on the clean hearth-stane,
The luggies three are ranged,

And every time great care is ta’en’,
To see them duly changed:
Auld Uncle John, wha wedlock joys
Sin’ Mar’s year did desire,
Because he gat the toom dish thrice,
He heaved them on the fire
In wrath that night.

Wi’ merry sangs, and friendly cracks,
I wat they didna weary;
And unco tales, and funny jokes,
Their sports were cheap and cheery;
Till butter’d so’ns, wi’ fragrant lunt,
Set a’ their gabs a-steerin’;

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