Witches and Wizards...

Despite the current slow pace of life, it's been a really eventful few weeks. Obviously my Mum's passing has been sad news, but there's been plenty of good things happening too. Autumn is for me the season of magic, mystery and strange goings on. As a young guy I always remember this time of year for foggy, crisp nights and locking myself away, immersed in Lord of the Rings - emerging after a week or so and seeing Elves, Ents and Hobbits everywhere.

As a slightly older young guy, I still hold with these memories, only now I live in a soggier Scotland and to find the time to read Lord of the Rings would take a year not a week. But still, despite this, we've been having visitations recently - Witches and Wizards have graced us with their presence in a range of differing guises.

First up was High Witch Nana and Grand Wizard Baba - appearing at an appropriate social distance from Banchory. It could potentially have been a tricky visit - all outdoors with restrictions on cafe and restaurant opening. But with some careful logistics, a dash of fire from the firedrum, and a sprinkle of decent(ish) weather we had a lovely time. Although by game of hide and seek in the garden No.83 I think they were more than entitled to fly back home.

Then came Halloween, and with no guising this year, Mummy got to eat all the sweets without fear of leaving children candy-less. Still we practised inside guising either side of the lounge door...the jokes not improving but the weather was defintiely more clement. Our pumpkin offering this year was decidely poor, but no sooner had it been put out than the doorbell rang - a surprise offering from the Witch O' The Dell left on the doorstep. For background info -  a year or so ago - Emily and Niomi started getting notes and presents from a good, friendly witch called the Witch O' The Dell. And this year she most certainly arrived in the nick of time to save our Halloween. But just who she is, who knows!?!

And finally, not least was a not so little Emily's 8th Birthday. Bless her. Restrictions don't make for the easiest of outdoor birthday parties but Mummy was determined we would have a party - and, after some hasty last minute re-scheduling to avoid rain - party we did. Harry Potter is all the rage (we're on the second reading of all the books) - and so a Hogwarts themed party was the order of the day. Wand choosing, broomstick making, Chamber of Secrets, Potions lessons - there was even a game of Quidditch! All hosted by Professor McGonigal and Mr Jolivander (Mr Olivander's younger and decidely better looking brother). Phew...it was quite an event. And all topped up with a generous smattering of Potter themed presents and a few old craft and unicorn favourites. Happy Birthday Emily!

Making hay whilst the sun nearly shone

Sporting new dresses on The Antonine Wall

Al fresco fish and chips with the Grand Wizard Baba...

...and the High Witch Nana

Puny Pumpkin

Witch O' The Dell showing how pumpkins are really done

Last stop from Platform 9¾

Magic in the air with a double rainbow

Quidditch cake

Mr Jolivander

Videoclip: Broomsticks and Sorting Hats

Happy 8th Birthday!!

There goes my Mum...

The Champion

The Fun-seeker

There goes my Mum - 87 wonderful years. She left this world last Thursday. She left with peace, serenity and a smile. 

She was a champion of racket sports, an organiser of all things, a helper to those that needed it. She was a strong, determined woman but at the same time a woman who liked to have fun.

Thank you Mum. You’ve left me with so much – your indominatable spirit, your sense of quietly looking out for those in need, your ability to step up and just go and do something if you thought it needed doing. You were a strong driving force, always trying to do what you believed was right.

I’ll miss you. God bless Mum. I guess you just finally ran out of puff.  

Mum and Grandmum

Highs and Lows...

The world just now seems to constantly see-saw between seemingly trivial yet massively joyous happenings, to unexpected and exaggeratedly disappointing events. It's a coronacoaster world of highs and lows, and is simply the product of the world of restrictions within which things can change quite quickly. For us, our own plans have see-sawed, having been impacted by various degrees of lockdown constraining our trips away and by bouts of self-isolation due to close contact with those testing positive for covid.

Still, like the evolutionary beasts we are, we’ve been constantly trying to adapt and plan for all eventualities. And as autumn deepens and winter approaches we’ve developed new found indoor activities in the shape of a newly acquired Wii (thanks to the Southern Rookes 😊) and finally completing the Lego campervan after 4 months of trying. Plus we've fallen back on some tried and tested favourites of box-play and hide and seek. It’s certainly been testing our creativity to the max.

But when we’ve been allowed and the weather has permitted, we’ve also been out and about enjoying autumns finest in the shape of a boat trip on Loch Katrine, climbing Ben A’an and Tomtain, as well as branching out to playparks new and endless variations of tig in the garden. So where restrictions have meant cancellations, delays and disappointment – we’ve tried to bounce right back to looking at what we can do instead. Generally though I've found the kids to be so much more resilient and accepting than us adults – we should all try to be much more like them and flow with the current rather than trying to swim against the tide. There really is much to be said for the ‘Power of Now’, a lesson I should heed well to stablilise those highs and lows.

The Crew atop Ben A'an

All aboard!

