Taking a Break

Good Afternoon all and a Happy Mothers Day to You, as you will see from my graphic I will be taking a break over the next week or so.  Tomorrow we are of first thing to Ullapool for a Spring Break Ha-Ha. Its been a long winter and its nice to have a break at this time of year if the sun can shine in can be very pleasant.  We have stayed in this hotel before and it is very cosy with log fires in the sitting room.  When we were there last year the weather was great so we can only hope after all the rain in the last few days it will dry up a bit. 

The week after we come home I don't know how much time I will have as the house will be in a state of disarray was we are at last having double glazing put in throughout the house. We have been thinking of doing this for a long time and kept putting off the big spend but I am sure it will be worth it. I will get all my spring cleaning done when they are finished so that will be that job done. 

I will try to keep up with reading all your journals when I get back but the days when the workmen are here I'm not sure if I will be able to compute. Well I better go now and finish my packing I usually take too much but I have a big case to fill. Have a good week and I speak to you when I can. Love        

       

Very Quiet Morning.

 Joan's Musings....Good Morning J-land, well officially its afternoon but I have not had my lunch yet so its still morning for me.  Have been sitting here for a while this morning having been out for my walk earlier and I have never known it in my 8 months of j-land to be so quiet not an alert all morning with the exception of Stuart over on Specimen days. I don't think the alerts are working well at all as I am getting even less comments than usual.  Where is everybody I think our friend Sandra of Sandra's Scribbles is not very well and if you are reading this Sandra I wish you well. I have developed a sore back don't know how I just know its bad. I have the kind of back that goes into a spasm and it just takes it own time to calm down  this time its not as bad as that its more of an ache I felt it on Sunday when I got up out of my chair and its not been right since. Have been taking the pain killers for it and the hot water bottle when I sit trying to get rid of it before we go away so here's hoping. Its a lovely almost spring morning here in Perthshire sunshine and the wind seems to have dropped thank goodness we really enjoyed our walk today did not get to far but will be out again this afternoon as I have to pick up medicines from the chemist. Well I think I have rambled enough for now could someone let me know what kind of and alert they get for this is it normal or one of these wireless things.  Love

                             

Wednesday Musings.

The Head Gardener Break time already!

 

Afternoon, this morning the head gardener and I got busy out in the garden with a few chores that we wanted to get done before we go away next week. Stuart pruned the Buddleia and the Lavatera and I managed to tidy some of the pots up . The birds have stopped coming to the table already so I swept up some of the husks that had accumulated during the bad weather, what a mess it makes but if I have it on the patio we have all manner of things growing through the spaces in the summer at least on the grass the mower takes care of all that. We have been out and about the last couple of days we were at St Andrews on Monday and Perth yesterday so it is nice to have the day at home today.  It was a bit cold out in the garden this morning but it was great to get started.  The grass has not started to grow yet which I think is unusual but am not sure, I think we notice more with being at home now. Kirsty was bleating all morning when we were working it sounded so funny its usually a barking dog somewhere. Just as I sit here at the keyboard the snow has just come on again this is an unbelievable winter even for us up here in Scotland.  If it stays as cold as this I will get a wish I have had for many years to see the highlands in winter. When you come down the hill into Perth you can see for miles and we saw yesterday there is substantial snow on the Grampian Mountains so by the time we get north to the  Cairngorms it should be something special.  So be ready for a lot of snowy photographs when we get back. Well I'm off now to see about getting the cases down from the loft I think I should pack plenty of thick jumpers and thermals if the temperature is going to stay as low as it is today. Hope you all have a nice day Love

                                 

Posted new entry in http://journals.aol.co.uk/jaymact1/JoansBirdwatchingDiary                                             

My New Neighbour

                                   

              

 

            

 

 

Good Afternoon, I thought today I would introduce you to my new neighbour Kirsty the Jacob's Lamb.  She has been living next door for the last 3 weeks, she was abandoned by her Mum and the family next door are looking after her for a relation who is a farmer and keeps a show herd of Jacob Sheep. Now some of you will not think this is strange but as I live in the middle of an estate it is something quite novel. She is being kept in the garden shed and is bottle fed.  She can get noisy when she get hungry. Its really rather funny when I am hanging out my washing and there is all this bleating and she just keeps on and on. The last time we had Ellen down for a visit she was very taken with her and got to stroke her.  She has grown a lot since I first saw her.  The girl that is looking after her says they will have her for about another 3 weeks or so then she can go back to the flock in the field.  Not been too bad a day weather wise we have had a bit of sun but still that cold east wind. 

