What a nice place to live....(or even visit on your holidays?)

Another wee ramble yesterday which delighted dogs and children alike. This time we headed down river which involves more scrambling. The bridge photo is from the other side of the "Roman Bridge" on our land (see "Fluffy Cloud Day" March for the other side view), and Toby is putting my walking boots on after giving his wellies to me for an impromptu trip across the river (it is deeper than it looks in the photo)to get home. I discovered much less than 1/2 way across that the wellies leaked and so he then decided he had better wear mine rather than put me to all the trouble of removing his from my now quite soggy feet.Such a kind boy. Today is lovely too but the gardening beckoned and now I have a very sore back! Slight relief to the lumbar region was in making preparations for tea, Toby has deemed it to be a "French" day. this means that after scouring the little grey cells for ideas and the fridge for ingredients we are having homemade french bread sticks with pate (if Dad gets home from Lochgilphead Coop in time and tuna mayonnaise if not (well, the French eat a lot of fish don't they? and what is more traditional than mayonnaise?!) followed by meringues, currently toasting in the oven, with strawberries and cream (the latter also dependent on Garret's return otherwise it is that well known Gaulic invention:-Squirty cream from Lidl)....and a large glass of Red for me.

Monday. Nails and cake

First visit to a nail bar...fortified by cake

Sunday

All annoyance from the previous day blown away with a frantic game of football.No. 1 photo..."where'd dat ball go....?"

Weekend break...Saturday

So there we all were…brim full of pride, excitement and nerves. The transportation of all of us to Liz’s in Doncaster in Garret’s car had been an adventure in itself involving a threatened cancellation and subsequent reduction in time away due to a faulty Water tank (now fixed) but we were THERE at the N.E.C waving frantically at the West Coast Motor bus passing us as we left our cars…who else could it be but the Scottish team for the Junior Indoor Athletics Championships. This was the culmination of months of qualifiers and hard work for all and judging from the opening procession promised to be a great day…..then it all went horribly wrong! In short the arena floor was not suitable for the children to run on and they slipped and fell all over the place. Inevitably, with Toby on the starting line the track events were cancelled with little regard for the hopes and anticipation for scores of children and families… shame on them.

PS got last photo in the wrong place as it was during the procession.
1 and 5.Toby 4th from left
2,3 and 4. Ready in anticipation...

A day in the Hills

Still carless we took to the hills on our bikes, and subsequently pushed our way up most of them. From the back of our house the track through the forest rises steeply to an old Quarry at the summit, and it defied us all except Toby. My excuse is my status as pack horse carrying provisions deemed vital for any longer than ½ hr away from home such as Hot Chocolate and Mini Eggs left over from Easter. This as well as cheese and branston sandwiches etc weighed me down and will earn my osteopath a few more contributions to his children’s school fees. We went to the old village perched up on the hills way above Loch Fyne looking over to Strachur. Someone has made a picnic bench up there and we ate the sandwiches in a fine drizzle of rain that reminded me about my washing left out a couple of miles away. We then descended and left the drizzle behind winding our way down to the shore between Pennymore and Kenmore. Some of us went down faster than intended to start off with as I discovered a distinct lack of brakes on my bike. We had another stop for eggs and a complicated game of deer/hunters followed by a “natural sculpture” competition. I felt very hurt when the judge ridiculed my wigwam and pine cone man as she felt the man was too big for the structure…this is fine coming from a judge who only came by the position because she firstly knocked her effort over and then trod back onto Toby’s. The exciting highlight of the ride came when I suddenly slowed to a halt (using my feet to fine effect) to check out the snake I was sure I could hear only for it to turn out to be a very fast puncture in my back tyre….luckily only about a mile to walk home.

1. A monument in memory of Evan McColl the Gaelic poet who was born at Kenmore on Loch Fyne that was unveiled by His Grace the Duke of Argyll in 1930.He was the author of the "The Mountain Minstrel" or in Gaelic "Clarsach nam Beann".
2.Toby and a big Tree
3. The sculpture contest in action

Chanter Competition

So, picture the scene.....17 or so children,17 or so chanters clasped in sticky hands, 17 or so proud but anxious parents perched on infant class seats,one large genial judge in kilt mercifully provided with a normal sized person's seat, the inevitable small but cute child at the back making funny comments in the quiet moments and a very very hot sun blasting in through the classroom windows. This was my fate this morning, to accompany a white faced Freya to her first chanter competition where she performed very creditably and was 5th in her class so, inevitable here are the photos....just count yourselves lucky that I do not know how to insert a video (yet). The rest of the day we hung out here and then I thrashed them all (at Pontoon and won all their marbles) before bed.Hee hee.

Tired bunny

Far too tired to write much, what is the saying about a picture tells a thousand words? This will save me a lot of typing. Me and my boys hit the slopes today (sorry girls, but we did have fun!). Toby was a star, snow ploughing down Mugs Alley and the Main Basin, and I managed the dreaded tow alone whilst Toby rode with Garret...how brave am I?!

Ps Picture no Four is Toby descending to the Bottom of the Main basin