Primrose Vale

From the end of the Camas track do roam

East to greet the morning sun.

Fly on two wheels past the bakery in Bunessan 

and take the old road alongside Loch Assapol.

As you go by those dangerous waters, beware,

the Water horse of legend old 

who stole a young woman from the shore

because she was a little too bold.

Leave legend  behind and journey on

to the burial ground of the son of Eoghan

pay your respects before the dust falls 

and continue cycling off road on the moor grass track.

Once over the hill you'll feast your eyes

on glistening silver sand from mica schist ground

here find a berth to stow your bike 

safe from the tide, cattle, and sheep 

right on the edge of Kilvickeon beach hike.

Clamber through narrow tide cleaved tunnels to get above the waves

then scramble slowly along cliffs next to where ravens nest

next, peer off around and into the cave with sides too steep to descend

with few options left, rise above to the rest.

 Across moorland do venture, deftly afoot

be vigilant to keep venom free

and spot the adders in heather

slinking away, soft as a feather.

Take time to take in th'old iron age fort

crumbling stone ruins of many a story 

are sinking slowly into bracken 

about the cleared crofting town of Shiaba

Before hunger dulls your senses gather your wits

turn to the woods

Open your ears and follow the song of the wind in the trees and listen 

for hazel by fresh water's edge

Say goodbye to the sea and hello to the stream

follow it up to something out of a dream

there you will find, should the sun smile

a waterfall pool for you to spend a long while

Take great respect and check the wind in your sail

enter it slowly with eyes of an owl

and you may just perceive

the rainbow encircling you in this still, wild and wet, primrose vale

References: Shiaba , Kilvickeon Church

Starting Spring at the end of the Camas Track

“I am going to write something on your hand,” my friend said to me. I watched as she slowly drew letters into the top of my palm with a blue pen. Curious, I peered at my hand to see the message:

“Stay Lamb”

Camas Tuath is all about staying lamb because, as we told the 18 youth who lived with us here a couple weeks ago, it is not true that curiosity killed the cat.

This summer I will work at “staying lamb” and  growing lamb like curiosity and joy into everything I do 1.5 miles from the nearest road and 10 meters from the ocean as I volunteer at Camas. Yesterday, I saw a lamb being born at the top of the Camas track! Within 5 minutes of coming down the birth canal it was bouncing around gleefully as I bounced my way back to Camas with my wheelbarrow full of field potatoes. 


I will be occasionally posting some things here but if you want to get a sense of Camas life, check out our Camas blog! I wrote the first post, "Fire with Flint and Steel", but it will likely be updated by all the staff at Camas as the summer progresses.
Here is the FB group for those of you on facebook...