Post #100 - thank you

We've made it to 100 posts!  I guess we'll use this occasion to thank everybody who tunes in to see what we're up to.  We've had a good time sharing our adventures ... and hope to continue finding interesting stuff to post.

I also have to say thanks to everyone for their kind birthday wishes, cards and emails.  I had a really good birthday, even though I had to work.  Fiona made me breakfast in bed and broke out her famous lasagna for dinner.  She even hand-made me some Bosche Bollen - a Dutch chocolate covered cream puff.  Fantastic as always.  She's also enrolled me in some golf lessons, so I hope to be decreasing my handicap soon.  I've also increased my list of books to read, including a biography of Stalin - a natural follow through from the Mao biography I'm almost finished.  She's doing her best to spoil me.

Work has been amazingly busy the last couple of weeks, so I was in the office today.  Especially unfortunate considering the beautiful weather we've been having.  20+ degrees and sunny every day.  

We did manage to give the dog a haircut today - doing it ourselves for the first time.  We think we did OK.  It should hold her over for a few months.

Out and About

We've been enjoying a long weekend here in the UK, getting things done around the house and trying to enjoy the natural beauty of Scotland that is getting better and better the further we get into spring.

We've been getting out into Hazelhead Park more often these days.  We've discovered the gardens and enjoy going back frequently to see what has come into bloom this week.  Recently it has been the azaleas and rhododendrons.  We've also been walking around our neighborhood, through the West End of Aberdeen.  The houses are quite spectacular with gardens to match.  We catch ourselves looking at houses for sale and daydreaming about our own little patch.  Price tags over and above 500,000 GBP manage to snap us out of it.  I think if the centre's contract gets extended at the end of the year, we may look a little more seriously.

Sunday night we managed to squeeze in a night at the movies.  We paid an extra 75p to attend an 18 and over only show - another novel way of separating ourselves from the riff-raff.  We saw Angels & Demons and quite enjoyed it.  Fiona had read the book, but quite some time ago, and I hadn't read it at all.  I think it can be enjoyed either way.  With the exception of some parts, it was well acted and the story moved along at a good pace.  I think the controversy over alleged anti-Catholicism will die out quickly, as, in my opinion, it does not present Catholics or Catholicism in a negative light.

We hopped in the car this morning for what we thought would be a quick hike around some Dee-side sights.  We headed out for Burn o' Vat.  The hike was supposed to be split into two parts - a quick kilometer or so out the Burn o' Vat and then three or four kilometers between Loch Kinord and Loch Davan.  The Burn o'Vat went well and was really cool - the end point being a small waterfall emptying into a large, scoured out gorge.  Accented by the greenery and crystal clear water, it was quite a sight.  The waterfall hides a small cave that liquor smugglers and other people used to hide.  The second part of the hike did not go well.  We got a little turned around and ended up on a much longer hike, about 8 or 9 kilometers.  We went through our meager rations quite quickly.  We settled into a groove and got around the lake in good time - at least until we realised we were one sweater lighter than when we started.  We hiked back a little, but no luck.  So we've donated a Canadian sweater to the Scottish highlands.

The hike did have some small highlights to offer, including an 8th century carved Pictish cross and our first experience with the (slightly creepy) calls of the cuckoo.  That bird is well named....

The Whirlwind Tour

It has been a while since our last post, sorry.

We decided to fly back to Edmonton to help my mother celebrate the occasion of her ??th birthday.   We had hoped to have a nice long vacation but demands at work meant we had to be back sooner.  We were hoping to see all our friends we miss in Canada, but unfortunately it wasn't possible this trip.

I guess the above paragraph is a sort of lame attempt at providing excuses to all those friends that we didn't get to see.

We flew in on the 1st, a little disappointed to see how brown the Canadian landscape.  The grit and gravel still on the newly snow-less roads was completely different from the full-on spring greenery we left in Aberdeen.  It was all quickly left behind when we got to my parents' place. 

The place had changed a little - new floors, a wall torn out to create an open plan, and, gasp, the dishwasher that we as kids had begged for all our youth.  The city itself hadn't changed much, besides getting a little more expensive.  

We quickly got deep into the Canadiana - with some Molson Canadian beer and the Stanley Cup playoffs.  

Our week was filled - shopping, visiting, a couple of movies, walks, long breakfasts and afternoons on the patio.  We were blessed with some nice weather, including 20 plus degrees on some afternoons. 

The party for my Mom's birthday was great.  The weather cleared enough for us to sit outside and enjoy a BBQ.  As it was a fairly significant occasion I wore my kilt, which led to a barrage of the standard kilt questions - none of which were answered!

My sister and niece also flew in for the weekend and the party/Mother's day.  It was great to see them again, especially as Adele continues to grow like a weed.  

We got back to Aberdeen a little tired due to the jet lag, but a little refreshed as well.