Cars!

This is me in my new car, which I bought yesterday. Nah, it's not really. My car isn't in such good condition. When I said new, I really meant "new to me". It's 9 years old actually, which is an eternity in car years, unless you have an extensive garage, chauffeur and mechanic at your personal disposal. I don't have those, or I am all those even, apart from the garage, that would be ridiculous.

I just needed a runaround really, so got myself a cheap second-hand car with a year's M.O.T and somehow managed to find one within my budget and with a pretty low mileage. The wife and kids don't particularly like it. They prefer the old one, but as the saying goes "Beggars can't be choosers!" I wouldn't beg, but I would accept charity, which is the next best thing really when it comes down to it, not that any charity would be forthcoming anyway!

The benefits of my new car, are as follows; the ABS isn't a pain in the arse, the steering pump functions continuously, it holds the road very well, it's very economical, and it has a CD player in it. From that, you should be able to deduce the deficiencies that were to be found in my old car. I still haven't decided what to do with the old car yet. My father thinks it's worth repairing, but I'm sceptical. I don't like mechanicking, it sucks. The notion of spending time and money trying to fix up a car which gave me so much grief, is frankly, a non-starter. In addition, I have no time to spare whatsoever, in which to carry out said repair job. Don't know about you, but that's me convinced!

Wounded Knee On the Ben!

Yesterday we climbed the biggest hill in these parts... Ben Rinnes (840 m or 2752 ft).

Looking down at Roy's Hill, Meikle Conval and little Conval.

Roy's Hill in the foreground, which leads on to Ben Rinnes proper.

Snow... knee-deep and worse.

The top of the hill looking at the trig point, cold, windy, and weather about to take a turn for the worse. We just made it back to the car before heavy rain hit. I twisted my knee on the way down, and I had a wedding dance to go to in the evening. No dancing for me I'm afraid. Mind you, that was yesterday, and it's much better today.

Eye Eye!

Sorry I missed posting again yesterday, but I'm up to my eyeballs at the moment! What's more, I've also got something in my eye, which has been annoying me for the past few hours. We used to have an eye-bath, which was extremely handy, but of course it has dissolved into the fabric of the building as so many things tend to.

I'm actually very depressed right now. My futile attempts to find and purchase a car haven't really got off of the ground. I have to be able to time to coincide; having someone else who can drive to come with me just in case, going to see the car before someone buys it and staying within my piffling budget. It's not going well, I've already missed out on a couple cars, I guess because, cheap cars sell quickly. It's very annoying. I don't want to get desperate and buy a pile of crap, but time is running out. I think I have till about Wednesday. I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh Bollards!

Did I get any work done today? Yes I did, although the weather was so fine that I really wanted to go out and do some hill-walking. But I had to stay in and wait for the new cooker to be delivered, which it was around 11am, although I had expected the delivery guys to wire it in, because when we bought it there was a sign which said "Free delivery and recycling". We thought that they'd wire up the new cooker and take away the old one for recycling. I have since realised that it was probably the packaging which was to be recycled. Dammit!

So, after the cooker had been delivered I had to wire it, and the connections on the back were very different to the old cooker. In the end I spent about 2 hours on it. What a pain! And so the whole day was pretty much wasted again, although I made a start on my assessment, which was my intention. I also managed to play a game or two, upload some photos to Imageshack and generally waste an entire day... again!

Tomorrow is the last day of Uni for a fortnight, yay! I plan on some major hill-wlaking this next two weeks, only I need to buy a new (to me) second-hand car, because my present one is clapped-out. Then there's this assessment, with which I must discipline myself and do some work on it everyday. Otherwise it will never be done, and it has to be submitted when we go back. I always feel like I'm juggling crap like this, and trying to fit in some quality "me" time just gets harder and harder!

I'll Work Tomorrow!

