solasachanalba

London trip!

2012-02-02T15:28:00.000Z

Yesterday we discovered that a concert Danny wants to see and a monk I want to see are in London at the same time. Can't be a coincidence, so we've booked a trip! Hotel, tickets, train are all booked.

I'm very happy to be taking the train instead of flying, especially in first class!

On the 29th of March Thich Nhat Hahn will be speaking at Southbank Centre. The talk is titled True Peace and Happiness in the Here and Now.

The 31st of March will feature TNH leading a Sitting Meditation in Trafalgar Square. Better remember a cushion to sit on!

More on this incredible Zen monk, Thich Nhat Hanh

At Southbank Centre on the 1st of April we'll attend St Matthew Passion by the Bach Choir.

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre

Sunrise

2012-01-28T15:20:00.002Z

Popped out on the front porch the other morning to capture the sunrise and the crow that sits in our tree every morning. I'm ready to start a photo project but don't have any plans to try the photo a day project again.

Flowers in January

2012-01-23T13:46:00.002Z

A few daffodils bloomed a couple of weeks ago which is early. Snowdrops and Crocuses are on time.

New Year

2012-01-17T09:41:00.001Z

We've settled back into our routine. I'm ready to start taking photos again. We had mild temps for a while so a couple of our daffodils bloomed. Got cold again though (just above freezing at night) so the daffodils look very sad now.

Anxious to go to Morocco next month for many reasons - birthday celebration, experience a country we've never visited, enjoy being with friends, and new photo ops!

This morning was foggy and I spotted a Royal Navy ship going past so grabbed the camera which is always ready.

This one was me playing around during our 4+ hour layover in Amsterdam after a long flight from Detroit. Nothing to do but eat, read, browse the duty free shops, and about an hour and a half of free internet. So I took some pics.

Back home from the US

2012-01-06T08:38:00.003Z

Danny and I spent 3 weeks in Michigan for the holidays. Weather was milder than normal and very little snow. Except for an epidemic in my family of a stomach virus, the visit was wonderful.

We flew Delta/KLM this time. We were unimpressed with the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit due to a bad tempered flight attendant and others who seemed to be in bad moods. On the way home the flight was much better as the flight attendants were friendly, and we had booked an exit row so had lots of legroom. I loved having my new Kindle and actually read the entire 7 hour flight without getting tired or strained eyes. The screen is easy on the eyes.

Our opinion of Delta overall is that they suck! They keep changing our flight times for our May trip. They changed our outgoing flight a few weeks ago whereas we'd arrive in Amsterdam several hours after our connecting flight had left. A note in red at the bottom of the email telling us this was: you may miss your connecting flight. Duh?! Ya think so?! They changed it back after a long time on the phone. Yesterday they tried to make changes in our return flight. They want us to hang around Amsterdam airport for about 10 hours before our connecting flight. Might be okay if we wanted to be tourists in Amsterdam for the day, but after flying all night we'll be too tired. So, after a long time on the phone it's back to the original flights. Why do I get the feeling this isn't the last change?! Idiots!

Which culture?

2012-01-05T20:48:00.000Z

It's been brought to my attention that I refer to myself in terms of British or more specifically, Scottish people. I often refer to Americans as 'you' not 'us/we' and the British as 'us/we' not 'them'.

Due to my residing in the UK for nearly 12 years I feel well-adapted to the culture of this nation, and the country from which I originate seems almost foreign to me. This is not a judgement on one culture being superior to the other. Where I currently live feels like 'home' and I feel like a visitor in the US. This has nothing to do with patriotism as I am American, but I'm also a citizen of the UK and this is where I've made my permanent home. Yes, I was born and raised in the US and lived there for 48 years, but I haven't lived there in what seems like a very long time. I drove there for 30 years before moving abroad but I'm used to driving in the UK and driving on the left side in a right hand drive car feels natural to me, not the other way around. I am so accustomed to different spellings that I often find that a spelling such as 'color' looks incorrect to me.

I regret not doing a blog or journal when I first arrived here. A summary at the end of each year would be interesting to look back on.

It amazes me that a few expats (and others) think they are being traitors or betraying their American identity by using non-American terms or identifying with a culture other than the American one. Some expats enjoy the attention they get by using American terms even when they are confusing. Seems to me this is done by only relatively new expats as this just gets tiresome after living in a new country for a few years. It's been implied, and sometimes outright accusatory, that I must be a traitor or unpatriotic by becoming totally acclimated to the culture in which I live. This is my home for the rest of my life so my question is - why wouldn't I? Is there some point that needs to be proven by clinging to a culture that is no longer part of my everyday life?

As for adapting to the language my question is if you move to France are you going to learn to speak French, or are you going to make your life very difficult, if not impossible, by clinging to your own language and culture? How is this different from moving to an English-speaking country?

My blog on vocabulary changes I have made

Comments and questions are welcome.

Gale force winds in Scotland

2011-12-08T16:38:00.001Z

Most of Scotland and other parts of the UK and Ireland had strong winds today. Up to 90 mph were predicted for our area, with higher winds measured in other areas. Schools and businesses were closed. Ferries cancelled. Bridges closed.
Video in front of our house:

Winds reached up 165 mph in some areas.

Newspaper - lots of storm photos

BBC Storm video

New blogs

2011-12-07T21:37:00.001Z

I have recently added two blogs I thought might be helpful.

The first is How I quit smoking.

The other is How I got fit and healthy at 60.

We are getting ready for our trek to Michigan for the holidays and leave next week. We're looking forward to seeing family, but not really anxious to see the snow!

Some blog readers ask where my photos are kept. I have a link in the sidebar of this blog but if you only get updates by email, you won't see it. Photo collections

A sunny day

2011-11-22T15:08:00.001Z

Lovely, sunny day today with temp around 50F/10C, so grabbed my camera on my way out to do a 4 mile power walk.

Holy Loch - around the tip of the peninsula from our house

'Doon' the road near the pier

Lots of big Victorian houses on our road

The pier

A lonely-looking boat and garden

Updates

2011-11-16T13:18:00.001Z

Danny and I are going into Glasgow tomorrow for an overnight trip which will include a classical concert featuring the Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Danny's birthday is on the 21st.

I'm quite pleased with myself as I've reached my goal weight after lots of hard work and calorie counting. My intentions are to never need to diet again, so I still need to work hard, forever.

Our trip to Michigan for the holidays is in less than 4 weeks and we're very much looking forward to it! Not the snow - the family.

Part of my exercise today was a hike:

Wise words

2011-11-04T14:13:00.002Z

Morocco

2011-10-31T19:55:00.001Z

Finally made plans for my big 6-0 the end of February. Going to Agadir, Morocco with friends for 10 days. It should be sunny with highs around 70 degrees.

