New Set of Wheels

Exciting development....
got a new bike.... it's a tandem. Well I hired one
One of the problems I have when cycling, apart from being slow, is that when runners or other cyclist come towards me, I cannot gage distance or speed and visually it's very distracting and as they pass, I kinda wobble. so my strategy is to put my feet down and stop.
My daughter quite often shouts at me ' keep going...Mum' but I wimp out and stop.
So this is somewhat of a good solution.
The front rider is OK visually, and I get the pleasure of enjoying a bike ride.
bonus for my is that I no longer have to worry about the big drop on one side of the path and the fast flowing water below.

The Early Worm

I woke up at about 3am USA time but 9am back in bonny Scotland. so considering jet lag I thought that wasn't bad.
by 7am I walked round to the local Starbucks and had a decaff skinny latte and a bagel with cream cheese. hmmm
On the way round there the parking lot was black with large birds walking about, the very noisy birds shrieked, and swooped from the trees all around too, and with a pink sky background made quite a sight,
I had left the rest of the household enjoying their beauty sleep , while at that early hour the coffee shop was busy with people on laptops, bikers and runners. the staff were all dressed up for Halloween.
I tiptoed back not to wake folk up.

Ability Fest

On Thursday a great deal of stalls to do with enabling disabled people will be set up in the SECC Glasgow. GAP and Headway will have a stall each amongst hundreds of others. I am attending an NHS equality event in Dalian house in the morning, but will be at the stalls in the afternoon.
then
it's of to a family getogether
then as I am all packed
Head for the airport on Friday morning ......wayhay

Roll On

A wee chink of light is beginning to show, and Cinderella will get to the Ball!!!
For the month of November I will be blogging USA style
see these jet setting types Eh....
I try to work hard, but I play hard too.
A whole month of r...e....s...t....hmmmmmm

A Must

Go and see the film -

Fantastic Mr. Fox

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432283/

and look at the sculptures by -

Ron Mueck

http://www.artmolds.com/ali/halloffame/ron_muek.htm

I had a great time doing both in Aberdeen at the weekend. I had Lot's of fun with my friend and got really chilled out

Full Tilt

I does feel a bit like a sprint race, to get to the end of October. I then have a full month to Chill....
But...... meantime....
Chairing meetings
Chairing an AGM
Attending conferences where Nicola Sturgeon is a speaker ( name dropper)
Attending an NHS equality meeting
Getting my hair cut
Going out with friends
Meeting a friend for coffee
Helping to lead a walk round Victoria park and the Fossil Grove
Spending time with Mum and Dad
Going to Aberdeen for a few days.
not in any order but just to mention a few things which have to fit in before I go!!!
Yes, a big bump on the brain is the caused this... hmmmmm

Home Again, Home

I have so enjoyed my stay up in Kinlochbervie. It has seen some unusual twists and turns.
The stillness watching my son plough up and down the loch!
The loudness of being woken by rutting stags!
The beauty of a starry sky!
The incredible scenery of seascape and mountains!
The amazing locals and the laugh we all had together.
The sound of my son singing and playing his own trumpet, (he does own one, which we bought when he was about 12 years old, because he saw the Salvation Army playing 'Silent Night' from his bed room window and he said " I will do that next year" and he did. When Sally Ann came round the next year, he played his trumpet to them out the window and they cheered)... cute eh...
Ahhhh

Idylic

At the foot of Ben Arkle and along the shores of Loch Stack we walked a track that took us over bridges of fast flowing rivers and babbling brooks, seeing herds of deer and sighting wild birds as we went. Eventually the low cloud level lifted and we were able to see Ben Arkle in it's full glory with the great scree band and John described the walking path up to the summit. We walked on to a Forrest are were treated to a gorgeous scent of pine, then through the trees I could glimpse flashes of white and hear a loud roar. A waterfall and a natural quarts stone bridge in a magical setting of Autumn colours red rowan berries and clear blues and greens of the pools in between the falls
On the way home in the car we had listened to highland music played on a penny whistle and chanter and it really suited all our surroundings
Charlie the coordinater of GAP was doing his DJ ing on Oban FM each day this week from 3-4pm, the Mod being from there this year. I just got back in time to have a wee listen in online www.clanradio.com

Ceilidh house

Yesterday afternoon Flora had invited my to a lunch club organised by social services for the local over 65's
a grand new Health Centre building in the village was built a few years ago and local people fought hard to have a community aspect joined to that as well ( the Council didn't believe there would be a need or demand to qualify for this!!!). The Ceilidh ( gathering) house is fabulous. a huge big room decorated like a home with paintings by local artists, a real fire, arm chairs, a carpet, and best of all a real buzz from the folk attending. I expected a really sedate group...oh no, they laughed and joked and were scandalous. I spent 3 hours there and had the best meal ever cooked by local women employed to keep the local older people happy. I just wish there was a similar facility for my own Mum and Dad back at home. Buses and taxis took people there and home from Richonic, Durness, and other places. Kinlochbervie is like a hub and all the villages round about use the health centre and ceilidh house.
This week has just flown past.
Back in Glasgow Headway had a fundraising quiz night last night at the Griffin pub and I'm dying to hear how it went. I just hope their night was as good fun as my day out with the older population of locals

Interesting

Last night I was at a Friendship meeting.
The talk was given by Susan Brown ( 4 ft) the minister of Dornock cathedral. She may be small in stature but a very interesting and charismatic speaker. Her husband is Chaplin of Raigmore hospital. There were 20 or so women ranging from 40 ish to 80 ish and I was one of the younger ones.... don't laugh....
We chatted about changes in schools from when the listeners chalked on slate ( and they did!) loss of respect for elders and changes in way's to communicate. Then we went on to discuss why Churches has diminishing congregations.?
A bible story was told in 4 different formats , one being a puppet show.
Today I am going for lunch with Flora, who can bring a guest, you have to be 65 to attend.
tell you how I get on later...