Haven't done much today, and I had such great intentions as well. I was going to get stuck right in to this assessment I have, but then I got a phone call from the school saying my daughter was ill, and to come and collect her. As a result of which, she demanded my attention for most of the day, and hence, nothing done! Well, I did do a little bit, but it was almost a token gesture to myself, which is effectively pointless, because I'm aware of what I'm doing (?).

Ah well, I'll have the whole day to work tomorrow, if I can just make a start, I'll get plenty done I'm sure. There's no great rush really, but this assessment is of such a nature, that it requires a fair bit of thought, and I'm not really in the mood for thinking. I do however perceive, that at this level, you really have to push yourself on and get things done, because there is very little external pressure, such as you might feel exerted at lower levels in the education system. I have always been able to force myself to get the job done, even when it's very tedious, because I realise that it's important not to leave anything to chance.

I know that others have found this course virtually impossible and others who like me have made it this far, are having grave doubts as to whether they really want to do this. I don't have any such doubts, I'm committed and have long-term goals form which I will not be deterred. Just like the rest, I've had my glimpses at the darker side, but I have an inate ability to bounce back very quickly, where others perhaps tend to dwell. You have to have a thick skin, that much is plain, and you have to be able to rise above it. I think I can do that!

Roll Your Yellow Crystals!

I'm sorry I never posted yesterday, events conspired once again to prevent me, but at least I found a news item worthy of you for today! I happened to come across an article translated from Russian, which even if it's not true, is worthy of attention. If it is true, then it's one of the most important finds ever!

The basic premise of the article, is that the massive explosion at Tunguska, Siberia in 1908, which had nearby residents petrified, and flattened massive tracts of forest, was actually the result of alien intervention. Yes, it sounds crazy, but the explosion itself was hardly normal, and has often been purported to have been the first ever nuclear explosion. Impossible? If you believe that everything you read is true, then it must be.

However, in recent years a Siberian scientist undertook a lengthy investigation of the "crash site", and found 10 strange yellow crystals in a river bank. The scientist has since declared that such crystals could not form on Earth, and must therefore have came down with the meteor which flattened Tunguska. So far, all very plausible, but the scientist then goes on further to claim that the crystals are etched with drawings of alien origin, which he claims were part of a navigational unit for a spaceship. In test conditions the lab were unnable to make similar etchings on the crystals, as it was too hard to scratch. The crystals all have similar holes through them which he supposes allowed them to be linked together.

The whole theory therefore reads thus. A 1 billion ton meterorite was on a collision course with Earth and would have wiped out humanity, but aliens crashed their spaceship into the meteorite before it could impact, thus saving the human race. Whatever the truth, something very odd happened at Tunguska, and eye-witnesses reported seeing some very strange things at the time. Anyway, since this is Easter Monday, I thought I'd report back that there were others who died to save humanity besides the most well known. Perhaps we should roll yellow crystals on this day!

Cooking Up A Storm!

Had to buy a new cooker today, the oven in the old one has been gone for around 3 weeks, and the lack of variety at meal-times was really starting to get to me. There's probably very little wrong with the cooker we have, but the cost of actually having someone just look at it, is more than it's worth probably, so that's why I plumped for a new one. Nothing special, it's a cooker, as long as it cooks, it'll be doing the job for which it's intended. I need lasagane, that's the main issue here, no lasagne for 3 weeks, it's beyond the limits of human endurance!

I'm also looking for a new car. Did I say new car? I meant an old car that's just like new, but at an affordable price, and preferably with low mileage. That's asking a lot isn't it? Well, if you don't ask, you don't get, that's my motto, and it has proven true many a time. When I sort out that problem , I also have a dodgy washing-machine and a knackered hoover needing replacing. Those will have to wait however, as I'm struggling heavily in a financial sense, as I approach the end of 4 years studying, with next to nothing income. Yes, somehow we seem able to save, even when earning nothing. That seems to astound people looking in, who I'm sure suspect that someone must be giving us cash. They're not, we're just good at not being frivolous. What that will mean when I do start making some money, I'm not sure. We'll either be very comfortable, or else won't be able to stop spending insanely.