Visit Agadir in Morocco

Sunrise

2011-10-22T13:34:00.000+01:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson quote

2011-10-18T19:05:00.002+01:00

embedded in a photo I took on the Isle of Barra....

Quiet

2011-10-03T15:33:00.002+01:00

Very quiet here. I quit the 365 project (photo a day for a year) at day 201 as I found it was taking too many hours a day with taking, choosing, editing, sorting and uploading shots, viewing others photos and commenting on them, etc. 365 very definitely helped me improve my photography skills and forced me to become more creative.

Been concentrating on working out, eating healthily and losing weight, meditating, catching up on reading, and planning future trips.

Going to Glasgow next month for an overnight outing for Danny's birthday and we'll attend a concert. Mid-December we go to Michigan for 3 weeks. End of February for my 60th birthday is as yet unplanned but I'm leaning toward a few days in Barcelona. More travel later in the year and probable trip to Uganda in January 2013 for Doreen's graduation from Makerere Univerisity.

Liked the golden glow on top of this hill across the loch yesterday:

Royal Navy with our breakfast

2011-09-24T21:31:00.004+01:00

We sit up in bed and have our breakfast every morning while we look out on the loch. This morning's entertainment was a bit out of the ordinary, to say the least.

This is the ship we saw: RFA L3008

Chinook helicopter landing on ship

Taking off from ship

One of many sets of paratroopers

New words

2011-09-22T19:53:00.001+01:00

Since moving to the UK I have slowly picked up many British English and Scots language words. I'm listing them as I remember them, but I'll be adding more in the future..

A Change in Vocabulary

Submarines and such

2011-09-22T19:38:00.000+01:00

Our loch gets very busy with all types of boats, including nuclear submarines from the Royal Navy Coulport not far from us. Recently there was this one...

Pics of boats, ships, subs and tugs on our loch

I've been tracking the growth of our Gunnera manicata....
Click on slideshow on the right

A sunny Sunday

2011-09-18T18:21:00.000+01:00

A few pics from today....
I'm missing all the flowers we had through spring and summer! Autumn colours are next though. A trip to Benmore Botanic Gardens is in order for this week.

Take from the front garden

Out front

A friend came to visit

My very favourite gardener!

Japanese Anenome

On the side of the house - magnolia tree

Photos and other stuff

2011-09-07T12:56:00.001+01:00

The end of August is the Highland Games and the one in Dunoon is the largest. A couple of shots :

In town - no, don't know what they wore underneath

In town where a band was playing

Checking out the tuning before the competition

A couple of days ago we went on a hike near our house.

A few years ago I bought a book about Eleanor Roosevelt as I know what an amazing woman she was. I have finally begun reading that book (volume 1) and quickly became totally engrossed in it. I ordered volume 2 and just received it today.

Nearly the end of August already!?

2011-08-22T12:54:00.001+01:00

We are booked for both our Michigan trips - christmas and May/June. I've yet again changed my plans for my 60th birthday in February. We have several trips next year so I think I'll go for a late deal city break. Any place that's not freezing. Leaning toward Barcelona.

Taking a break from my 365 project.

One of our apple trees

Sunset down the loch

Playing around with editing one of our roses

Flowers & birthdays

2011-08-09T21:44:00.000+01:00

A few more of my recent shots. Hit the 6 month mark on my one year project!

Clematis

Dahlias

Dahlia

Today we had lunch for Uncle Hugh's birthday. We were joined by

Hugh's brother, Dan, and Dan's wife Ellen. A very enjoyable time, as

always.

Last Post pub, Paisley

Uncle Hughie aka 'Shug' on his 84th birthday

Museums

2011-08-04T13:58:00.001+01:00

Danny and I took an overnight trip earlier this week so we could visit the newly refurbished National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. We were impressed! Since it's school holidays now for both Scotland and England, it was very crowded.

Inside the NMS

We travelled back to Glasgow to spend the night, and the next day visited the brand new Riverside Museum of Travel and Transport. I enjoyed it but Danny thought it wasn't as good as the previous Transport Museum. I'd never visited so couldn't compare.

One of the tram cars

The outside of the Riverside

We walked the pathway to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which is fantastic.

A painting depicting a war in Papua New Guinea

The strange hanging heads in the Kelvingrove

More photos of the museums here:

Photos of the museums

Lovely day!

2011-07-26T22:13:00.000+01:00

Danny and I went on my favourite coastal bike ride today with a stop at the beach at Kilbride Bay for a swim/wading and picnic lunch. It was sunny and temps were about 70F but felt warmer in the sun. Quite a few people decided a trip to this remote beach was a good idea as well so there were quite a few people there.

Girls marching on the beach

In front of house - edited for watercolour effect

Fun on the beach

Colintraive in the Kyles of Bute (Danny's old home)

on the bike ride - edited for watercolour effect

Rural postbox on our ride - edited for watercolour effect

Benmore Botanic Gardens

2011-07-23T17:16:00.000+01:00

Lovely day today - sunny and about 70F. So I rode my bike to the gardens and took some pics.

A few more photos

2011-07-21T12:39:00.001+01:00

Danny visited his old school in north London last weekend for a retirement party and to reconnect with old friends/colleagues. Otherwise, nothing new. Still thinking about where to go for my 60th birthday next winter. Waiting to book our tickets to Michigan next May/June as it is still too far in advance to allow booking. On the agenda is my niece's wedding, visiting with granddaughters and the rest of the family, and a trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes for a week.

Down the loch before the rain - changed to b & w with a speck of red boat

Dahlia

One of the yachts from the Tall Ships - edited to b & w

Out front - tweeked a bit to make more vibrant

Tall Ships Races Greenock 2011

2011-07-13T19:25:00.001+01:00

The 4th day of the event was the Red Arrows Airshow, the Parade of Ships and the fireworks. Tall Ships Races Greenock

I took the ferry to Gourock and walked a short distance to a spot overlooking the Firth of Clyde where all the ships would pass. It was chilly and cloudy for a couple of hours but then became sunny and very warm. Photos are here: Photos of the Tall Ships - Greenock and Gourock

brave windsurfer amongst so many ships

Red Arrows Airshow

A cruise ship happened to be amongst the racing ships

an overexposed shot - but I like the effect

Tall Ships, Flowers, Red squirrels...

2011-07-11T14:01:00.000+01:00

The weather has been lovely for a few days - about 70F. Saturday I attended opening day of the Tall Ships Races Greenock. Greenock which is just across the water from us is hosting a 4 day stopover in this race. Lots of events, entertainment, tours of the ships. I got this photo on Saturday. On Tuesday the ships go to their next destination so there is a parade of 57 ships with full sails. I hope to get lots of good photos!

