I Can Show You the World

This morning, with Jenny in tow, we decided to indulge in our bad habit again and climb Arthur's Seat early on in our Saturday. Then have some marvelous bacon-sausage-eggs-and-muffin sandwiches. Arthur the mammoth, Elle taught us today, was vegetarian, as all mammoths are, and not interested in devouring any of us. This gave us extra confidence to stomp around the top. And befriend dogs that belong to little children. Dogs named Terry that slip down the rocks when Elle tries to pet it.















Dave. Alan. Elle. and Jenny. On the peak. Looking like catalogue children.

On the spectacularly nice weather we've been having, and the faint sunshine we enjoyed at the top:
Alan: Where's the wind? I've never been up here when the weather has been nice. This isn't right. This isn't Edinburgh.















A view from the top.

Moi: Last night, when we were singing 'How Great Thou Art' at CU? I was thinking of the view from Arthur's Seat when I was singing.
Alan: From lofty mountain grandeur?
Moi: What?
Alan: That line from the song, "from lofty mountain grandeur?"
Moi: Oh. I didn't even know that was part of the song. I was thinking about the line with the stars and the skies. ("I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder.")
Alan: You do know that you can see the stars from pretty much anywhere, right?















Dave showing off on the highest point. We humored him by snapping lots of pictures. And emphasized that his stunts were only cool because they defied death. And warned that he had better keep defying, because we didn't want any trouble. Until we got tired of looking impressed. Then poor Dave had to stop.



















Now that's a facebook profile picture.

(Later)
Elle (of English/Scottish descent): ... and this was extra funny because she said this all in an Irish accent. She asked, "Would you rather smell through your bottom or pee through your nose?"
Jenny: I think you just did an American accent.
(Everyone nods in agreement.)
Elle: Oh. What's an Irish accent then?

Well, which would you rather do?

Also, an update on the Zacchaeus controversy. The Irish and Northern Irish staunchly stand by Zacchaeus as a very little man. (And not 'really,' as I have previously reported.) But the Scots, led by Hannah, whose grandfather was chaplain to the Queen, so she must know her Sunday school songs, agree that he's a funny little man. The English of us do not know the song well, though Elle was tempted to side with very. And no one is backing the wee. Hannah has a theory that the Scots rejected him as a wee little man once they heard the Americans singing it.

Elle: ...he climbed onto a sycamore tree. Why did he climb that sycamore tree again? I always forget.
Moi: Because Jesus he wanted to see. That was the next line in the song! He climbed onto a sycamore tree because Jesus he wanted to see. Obviously, you did not get very far in Sunday school. Zacchaeus, you come down, I'm coming to your house today!
Alan: No, Jesus and Zacchaeus had tea. I'm coming to tea today.
Moi: What!? Jesus did not have tea! Jesus want to his house. Jesus was not British!
Elle: He was a white, bearded American, right?
Moi: Of course, he was.