In the middle of Loch Katrine

The Arrochar Alps

Cap'n Niomi

En route up Tomtain in unexpected sunshine

Morning mist over Kilsyth

Box play

Daddy's defeat...the first of many

It's even fun getting winter coats out!

4 months effort with the kids 'helping'

Garden fun whilst the weather holds

It's Maths Week...

Last week was Math's Week at Emily's school...and it appears we now have budding dramameticians in the family. Not sure they're vying for the Oscar's just yet but I guess everyone started somewhere...

Videoclip: It's Maths Week

Harvesting...

Before summer disappeared we invited friends over for an overnight camp in the garden. But not only did they bring a tent but they also brought a metal detector!! 

Now, the bottom of our garden has the line of the Antonine Wall (almost) running through it...and for those that don't know, the Antonine Wall was the furthest north the Romans reached NOT Hadrians Wall. Anyway, with our own Mackenzie Crook in situ what could go wrong with our girls let loose with a detector and spade, searching for Roman treasure. My poor lawn looked like we had moles by the time they'd finished...but they did 'find' a few pounds each 😉.

The girls with Mackenzie

Hole digging

'Finding' treasure

And following the harvesting of treasure from the garden it was time to start our harvest proper. This year's been mixed on the veggie front. Some things flourished but others waned. That said our beans, berries, salad and flowers have not yet failed to disappoint. And so we've harvested away...picked, blanched, munched, bottled, boiled and frozen. Plenty to keep us going for a few months at least, and a bit kept aside for Christmas dinner - lets just hope we can get guests to share it with! Thanks be to Mother Earth.

Fruits of the garden

Giant beans!

Berry season

Two Monkeys

Nature's firelighters

This year's chutney

Spot the moth???

Staycation, staycation, staycation (Part 3)...

This year saw August hosting the third part of our Staycations as we ventured to the literally new pastures of Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway. We'd been around the area before and knew Dumfries and Galloway had lots to offer, but with Scotland crawling out of lockdown we weren't really sure what to expect.

Our journey down took us through the wonderful scenery of the Galloway Forest Park. And wonderful it was for three of us at least. Scenic twisty roads and our poor little Niomi aren't always happy bedfellows, and this trip was no exception. Still, minor vomiting incidents aside, we arrived to our idyllic little cottage for the week which literally stood on the banks for the River Cree. I've never stayed with the sound of a river permanently in the background before and I have to say it comes highly recommended - very soothing...although some torrential rain did make for a spectacular increase in velocity and turbulence.

So the week was overall a great success. Now, I say 'overall' as there were some other minor - ahem - incidents as well. The weather was somewhat mixed with the sun appearing intermittently in between some fairly hefty showers. But that wasn't the main issue, as we're fairly used to rain - it was more our attempts at a family mountain biking experience. Grading 'Green' routes into being suitable for families, beginners, novices, all types of bikes etc - led me to believe that they were suitable for families, beginners, novices, all types of bikes etc. Day 1 - Kirroughtree - Green trail seemed to be aptly graded. Day 2 - Glentress - Green trail less than aptly graded, requiring invention of new vocabularly to cope.

Crycle: verb; meaning - to cycle through beautiful countryside whilst howling your lungs out with displeasure.

Poor Niomi. And I think Emily only just avoided a good crycle too. And I'm also not sure Mummy was that far behind but that was probably more a reacto-crycle - like when someone yawns and it sets you off yawning. Only much louder and more miserable....Game abandoned.

But the rest of the week was much more successful...there were beaches (although some Covid-closures), the Gem museum and Smokehouse to avoid the rain, Wigtown - Book Town and Castle Kennedy (old favourite) in the rain, Threave Gardens, Cream of Galloway for adventure, and a few meet-ups with old friends. So if the sun wasn't always shining, we managed some sunshine anyway. But all in all I have to say it was just really great to be away in the land of the new normal.

Walking the tightrope

A room with a view

Bridge over the Cree

Boo!

Behold! The River Cree

A fine collection of Red Penguins in Wigtown

Day 1 Cycling - A good day

The beach to ourselves

Swimming lessons Mummy style

Van life

My family and other animals

A monkey on Monkey Puzzle Avenue

Videoclip: Newton Stewart 2020

Sunset on Newton Stewart

New beginnings...

And so, straight from our holiday in Newton Stewart, (see soon to be published post), the girls started school. For Emily it was P4 but for Niomi? Well for Niomi it was the BIG start of school...

And how did it go? Well despite all parental fears, worries and anxieties, she's taken to it like a duck to water, bless her. (Cue massive sigh of relief on our part). She was so excited on day one she was ready to go with school bag on for about 2 hours before she needed to leave. Honestly it couldn't have gone better...off she now goes every morning on her bike - happy, chatting and singing all the way. She's already made new friends with children, parents and teachers alike. Made herself quite at home - like she's been there for years. We're so proud of her.

Oh yes - Emily's loving being back too. Catching up with friends on the social scene - life's a whirl when your 7. Let's hope the school's get to stay open for some time to come, and they both continue to thrive back in the buzz of it all.

One excited cookie

Back to school

Bless her