I happened to catch some photos of this red squirrel in our garden. Red squirrels are an endangered species here.

A walk in our garden....

Clematis

Hydrangea

Finally a nice day!

2011-07-02T20:37:00.001+01:00

Hit at least 70 today but felt warmer. Sunny with a few fluffy clouds. Danny and I hopped on our bikes and rode to Benmore Botanic Gardens. About 12 miles round trip with a few hills. Forecast for the next two days is the same.

Church of Scotland, Strone

Benmore 'castle'

Redwoods

365 project

2011-06-30T15:36:00.001+01:00

I've finished the month of June on my 365 project. The theme for the month was gratitude and I participated the entire month. June photos on 365

Here's a couple of them...

Foxgloves

Isles of Barra & Vatersay

2011-06-20T20:04:00.001+01:00

Danny and I went to the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides for a week. I've created a separate travelogue. Isle of Barra visit

My photo collection - Isles of Barra & Vatersay

A few of the photos...

Danny on a Vatersay beach

We spotted a pod of dolphins feeding

More things to be grateful for....

2011-06-10T14:01:00.019+01:00

Going to an island on Sunday and staying for a week. Will be very grateful if the weather doesn't totally suck the entire time!

Continuing the 365 Project's June theme of gratitude.

Grateful for the flowers in our beautiful garden

Grateful for my books

Grateful for all the colours in our garden

Very grateful for this man, my husband

Grateful for music

What are you grateful for?

2011-06-04T20:04:00.000+01:00

Gratitude has been suggested as a theme for the month of June on the 365 project. Great idea, so I'm joining in for the month.

Submissions so far of things I'm grateful for......

Clean Water

My equipment

Local scenery

Our home

Flowers & birds

2011-05-31T20:02:00.000+01:00

Just finished my fourth month of the photo a day for a year project. Weather promises to improve in a couple of days.

This bully chased off the other birds to get the nuts

Baby Blue Tit - looks quite obese!

Birthday Bash - Aberfeldy

2011-05-25T15:46:00.000+01:00

Danny and I went to Aberfeldy for the weekend to attend a 60th birthday party for our dear friend, Linda. Linda sings Scottish folk songs and plays traditional Scottish music. Therefore, many of her friends are musicians. This made for a lively party with lots of great music. And, of course, being a party in Scotland, there was lots of whisky and beer flowing!

Linda's website

While we were there Danny and I enjoyed a walk in the Birks of Aberfeldy. The photos I took at the birthday party were nothing to rave about, so I've only included a couple of those. ;-)

One of the waterfalls in the Birks

Danny walking one of the trails

Wild Garlic

Whisky, the Water of Life

A few blooms....

2011-05-20T16:19:00.001+01:00

A few of the shots I took today after fighting my way through the evil highland midgies.

Heading out to Perthshire tomorrow for a two day birthday bash with some fantastic people!!

Fuschia

Chilean Lantern Tree

Iris

Links to photos

2011-05-10T19:44:00.000+01:00

For those who only read my blog when they get it via email, I have links to my photo albums, travelogues, etc. on the actual blog page. I'm also posting them here:

The first four albums are the ones with the photos taken with my new camera.
My Flickr photo albums

Tomorrow is Day 100!
My 365 photo a day for a year project

Aquilegia

Photo project

2011-05-09T16:04:00.000+01:00

After consideration I have decided not to quit the 365 project. I will simply cut back on commenting, etc.

Our garden is teeming with flowers and photographing them has made me appreciate them like never before!

A few pics from today....

Sailboat out front on the windy loch

Scottish Bluebells

Geranium

365 Photo a Day

2011-05-04T18:22:00.000+01:00

Although the 365 project is a good one and very useful, I'm finding it much too time-consuming. Taking a photo a day is an excellent way to improve skills. However, perusing the photos of the members I follow and making comments as well as thanking those who comment on mine is becoming too much work. I've decided that after day 100 which is a week from now, I will quit the site. Link to my project
I intend to post at least one photo a day on my blog after I finish the project. As always, tons of photos in my Flickr collections and sets.

One of the apple trees, azaleas, rhododendron, euphorbia, etc.

Flowers and trees!

2011-05-02T18:06:00.000+01:00

Been having lovely weather here for the past week. Sunny and upper 60's. Here's a few of my recent photos. I'm trying to catalog everything growing in our garden but it's proving to be very difficult. An estimate would be hundreds of different types of plants & flowers as well as many trees.

Magnolia wilsonii in our garden

'Tissue paper' flowers in Benmore Gardens

Late blooming daffodil in our garden

Azaleas & magnolia tree in our side garden

Edinburgh

2011-04-22T21:08:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday and Monday Danny and I stayed in Edinburgh for our wedding anniversary. Weather was mild and there was no rain until we were on our way home. Luck!

We visited the castle and wandered around the old town and also spent several hours at the fantastic botanic gardens. Of course, I took a photo or two, or 700!

Church on Royal Mile

St. Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle

Prince's Street Gardens

Princes Street

Royal Botanic Gardens

Crawling around in the mud....

2011-04-06T16:06:00.001+01:00

Yep, I willingly crawl on hands and knees and get muddy in order to get shots like these Primroses...

I will stand outside in the cold waiting for the wind to stop blowing so I can shoot this magnolia....

I've laid flat on the wet ground in order to capture these daffodils in our garden...

....and I spent a few hours in the botanic gardens to choose the right flowers on different rhododendrons.

Not a lot else going on just now. We're waiting for a dry day with a temp of at least 15C/60F so we can go for a bike ride. In a few weeks there will be new lambs to shoot....emm...photograph. Then an island trip for a week in June.

Photography obsession?

2011-03-20T20:02:00.001Z

Find myself spending a lot of time thinking about what photos to shoot, how to shoot them, when and where to shoot them. Last night I made a mess in the clean kitchen in order to shoot an antique coffee grinder with coffee beans scattered around, a cafetiere filled with coffee I made and wouldn't drink (I hate cleaning out a cafetiere since I don't have a garbage disposal), a cup of coffee. This is the result but it needs to be redone as the handles on both the grinder and cafetiere have been cut out of the photo.

Macros are challenging and since I don't want to shell out more money on a macro lens (£300) I'm using extension tubes. A few of the results....

Some of the newer photos including 365 photo a day

Our garden photos so far....

An altered photo in Picnik..

More flowers!

2011-03-03T17:22:00.000Z

Our local botanic garden, Benmore Botanic Gardens, has opened for the season. I took a walk there yesterday and was delighted to see so many rhododendrons blooming. We visit these gardens about once a week in spring, summer, and autumn.

Some springtime photos...