        

 

 

Haven't our swimmers all been doing very well at the Commonwealth games we have been showing the Australians how for a change. The track cyclists have also been doing very well.   I think it must be obvious to you that I live with a sports fanatic. Stu loves sport of any kind shape or form so I do have to watch sometimes. I like certain sports not all but I can always take refuge up here in the study for a while. Think that's all my musing for another day so I will love you and leave you and I hope you have a good weekend. Love

 

Friday Outing.

            

 

                                     HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY.

Good Afternoon, and Happy St Patricks Day as far as I know I do not have any Irish blood in my veins but Stu does his mother's family came from Ireland buts all I know. We have been out this afternoon just along to our local reserve and sat and admired the view and had a coffee. Bird wise all was quiet as there was digger busy doing something just could not make out what. The sun has been shining which was really nice and you can still see some of the snow we had last weekend. To put you in the picture these pictures are taken looking towards where we stay so these hills are behind us.

I have tried in vain to put the pictures into my journal but File Manager is not having any tonight he must be having Friday night off.  We did however have a nice breath of fresh air and it was nice to se the sun even if it was still very cold.  Will say goodbye now and hope you have a pleasant evening. Love

SORRY NO GRAPHICS TONIGHT FILE MANAGER WON'T LET ME IN AT ALL.

A World Record!

                    

Good evening, a late entry for me tonight I have been up here in the study for a while but I have been having bother with that file manager he has really been playing me up tonight I think he has been on a go slow or something. Notice I call him as I am sure it is a man a behind the scene messing me about. Sorry for the rant but it makes it such a big job to put a graphic in at the start and end of your journal. Stuart had an appointment at the doctors this morning with a bad shoulder that he has had for a few years. He had treatment on it with the physiotherapy a couple of years back and that helped but it has returned.  Doctor gave him so painkillers and asked him to go to Perth royal for an x-ray. When he came back from the doctors, I had not been with him we had a quick coffee and set off for the hospital. Perth Royal has a walk in system for x-rays you do not need an appointment.  We arrived at ten to twelve and sat down I was armed with my book and Stu picked up a magazine he did not even get it opened when he was called.  I looked a my new watch which I had altered yesterday to see how long he would be he was back in 8 mins that must be some sort of record in and out in under 15 mins.  Stuart is now waiting for an appointment with the physiotherapist and that will be a whole different ball game. Our snow is all but gone on lower levels but there is still a bit on the hills around us. It has been a very cold day with an easterly wind blowing oh I wish spring would hurry up. We go away on holiday for a few days the week after next so I hope it improves before then. I heard the weatherman say this morning that the daffodils have withdrawn back into the ground it is so cold, I thought that was very funny but alas true. Well I think that's about all my musings for tonight Desperate Housewives later after  the football love that program so I will say goodnight and God Bless. Love

Yesterday.

 

 

Look who's arrived for a visit!

Hello, these are just a few pictures I took yesterday morning about 10 o'clock the snow kept falling until about 3pm so you can imagine what it was like by then.  Today we have one big wet slushy mess.  According to today's papers it is the worst snowfall we have had in the Scottish Lowlands for a decade. Can't really do much today so I think its time to get my Playstation out of the attic.  Lots of love and take care.  Love

                                          

January Brings The Snow

                            

The old rhyme goes January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow. The last I heard the is March. March brings breezes loud and shrill stirs the dancing Daffodils. I don't know what has happened this year but at the moment we have about 10 inch of snow. It is many years since we had this amount of snow all in one go but being a bit selfish Stuart and I can enjoy it as we don't have to be anywhere.   Stuart worked in Edinburgh for 20 years and did the daily commute by car it was a big worry when the snow came. One winter it took him 8 hours to get home on a snowy day in January and was one of the last cars off the motorway before it was blocked and closed but today we can look our and enjoy the lovely snow. We just have to hope now it does not thaw too quickly as it will cause massive flooding.

Stuart is enjoying the first F1 race so that will occupy him then  rugby after that so I will have to find something to take up my day. Better go now and see how the pot of soup is doing have a nice day and I hope you have not got a lot of the white stuff . Love and take care

                                                 

The Surprise.

Good Morning not that there is much good about it as it is pouring down with rain at the moment and snow is forecast for this afternoon. Just thought I would show you a picture of the pressie I received yesterday from Stuart. It is really a lovely watch and I can even swim down to 30 metres if I wish (hope the water is warm). I have a thing about watches and have quite a few, so I will add this one to my collection.  I will have to take it to the jewellers as the bracelet is a bit big as I have a small wrist its the only small thing I have these days but never mind.      

 

Stuart off doing his usual Friday thing hope it went well today for him. Don't know what we will be doing this weekend as the weather forecast is for a lot of snow but will that be accurate we will wait and see. Well better go and have my mad half hour so I will say bye for now.