No hill-walking this weekend bacause blizzard conditions are anticpated, but I do intend to make up for it in a week's time, I have a few expeditions lined up, weather permitting as usual of course. I might have to acquire a few accoutrements first, don't have a compass for starters. I do have maps, and I use streetmap.co.uk quite a lot as well. Anyway, we'll see what happens, the best laid plans of mice and men, and all that...

Time To Evolve!

It's cold here today, and very windy too, gale-force even. Not that you're interested, or would even stop to wonder "Where is here?" I don't mind that you don't care, it's the way of the World. Even if I posted something about terrible atrocities happening, it's still highly likely that you wouldn't care, in fact you'd probably navigate away as quickly as possible. You see terrible things on the televison all the time, and you have become numbed by it. You just can't visualise yourself in the position of the victims of crime and violence.

I say that it's because you're a materialist. Don't deny it? You have loads of stuff you couldn't bear to do without. Yet, for every possession you become insecurely attached too, you lose another piece of your soul. That's my realisation, and if you consider it you too will realise that I'm right! I've thought about the ways in which society has changed, from the times when people trusted each other, left their house doors open, helped their neighbours and friends in a crisis, took an interest in the problems or successes of others. That's all gone. People only care about themselves now. Their nearest and dearest, that's all. The trust is gone, replaced by fear. The caring is gone, replaced by greed, and concern for the affairs of others, has been replaced by a selfish drive to keep up withe the Joneses.

I have seen these things, and I think that mankind has regressed because of it. I really think that it's knocked evolution back a thousand years. How can I say such a thing when we have all these new technologies and science is making tremendous break-throughs. I say so, because humanity can't possibly evolve unless everyone shares common goals. Because we only have individual goals, most of which are misplaced ideals anyway, we're far more likely to destroy ourselves before we ever get a chance to take the next big evolutionary leap, the kind that will allow us to find eternal peace for the human race!

The Ruin Of Man!

That's me finished another school placement, 3 out of 4, and the pressure's off for the most part. Becoming a teacher is now a formality, barring some sort of biblical disaster. So, it's back to Uni on Monday again, not too much more of that to go either, thank goodness. 4 years in full-time education, just to spend the rest of my natural stuck in education. With the one proviso, that in future, I get paid for it. I do have a small fortune in loans to pay back, which doesn't really seem fair, you'd think they'd be grateful for people entering a profession where you're to blame for every little thing that goes wrong. There is a blame culture in education at the moment, and the teacher's must be to blame, because it's just not fair to blame the real culprits. Who are the real culprits? I'll leave that for you to decide!

Sorry, that this is short, but I think I'm going to have a little drink to celebrate my making it through another round of testing times. I'm still standing! Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Let Me Through!

Why is it that whenever I have free time, the weather turns bad, and as soon as my free time is up, it becomes beautiful once again? And, it's not just the holiday times either, quite often it's beautiful here all week long, then come the weekend, wind and rain. I'm not usually one to moan about the weather, but all I want is a few days out on the hills over the next 3 weeks, and if the weather's rotten for that whole time, then both you and I will know that the big man's got it in for me!

I'm trying to join a forum for hillwalkers, not really because I want to feel as though I'm part of something, but mainly just to help me plan out routes up hills, because on more than one occasion recently, my navigational skills have been called into question, in fact 3 times if I'm going to be open about it. On all 3 occasions I was vindicated, by finding the correct path, but that's not the point. The point is, that many of the hills I intend to climb, don't really have what you might call paths, per se. What I need is information form the horse's mouth so to speak, as to the best route to take, in such circumsatances.