2011-02-26T15:52:00.000Z

I've been posting a daily photo and really enjoy the 365 site. Lots of discussion on photos with other amateurs and with pros. It's helpful to see many photos as it inspires. Also I get many opportunites to see what I like and don't like and why. It's helpful to describe what I like about other people's photos, and hear what they think about mine.
365 project so far

Allergies & antihistamine withdrawal

2011-02-23T17:39:00.000Z

I have allergies of unknown origin that last all year. (These are separate from my MCS - multiple chemical sensitivity - age related of course.) Sigh. For a few months I've been taking allergy meds - antihistamines. Earlier this week I ran out of the medicine and decided to stop taking them to see what would happen.

Ha! Antihistamine withdrawal! I didn't realize right away what was going on but I was itching all over. It was pure torture. Itch cream only provided temporary relief. When I decided to soak in the tub to ease the abuse I'd heaped on my skin from scratching, my tongue began to itch. Arrggghhh.....

Finally, I googled antihistamine withdrawal and itching and got many results. Apparently it's a very common reaction, in fact, itching all over seems to be a reaction to many types of medication withdrawal.

Just thought I'd share this as I know I'm not the only one this has happened to as allergies are very common. My solution is to take a pill every other day, then every 3rd day to wean myself off. Guess I'll just deal with the constant runny nose.

Photography

2011-02-09T16:53:00.001Z

As I already posted, I have joined a 365 Project (shoot a photo a day for a year) and the benefits are obvious. Being committed to finding something worth capturing every day is challenging. It’s work. And it will help me improve my photos.

The effort to improve my photographs compels me to look at the world more closely, notice the details that are normally overlooked, keep my eyes open, be aware, see beauty or an interesting object I’d never noticed. I hope this will inspire creative results.

A few of the good tips I’ve learned....

Take the camera everywhere!
Use a tripod!
Use a remote shutter control.
When holding the camera, hold breath to reduce shake.
Look at the world from a unique point of view. Get closer, get down on the ground, look up, . Fill the frame. Find a different perspective.
Look for shapes, colours, lines, texture.
Just look!

365 project - photo a day for a year

2011-02-06T19:53:00.000Z

Instead of posting each photo on my blog every day, I've joined a 365 project which provides a better way of displaying and organizing a year's worth of daily photos.

I have begun my project here:
Annie's 365 project

Photo of the Day - Sunday

2011-02-06T14:01:00.000Z

Every Sunday I'm going to post a pic of our Gunnera Manicota to track its growth. Believe it or not, this ugly brown mess will become an impressive plant with huge green leaves and reach a height of over 6 feet.

30mm focal length 1/790 sec f 4.4 ISO 1600

Photo of the Day - Saturday

2011-02-05T21:54:00.000Z

Okay, this is getting harder. I need to get outside or go somewhere!

My newest African mask sitting on some of my Uganda cloth.

50 mm lens 1/13 sec f 1.8 ISO 1600

Photo of the Day - Friday

2011-02-04T16:05:00.000Z

Simply fruit....

50mm lens 1/320 f 1.8 ISO 1600

Danny & Uganda

2011-02-03T20:00:00.000Z

Danny has returned from his two week trip to Uganda. He had a great time and remarked it felt like he'd come home. He met with many of our friends including our Ugandan daughter Doreen. Between the two of them I got several fantastic souvenirs! The pumpkin gourd is shown in a photo below, also got a wall hanging, and two African masks. Loved them all! I will hang up - or get Danny to - the wall hanging and one of the masks.

No definite plans for a new trip but we are thinking about going to Barcelona for our anniversary in April.

A wee geography lesson

2011-02-03T19:54:00.000Z

This is spoken VERY FAST. So if you miss something, here's the text: Difference between United Kingdom - Great Britain - England, etc.

Photo of the Day - Thursday

2011-02-03T15:51:00.001Z

Ooops, got busy yesterday.

This is a pumpkin gourd brought back to me by Danny from Uganda.

50mm lens 1/40 sec f2.8 ISO 1600 external flash

Photo of the Day - Tuesday

2011-02-01T12:31:00.000Z

Our bird buffet in the back garden...unfortunately I had to crop it making the background more blurry than I'd like...

75-300 lens at 280mm 1/280 sec f 5.6 ISO 1600

Photo of the Day - Monday

2011-01-31T15:06:00.000Z

Snowdrop

50mm 1/160 f 5 ISO 800 Cloudy

....and one additional photo today

Photo albums

2011-01-30T12:54:00.000Z

New photos not posted in the Photo a Day project are located... here

Photo of the Day - Sunday

2011-01-30T12:19:00.000Z

Signs of life! Snowdrops and daffodils are preparing to bloom. This one is our magnolia tree...

55mm 1/60 f 5.6 ISO 200

Sunrise

2011-01-29T11:00:00.000Z

Sunrise from my front porch. It was very cold this morning so I didn't walk down to the shoreline to take this pic. A very large bush dominates the pic which I'm not happy with. Next time I'll put on my heavy coat and take my tripod down the driveway.

100mm 1/256 f 6.3 ISO 100

Cuppa and a good book

2011-01-28T18:58:00.000Z

Photo for today....
They will get better as I progress!

50 mm 1/60 f 2.8 ISO 100

A Photo a Day

2011-01-27T21:34:00.003Z

There are many Photo a Day projects, some are called 365. The idea is to post one photo per day, taken that day, every day for a year. I'm beginning 27 days late for 2011, but that's okay. My first photo isn't spectacular, just one taken from my front porch of Loch Long.

50mm 1/250 f 5.0 ISO 100

Frustration!

2011-01-26T15:54:00.000Z

In theory I understand exposure - shutter speed, ISO, aperture settings, but putting it to practical use has been frustrating. Today I went for a walk but I cheated and used autofocus. Not really cheating though as when I got home I looked at the photos I liked and then brought up the EXIF data (tells what the camera chose for the appropriate settings) and I'm making a mental note of them so I know where to start when I take photos on manual focus.

I've discovered that the types of photos I like to take, or want to learn to take, are close ups/macros of flowers or objects, candid shots of people, animals, landscape as seen through tree branches or leaves, historic buildings, and landscapes. I also want to try action shots.

Here's a few from walking in my area and up to the farm. Not spectacular, but okay. Spectacular comes later. I hope.

Photography

2011-01-23T13:21:00.001Z

Previously I posted about a new blog I began in order to track my photography progress. Makes more sense to me to do it on this one, so I'm ending the other blog.

To begin again, I purchased my first DSLR camera, a Canon EOS Rebel T2i over the xmas holiday. I've purchased many accessories and I now have an 18-55mm lens, a 75-300mm, and recently acquired the nifty fifty - 50mm 1.8. I have hoods for all of them and have ordered filters so my lenses will be protected.

