Filling in the gaps!

Looking back over the past few months there appears to be a few wee gaps, not intentional, but I'll try to complete the 2012 story and put the last few pics in; so here goes.

Back in May I went on a bus run to The Highland Folk Museum at Kingussie, the trip was with the Elgin and District Parkinson's Support Group.  I think the Museum is well worth a visit, choose a fine day as there is a bit of walking to be done (If the bus isn't operating).

Des Res (For Hobbit)!!

We found our secretary kipping in a cupboard!!  Gillian claimed she was only checking the flash on her camera!?!

The village store and post office, but are the sweeties real??

Soor Plooms, Gob Stoppers, Humbugs.  Sweets Circa 1940.














My next omission (Should definitely have been included at the time) was a wee bike trip set up by Mark (Nursey Fair).  His FB invite to assorted 'friends' was to meet up at his place, ride the section of the Great Glen Way to Ft Augustus, stay overnight at The Stravaigers Lodge, a meal at The Boathouse and the next day load the bikes up and drive back to FW.
The day before the ride I met Mark in Inverness, loaded my bike into his car and, after a brew, set off to Ft Augustus, where, on arrival we checked out The Sravaigers Lodge to ensure beds were available and get ourselves plus two booked in for the following night.  The idea was to leave Mark's car at the lodge and Nic, Mark's wife would come and pick us up, meaning that we had a car waiting for us at the end of the bike ride.  The idea of staying at Stravaigers was because the riders would have a meal and a bottle or three of wine and no one had to miss out on a drink because of driving!  Bunkhouse and table booked Mark and I were forced to head over the road to the pub to wait for Nic.  A large glass of red later and our lift arrived, so to be polite we had to have another drink plus a bite to eat before hitting the road back to FW.
A pleasant evening with the family Fair and then sort out stuff for the next day.
The morning was a tad driech so it was on with waterproofs as the three intrepid riders set off!  Anna, working.  Pip, an appointment.  Paul, something to do with an ambulance!!  However, the 'support crew' were to meet us that evening for the eats and a drink or two.

Mark reckons Nic is only looking so happy because he's carrying all the gear!
On the forestry road above Loch Lochy, the weather is starting to clear a  bit now.

Time for a muesli bar break while Nic does a bit of stretching out.

Drying off and warming up, soup stop at the Gt Glen Water Park.

Not sure what's been going on but Mark has a smile on his face and Nic's looking sheepish!?!?!?

Nic doing some face stuffing!  Claimed she'd got to keep energy levels up (She was in front most of the time!!).

Mark and Nic at the old Bridge of Oich.  Five miles to go, I can feel a coffee coming on already!!

Yup, that's where we're going to eat!

Some serious eating going on, wonder what's for pud?  Must ensure there's room left for the wine!

Paul, TC and Pip.

What a nice picture!!

Nic and Anna.

The riders and 'support crew!

All done and dusted, bikes packed and ready to head for home.












Back to sunny FW, stow the bikes and personal kit then off to the shops, I'm cooking the Fair family meal next day!!
Saturday dawned cool but sunny, Mark and Nic had things to do so I'd arranged to meet up with Pip for a wee spin around the trails in Leanachan.  A quick (Well fairly) thrash up the hill from Mark's, past the Commando Memorial looking very atmospheric with the sun glowing through the mist.

It's one of the most impressive memorials I know, in its setting above Spean Bridge with Ben Nevis and the hills of the Nevis Range as a back drop.
I was due to meet Pip at ten o'clock by Spean Bridge Woollen Mill, spot on time, saddle up and away.  First (Proper) stop was the coffee shop at the auction mart (Well it would be rude to go by without stopping).  A cappuccino and scone later and we were off again; Pip was duty navigator and led along some pleasant forest roads and onto the old Puggy Line (A disused industrial railway track, now footpath), this section involved a few detours to get around fallen trees and after extracting myself from a bog, eventually regaining the track and giving dog's abuse to all things underfoot (Pip trying hard not to laugh out loud), we at last got to rideable trail.  Excellent single track took us virtually all the way back to the road and our starting point.

Me, still with dry feet!