I actually would like to hit a couple of Corbetts this Easter break, gearing up to do some Munros, later in the year, probably at Summertime, because I'm a fair weather man to be honest, and Highland conditions can get really bad, particularly on high ground, and at any time of year, but in Winter and even Springtime people die out there. Ben Rinnes is my number one target this Easter, I don't know how many times I've seen that hill in the passing and never been up it. Well, all that's going to change!

Steer Well Clear!

I came across this picture in my travels. It was taken by someone with whom I'm acquainted, in a professional sense. As usual, I'm not giving away too much, because I always try to protect the innocent (and myself). Honestly, I just thought it was a nice picture of some deer playing near the lochside. You don't often see any photos of deer with water in the background, more often trees or mountain-side, so this photo seems unusual in that sense. These seemingly harmless creatures can leave a fairly nasty dent in your car, and I heard a story recently of someone who swerved to avoid hitting one, and ended up writing-off his car in the doing so, and the Insurance refused to pay up. They said that he should have hit it! Very odd position to adopt, I would say, what if it had been a child? What if there wasn't time to tell the difference?

That's all for today, I'm a very busy man!

Back to Basics!

This week has started like one of those weeks where you just can't be bothered! After all the tension, anxiety and effort I put in last week, this week feels like an anti-climax. I've done the job I came to do, and now I'm ready to move on to my next major goal, which takes the form of a written assessment. With that out of the way I'll be virtually home and dry!

It was the last in the series of "Lewis" last night, which is watchable, but lacks so much of what made "Morse" what it was. I could continue a previous rant I had on here, about the quality of script writing for television in general, and how I suspect that they're hiring young script writers who have next to nothing experience of the World, and therefore the scripts are shit! But, I'm not going to do that because I've done it before. Yes, the Americans have overtaken us as far as script writing goes, I've noticed that even just from clips of new shows that I've caught, and, I'm still watching "Lost" after 77 episodes and Im not bored yet!

Maybe it's just my age (I'm not old), but my expectations of what make good telly have either changed dramatically or the quality of the shows has declined dramtically, and I think I know which it is. Even the film industry seems to have lost it's way, so called big screen blockbusters, keep turning out to be fairly bog-standard. It's not like way back before I was even born, films like Spartacus, Dr. Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia. Those films demonstrated the power of sweeping cinematography and brilliant storylines. That was without CGI. CGI should be used to enhance a film, but there seems to be an over-reliance upon it, if you ask me. It's time we brought back some of the traditional ideas, they'd probably rock the establishment, we've gone so far from what actually worked in the first place!

Beaten Back By Hail!

Today we attempted to walk up a hill called Little Conval, near Dufftown. It shouldn't have been too difficult, after all, we've already climbed it's bigger brother Meikle Conval, a few weeks back. However, there were two major obstacles; finding the path up (didn't seem to be one), and the weather. When we eventually made it up out of the tree-line, and had found some semblance of a path, the weather closed in, and about three quarters of the way up, in a mixture of hail, sleet and driving rain, I finally conceded defeat, and so we trudged disappointingly back down.

That's the first time I've been defeated by a hill. The photo above shows the hill, once we had plodded back down. The weather had improved a bit by that time, but it still wasn't that good. Anyway, I'll be back as Arnie says, and next time I will be victorious! This is not over, mark my words!

Into the Unknown!

I've been busy this week and so far this weekend as well, and it's not finished yet, so this might be brief. It's been a good and a bad week, but at least the things I wanted to go right, did so, and the bad parts were very much unforseen. So, in essence, that's me practically a teacher, while at the same time, I've had my real first taste of the sort of problems that come with being a teacher. It's such hard work, and everybody wants your blood. So, why do I want to do it? That's what everyone asks! But if nobody wanted to do it, there wouldn't be any teachers, would there?

Yes, it's true, teachers get flak from all sides. Every day teaching is like being a pilot with the RAF during WWII, leading a sortie over occupied France. Everybody wants to shoot you down; kids, parents, other teachers, guidance staff, management, and other external education staff. At least, that's how it seems. I'm sure there is a lot of co-operation and willingness to work together, but not always.