I've been very busy reading my camera manual as well as using the following resources:
Better Guide to Digital Photography (Jim Miotke)
Understanding Close-Up Photography (Bryan Peterson)
Learning to See Creatively (Bryan Peterson)
Creative Photography Handbook (Lee Frost)
Canon Photography Forum
National Geographic Photo Tips
Fodor's Travel Photo Tips

Copious amounts of notes have been taken! I've learned a lot the last few days including getting a fairly good idea of exposure settings and what they mean and the results they get.

I enjoy close-ups/macros (and have discovered they aren't necessarily the same thing) so here is one of my Bristol glass vase using my new nifty fifty.
Settings: 1/30 f 9 ISO 100
I set the camera to Av, partial exposure, cloudy

Catching up....

2011-01-16T19:28:00.000Z

Danny's brother and his family who live in Australia visited the UK for a month and spent a week of it with us. We spent the time with them locally and in Oban, Inverness, and Fort William and even with all the rain we had a fantastic time.

At Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

We are planning another trip to Australia in two or three years and plan to go to Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.

Danny is getting ready to depart for Uganda and will stay for two weeks visiting our friends and our Ugandan 'daughter' Doreen who is on break from university. Both of us will travel to Uganda when Doreen graduates from university.

Over the xmas holiday I bought my first DSLR camera and am learning new techniques and technical side of photography. I have started a separate blog on my progress and will post notes on what I've learned from my creative photography and techniques books. Becoming a Photographer blog

Christmas holidays & past year

2011-01-01T23:38:00.003Z

We've been in Michigan for nearly 3 weeks and had lots of quality time with family including adorable babies, done lots of shopping, seen movies, museums, eating and drinking, a birthday party and on the same day the birth of a new baby. It was cold when we arrived and I finally bought a good down coat and boots, but today it was about 50F. Figures!

A few more days and we are home. Relatives from Australia will be awaiting us!

2010 was busy even though we are both retired.
The end of 2009 was Uganda, Australia, then the US from which we returned home the 3rd week of January. Then it was...

New windows installed in our house
Danny gutted our kitchen and put in a new one (about 5 weeks)
Lots of painting, new furniture, carpeting
A week on the Isle of Colonsay for our 10th anniversary in April
Nearly 3 months visitation by our dear Ugandan daughter, Doreen, which included trips around Scotland and a trip to London
1 month visit by my sister which included a trip through Europe to Rome, and a visit to York
A trip to Glasgow for Danny's birthday in November for ballet, concerts, museums
Relaxation then our trip to the US.

My granddaughters with granddad

Scotland covered in snow!

2010-12-08T21:28:00.000Z

Scotland has been covered in snow for over a week - most in decades. We've been lucky in our location. Most of Scotland has been a disaster area. Schools, businesses closed, motorways closed, hundreds trapped in cars overnight, buses and trains not running, airports closed. The military was called in to help clear the roads.

Our area is supposed to warm up by Friday to about 9C, so the weather and roads shouldn't interfere with our trip to the airport hotel. We fly to Michigan Sunday. I'm very excited to meet my newest granddaughter, Allyson, and am very ready for a big hug from my angel, 5 year old Haylee.

Here and there....

2010-11-24T12:37:00.000Z

Danny and I enjoyed our 2 nights in Glasgow and the ballet and concert we attended to celebrate his birthday.

Just noticed today that Danny's favourite, Handel's Messiah, is being performed this Friday evening in Glasgow. So I've bought two of the few remaining tickets and booked the same hotel as last week. I'm looking forward to this as I've never heard this performed except on CD.

In less than 3 weeks we leave for Michigan to spend christmas with my family. I will get to meet my newest granddaughter, Allyson, who was born in August. Hoping it's not bitter cold!

When we return home in January, Danny's brother and his family will be visiting the UK from Australia. We are looking forward to their visit and hoping they don't freeze!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Still around...

2010-11-14T13:10:00.000Z

No major events here, just quietly retired. We're going to Glasgow later this week to spend two nights in the city to celebrate Danny's upcoming birthday. A wee bit of culture with a ballet and a classical concert.

Going to Michigan in a month to see my family for the holidays and to meet my newest granddaughter who is now 3 months old.

Last week there was a bit of snow on the top of the mountains across the loch. Now it's melted.

A walk in a garden

2010-10-14T12:51:00.000+01:00

Yesterday Danny and I went to Edinburgh to visit the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. There was a heavy mist for a couple of hours after we arrived and the less heavy. No sun all day though. This garden is much bigger than Benmore which is near us.

Lots more of my photos in the gardens

The building in the bottom photo is part of the memorial garden to the late Queen Mother. She loved seashells and this small building is wallpapered totally in shells.

OMG it's the sun!

2010-10-11T15:36:00.000+01:00

a wee walk in the village.... and a stop at Gallimaufry for tea and a fresh fruit scone. Gallimaufry displays beautiful art by local artists and also serves lovely lunches and snacks. Gallimaufry - Blairmore Gallery

Why do I like living here?

2010-10-08T19:49:00.001+01:00

During my visit today at the hairdressers I overheard a fellow customer chatting about how she and her husband would love to live in the US. She detected my American accent and asked how I came to be here and wondered why I enjoyed living here. Obviously she thought I was daft for preferring her country to mine.

I've been asked this question a few times before. A few years ago a colleague told me she'd love to live in the US because they have great theme parks. Uh huh. Good reason, hen.

To answer the question, I guess a list is best.

It's stunningly gorgeous here! Lochs, mountains, green, countryside, coastlines, islands.
The Scottish sense of humour, although I don't always appreciate it....
The slang, the lowlands Scots language - very entertaining to listen to.
The accents.
The pride in being Scottish, so many people knowing their history well.
The long distinguised history of Scotland - the Enlightenment, free education, free university tuition, inventors, engineers, there was a high literacy rate in Scotland even in the 17th century, etc.
People are easy-going and friendly and will talk to people they don't know. Nobody is suspicious when spoken to by a stranger.
The open-mindedness of Europeans in general. The lack of prudishness.
My interest in ancient history and culture is easily satisfied here as it's at my fingertips.
I like old architecture and find it interesting and full of character.
There is a charm in old villages, old churches, well-preserved and cherished.
The NHS.
The Scottish goverment takes care of its elderly.
The ease of taking short trips to continental Europe, Ireland and the rest of the UK.
I feel at home here.

Anything negative? Well, the weather kinda sucks.

Autumn

2010-10-07T13:23:00.000+01:00

Benmore Botanic Gardens - Redwoods, Japanese Maple on the pond.
A waterfall in Puck's Glen near our home.
More photos here

York, England

2010-09-30T23:20:00.000+01:00

My sister and I spent 4 days and 3 nights in York. Danny opted out. When I planned the visit I had no idea there would be a food faire going on, so we discovered the city was very crowded.