Trail blazer / navigator Pip!

















Well that's the lot for 2012, half an hour to the bells, time to empty my glass and refill it!  Let's see what 2013 can do!?!  Bring it on!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

December

Managed to borrow a slide digitiser and have been busy scanning loads of pics from so far back the 1950's had only just finished!

1961 Royal Marine Commando Training School Lympstone, Devon.  Lympstone Tattoo and the end of nine months of recruit training.  This pic was scanned from a print, the next one is from a slide, taken in Aden while serving with 45 Cdo.

I had a load of fun looking at these pics after so long in storage, many have gone onto FB hopefully providing some amusement!

Back to December and clearing turf, laying a weed stopper textile, some sand and cement for levelling the slabs and then clearing an even bigger area to lay stone chips.
Monday night and time for the monthly meeting of the book group, it was also an excuse for the first of the Christmas parties.

The Burghead Food, Wine and Book Group!!

  Our next book is a murder / terrorist threat novel based around the town policeman, Bruno, and set in the Dordogne, The Crowded Grave, by Martin Walker.  A bit of a slow pace to the book with the action taking place in the last dozen pages!  I'm not sure that I'll bother to look out more of this author's work, or possibly one more just to see if it's an equally slow pace.
Spinning class, a bit of cooking (Chicken casserole done in red wine!), a coffee to celebrate! and a walk along the back shore to watch the breakers rolling in.
6th Dec and blood test result arrives, Normal (Low).  Didn't want to go onto iron supplements so convinced the Doc I'd eat loads of liver, kidney etc, he was happy with that as I'm due another of my three monthly implants and yet another blood test for my PSA level but this time they will do a full blood count to see if I need an oil change.  It was a complete belt and bracers job this time because (Just to be sure) I had to go to the Lossie surgery for an ECG to make sure my plugs and points were clean and the ticker was firing on SA node, AV node, bundle of His, R and L bundle branches and all Purkinje fibres! (In the right order).  If you're not sure what it's all about try Google! (Other search engines are available).  Anyway, it all appears to be in working order I'm pleased to say.
Start the day with a pilates session (well after a cuppa and some toast).   A few odd jobs like starting to find Christmas bits and pieces and then get sorted for the first in a round of group Christmas meals!!
Number one on the eats list was the Heritage Group with a great three course choice of nouvelle cuisine hosted at Elgin College.  The catering staff and students pulled out the stops to produce and serve an excellent meal.  Just over a week later (More spinning and pilates) and it was time for the Elgin Parkinson's Support Group dinner, this time a choice of the traditional turkey + trimmings, roast beef or a veggie option.  This time the venue was the Royal Hotel where we were looked after by excellent friendly staff.  Meal and service were spot on.  Four days on and we arrive at the Elgin Cancer Support Christmas Party!  Driving this time so no red stuff (or white or unfortunately anything alcoholic), but dancing and a buffet meal.  On the floor for a Canadian Barn Dance!  A bit more of tripping the light fantastic followed by eats!  Two days later and it's an anniversary!  A lunch had been booked at Cullen Bay Hotel so we took a scenic route there via Lossiemouth to see what damage had been caused by the previous day's storm.  Thankfully the wind had been generally easterly which had left our west facing shore untouched!!

Lossie took a hammering or at least the harbour wall did!!  Debris right across the kids play park!

East Beach.  The dunes are almost under water as is the E Beach Bridge!!










Two more days down and time for the Spinning Group Lunch, twenty seven 'spinners' tucking in to turkey, salmon or a Brie Filo Parcel.  A further two  days and Burghead held its Senior Citizen Christmas Dinner kindly sponsored by the Harbour Bar Rangers Supporters Club and thanks to Diagio for funding the bar!!
The next day finds me on the bus to Inverness, a bit of last minute shopping, lunch, then up to Maggie's to join in their Christmas party; mince pies, mulled wine and good company.
Come the 24th and I was on my way back to Inverness to collect Son Phil up from Glesca for five days.  The lad had been busy globe trotting with Hidden Orchestra and for the last couple of weeks has been working non stop in the fruit and veg business!

Hidden Orchestra and Guest Trumpeter sight seeing during the Moscow gig.

Christmas Day was nice and relaxed, eating more than was good for me and topped off with the odd glass of red stuff (One or two bottles still to work through!!).
Boxing Day.  Drive over to Buckie to collect Grand Children, not much like children now though; Thijs 17 in March and Corran became a young lady of 11 on the 22nd Dec.  Tempus fugit and all that!!
Boxing Day in Burghead heralds the annual Harbour Swim, the event is in aid of charity and involves leaping, diving or combination of the two into the harbour, swimming the few strokes necessary to get you to the far side and scaling the ladder up onto flat ground where, hopefully, a friend is waiting with a towel and some dry clothes.  Oh, I forgot to say, no wet suits allowed!!

Nice day for it!

Once out of the water most folk head for one of the three pubs in BH (This includes the onlookers) where plates of stovies are served up for anyone who wants, all for free!

2012 nearly over now, any bits missed, and there were one or two, I'll try to remedy in't next few days.

November

Pilates, spinning, need a coffee!!  All this exercise and stretching must be good for me!?! init??

Friday night and off (clutching bottle)  round to a friends place to watch the DVD Salmon Fishing In The Yemen; we'd read the book and a bunch of us wanted to compare it with the film.  At the eats and top up glasses break I suddenly got the cold sweats and would have flaked out if Enid hadn't spotted my condition and grabbed a chair for me!?!?!?  Five minutes in a chair and a topped up wine glass and I was feeling much better, this hasn't happened to me before so I went to see the Doc first thing Monday, he went through the usual sort of questions and took my BP which was fine and so decided to get the nurse to take some blood to test for anaemia, a week later and I called in to check the result, the nurse couldn't (or wouldn't) say but said the Doc wanted a repeat test done!?!  Eventually got some more blood drawn off and now waiting until Thurs 6th Dec to see the Doc to find out what's going on.  In the mean time lots of liver, kidney and dark chocolate (all loaded with iron!) and washed down with a spot of Shiraz!!

This idea is to be developed, a pannier frame with tray and glasses, trailer for recliner with storage for cheese and biccies!





Meanwhile, November was filled with spinning, dog walking (the big Alsatian again) and calculating quantities of sand, cement, paving slabs and gravel required to tart up the path and parking spot, and extend a bike shed base.
At the back end of the month Paul (Rescue Medics) had secured a contract to provide medical cover for a three day event based on the Cawdor Estate.  This was the first time The International Gun Dog Trials (Retrievers) had been held this far north, it was a prestigious event in the Gun Dog calendar and Roddy, the Head Game Keeper, and his staff were at pains to ensure all went smoothly.
Anna brought the Ambulance over from the West on the Sunday afternoon accompanied by Suzy Devey and their bikes, we were hoping to get a quick blast along the Coast Trail but the weather was against us so a fairly rapid walk to the headland via the harbour had to suffice, followed by a saunter down Grant St and, would you believe it, a call into the Bothy!!  Teas, coffees and sticky buns all round then back to get sorted for the following day.

Ready for work and Suzy about to head off back towards Nairn.  Anna on ambulance duty today and I'm about to  book in with the organisers, grab a coffee and see what's required of us.  Briefing done and I was asked to place myself with the 'Gallery' (The spectators) as this is where any action is likely to be (Apparently!!).
The 'guns' were briefed by Roddy, the Head Gamekeeper before the first crew of dog handlers took their place in the line.

Roddy briefing the 'Guns'

The dogs rarin' to go find!!

The Gallery.  Many of these folk had dogs under training and were sussing out the competition!

One of the Fetcher in's.  These guys were experienced Keepers who's job was to find any birds the 'trial' dogs failed to retrieve.

A successful three days, the folk Anna and I spoke to had enjoyed their time here and the international crowd were well taken with the setting, fields, moor land, manicured castle grounds and the imposing building plus, as a bonus some sunshine!!








