HALLOWEEN WARNING ... ALERT ... BEWARE ... TAKE CARE

Beware of a Garden Gnome With a Mustache

HEATHER'S FALL PARTY

Here are some (but not all) pictures of characters who came to the party!  Apologies to those not featured. 



To Infinity and Beyond!!

A Knight from Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail.  "It is only a flesh wound".

Caught in the spider's web swing!

Three Amigos.

Do you want me to paint your face?

Whooping it up!

One of the Stone boys from Newton crashed the party.  He wanted pie a-la-mode.

"Little Red Riding Hood ... you sure a looking good, you're everything a Big Bad Wolf could want".

Little cutie.

"Want to beat my drum?"

"A horse is horse, unless of course it's the wonderful Mr. Carter".

Autumn in the backyard.

Gathering at the fire pit.

El Cheeto Lib re (spelling?)

Cousins discussing the wild party.

A a great day was had by all.

Happy 45th Heather!!

Our Farewell Day

Today was our last day in Scotland....wahhhhhhh!!!  I think all three of us would agree that we are not ready to be leaving.  We decided we would have an easy day to finish up souvenir shopping and just enjoy Fort Augustus, a village we have all come to absolutely love.

Dad went out on his last morning walk to the locks and Oh Happy, Unforgettable Day!...the lock workers asked dad if he would like to run the lock and open the gate for the boat that was coming through.  So of course he accepted and with a wee jig in his heart he ran the controls to let the water fill up the lock and then open the gate for the boat.  What a fun experience....I said it wouldn't be long before dad would be working at the locks...I just thought it would be on his next trip!

We started out our shopping at the butcher's...I bought a hot bacon roll (delicious) for breakfast and dad bought a steak pie for us to have for dinner.  Mom and I had our scottish souvenir shopping lists, so we hit all three of the gift shops in town and were able to get all of our items acquired...dad started out on the shopping trip with us, but after 1 1/2 shops he decided he had had enough.  :-). After we finished shopping we went and got dad and went to the cloister garden where mom & I played a game of chess (I won, which makes me the Scotland Chess Champion).  Then we decided to go for a short drive to Jenkins Park...we had seen the sign for this park every time we went in and out of Fort Augustus and we were very curious and had high expectations of a beautiful Scottish park.  We went searching for the park following all the signs, and after a couple very small roads and scaring a wee lass into using her stranger danger run away tactics, we could not find it.  Dad later asked one of the townspeople and found out it is not an actual park, just a name for the neighborhood area.  Hahahaha!

We then returned back to the Highland club and went for swim at the pool.  As a final hurrah, we warmed up the steak pie in the oven and mom cooked some turnips on the stove.  It was a terrific dinner and a fitting last meal in Scotland.  I can't even express what an amazing trip this has been, not only being able to finally experience Scotland, but to be doing it with mom and dad.....absolutely unforgettable!!!  I will treasure this time forever.

Dad with his friend Ian.

His other friend Paul.  I know they will notice his absence at the locks tomorrow.

Me and mom playing chess.  She is getting quite good at remembering how all the pieces move...she only learned how to play a week ago.

One of the gargoyles in the cloister garden.  Beware!!!  He is watching you!

The smallest lighthouse in Great Brittain.  It is located on the highland club grounds near the canal.

Yes indeed, I love this place and Scotland has been GRAND!!!

Mom getting ready to say farewell to her Scotland walking stick.  We wandered out to Loch Ness tonight to get one last glimpse of the loch and we thought it would be a fitting place for mom to dispose of her stick.  While we were down there in the darkness and right after I took the pictures of mom throwing her stick, I heard strange thumping coming from the forest area (that is the area in the back ground of this picture and the cemetery is only about 50 feet from this area).  I heard the noise a couple times and told mom we needed to get out of there, cuz I was getting scared.  I heard the thumping again and I was like, 'I am outta here!'  I started to book it, and that freaked mom out a little so she started to book it (as best as she could with her leg). By the time we made it back into the abbey wee were both very spooked.  So we came back and I downloaded he pictures and look at he round orb behind mom in the above picture...they say these orbs are supernatural energy (ghosts) that gets picked up by the camera.  So then we looked at the picture that I took right after this one and look where the orb is in that one:

It had moved closer to her!!!!  The first picture was her getting ready to throw the stick and this one was as she was throwing it (the stick is barely off the screen).  The area that the orb came from is the same area that I heard the thumping.  Crazy, huh?!?  I absolutely promise that we did not doctor or do anything to these photos.  Coolness!

Glencoe and Nevis Range Resort

Today we travelled to Glencoe Village and then to Nevis Range Mountain Resort.  We started out with a lazy morning and took our time getting ready.  Glencoe was only about an hour away so we didn't feel the need to rush.  I think that we feel like if we take our time, we can make every last minute count as we approach our departure from Scotland.

We arrived in Glencoe and turned down the main road in the village...there was not much to be found so we thought we were on the wrong road.  We turned around and explored the other street (yes that is singular...I think there were two streets in the whole village) and discovered that the first road was the main street.  They definitely have kept the small village feel.  We found the only car park in town and walked the length of the village (about two blocks) to the massacre memorial. Glencoe was the site of the massacre of numerous members from the MacDonald clan by a regiment that they had actually invited to stay there.  This area is also widely known as the prettiest place in Scotland.  I would have to agree...some parts of the area almost seemed out of a book or fairytale.  Amazing!