Our B & B was very close to the old city and to York Minster. The Hazelwood B & B was very comfortable with fabulous breakfasts. Our twin room was on the 3rd floor and we found the bathroom quite small, but otherwise everything was fine.

Restaurants
We both recommend The Phoenix Chinese Restaurant. Delicious meal. We also highly recommend
Cafe No. 8 for a nice, but somewhat expensive, meal. The steak was fabulous! The famous Betty's
(almost) always has a queue outside the restaurant. Luckily we went at just the right time - 11.30 am on a Monday. Betty's is a restaurant but specializes in baked goods. The Fat Rascals (giant fruity/nutty scones) are simply gorgeous.

York is charming with a long, interesting history including Romans, Vikings, Normans. Old York is surrounded by the old city walls. The city is well-preserved with cobbled streets and old buildings. Charming!

We visited York Minster, the largest cathedral in Northern Europe, an amazing building with a long history. York Castle Museum was very interesting but we were most impressed with Jorvik Viking Centre. Jorvik is on the site of an amazingly well-preserved Viking settlement. The umm...authentic smells are included, but I could have done without them.

York Photos Here

Tour - Italy, Switzerland.....

2010-09-21T16:57:00.000+01:00

Danny, my sister and I did an 11 day coach tour which included an overnight ferry trip to Amsterdam, a drive through Germany, France, Switzerland, and on to Italy. The return trip also took us through Luxembourg and Belgium.

I have done a travelogue which is located here:
Italian Adventure

Photos are currently being uploaded here:
Tons of photos!

Prince Charles - hypocrite

2010-09-07T20:31:00.000+01:00

Prince Charles should practice what he preaches

Yesterday as I was travelling through Glasgow Central train station with my husband and sister, we spotted the royal train with many police and cameras scattered througout the station. Around a display labeled Green we saw a crowd and in the centre of it the very recognizable back of the balding head of Prince Charles. We discovered that Prince Charles was travelling around the country to promote sustainable living.

Cost to the taxpayers: at least £50,000. Cost to the environment: too much.

As the article above states, he was travelling the country in the royal train which consisted of 8 cars and carried a total of 14 people.

Of course, you have the option to read the propoganda on the BBC site which praises the Prince.
BBC praises Prince

Doreen, bus crash, sister, Italy

2010-08-31T19:06:00.000+01:00

Doreen arrived back in Uganda safely on the 28th. After a day in Kampala she caught a coach home to Mbarara to see her family. As is a common occurrance in Uganda (bad roads + bad drivers) her coach crashed. Doreen was slightly injured as she banged her mouth on the seat in front of her. At least 6 people were killed in the crash.

Doreen begins her 2nd year shortly at Makerere University.

This Friday my sister arrives for a month. An 11 day tour of Italy and 3 days in York are part of our plans. Many pics to follow.

Robert Owen - New Lanark, Scotland

2010-08-24T12:06:00.001+01:00

Robert Owen –A man ahead of his time

Yesterday on our first visit to New Lanark, a World Heritage Site, Danny, Doreen and I learned about an incredible man named Robert Owen. New Lanark was a Milltown which operated for nearly 200 years. In researching Robert Owen I am amazed that neither of us knew anything about him. New Lanark is only 30 miles from Glasgow.

Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771, the son of a saddler and ironmonger. A highly intelligent and progressive-thinking man, he was influenced by the Scottish enlightenment.

Robert Owen purchased the New Lanark Mills from his father-in-law in 1799 and managed it from 1800-25. New Lanark became a model community and gained a reputation for its social and educational reforms. Owen began the first infant school in the world, a crèche for working mothers, free medical care, free education for the children and evening classes for adults. Children under 10 were not allowed to work in the mill and this was at a time when it was common for very young children to work. Owen also realized leisure and recreation were important and there were concerts, dancing, music, and a beautiful landscaped area for use by the members of the community. Owen also opened a store for the workers with lower prices and higher quality. The profits paid for the school.

Owens was a feminist, believed in equality for all no matter what their class, race, religion, and his work inspired fair working practices, the Co-operative Movement, and trade unions.

Extract from Robert Owen’s "Address to the Inhabitants of New Lanark"
New Year’s Day, 1816
"What ideas individuals may attach to the term "Millennium" I know not; but I know that society may be formed so as to exist without crime, without poverty, with health greatly improved, with little, if any misery, and with intelligence and happiness increased a hundredfold; and no obstacle whatsoever intervenes at this moment except ignorance to prevent such a state of society from becoming universal.”

Early history of New Lanark & Robert Owen

New Lanark World Heritage Site – Robert Owen

Robert Owen biographies

Another bio

Robert Owen - Utopian Socialist

Robert Owen Museum, Wales

Robert Owens and New Harmony, Indiana

Interesting note: All of Robert Owen’s four sons became US citizens. His eldest, Robert Dale Owen became a congressman and drafted the bill to found the Smithsonian Institution.

Doreen in the 200 year old New Lanark classroom

A visit to Whitby in North Yorkshire

2010-08-19T23:23:00.001+01:00

This week I took a long-desired trip to Whitby. Whitby has the ruins of the historic Whitby Abbey where the Synod of Whitby was held in 664. The train journey was quite long but worth it. My accommodation was a wonderful B & B called Broomfield House. Although my room and bathroom were small, it was clean and comfortable with nice touches. The location was very convenient as well. Breakfasts were wonderful as were the host and hostess. As I left for an early train on my last day a packed breakfast was prepared for me. The amount of food and drink was impressive - it lasted the entire days journey home!
Broomfield House

Whitby is a popular destination and I happened to choose my visit during the England school holidays. In spite of the town being jam-packed with tourists, many with kids, it was still enjoyable. Photo ops were non-stop!

Whitby Tourism

5 miles south of Whitby is a lovely and charming village on the sea - Robin Hood's Bay (so named as it was a smugglers bay). The streets in Robin Hood's Bay are very steep and cobbled.

Robin Hood's Bay
Enjoy England site on Robin Hood's Bay

Had fantastic haddock, chips and the best mushy peas here:
Magpie Cafe

Pics: Whitby Abbey, Whitby Harbor, Whitby Harbor, Robin Hood's Bay, Robin Hood's Bay
More pics here:
Whitby & Robin Hood's Bay pics

Local trips

2010-08-14T22:36:00.000+01:00

Danny, Doreen and I have taken a few local trips. Last week we went to Ayrshire to visit Culzean Castle which sits near a cliff overlooking the sea. While in the area we also visited Alloway which is where Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, was born.
Culzean Castle
Burns Heritage Park

Yesterday my newest granddaughter, Allyson was born. Baby and mother doing very well. Allyson is, of course, adorable!

