First Signs of Summer.

Today was a bright sunny day, but still cold. But it was enticing enough to get me into the garden for about half an hour or so.

The gardener is due soon, but I got some tidying done anyway.I got some old leaves cleared, did some weeding and planted out some dwaf daffodils.

It will probably snow tonight.

My car is due it's MOT and 10,000 mile service, so early tomorrow I'll be along at MacHargs.

I'll take newspapers, a pen for the crosswords, and I'll have a wee wander throught the used car section.

I have no intentions of changing my car. It is 6 years old, but is in great condition. The Mazda 6 gets great reviews and is described as well equipped, and difficult to break. Suits me.7

I just wish it was a bit lighter on fuel in town, given that petrol is increasing on a daily basis.

Just some general photos from a past Brazil trip

Nottingham

Last Sunday, Therese and I travelled down to Nottingham for the funeral mass of Auntie Pat.

She had been ill for a while.

We saw her not so long ago, after she had been taken into a home. She was beginning to suffer from dementia. She wasn't too sure who we were, but she was in great form, looking and sounding like her old self. She had a great sense of humour.

The mass was on Moday morning, and all the Cahills were there, including Father John who con celebrated the Mass.

There was a reception in the Church hall after the burial.

Then we went back to Joe's and spent the afternoon there.

In the evening we visited the Stone home.

It was nice to catch up with everyone. There were some logisitical problems, but they were quickly overcome.

We travelled home on Tuesday.

Tomorrow I have to see the physio about some pains in my arm.

photos from St Andrews, November last year.

An Island Parish

An Island Parish is a programme currently running on BBC2 television.

It is telling the true story Fr John Mackinnon settling into his new parish at Castlebay on the island of Barra. It can be found on Friday evenings at 7.30pm.

It has brought back memories of a holiday spent on Vatersay, a tiny island just off Barra, around about 1969.

I had gone there with Fr Edward Higgins who was leading a camp for some schoolboys from Royston. I was there as a helper, along with a few others of my age.

In those days it was a 12 hour crossing from Oban via Coll and Tiree and Mull I think. And the Minch is not one of your smoother crossing.

We stayed in the school on Vatersay as it was the summer holidays. It was a gloriously warm and sunny summer too.

At that time, the only across to Barra was via small ferry that ran at certain times of the day. Today there is a causeway.

It was a wonderful holiday, far away from Glasgow. There were two large sandy beaches, one facing the Atlantic, one facing Barra. We could play there for hours.

Electricity was just reaching some of the houses. And I vividly remember making my way back to the school one evening and coming to a point on the island where we met a curtain of mist. In the mist was cool. Step out of it, you were in warmth. I believe it was where the Gulf Stream passed across the island. Amazing!

We had many adventures. There was a wrecked World War II flying boat on the island. There was a telegraph pole just outside the school. One of the boys ran into it and broke his leg!

He has to be taken across to Barra and flown home to Glasgow. The runway there is the beach, so aircraft can only operate at low tide.

And it was Barra and Castlebay that was used for the filming of "Whisky Galore", a film telling the story of the shipladen with whisky for America that ran aground during the war. The islanders "salvaged " some of the cargo. Well, it was difficult to come by alcohol in the islands during the war........

I bumped into Fr Higgins a month ago. He was supplying at the Church at Glenfinnan. Nice to find someone older than me still alive!

If you have not read "Whisky Galore", or seen the film.....get both! A great wee treat. Ans watch the BBC programme while it still running.

I have no photos of Barra. maybe it is time to go back and get some. Always wanted to land on that beach.

So here are some of my photos from Turin.

Braemar

We returned yesterday from 5 days up in Braemar, at the Invercauld Arms.

Despite the name, and the weather, the hotel was snug and warm, and we were totally isolated from the snow and howling winds.

The weather did limit our travelling.

Our first outing to Grantown on spey came to a premature end when we ran into a blizard on the infamous "Cockbridge to Tomintoul road.

It seemed wise to turn back as we could not see the road in front of us, and we had not yet reached the highest point of the road.

We never did get to Grantown On Spey.

We did visit Ballater, Aboyne, Banchory, the Lynn of Dee and Aberdeen itself.

Of course, Braemar is close to Balmoral Castle, the holiday home of the Royal Family. It is closed at this time of the year, but we passed it every day. We did visit the Royal Loch Nagar Distillery, but I was ignored by the lady on the shop who was busy with another couple. I did not buy any of the famous malt whisky. But at £32.00 for the cheapest bottle, it was no hardship actually.

Ballater is where the Royal train used to deposit the Royal Family on their visits to this part of Scotland. Queen Victoria was a regular visitor here. There is an interesting little museum at the former railway station. Well worth a visit.

At Aberdeen, we popped into the Cathedral for a visit and we caught the beginning of the Candle blessing just before Mass, it being Candlemas Day.

All in all, it was a relaxing visit and we shared our meals with a lovelyy couple from Newcastle,

Jim and Di.

We returned home on Friday via Aberdeen, as there were possible problems on the road back via Glenshee and Blairgowrie.

It was not a pleasant journey as once we reached Stonehaven, the rian and storm force winds began, which lasted most of the way home.

Photos show Ballater, and the hotel.