Fitz- you are so right.
Folks have knocked the MA site in the past- 'it's not quite *the* best at this, not quite *the* best at that'. so fuckin what. What this site does (and no other site has) is to further inspire my sense of wonder in the monuments that have been left to us by our ancient ancestors- our greatest grandmothers and greatest grandfathers.
I used to think I was very alone in my need to visit megaliths (jeez- this sounds like megalithomaniacs anonymous- 'hello- my name's Martin and I am *have* to visit old stones on a regular basis'!!), but no- there are others who constantly dirve me on. All of my journeys to megaliths feel like pilgrimages- I think I've said it in the past- but even those I travel to within Edinburgh on our local buses- the getting on of the bus feels sacred.
The thing is- even if the MA didn't exist- I'd still be doing all this- I have for as long as I can remember been interested in megaliths. I'd still be out in the hills and fields in all Seasons, but nobody else would ever read my fieldnotes, no one would ever see my pics. We have this wonderful site in which to share all of these- I like nothing better than reading other folks fieldnotes of sites I have visited and knowing what they got from the place.
The MA is one of the first things I check every day- keeping up to date with FourWinds latest postings, readin about RiotGibbons trips, AQ's huge eruditic entries, checking out the latest entry from any of the Scottish Posse (a personal interest ;)).
I was writing up my fieldnotes from my latest trip up North- my wife was joking with some folk- 'he travels round looking at old stones then goes away and writes to all his imaginary friends on the internet'- made me laugh! But only last week I was in a wood in the shadow of Dunsinane having my head beautifully fucked by a monolith in the centre of a circle, my eyes blinded by sun filtering through trees and I too though- yeh this is so good- I can't wait to tell other on the MA about this......