Flying Visits from the Americans

 

A quick visit from Joseph,Nicola and Thomas, had me running down the trail with little Thomas…

He does like to run… and meet up with his cousins, who he doesn’t see very often…mind you, he does live in New York !

All too soon  they were gone… back over the Ocean !

Oooops !!

 

I stopped updating my blog, as I realised I would have lots of family commitments to keep me busy…

and didn’t anticipate a great deal of travelling…

 

So, here I am, December 2014….14 months gone by… and loads of ‘complaints’ from my loyal readership !… and lots of exciting events and travelling in between !!

 

So, I’m now going to update my blog- if only to refresh my mind- with backdated entries, obviously a lot shorter than usual ( good, you all say !)… giving you a flavour of the time I’ve had since September 2013, my last ‘live’ entries…

Then… when I’m ‘up to date’….I promise to keep ‘up to date’ !!

Homeward Bound..

After my exploits of the day before, I awoke in Mabie a little stiff,bruised…and wondering what to do ?

-the heavy rain pattering down on Wallys roof helped me decide !…go home

So that’s what I did -ready for the Hayfield Sheepdog trials http://hayfieldshow.co.uk/whats-on/ this weekend, just hoping the weather improves, as forecast…although I arrived home to heavy rain !

Until my next travels…I’ll leave you with this quote from Oscar Wilde that Fr Colin made at church in Elgin last Sunday…brilliant

The only difference between the saint and the sinner is …that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future

Back to Where I started

i was up bright and early, setting off from Kate’s before 10 a.m…. I had decided to travel down to the Dumfries area  again,hoping to beat the bad weather, which was further South and maybe get a ride in today and tomorrow, before heading completely home…

i went through several weather systems, as I traversed the Cairngorms, seeing a ribbon of snow on some of the highest ridges…winter is on it’s way !

I stopped in Perth for lunch at Tiso, wolfing down a hot spicy bean soup, and Mexican prawn sandwich…about halfway to where I intended on stopping…

I got to Ae forest, around 3 p.m., accompanied by black threatening clouds overhead, and not a very satisfactory place to stop the night.. so I continued into Dumfries, filled up with fuel, and headed back to Mabie forest again – where I had first stopped 2 weeks ago en route North…

The sun was shining, and I splashed out on a £3 parking ticket…no going back now, I was here for the night !

I changed into my riding clothes and set off on the Red trail again, up the hills, twisting and turning through the forest, until eventually topping out, with a view down to the Galloway coast beneath me … then time to start heading down and round, along the rocky trail, which now and then gave way to sharp protruding rocks ..just enough to test me.. and every so often, breaking through the trees for views all around, and some nice sun on my back… the trail was almost 20 kms…and eventually I started to feel it !, especially when I hit a tree stump head on, and went straight over the handlebars, landing in a crumpled heap on the forest floor…no bones broken though, I dusted myself off…and carried on, slightly more warily this time..down the aptly named Roller coaster… with high banked corners for me to swoop around…eventually landing back at Wally shortly before 7 p.m., glad to be back in one piece – with only a sore wrist, and muddy legs!

A quick visit to the toilets for a wash and scrub down, and I was ready for my dinner – hot chilli con carne…loadsa chocolate…and an early night beneath the starry sky of the Forest…Goodnight !

 

Well…That’s Doubly Surprising !

I’d stayed on at Kate’s for a couple of extra days, as she had a  hospital appointment today, and I was to be ‘in charge’ of Chloe…fun just in itself..

So, on Monday we went to Roseisle a forest adjoining the beach, where Kate,Chloe and me went for a walk, playing on the climbing frames in the forest, before heading out onto the sand dunes, and into the blasting wind, although there was sunshine, unlike the gales and rain in the rest of the UK…so, not too bad !!

Tuesday morning Kate left me and Chloe to go for a walk on the beach…although we didn’t get far… the tide was in..and Chloe was already asleep, so I went back home to pack up, being back on the road tomorrow… whilst Kate was at the hospital…after springing the surprise on me as I arrived last week… of another Grandchild being on the way…and as she arrived back home, she doubled up on the surprise news…another Grandchild on the way…(that’s twins !!)

What a surprise, and a wonderful end to my time up in Lossiemouth…although I think I’ll be back a few times over the next few months !

Chloe was unperturbed, although she was seen examining new accommodation for herself, in case things get too busy !!

I stayed to watch Manchester United’s first match in the Champions League, another good start 4-2 , so, a happy Goodnight to all ! 

Getting Blown Along..

On a sunny Autumn morning at the seaside…what do you do ? Get the Grandchild wrapped up, and go for a walk on the beach…and, once she’s safely snoozing…treat yourself to a Chocolate Waffle cone, filled with Tutti Frutti ice cream ….luvverly !

Back to Kate’s to collect Mum, and into Elgin for the ‘Food and Drink’ festival, which was slightly disappointing, although Chloe (and Grandad ) had the chance to ‘milk’ a cow…udderly daft ! then we were able to watch the ‘balloon clown’ make us a special ‘swan’  before we headed back home, worn out with all our antics…ready to relax before Dad came home from ‘survival’ in the forest !

As to Sunday ? a day of rest,reading  and roasties… Grandads still the  ‘Master Chef’ !!

Having fun in Scotland, before the Autumn gales arrive !!

Friday the …what ??

Who believes in that ‘Friday 13th’….unluckiness ??

-not me…it was a nice fresh morning around Carbisdale Castle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbisdale_Castle , as I had a leisurely Breakfast, and then set off on the ‘Red Run’ bike trail, relatively short at 7.5 kms, but one to warm me up on the cold and dry  morning with not another soul in sight…

I was soon up at the top, nicely warmed, and ready to swoop down through the trees and banks, and back to Wally for a nice cup of tea and toast – luxury !

..and time for another run, as the weather turned a little damp…or was it my perspiration ? swooping back down to Wally, I was able to change, another cuppa, then off towards Lossiemouth, for another cosy weekend with ‘The Girls’ !!

Chloe had decided to take after Grandad, and do some riding..as she went off to the shops with Dad, having already made a cake with Mummy for a very important person….Grandad !

The day was finished off with an aerobatic display outside the house…specially for Grandad ? or was it for the Officers mess Summer Ball ?

So, not such an unlucky day for Jotown !! Goodnight