 

                                    

Thanks to Toni tags.

Busy week.

 

Good Morning, cannot believe its Thursday already and I have not had a word with you all since last Saturday.  We have had a hectic week with one thing or another. Phone not working again over the weekend and it took till Tuesday to get it fixed all our fault of course says the telephone men it was our twin adapter that was fused and it was our broadband filter that was wonky. I wonder if they said all this because if the fault is in the house we get a bill if it is outside we don't will just have to wait and see as they did do a lot of work outside as well. We were at St Andrews earlier in the week and I took these pictures of the one of the local churches that had been prepared for a wedding. It was absolutely fabulous the flowers and the greenery are all real and I was so glad I had my camera in my handbag so I could share these pictures with you all. I have never seen this done before so I was really impressed with it and it was such as lovely day as well.  We did not see the bride as we were a bit early I think.

 

Stuart has gone off this morning down to our local pier on the loch to see if he can see an unusual gull that is supposed to be there but I wanted to stay home and do some odd and ends. We have had a bit of snow this week some sunshine and some rain a real mixed bag, today it seems to be brightening at the moment but Stuart said it is very cold down a the loch side with the wind and the ice if floating on the water. (I spoke to him on his mobile). He also had to go to the post office to collect a parcel something he bought for me as a surprise so I can't wait till he gets back.  Better go now and give my pot of brown lentil soup I am making a stir.  Have a nice day. Love

Swither.

                                   

So sorry I seem to confused some of you this afternoon with my word Swithering. I looked it up in the dictionary and it is there. The entry reads as follows.

      Swither:- Scot. Dialect Verb. To hesitate be perplexed  ~ n. hesitation perplexity agitation.

       We do have our own words up here in the far north but did not think this was one of them.  Love Joan.

 

 

  

Saturday again.

         

Good Afternoon, Been very quiet up here the last few days as I have not been my best have succumb to a bad cold that has been hanging about for a week or so but I think my outing to Scone on Tuesday was just too much for it to stand so I have been in bed with Stu doing the running around. Feeling much better today and have been out for coffee as we usually do on Saturday morning.  Started a new book the other night its called 'The Rosary Girls' a thriller by Richard Montanari, so far so good, really enjoying it. I was given the first few chapters in W.H. Smiths as a sample in January and  thought it would be a good read. That's the first time I have ever had a sample of a book it turns out it was a good idea.  Am sitting here with a coffee and a white chocolate Kit Kat lovely thought I would not like the white chocolate but its just the opposite quite addictive. Have been waiting for the latest offering from Dan Brown (The DeVinci Code) but have heard he is running late I suppose the court case he is embroiled in won't be helping his creative juices.  We hade a bit on snow yesterday it started just about 9o'clock just as Stuart was getting ready to go to his art class.  He swithered about going but he had all the Polyanthus that the class are painting just now (The teacher lives around the corner from us and she was going by bicycle so Stu had the plants) He left about 9 45am and was back again at 10-10am as the class was cancelled as people from out of the village could not get in so that was the end of that for yesterday hope the plants don't change too much before the next lesson. Well that's about all my rambling for today Hope you are enjoying you day Love,

                                  

 

 

Have posted a new tale in my Birdwatching diary.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jaymact1/JoansBirdwatchingDiary

 

My Dad.

Today would have been my Dad's 95th birthday so I thought being his day I would tell you about this very quiet shy man. He was born in 1911 in the county of Angus and lived near there all his life.  He was married to my Mum for 46 years until she died in 1983.  He fought in the second world war, a signalman in the royal Corp of Signals.  He was a very active person loved the countryside first on a bicycle then a motor bike and sidecar and lastly by car. He documented every mile he travelled in his diaries and I still have them they are a absolute mine of information.  He also kept a record of all the repairs on his modes of transport, when he put on tyres, changed oil  etc as he did all his own maintenance on them. He moved from Dundee to be near to us after Mum died and was very happy in Glenrothes with us, in his little pensioners cottage. When we moved again he said he was too old to move again so he stayed there but it was not too bad as I still worked in Glenrothes and travelled there every day.  He was  a  reader and read a great deal of the time. I still miss him a great deal as we were very close. I still find it very difficult to talk about him even although he has been gone nearly 8 years as it was me that found him the day he had a massive stroke and the memory does not fade of that day.  The two pictures I have scanned are very old but I have done my best with them.  The first is of Dad and his Golden Cocker Spaniel Rory taken on holiday at Inverness. The second is much earlier is of me pretending to be driving the motorbike with Dad on the pillion. It must have been taken about 1954 when is was 12. Well I will close now,

Update.

Have updated Bird Watching Diary.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jaymact1/JoansBirdwatchingDiary/