Joan Smith

My name is Joan Smith I have just turned 52 years old, I am married to Mark and we have 3 Lancashire Heelers one of whom is blind as she had to have both eyes removed in July 2007.  We had been as far as Edinburgh before when we used to show our dogs at the Edinburgh Championship Dog Show, but we had never been further into Scotland than that. Sadly over the past 5 years I have lost both my Mum and Dad and it was through some money that my Mum left me that we planned our first trip to Clachtoll, I had been tied to be being nearby throughout both my parents long illnesses but 2007 was to be different, then the worst happened our little Meggie had severe eye problems which resulted in two operations within 4 weeks, the last one was on the Monday as we were due to set off on our much needed holiday on the Friday evening this was when she had to have both her eyes removed, she had to go back for a check up on the Friday morning and lo and behold we were given the go ahead to take her on holiday with us, obviously she was on strong painkillers and she even had a morphine patch on her side.  We travelled overnight and we were struck speechless with the beauty of the Highlands.  We had a shortened holiday as we had to come back for Meggie to have all her stitches out.  

This year we had no problems we arrived on the campsite to a little rain and pitched our tent in a strong gale but who cared we were back home again. This year we managed to walk more with Meggie two weeks of total bliss.  It was on one of our trips out to the Summer Isles that we stopped at a little tea/craft shop and there was Steve McDonald's "Highland Farewell" sitting right there on the countertop, I picked it up and saw that it had one of my favourite childhood songs "A Scottish Soldier" on it so I bought it, once back in the car we put the cd on and were totally blown away by it it was etherial, haunting and magical, we never stopped playing it for the rest of the holiday which sadly came to an end far too soon, travelling back alongside Loch Assynt "Highland Farewell" was playing and I was in floods of tears, even now a couple of months on it still brings a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat.  

I found the Fan Club as soon as I got home after a search for info on Steve, of course I joined, Mark

surprised me by buying me "Sons of Somerled" and "Stone of Destiny" from the I tunes store so I could put these on my ipod, but I still want the cd's of these two and I will get them shortly.  

That cup of tea and piece of shortcake found me Steve McDonald and his wonderful music, it was one of the most memorable days of my life.  

Thank you for your music.