With Anna away back to the west I had one last job before the month was out, a drive over to Abernethy to examine a first aid course.  The weather had done its thing and started to put some snow down.  Not too bad a run via Craigallachie and just a dusting on the back road from Grantown to Nethy Bridge.  Got to the Centre well in time for a coffee followed by lunch and more coffee, a quick chat with Chris who had run the course and Gus the second examiner and by 1400 we were starting the examination process.  Chris was going through the written papers while Gus covered practical CPR, recovery position etc. and I interrogated them on the depth of their first aid knowledge.  No problems, (brown envelopes changed hands) and all passed!!

October

The Bothy re-opens after a refurbishment.  Tis the best place in Burghead for a coffee and cake and soon to be open evenings (end of Nov).  Newly installed are two pizza ovens so it's looking good to soon be able to sit and have a  nice meal and a few glasses of red!  If you're ever over this way it's well worth a visit.

The Southern end with big log burner.

Northern end and cake supply.

First Monday of the month, it's book club evening.  We've been reading Song of Achilles, a sort of classical Greek story of the Trojan war with a bit of love interest thrown in.  Not exactly my cup of tea but an easy read, some of the bits along with many of the characters from classical Greek mythology were in there, but there was little mention of the well known 'Achilles heel' woven into the story.  After some discussion about who enjoyed the book and why and who didn't and why not we adjourned for the odd glass of red stuff and assorted nibbles.  The book for the following month was completely different, a forensic murder mystery involving a few mummified corpses, the author, Tess Gerritsen, has written a few books along this line with some of them being made into a US TV series.
The monthly reads aren't always things I can get on with but it does widen ones reading horizon!  If I really can't get into any of the books I just choose something I like, after all, life's too short to be ploughing through stuff you just don't like!!  We've read a couple of the Wallander series of Swedish police dramas and are now on '22 Britannia Road', I've been told it's a bit dismal but I'll give it a go and see what I make of it.

Our local Parkinson's Support Group meeting was next on the agenda, Tara French, based in Keith, had studied music and had received funding towards establishing a choir and promoting singing in this area.  Tara had been to one of our meetings before and had us working at some numerical singing exercises (with varying results!), this time she brought two of her choristers along to entertain us before the song sheets were handed out and we all got stuck in!  One of the unfortunate effects of Parkinson's is that some sufferers develop a 'fixed expression and often the vocal chords stiffen causing a voice like an old crow!!  Singing is reckoned to be first class therapy for this stage of the condition.  Successfully completed, the singing was followed by tea and bickies and general chat.

Tara, invisible behind the piano was flanked by her choristers.












The next day was my fifth Zolodex hormone implant and PSA test (oh joy!).  0830, first into the nurses den, paperwork done, syringe with big needle was taken out of its box; ten minutes later the implant had been implanted, blood taken for testing and I was on my way home; twelve weeks and same all over again and every twelve weeks until the Reaper comes knocking!!  (Oops, felt sorry for myself for a few minutes, think I'll go and get my head down and finish this tomorrow).

Thursday morning, 1015, time for a walk up the village to do a quality control on a Bothy coffee and slice of cake!  There is a spell of dirty weather on for a couple of days so its a chance to reply to some of those long overdue e-mails I keep meaning to answer.
I must checkout more coffee shops to find a barista who can do a coffee like this!!

Saturday brought some half decent weather so a late breakfast, a long walk down the beach and then up to the Bothy for a bowl of  soup.

Sunday and off to Aviemore to provide some of the medical cover for a charity half marathon.  get there early to find a parking spot not too far from the sign on venue (where the coffee is).  Twenty minutes later the rest of the troops arrive, the easy-up is put up, med kit set out and all prepared for any customers.  Dave, Alan and Paul were soon off up the road towards Glenmore and were fortunate to be caught in time to pass their bacon rolls over!  Pip had been up to the sign-on / coffee supply and had managed to blag bacon rolls for the whole team!  What a star!!

Pip observing the action!

Watching the runners come in.














PSA result through and all seems to be ok, the score is < 0.1 which is as it should be and long may it stay that way!!

Round at friends on the Friday night for a glass or three of the red stuff (one small one for me, driving ).
The forecast was looking fine and sunny for the Sunday so a quick e-mail on Saturday eve got us fixed up for a swift bike ride for the following day.

A leisurely 1030 start and a steady pedal on pleasant single track through the forest and onto the Moray Coastal Trail, once past Kinloss airfield, now an army engineer base, and the cracking views across the Moray Firth towards the Black Isle, then it was off the Coast Trail and into the Findhorn Foundation, past the whiskey barrel houses, pottery, Trees For Life etc.  Then into the Blue Angel Cafe.  Home made soup and oat cakes followed by an Americano and slice of gluten free polenta cake, a very tasty piece of baking.
It was an effort to get up, out of the cafe and back onto our bikes but after negotiating a route around a new building site in the Foundation we were back on the return run to Burghead.  Roughly an hour saw us back at base and sat on the decking enjoying another cuppa in the afternoon sunshine.  Comments were made about booking such great weather for the ride and then to cap it all we were treated to some dolphins having a play as they passed across the bay on their way for their afternoon performance off the Spey Bay whale and dolphin lookout (And coffee shop!).

To  round off the month I was involved in some dog sitting for friends who were away for a few days at a rock music gig.  One of the dogs was a Long Haired German Shepherd, and built like a brick outhouse!!  I'm sure that he only wanted to play with other dogs but I was never sure that he wouldn't eat them, so it was crack of dawn walks to avoid running into many other dog walkers!

C2C and Parkinson's YP event.

0500 start at Nairn for the Nokia Coast to Coast event.  Competitors run from Nairn to Cawdor, pick up their bikes and cycle to Fort Augustus, overnight there, following day continue cycling to Fort William, dump bikes then walk/run part of the West Highland Way to the shore of Loch Leven, canoe across to Isles of Glencoe Hotel.  Finish.  A tough event, however, the elite competitors did the whole thing in a day!!

Nurse Ann giving the runners a bit of a morale boost as they arrive at Cawdor Castle!

Riders about to pass under the A9, heading for the back roads along the south side of Loch Ness.

Dave parked up the motorbike and came for a sit in the ambulance for a short break, he'd been to see a casualty called in by one of the route marshals, a rider had got soaked in one of the heavy showers and was feeling too cold and tired to continue, Dave ensured that the competitor was wrapped up warm in the marshal's car and on the way to full recovery before leaving the marshal to take the guy back to Nairn where his car had been left.

Dave's about to shoot off up the road to get towards the front riders leaving me to leapfrog the tail end riders and aim towards the middle of the group where I would park up again and wait for most of the riders to go past before moving back through the group again.

 Above;  Nice day for a bike ride!

Right and below; Cold and damp at  the top of the big hill, not far to Ft Augustus, showers and hot food!!

About to start the downhilly bit towards Ft Augustus and the end of day one!!

Bu**** it!  It's a real pain when these things happen!!

Day two was the job of shadowing riders through to the Ft William transition point where they dropped their bikes, put on hill footwear and headed off along part of the West Highland Way finally dropping down to the shore of Loch Leven and paddling across to the finish at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel.

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Parkinson's Younger Person Event.  Venue: Stirling Business Centre.

I wasn't sure that I should have been going to this event at all but was told I was "young at heart"!  So I went!!
In the pic Catherine Crawford (P UK's Boss in Scotland) is ensuring that we keep our noses to the grindstone!  We were discussing various Parkinson's problems e.g. 'Out and about', driving, shopping, public transport.  'In the home', the kitchen, stairs, bathroom.  'At the Doctors', how to get the best from your appointment in the short time available.

There were ample coffee breaks giving plenty of time for 'networking' or chatting to the 'Babes in blue'!

Dinner was a grand affair, excellent food, you can see we'd cleared our plates, and finished the wine, I guess we'll just have to adjourn to the bar.

At one of the 'breakout' sessions.  Dance for Parkinson's
The lady in yellow is a pro dancer who has developed a series of dance exercises designed to promote better awareness of movement and mobility.  Here we have the movers and shakers (literally) about to do their thing!!

Saturday afternoon, well fed and fully coffee'd out the event was coming to a close.  A good time had by all, despite the 'Parkey' faces! and a great effort put in by the volunteers and staff from P UK.  Thanks!  Hope to see you next year.