Here and Back Again

Teaser from a 3-day bimble in the Cairngorms in 2012. (Braemar)

The building naturally tilts that way, but everyone straightens their photos to hide it. That’s why you can’t buy hard-boilded eggs in the HH.

Last Year's Grass in Glen Dee

Teaser from last year's 2-night bimble in the Cairngorms (July 2012).

The camera's autofocus made the right choice: the grass is much more interesting than me.


That night I munched French chocolate, sipped Scottish malt, read English Wordsworth and listened to Chinese radio. Oh, the hardship I suffered!

I'll do a proper write-up when I get a chance. Just a glen circular from Linn of Dee to Lairig and down to White Bridge -> Derry Lodge then back to Linn. Nothing much happened.

Muppets Studio on YouTube

Happy New Year folks. An old friend sent me this through:

And then I noticed that the Muppets have a whole channel on YouTube for me to investigate. Yayyyy.

Early snow and a song

A bit brisk today. Out with the TNF Hedgehogs, overtrousers and fleece-lined jacket… and off to work.

Sadly the first snows have left one local fatality and a spate of accidents… so here’s a ‘transportation song’.

Seasons Greetings

Just back from holiday shopping and felt like posting something festive.

Solomon Burke RIP

After hearing the news today, I went looking on YouTube and found this clip:

After enjoying “The Blues Brothers” when it was re-released in the late 80’s, I tracked down as much of the music from it as I could. Sadly, I missed Solomon Burke until a few years ago.

So, when I’m marking this afternoon, I’ll dig out a couple of Solomon Burke CDs, and if I haven’t finished, it’ll be John Lee Hooker, Sam & Dave and some Elmore James, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Parker , The Band, Booker T, and some Motown and R&B classics (not the modern twaddle that calls itself R&B, but real Rhythm and Blues).

End of Summer

Well, that’s my Summer holidays over. Weighing myself this morning, I find that I’m now 6 kg lighter, which is 13 pounds in old money. I still need to lose it around the waist, but my belt has gone in 4 notches. And I feel better for it. A trip to Monymusk – which was always a strange name, and I had realised I had never gone there – found me in the ‘walled garden’ yesterday. I took some snaps to send to my parents, as I think they’d enjoy the place.

A trip down the road brought me to Pitfichie Forest and a short walk uphill to put things in perspective. Aberdeen became hidden and its location visible only by following the flightpath to Dyce. Two buzzards overhead were much more interesting than the mechanical sounds coming up from the road below the trees. It is nice to get some use from the suntan lotion, and to sit on a stone, snacking, watching the world go by.

A drive through Stornoway

A drive from Goat Island to the Tong Road end. Through Stornoway, Laxdale and part of Newmarket.

Filmed on HTC Desire.