Tackling the Monsters’’again !

Up bright and early today, to drop Kate at Lossiemouth for a study course, and then onto near Mulben…for the car Park at Ben Aigin forest, and ready for …http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-6mrjht  The Ben Aigin ‘Hammer’… a difficult red route climbing up through the forest, to the top of Ben Aigin, descending around the top, and along sections like ‘The Hammer’, ‘The Widowmaker’ and…a fast downhill section….

I returned to the mast, and then down to the car park along the ‘Mast Blast’….and phew, a cool drink, and cruise back to Elgin…

Then, to read the papers….apparently there was a big Wedding in London yesterday !

A Royal Celebration …in Elgin

We had prepared for the ‘big event’ by doing all the shopping on Thursday, intending to get some bunting,flags, and ‘wedding memoribilia’, ready for the big days events…

Unfortunately (it being Scotland) there was nothing available, so we decided we would just have to ‘pretend’…

Slight complications were that Theodore (cat!) was still unwell, and we had to take him into Vets at 4 p.m. Thursday…and ‘drat’ we had to return on the ‘Big Day’ to leave him for an X Ray, at 0900 !….

So, the big day arrived in ,now sunny,Scotland, we were up early, with television on, so as to not miss a single second …

although we did have to dash to vets, and back again…breakfasting on bacon and egg barms….and settled down to watch every second of the day….

Fantastic…England at it’s best….and a fantastic spectacle, oh, we wished we were there…still the television coverage was very moving..and fun !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishmonarchy/sets/72157626613171058/show/

We watched it live, immediate highlights, later highlights…and to bed, as the next highlights appeared !

Oh, and Theodore was collected with a ‘special (and expensive) diet’ ….hopefully cured.. !

Sunshine…finally

Well, the sun has finally started to arrive in North East Scotland..

Kate had been discharged from Hospital on Monday afternoon, so I made her ‘’chucky eggs’ and ‘soldiers’ , served on the sunny patio…

Up to Kate’s bas for a check up in the afternoon, and b evening the sun was still shining, so I decided to get the Road bike out, and go for a spin along the sunny evening roads.

I travelled from Elgin, passing Lossiemouth, Hopeman and up to Burghead, a really pleasant ride in the sunshine… then I decided it was time to return, and as I turned found a fierce wind in my face, blowing hard against me – not as easy as I thought !

So, I puffed and panted all the way back…22 miles round trip in 1 hour and 20 minutes…not bad !

Then Spag Bol, garlic bread and lemon zest pud !

Around the Fochabers Ring

The sun was shining, weakly on this Easter Sunday morning,and I was about early to go to Fochabers for the http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/ourwoods.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/ScotlandMorayandAberdeenshireNoForestForestsofMorayandAberdeenshireWhiteashMorayMonsterTrailsTheFochabersRing Monster Trails that were there !

Several routes were there, around the grade that I like (Red), and I was ready for some rough riding after a few days of a sedentary life !

…that’s when the first error of the week reared it’s head- my bike shoes were at Kate’s house…Ooops ! Rather than going back I decided  to ride in my sandals… the trail was initially OK for me to negotiate in sandals, just a fairly steep climb for some distance, up to the pyramid monument to the Duchess of Richmond, then down and into winding steep tracks through the forest…which soon became quite tortuous,and infested with gnarly tree roots, which did their (failing) best to throw me off…and quite tricky at times.

I returned to the car park, packed up and went off to Kate’s….collecting the paper on me way –well it’s Sunday….papers day !

I had the ‘afternoon off’ visiting…and so took it easy, and walked to the hospital in the evening (less than an hour away), saw Kate who continued to do well, although she wasn’t too good at ‘I Spy’ ! , and walked home for an early night.

Easter Blessings

Kate’s Operation had gone well the previous day, and it was good to see her in Hospital, looking bright and cheerful…making a good recovery.

My young charge had meanwhile responded admirably to the tender ministrations of Jotown, and had ‘dried up’…

So, that evening I went to St Mary’s Dufftown, for the Easter Vigil Service http://dufftown.stsylvesters.org.uk/history, it’ some years since I sang as much at a vigil service, or had as many readings…so the two hour service passed fairly quickly, with all the clergy of St Sylvester’s parish present http://www.stsylvesters.org.uk/ 

A great start to Easter….

As you will see St Mary’s Dufftown needs money..the altar couldn’t be used properly due to the dry rot…Paypal taken…please join me in helping !

Easter Blessings to You All

Caring for the Young One…

It was a big day for me…

Kate taken …and left at the Hospital for her Op the following day…and Jotown ?

…..remains in charge of ‘Theodore’, aka ‘Theo’,aka (to me) ‘Kojak’… and who was in need of ‘tender care’,

….as he had a bad case of the ‘trots’…

delightful ! ….Welcome to Summer 2011

Oh, and by the way, whilst the rest of Britain basked in sunshine and high temperatures….North East Scotland…was cold and dismal !

On the Road Up North

I was up bright and early for my trip up North, to the wilds of Elgin…and the North East of Scotland

I was to go up North for a while, whilst Kate my daughter was having an operation, and wanted her delightful father- Jotown to help, if needed. her husband Wayne – my blog creator –was away on his ‘summer holidays’ in the dessert for a while – stay safe Wayne, and all your mates…

I set off from Derbyshire at 9 a.m. in wonderful sunshine, and the prospects of a warm,pleasant drive up North

-as usual, that was to change, as I continued further North, the skies clouded over ,until eventually by mid afternoon, and crossing the Cairngorms…the rain came !

I landed at Kate’s in Elgin just after 6 p.m., a good ,quick road journey..and the start of my summer travels !

I won’t be updating every day…only when I get up to some….adventure !