loch and sea

stone

ice

Related posts:

but no dungeons deep or caverns old…

we start with a mince pie

up through the trees

onto the mountain face

Hill in question: Bennachie

mither tap obscured by mist

misty cairn

and yes, a moo free chocolate Santa made it up there… very impressive on his fat little legs *patronises chocolate fondly*

aww bless...

Related posts:

girls playing chess

Visited the Lewis Chessmen at Aberdeen Art Gallery (other Scottish tour dates) – they are beautiful

wall of album covers, some of which I still have!

A Storm Trooper surrounded by Star Wars shoes

 though I really can’t see Jabba the Hut wearing the green basketball boots that have been named for him…

Related posts:

Sacred

life and death

stern

leaf through stone

a mossy eye

Related posts:

broth

Autumn. Cold winds. Rain. Hail. Even a few moments of snow yesterday between bursts of hot sunshine. Walking on the South side of the hill in the woods it is suddenly no longer autumn but the end of summer. Off with jackets, faces to the sun then round the corner into the North and winter, now walking against horizontal hailstones. It is confusing… we need soup

Method: soak a cup of broth or soup mix overnight, then cook up for an hour or so before adding chopped potato, carrot and onion. Cook until veg is tender, add some kale or other leafy greens and a teaspoon of vecon stock. Simmer a few minutes longer then dish up and garnish with parsley or chervil. Be warm.

Beautiful necklace from Davie for 20th anniversary… amazing stone, keep gazing into it’s enchanted seascape interior…

necklace

from this jeweller in Montrose who specialises in Celtic designs and styles (get the feeling the website is a work in progress).

Related posts:

looking through

only the recumbent and flankers left

under a beech hedge

Related posts:

Mither Tap against sun

but it didn’t, so we did not have to brave the mines of Moria, 3 times up and down Bennachie accomplished and quite a bit of money raised for the trees :) My legs hurt today!

at the bottom of the Mither Tap path

top of first climb up steep Mither tap path

down the Donview way

caterpillar

back up on top and heading down Rowan

These new signs help to avoid confusion, there are even paths at the bottom linking different carparks so you can go down different ways without reclimbing if you wish

no such plan for us - back up Rowan

This was the toughest climb being our third, even though it is the easiest path and most gentle slope.

resting on way up - some of the shoes did not make it (5 years old, ethical wares, much walking done)

reaching top 3rd time

steep final descent

down down down

treat picnic at bottom

rose cupcakes

Related posts:

dunes

Had a wonderful afternoon with friends, sea swimming and boogie boarding – walking over dunes beforehand. Then another busy day yesterday at a home ed group viking re-enactment workshop (associated with the Dufftown Heritage Festival this weekend), also visiting Balvenie Castle and Banff Museum (which is exactly as I remember it as a child, slightly disturbing). 

had picnic by the river Deveron in Huntly

Balvenie Castle door

looking down to hall

window

club with spikes

bits and pieces

battling vikings

Saw some of the lovely t-shirts made by one of the families in the group being beautifully modelled – they have home ed, breast feeding, Pictish and Celtic designs (Charlotte has the Celtic tree one). They have bags too

Related posts:

OS thing at top, Pictish walls visible

Practice triple climb of other hills! Tap O’ Noth first, then Dunnydeer twice.

a tough climb this one

up we go

then on Dunnydeer, Tap o' Noth in misty distance

down the other side of dunnydeer, before going back up and home

beautiful hill

Related posts:

stones in the light

Parkhouse stone circle – we have visited this circle so many times, having lived closeby for 12 years, that it always feels very welcoming and familiar

the circle

the large recumbent

At the farming museum we saw a Rhode Island Red mum with Silkie chicks (she had sat on the eggs):

mother and babies

silkie chick

another

The dandelion pancakes have been written up here, chive variant below:

chive pancakes

Drying some nettles for tea this morning, having worked out that it’s a bit ridiculous how we buy nettle tea (lovely as it is) when we are surrounded by them! Will finish them off in the dehydrator later.

nettles drying in sun

having said that no exotic planting experimentation would take place… well…

melon in the front porch

flowering rather later this year but so beautifully:

cherry blossom

Related posts: