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.

******************************

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.