After leaving Glencoe we went to the Nevis Range Mountain Resort just out side of Torlundy.  The resort is at the base of the Nevis mountain range, which includes Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK.  The resort is a ski resort in the winter, but in the other seasons it offers hiking trails, mountain biking trails and an outdoor adventure park (including a zip line).  They also operate their gondola lift year round.  We bought tickets to ride the gondola up the side of the mountain.  It was very interesting to see that there were no ski runs on the lower area of the mountain.  You had to ride the gondola up to a 'base area' above the tree line and from there you find a gaffe, gift shop, multiple ski lifts and ski runs...and for us trails leading to breathtaking views of the Great Glen and Ben Nevis.  The only bad part is that today there were clouds that had socked in to the area and the views were limited, but still very pretty.  I took so many pictures trying to capture the ruggedness and the beauty of the area, and although they are pretty, they do not do the view justice.  After some hiking around dad treated us all to hot cocoas and shortbread inside the cafe found at the base area on top.  Very yummy!

We made it back home by about 5.  Mom and I walked to the chippy shop to grab some dinner.  I ordered the chicken and chips, and much to my surprise...when the guy brought my order to the counter, lo and behold there sat one half of a whole chicken (literally a chicken cut in half and cooked as one piece) deep fried and ready for my tummy.  :-)  Again it was a great day.  I want to soak up as much Scottish air as I can before I have to leave, and today was an excellent addition to my air supply!

Looking downstream under the Glencoe Bridge.  Is that not unreal how pretty that is??

Dad standing out by the Glencoe Bridge

Me standing by the bridge.

Dad and I standing by the Massacre Memorial

Mom and Dad in Glencoe.

Mom getting ready to climb a tree near the memorial...hmmmmm I think it was around this point dad disappeared and went on his own adventure...I am not really sure why.  ;-)

Dad found this beautiful area just off the road by the memorial.  This is looking down on the river that flows down under the bridge.

A beautiful bed of heather found in Glencoe.  Not a day goes by that we don't think about how much Heather would have loved it over here...

See?!?  Even the streets are beautiful in Glencoe.  It feels like a magical area!

Riding up the Gondola at the Nevis Range.

A hill found at the top of the gondola ride.  At the top of this hill and on a clear day you have a 360 degree view of the Nevis mountain range and the Great Glen....today there was not that view.  I went on a hike by myself to the top of the hill and even though it was cloudy I was still astounded by the view...I think I took about 60+ pictures!

Me at the top....see the view?!?!  Hahaha...even the clouds were great!

A picture of the mountainside.  The colors are so pretty.

Mom and dad waiting for me back at the lodge area.

The view up the Great Glen from the gondola car.

Mom and dad in front of the Nevis Range Mountain Resort.

My dinners...see?!?  I told you it was half a chicken.  Lol

To Inverness to Visit Mary, Jeni, and Kids

Today we travelled north to Inverness to meet up with some friends of dad's...His old landlady from Inverness, Mary MacDonald, and her granddaughter Jeni (whom dad has made good friends with via email and letters).  Jeni and her husband David (we were not able to meet him as he was at work) have three kids, Angus, Isla & Katie, that were eagerly awaiting our arrival. Dad had not met Jeni before.  He lived with her grandparents Mary & Pat MacDonald and their two children, Jean (Jeni's mum) & Callum while serving in Inverness in 1963.  Since then Pat, Jean and Callum have all passed away, leaving only Mary and Jeni in Inverness.

On our way into town we stopped at the Kilvean cemetery to visit the graves/memorial of Pat, Jean & Callum.  After some searching through the cemetery and a vist to the office, we found them and dad was able to 'pay them a visit'.  We then drove over to Jeni's house.  It was so cute when we pulled up as there were little heads that kept popping into the front window with eager anticipation. What a fantastic little family!!  The girls were adorable...Katie was very energetic and made super duper friends with mom...and Angus was an amazing lad.  They gave dad a highland cup of friendship and he gave them USU & Smithfield Blue Sox/Fire Dept gear.  After spending some time with them Jeni lead us to the nursing home where Mary now resides, via way of dad's old digs.  After a quick picture at the old house, we were ready to go see Mary.  It was so fun to see how excited both her and dad were to see each other.  She is a fun old lady and kept saying how she will think of this day for a long time.  Her and dad reminisced, shared memories and laughed.  It was a great afternoon!

On our way back into Fort Augustus we saw a big old ship coming down the locks.  We rushed to get pictures and see it come through the last gate.  It was pretty cool.  It is great to see how much dad enjoys watching boats come through the locks.  I know the lock workers will notice his absence when we are gone.  :-). Only two days left in Scotland....crazy how fast time has flown!

Dad at Jean's grave and Callum's memorial.

Dad at Pat's grave.

Dad and mom with Angus, Jeni and Katie.  Isla had gone shopping with her BFF.  :-)

Dad and Mary

Dad out in front of his digs in Inverness.  He was able to see all the places he lived while in Scotland, with the exception of Dundee.

The big boat that was coming through the locks.

Isla, Angus, Jeni and Katie wearing their gear dad brought to them. Jeni sent this picture to dad after we had left Inverness.  How fun!!!!

One of the cloister garden windows here at the abbey...taken at night looking in.  I love how the stars stand out...I hadn't really even noticed them til this picture.