For some reason they want to make it harder to become a teacher, and also make it so that you need to have a Master's Degree in your subject area as well. All this despite there being a national shortage (allegedly) and as far as I'm concerned, certain huge debts for anyone silly enough to spend 4 years at Uni (would that be 7 for a Master's). You don't have to be crazy to want to become a teacher, but it obviously helps!

The Key To Success!

Nothing more to say really. Well Done Me!!!

Not That Budget!

I'm tired, I'm fairly stressed, and even worse I'm still waiting! Don't ask why I'm waiting, just read some recent posts, and you'll get the general idea. Almost 4 years of hard work, and it will all boil down to one hour of observation. I could handle the observation part, if I knew when to expect it, but I don't, and it's virtually impossible to be fully prepared for any random time. I'm actually at the stage of not caring when it happens, as long as it's soon, because the waiting is intolerable. It's like waiting for the hang-man, or a last minute reprieve. Either one might arrive first.

There's a hell of a lot of roadworks going on around here at the moment. They've got half the bloody town dug up. Not only are they laying broadband cables, the Gas have been digging up seemingly arbitrary areas since October, and pretty soon traffic calming measures will be started. Mind you, March always was a busy time on the roads, what with budgets having to be used up. Yes, that's right! If you don't know it, this is how it works; departments, such as Roads, get a budget for the ensuing financial year. At the end of the year, if they've used all of their budget, then they get an increased budget for next year. However, if they haven't spent all of the budget, it will get slashed for the following year. That's why the road gritters are out on beautiful days spraying salt everywhere. They have to use it all up before the end of the financial year.

It's amazing isn't it! That's why the local authorities are so hard-pressed financially. Every department is competing for cash, and in ordeer to secure that cash, they have to fritter away the cash they have. It's a peculiar system, and one which clearly doesn't work. Probably needs a total overhaul form top to bottom!

Judgement Day Looms!

This is about a mile along the coast from my house! At the location from which this photo was taken, there are rocks where seals commonly bask right on the shoreline. Yeah that is great isn't it? Isn't nature a wonderful thing? Except when it gets in the way of progress of course! That was, of course, a joke! Animals don't cause pollution (except for cows, and they're not doing it deliberately), man is to blame. Are we the dirtiest animal on the planet? I don't think anyone could dispute it?

As I said last week, I've been doing my bit to forward the green cause, and on Thursday I will be rewarding the efforts of those who carried the cause further, at my behest. I am of course, once again, being enigmatic. There's good reason for that, to protect the innocent, which would be those minions of mine, and of course so as not to draw too much attention to myself. I don't really like attention. People who like attention tend to be attention-seekers, and that's not me.

My big day is till to come unfortunately. I have been kept waiting for it. It should be before the end of this week and that suits me fine, my patience is wearing thin, and my high stress levels persist. I have invested so much time and effort, and it all comes down to this one occasion. It has to go smoothly, or else... well, I can't even go there. I'm sure it will be fine. If only it was just down to me, but there are about 20 other individuals who can tilt the blance in my favour, or in the opposite direction. Being reliant on others is never a good thing!

Pay To Play!

Here's the poster for the long-awaited Indiana Jones film (20 years), and oddly enough Harrison Ford looks the same as he did in the last one, although he was complaining about old age and infirmity for most of "The Last Crusade". I wish Connery was reprising his role as Indy's dad, wasn't that a great acting combo? That's a rhetorical question, the answer being "yes" obviously!

Am I right in thinking that Connery was invited to partake, but stuck firmly to his "I've given up acting" guns? Well, he's made a hell of a lot of films, and nobody will ever beat his 007, not ever! He does come back here to Scotland occassionally to stick his beak in, but he'd never come back here to live, the taxes would annihilate him.