White Out

We walked from Sandwood Bay car park this afternoon onto the hill which was completely shrouded in mist ( a white out). we arrived at the swimming pool, good it was open - Loch Balchrick. so I settled down with my waterproof mat to sit on, three layers of warm cloths, and over me was a igloo type thing called bothy2 ( John takes on the hill in case children develop hypothermia) its great bubble keeping out the rain and wind, with a wee window to watch the swimmer.
I was really warm while my bold lad did 22 laps and 20 minutes of fresh water swimming.
then we went to visit a friend and had home made scones...
yip another typical day up in the north.

Afternoon Tea

My son and I entertained a neighbour this afternoon. Flora's husband's family have lived in this area for generations. On Wednesday have been invited to lunch with local folk, at the local church, then on Tuesday evening am going to a friendship talk about Dunblane cathedral.
But just heading up the hill to break camp and hope we find out the tent from last night is dry. it never rained once!!! Boo hoo.....

Ooo Aaa found a lot of deer tracks round the tent and some scrape marks,like a bull does before it charges......
I'm going to sleep well in the cottage tonight ZZZzzz....

Starry Starry Night

Don McLean must have meant the kind of night sky we had last night. Up here with no light pollution, the stars shine out so well on a totally black sky, we could clearly see the milky way and other galaxies.
cosily wrapped up in my 4 season sleeping bag I was suddenly awoken to what in my drowsy dream state sounded like grisly bears fighting just outside the tent!
But NO it was stags doing their rutting bark, roar, growl noise, very loudly and near by.
I lay their thinking ( they will smell that humans are in the tent surely) but I was thinking a huge male with big antlers.... and then drifted back to sleep.
back at the cottage I have had my porridge and cuppa and look forward to another day of adventure

outdoor fresh water swim, and camping

Och my, hardy folk we!!!
My son and I are just away to fresh water swim( I just watch) wetsuit balaclava, booties and gloves donned my son will brave the invigorating temperatures
Then.. have to go more later

Wow... amazing, have just watched my brave( or mad) lad swim for 20 minutes in Balchrick Loch, I sat taking lots of photo's, but just as my son was playing at hiding underwater to avoid the photo shoot, my battery went... oh dear and I need the USA adapter because I bought the camera in America.
We are going to camp out tonight... update to follow
Just pitch a great new hooped 3 man tent about 1/2 mile up a peat track from the cottage, so we are going to test it out tonight. hope the wind blows hard and it rains ( I love the sound of both, when your in a cosy sleeping bag.)( little chance EH...)Two pictures are posted on Flickr, but I cannot seem to put a link. Technophobe!!!!

Since my camera died I hope to post photo's of our overnight say tomorrow, from my son's camera

A Fashion Icon

I have not done it yet, but will post recent photo's on Flickr that I have taken up here in Kinglochbervie
When I have done this I will post up a link
One of them will be of my holding freshly picked carrots on my son's croft.
There is killer fashion on view though!!!!
Hat by a craft market ( a Christmas present to my daughter-in-law)
Jacket by Tiso ( my son's)
Wellies by Dobbies ( my own which I leave up here)

Weather.... very windy and threatening rain. ( a bit dark)
Post hot flush solved by driving there with windows of car open... instant relief!!!

A Wale of aTime

Off for an Adventure.
Margaret and I went for a day's outing to Fort William ( we were allowed out for the day!!! without a carer in sight)
It started with an early start on the train from Queen Street station at 8.21am. Margaret only just got there in time and I grabbed her hand and at 8.20am ran ....( bus delay)
Flask of tea, banana and lovely scenery and great company and we fairly saw the journey in.
We had a boat trip on Loch Linny ( with or against the waves was chilly but calm... but across and the swell, meant up down wobble ooh). There was a Whale in the loch... and seals... but we saw nothing.
but it was fab! thank goodness we bought gloves and took a brolly!!!
Lovely pub grub and a drowsy journey home...
A hot bath soak.. bed and zonk.... next I knew it was 8am the next morning and the first full nights sleep since my ABI in 2002... Ahhhh

Catch A Falling Star!!!

I used to love singing that song as a child ( save it for a rainy day... ahhh) can you hear the tune, are you singing?...
Anyway, back to earth with a thump.
for a few days I was contemplating doing :

Mount Toubkal Challenge 2010

This is an 8 day trek though the high Andes.......It was for me a real challenge... but OK 'um no up to it...yet !'
So in mind Ive thought about a mini expedition to Ben Hope in Scotland over a long week end with maybe 6 folk doing a sponsored climb for Headway in 2010
Anyone up for it?

Magic Wand

I wish I had a magic wand. People all around me seem to be dropping like flies. Cough , sneeze , wheeze, hiccough.....
Dare I write this down, even think this and temp fate!!!!
Away bad bugs Shoo, (like Gandalf in Lord of The Ring says ' You are not wanted here'!)
, I seem to be blessed with a strong healthy immune system! After teaching kids in Easterhouse, Blackhill and Faifly and seeing more snotty noses than anybody should in a lifetime ( tempting fate again)
No..... strong fighter cells get to work and kill the enemy, think positive.