Today we took a long bike ride around the Tighnabruaich-Kames-Kilbride Bay area.

Monday I'm taking a 4 day trip on my own to North Yorkshire to the popular seaside and historic town of Whitby. I hope to get many photos but the forecast has changed to rain.

Pics: Kilbride Bay, Roberts Burns birthplace, Culzean Castle, Kyles of Bute

London!

2010-07-20T16:38:00.001+01:00

The 'gang' spent 4 nights and 5 days in London. Doreen was very excited to be there. Our hotel was in Bayswater - a convenient location to buses and tube.

Visited:

The Science Museum and included an Imax movie on deep sea
The Natural History Museum
The V & A (Victoria & Albert) - a favourite of mine
Westminster Abbey
HMS Belfast
The National Gallery
Southbank Centre Beethoven concert (9th symphony)
Walks along the Thames to see Tower Bridge, street entertainers, London Eye (but no trip), Buckingham Palace, St James's Park
A visit to Danny's former school and a party for an old friend and colleague who is retiring. So good to see everybody!

More pics here:
London pics

Doreen's visit - continued.

2010-07-09T11:06:00.000+01:00

Doreen spent a week on the Isle of Iona with the Iona Community. The group had 30+ participants, many were American. She had a lovely time and enjoyed meeting everyone. Included in the week was lots of hiking, a boat trip to Staffa, a Ceilidh, church services, singing and Doreen sang for the group which they enjoyed.

We've done shopping trips to Glasgow for new clothes and museums. Danny has been teaching her to ride a bike and she's done well although it still makes her nervous when cars approach down the road. We plan to borrow a bike so the 3 of us can do a day trip on my favourite bike ride - Tighnabruaich - Kilbride Bay where we can stop and lunch on the beach.

Yesterday we took the train to Edinburgh and unfortunately only had time for the castle and a walk down the Royal Mile. We plan to return again to see the museums.

Next week we return to the Isle of Seil for another trip on Seafari, but this time it will be a wild trip into the whirlpool.

Video - Whirlpool

Then we'll do a quick flight to London for 4 nights. The trip includes a visit to Danny's former school in Enfield to visit colleagues and friends. The deputy head is retiring and he worked with Danny for many years. Trips to museums and historic sites are planned.

Travelling around Argyll with Doreen

2010-06-19T19:32:00.001+01:00

Earlier this week we travelled to several places in Argyll, the county we live in. First destination was Kilmartin....Scotland's richest prehistoric landscape. Prior to arriving in the village we stopped at Crinan Canal as we spotted a sailboat going through the locks. Doreen and Danny helped open and close the locks for the sailors.
Photos of Doreen's trip

We stopped for lunch and more photos in the tiny village of Crinan. In Kilmartin we spent the night at a B&B, visited the museum, wandered around the megalithic sites (stone circles, burial cairns, standing stones), and took a walk to Carasserie Castle.

On to the Isle of Seil and the village of Ellenabeich. We took a 2 hour boat trip on Seafari which was, at times, quite thrilling. Danny and I had taken the trip twice before and Doreen just loved it. We are going back for another trip in July.

After spending the night on Seil, we headed to Oban and the Calmac ferry to the Isle of Mull. After an hours trip we took a short ferry trip to the Isle of Iona, a tiny island Danny and I have visited many times. The weather was spectacular but on our walk to one of the beaches a heavy fog rolled in. It was still warm so we continued to walk. While on the island we inquired about a youth retreat for Doreen as she'd expressed an interest. Luckily we discovered there was a retreat (all ages) beginning Saturday. So we booked her for the week and she arrived there today. The retreat isn't strictly religious as it will include a boat trip, hiking, nature walks, workshops, etc.

On the drive to Oban to catch the ferry we stopped at Arduaine Garden.

Doreen in Inveraray

2010-06-13T17:33:00.000+01:00

We spent the day in the village of Inveraray. Lunch was at Loch Fyne Oysters and we visited the castle - home of the Duke of Argyll.

Doreen in Scotland, aye.

2010-06-09T21:16:00.000+01:00

Doreen is enjoying the food, the hot running water, not having to hand wash her clothes, shopping for clothes, fast internet, and being a tourist. She does find it too cold here and wears a fleece most of the time. Today she went to Glasgow to visit the Kelvingrove Museum and Glasgow University. Tomorrow we are planning on visiting Inveraray Castle and possibly the old jail. Next week we are visiting Kilmartin, Seil Island, and the Isle of Iona. On Seil Island we will go on a boat trip to view wildlife near the Corryvreckan whirlpool.

Doreen Photo Album

Doreen has arrived!

2010-06-04T20:07:00.000+01:00

Doreen flew Emirates from Entebbe to Dubai, having a 7 hour layover there. I booked a Meet and Greet company so someone would escort her through a very large and confusing airport. I also booked a lounge so she could rest comfortably and get all the food and drink she wanted with no charge. She was then escorted to her departure gate in the morning.

She arrived in Glasgow on time but we became quite stressed as she didn't appear for a long time after it seemed that everyone on her flight was long gone. Finally, the immigration office phoned me and asked for confirmation about statements she'd given him. Fine. She arrived soon after.

Doreen enjoyed the food on the plane and in the Dubai lounge. She was surprised to see sunshine when she arrived in Glasgow, but had to inform her that it's not a daily occurrance. Our dishwasher, washer and dryer, hot water out of a tap, drinking water from the tap, and freezer were items of interest for her. New food today: grilled corn on the cob. She loved it and found it very sweet. The very large Tesco supermarket was a place of interest to her as well.

On the ferry from near Glasgow to the town near our house:

Doreen is visiting!

2010-05-26T15:26:00.000+01:00

The girl we help sponsor and support at university in Uganda has finally been approved for a visitor visa! She was rejected once as the UK worries about visitors from certain countries staying illegally. She's reapplied with help and has the visa. Her flight is due next week. She'll stay for 2 months and we'll travel around Scotland and the London area. Culture shock! Stay tuned.

At her university hostel in Kampala

just a few pics

2010-05-23T22:00:00.000+01:00

Sunset down the loch

Crannog in Lock Eck - ancient artificial island (about 5000 years old)

Lock Eck and gorse

Rhododendrons at Benmore Botanic Gardens

A few springtime pics...

2010-05-10T19:50:00.000+01:00

At sunset across the loch from our house...

Due to an unusually harsh winter this year, most flowers are blooming later than normal. Some in our garden.... rhodendron, azaleas, magnolia tree

Finished redecorating living room!

2010-05-10T19:39:00.000+01:00

We've been extremely busy since we came home from our travels near the end of January. One more room is now finished - the living/dining room. Now on the lookout for some nice art for the walls. The large wall hanging was purchased in Uganda, as were the woven baskets, bowls, trays, wooden masks and wooden boat, woven placemats, pillow covers, cloth, etc etc. Also on display are photos of our Ugandan friends and artwork by one of our friends.