Hey hey, just found my M.O.T. certificate and I've a week longer than I thought, which is handy because I wasn't going to have anytime to look at it, but now I will have, because I'm on holiday those extra days. Alternatively, I might do things the easier way and purchase some old banger with a years M.O.T. on it. Then buy myself something decent next year when I actually get paid for working, as opposed to having to pay to work. Yes, I do pay for the privilege of working, it sounds ridiculous, but I have petrol and lunch to pay for everyday, out of my own pocket, and occassionally materials as well, and instead of payment I get scutiny. Is it hard going financially? Absolutely!

Today I Have Mostly....

Today I went up the Balloch Hill.

The Balloch is near Keith.

This is Keith.

Order, Order!

What is it with politicians? It used to be an old boys club, but now it's just a self-service cash buffet! That House of Lords is no better. While setting our taxes, it seems that most of them have been doing everything possible to avoid paying themselves. Setting up huge nest-eggs in Lichtenstein. Why? Because they're rich obviously, and that's how they intend to stay. It's only a few weeks past that it came to light that UK politicians were claiming all sorts of ridiculous expenses, most of them fabricated, and that just to be safe, they'd destroyed all the associated paperwork. Even better still, on the orders of the man investigating abuse of expenses and who had been exposed doing just that himself. No wonder the MP's were all cheering him when he returned to the Houses of Parliament. He'd done them all a massive favour.

It's not like the old days, when the principal objective was to gain the favour of the King, incriminate your enemies in plots and thus acquire their land and titles for yourself. That sort of treachery was practically admirable, and certainly had to be practiced to perfection by the highest ranking nobles in the land.

The latest bee in my bonnet, and it's been there for a while, is the other recent ongoing betrayal of the nation by our politicians. The decision whether to allow us a referendum on the EU Constitution, now the EU treaty, but almost identical in all ways. Except Gordon Brown merits the change of name enough to deny us the referendum we were promised and on the back of which Labour were re-elected. They lied and they don't care. They rubbed it in our faces by denying us a vote on the issue. The only possible outcome is that we will become a vassal to Germany and France. Why would our government want that? I know why, and I told you almost a year ago. Nothing's changed. Blair and Brown cut a deal, it's so obvious, Brown for PM, Blair for Euro-President. That's why it's essential that Brown blocks a referendum at all costs, he promised Tony, who guaranteed it to the Euro-parliament in return for the supreme leadership. Despicable!

Souls of Black!

If I say I've done my bit for the environment this week, then you should just accept that, and carry on as before. I can't tell you what it was that I did, that might just make a difference in some small way, but suffice it to say that I stung others into action, which is of course better than having to physically do anything dirty myself! I simply laid down the gauntlet, and others picked it up.

I don't think it'll save the planet or anything, but at least it will raise awareness, and while I have been a bit scathing about climate change and so on, in the past, this isn't to do with climate change. It's more to do with what a filthy species we are. Is that suitably cryptic for you? It is for me, I think I've confused myself!

I concede that I have bigger concerns right now than the future of the planet, and maybe that's selfish. But, hey, there's a few billion others who spend as much time dwelling on the subject as I do! If the planet's already destroyed, if mankind has already pushed the planet to the brink, then I along with the rest of you will face the consequences. It's as simple as that. No one person can make a difference, I said that before, and it's true. We can however, by our actions, feel as though we're doing something worthwhile, and that in itself is useful, if for no other reason than to have an excuse to fall back upon when a blame culture develops. I looked into your soul and this is what I saw!

A Pox Upon You!

My voice seems to be going again. I've had a sore throat since lunch, and I'll be right fed-up if I get ill again. I don't want this blog to sound like a forum for me to moan about my poor health, but it's difficult to think of anything else when you're not feeling too hot. Last week was inconvenient, and I really don't think I can afford to get ill again so soon, especially with, as I said before, an important observation due any day now.

