08 Boxing Day 2013

Boxing Day.  Dark mornings up north you know!  I set my camera on time lapse so it didn't miss dawn, once it finally decided to show... 

You should see the sun rise and start to head on it's slow journey across the sky....


Cracking view from the conservatory.  Think we'll take advantage of the good forecast today and wander out for a walk somewhere. 



Yesterday the weather wasn't great and we weren't out long before the heavens opened.


Off out then to walk off a few Christmas calories.  We parked up next to a tanker that was next to the track we would head up.  So what's special about a tanker you might wonder? 


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Well, when you look at what it carries (clue on the side), it's a malt whisky from Bruichladdich,











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....and if there's any doubt just look at the hazchem label on the side...!  lets see, wonder if any one's watching... where's my water bottle....







Off on the track then,  This is where we went.

half way along, just look at the peace and quiet.

 

 

I know what you're thinking, I'm not really there at all, but look... I'm in Al's rucksack!







On the way back I catch sight of some wildlife.  Horses and highland coos...  They all seemed to want me to pose with them.

Back home and hunker down as the wind and the rain strike again.  Woken up at midnight by the howling wind.  The chimney balloon (Al says this is a balloon to stop the wind coming down the chimney when the fire's not on) went bang and shot up the chimney.  The waves outside are spraying over the garden wall.  The sea has turned into angry foaming froth.  The foam looks like what you'd expect if you put fairy into your washing machine, it's all over the place!  It was even on the road at the front of the house.  Al took me out to see it and take some photos but it was very dark...

It looks like snow but that's the foam off the sea at the front of the house omg!

Hardly slept a wink for the rest of the night!

07 December 2013 - Christmas in Bonnie Scotland

Al's sister Claire was very kind and let me go to Scotland and stay in her cottage on the Isle of Islay.   Al had let Claire see this blog and she seems taken with me, and thinks we're a bit mad!   Al and Sandy said they'd like to come too, so I relented and said yes.

The forecast said it was going to be a bit rough, with snow and winds expected so I insisted we set off early.  We stayed The Argyll Hotel in Inveraray on the way up having got over the main altitude passes (snow and sleat, but no real issues)

We arrived later the next day after a rough crossing.  We were okay but a few passengers didn't look so good and some paper sacks were evident....

Over to the village on the edge of the Loch.  The wind is high, the sea sounds busy, but it's too dark now to see what's what really.

Woke up to this view!  Conservatory overlooking (read almost in)  Loch Indaal. 

 

 

Thought I'd better get on with some work,  I needed to get this blog up to date, what a cracking view!  - this would make a great office if you could just make yourself work, talk about window gazing!

 

But the weather then just closed in.  Glad we were warm as toast inside :)

The next morning the sea was very rough outside.  Here's an early morning video...



And later here's the view from the back door...

Soon the weather cleared and we wandered out into the gales.

 

 

OK Rock, almost covered!  Al says this bit of rock is famous fro being painted like this, goes back since the olden days or something... anyway he says to put this link in so you know what it's about !
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/193885










Anyway, a bit further down the village is the pier.  It was supposed to be fixed years ago and made longer.  Al's sister raised some money for this to be fixed, a few pounds anyway, must still be in a fund somewhere!

So back to the cottage just as the rain started again.  The RAYBURN is going well so I'd thought I'd make some scones and flapjacks.  Al said "this takes me back.... "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06 December 2013 VULCAN!

Al's got a thing about the Vulcan, I know, I've told him he's an anorak but he won't have it, keeps going on about what a fantastic and unique piece of engineering it is.... yawn... wake me up when we get there!

Anyway, off to Doncaster it is then.  That's where you'll find 'Robin Hood Airport'  mmm yes I though that it would have been at Nottingham, or Sherwood Forest too!  It was origianly called RAF Finingley before it became Doncaster Airport and now Robin Hood.

Anyway, in the hanger is the last flying Avro Vulcan, (you know the type that bombed the Falklands?)  here it is;

I got to sit on the wing too.  In fact after sweet talking some of the ground crew I was able to get to other places that even Al wasn't allowed to go to!



Here's me on the wing...  It's a bit dark.  Al said something about me stealing all the light from the flash, prima donna or something - outrageous!






Anyway I got my own back when I met one of the engineers.  He asked me if I'd like to see some puppies, or at least that's what I thought he said... but anyway, he took me up into the cockpit.

 Seems that this is a very restricted place as the ejection seats have explosives in them so only specially trained people are allowed up there.  He must have liked me as he broke the rules and took me up.  When I asked him about special requests he said, with a twinkle in his eyes, 'you'd not believe what we get asked to do up here...' okay, time to step off your knee now!  Anyway, a couple of shots of me at the top of the entry ladder into the cockpit.

One last shot before we go..

It was only as we left that Al admitted he'd gone to see Concorde last week at Manchester Airport, but had forgotten to take me...

Like I say, total anorak!

05 November 2013 back to work!!!

Al and I travelled back to his old work for a short visit...  Didn't think too much of the room but Al says we'd have to get used to it seeing as we're only visitors here now : (

I went into the office and who did I see, but Di, my MUM!  You can see her in the photo, with her friend Caz on my left.