Photos of our redecorating and remodeling

Isle of Colonsay, continued

2010-04-24T17:06:00.000+01:00

We enjoyed our week on Colonsay even though it was quite cold much of the time. Choices were to stay in the house in front of the fire, or bundle up and go out. We did lots of walking and biking and most afternoons we spent some time in the lovely Colonsay Hotel with pints of beer and wireless internet access.   Colonsay's history goes back nearly 9,000 years. Intro to Colonsay

On our final night the ferry arrived in Oban just before 10pm so we spent the night at the incredible Falls of Lora hotel before driving home this morning.   Falls of Lora Hotel, Connel by Oban

This was the first time we stayed at this hotel and we were in awe of the incredible collections in it...large brass items, antiques, an eclectic collection of paintings and photos, etc.

More of my Colonsay Photos

Isle of Colonsay

2010-04-19T14:29:00.000+01:00

Danny are I are spending a week in a rented cottage on the wee Isle of Colonsay. Our 10th wedding anniversary was April 17th. Our cottage is a 3 bedroom traditional stone cottage which faces the Atlantic Ocean and it's the same one we stayed in for our 5th anniversary.

Colonsay is 17 square miles with a resident population of less than 200.
http://www.colonsay.org.uk/

Sunday we rode our bikes to Balnarhard Bay, a stunning beach. The ride was gorgeous but there were many steep hills we had to walk the bikes up. Well worth it though!

Updates

2010-04-06T11:11:00.000+01:00

Danny and I are still doing DIY in the house. It's been years since the living/dining room and the doors were painted. All have now been painted except the back doors. Even got a shiny new gold letter box in the front door. Except for one door, all the doors in the house are the original from 1927. A couple of them even have the original hardwood doorknobs.

We are now awaiting our new carpet and I will upload pics of the living/dining room when it's complete.

In just over a week we are going to the Isle of Colonsay for our 10th wedding anniversary. I'll be taking loads of pics whilst there and will share them.

I've learned that my second grandchild will be another girl! The magic event will occur in August. Her big sister who will be 5 by then is thrilled that she's going to have a wee sister.

We have purchased an airline ticket for our Ugandan 'daughter' Doreen to visit us this summer. We didn't realize how difficult it is to get a visitor visa to the UK from Uganda. Her first application was rejected and she is reapplying. We're trying hard to get it approved.

The weather here has been changing from one day to the next, as usual. Here is a pic from last week when there was still snow on top of the mountains across the loch. I'll be re-photographing all the flowers and plants in our garden as they bloom this year.

New kitchen

2010-03-16T21:05:00.000Z

Danny completely gutted our old kitchen and installed a new one. From start to finish took 6 weeks of working almost every day, all day. As this kitchen is north-facing and gets little light, we chose white cupboards and bright tiles. This house is 83 years old so walls and floor are not even and this created extra work. I painted the walls, woodwork and doors, and oiled the beech countertops. Otherwise, Danny did it all. Well done, doll!!

We have an integrated dishwasher and undercounter fridge (British-style), but a (relatively) full-size fridge/freezer in the laundry room.

Pics before, during, and after:
Kitchen pics

Passionate frogs and a new kitchen

2010-03-12T14:46:00.000Z

No, the two are not related!

Our kitchen which was gutted is now nearly finished. Final pics will be posted here but in the meantime pics of the progress are here:
Old kitchen and new one in progress

Springtime has finally arrived as proclaimed loudly by the frogs in our pond.

Making home sweet home even sweeter

2010-02-11T16:51:00.000Z

Since coming home we've been extremely busy. The day after arriving home from Michigan the installers for our new windows came. 19 new windows were installed over 4 days. The pic is the front living room bay windows. (they aren't curved!)

Danny has gutted the kitchen and we are getting new cupboards and all new appliances. This house is 82 years old so no surprise when large chunks of plaster came out of the walls when some of the wall tiles were removed. The first pic is before anything was done. Next in the midst of a mess. Finally more mess but I've painted the walls very blue. Final pictures in the next few weeks, I hope.

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-23T20:31:00.000Z

Time to settle down for a while. Travelling and visiting family is enjoyable but knackering (and fattening).

As for our side trip to Washington DC and Gettysburg.....

I recommend the following accommodations:
Arlington, VA - just across the Potomac from Washington DC. A fairly short walk to the metro (subway) and just a few minutes to the Smithsonian station. Good rate (at least in January), clean and comfortable.
Virginian Suites Arlington

Gettysburg, PA - bed and breakfast in the centre of town and very close to the Battlefield and new visitor centre. The oldest home in Gettysburg, charming, each room different (colonial, victorian, etc), fabulous breakfasts and baked goods. Not cheap but well worth it.
Brafferton Inn

We are in the process of remodeling and redecorating our home which will take two or three months. New windows are currently being installed, then the kitchen will be gutted and everything replaced. On to redecorating...carpet, walls, etc. So nothing exciting to anyone else for a while, but I will bombard readers with before and after pics.

Future travel plans:
Isle of Colonsay in April, our student and friend Doreen from Uganda will visit us for the month of June. July and August still being planned.

USA holiday

2010-01-09T02:00:00.000Z

Danny and I have been enjoying visiting my family in Michigan, and touring Washington DC. Plan on two days in Gettysburg, PA as well after we are finished in DC.
This is the first trip to DC for both of us. On the way into Arlington we're sure we saw the presidential motorcade as there were many police cars and black SUV's. So far we've visited Arlington National Cemetery, the National Archives, and the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Plan on the Smithsonian Museum of American Indian History and the Air and Space Museum. Will also walk past the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and other highlights.

Impressive, very impressive.

Australia

2009-12-01T03:14:00.000Z

Danny and I are spending a month in Australia. Details of the trip and photos so far are here:

Oz blog

Oz photo albums

Thus far we've visted Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Sydney, Blue Mountains and will spend 6 days and 5 nights in Tasmania.

Travels

2009-11-09T22:10:00.002Z

We are going to Australia day after tomorrow to visit Danny's relatives and to sightsee. Our itinerary includes Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania, Great Ocean Road and other areas.

I will do a travelogue and upload lots of pics.

2009-10-24T14:20:00.002+01:00

We're a bit chilly and missing the sunshine but happy to be home. It's nice to be retired as we can do things on the spur of the moment. We can't get totally settled into the house right now since we'll be travelling and when we return we'll be doing remodeling and redecorating.

In just over 2 weeks we'll be going to Australia for a month. A few days after we return home we'll go to the US for xmas.

Photos: the paddlesteamer Waverly going past our house. Benmore Botanic Gardens near our home