I'm determined to fight it this time, no wait, I was determined last time, and look where that got me. I would take precautions, but I've tried that as well, and it seems, if you're in the company of germ-ridden people, then your chances of not catching their bugs are slim indeed!

Nevermind, it's almost the weekend again, and I'm hoping to get out on the hills, come what may. I do have a hill in mind, the sister peak of a hill I've already been up. No names, It's too soon. It should be a good walk though, everything going to plan, which it seldom does. I'll let you know either way, otherwise you'd be left pondering my situation. Can't have that!

Waiting For Judgement Day!

Ah, I'm working hard just now, like 8am till 9pm pretty much. It's a long day, but my perseverance should soon be rewarded. If that's too cryptic for you, it's called teacher training, and I have a crucial observation coming up. Pass this and the hardest part will be over. It's essential that I pass, but I won't be judged solely on my teaching, but also on 2 portfolios which I have to update and maintain daily. The portfolios must meet very strict criteria, unfortunate, but I don't make the rules, or break them come to think of it. I simply do what I have to to make it through, and at the moment that means working my butt off!

This observation could come as soon as tomorrow, which might be a relief to be honest, but it might be another 2 weeks yet. It's like waiting for the executioner, but hopefully with a less grisly ending. I missed my post yesterday, simply because I was maxed out, and today's as bad, but I'm slightly more recovered from my cold. I'd say I'm nearer 90% now, which is a vast improvement form the weekend, that's for sure.

So, I haven't been to a wedding for years, but it looks like I might finally be going to one in August, and no plain affair either. I suspect it's going to be very lavish and possibly even over the top, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Vitamin Sea!

I'm still slightly under the weather, much improved, but probably still at about 60% I would say. That's why I'm stocking up on vitamins, I just had a tangerine, a multivitamin drink and a vitamin pill. What do you think of the comic strip above? I think it's great, someone has a real sense of imagination to come up with that!

Think I'll keep it brief today, I've got a lot of work on and I'm already way behind schedule. I've got a new television. That's all I'm going to tell you, no technical details. The old one was on the way out anyway, and I never bought the new one. However, there are more questions than answers there if you ask me. For instance; who bought the new television? why did they buy it? what will become of the old one? and my favourite, when will I have time to watch the bloody thing anyway? On that note, I leave you, goodnight!

Walk In the Woods!

No hillwalking today as I'm still feeling fairly ill, although not quite as bad as yesterday. Yesterday I was really down! Anyway, just to get some fresh air, we went for a walk near Cullen, to this little tiny loch called Crannoch Loch. Here it is!

After that we had a wander around in the woods, and saw this weird looking tree. The wife thought it looked like someone hanging upside-down. Not from here, but a little further off. Very odd!

Finally, we found ourselves in an area where clay-pigeon shooting goes on. There were dug-outs and platforms from where they fired the clays out. Fortunately they weren't shooting today, because judging by the propensity of cartridge cases and shattered clays scattered around, when they do shoot, they probably shoot anything that moves!

What the Dickens?

I was relatively ill yesterday, as reported. Today, I'm very ill. Nothing life threatening, just a really bad head cold. But I can't think clearly, and I hate it when I can't think clearly. I woke up at like 5:30 in the morning and my nose just started streaming. Yep, disgusting I know, but I'm trying to tell it as it is. Worse than that, we had to go for our fortnightly shop after that, and I hate shopping at the best of times, but on a Saturday when I'm ill, it's crowded and the weather is miserable, well, so was I.

Events have conspired to prevent me going hillwalking this weekend, and therefore there won't be any photos of the Scottish landscape for you until at least next weekend now. I for one can tell you that there's definitely no better place to be than the Scottish countryside when the weather's fair. Plenty people would pay for the privilege. I just go out and drive a short distance, and there I am, in the hills.

Sorry for the short post today, I'm sure you'll understand, and if not, too bad. I'm bloody well ill!