Looking for little green men

On Saturday the weather was great so we went for a nice long walk around Glasgow, and enjoyed the festival atmosphere that the Commonwealth Games have brought to the city. James commented that everyone in Glasgow seems to have been given a "nice pill" with complete strangers chatting and being helpful to each other. Not that people in the city are usually horrible, it's just that the Games seem to have given everyone a wee boost.
I have downloaded an app with all the "Clydes" that are scattered around Glasgow; little statues of the personified thistle that is the mascot of the Commonwealth Games. Each one is differently decorated, and we enjoyed finding them and posing for a photo opportunity beside each one. Our meandering route took us from Central Station along the Clyde Walkway and across the Squinty Bridge to the Science Centre where we had lunch outside. We also watched the flotilla of 250 ships of all different shapes and sizes, festooned with flags, coming down the river and mooring at Pacific Quay. It was a magnificent sight; the sailors were all shouting to the crowd who cheered back. Then we recrossed the river and headed up to the West End to the Botanic Gardens, bagging "Clydes" on our way. By the end of the day we had notched up 10 out of the 25 *  It was a really pleasant day, especially as Jamie and Davie came with us (Ally was still on holiday) and we all chatted as we walked along. Davie was on a late shift at the Emirates Arena so he went there by train after lunch, then Jamie left to go to Rugby 7s later. So it was just James and me who had afternoon coffee at the Art Galleries before heading home for a curry.

Today Jackie and I took Finn and Noah to Glasgow Green where there were lots of children's activities based around the Commonwealth Games. It was great, like a sports day without the competition. One of the most popular activities was to try to beat Usain Bolt's time in the 100 metres, running along a track while being measured by a timer. Finn didn't quite manage it but I was impressed at how hard he tried and how convinced he was that he would beat Usain! It was a beautiful sunny afternoon.

* and we bagged 2 more on Sunday!

Clydesider Davie

I am very proud of Davie, who is on his third day of being a Clydesider - a volunteer at the Commonwealth Games. The first two days he had to be at the Emirates Stadium (where he is based) for 6 a.m. On Thursday he got up at about 4.30 a.m. and caught a bus. He was on duty at the badminton all day directing people to their seats and saw David Cameron, although he didn't recognise him until someone pointed him out! He wears a smart red and grey uniform with a man bag which contains his official towel, umbrella and water bottle. He also has a very large official pass on a lanyard. When he got home he was exhausted and fell asleep before tea, which was a delicious barbecue.
Perhaps inevitably Davie slept in on his second morning so I threw on my clothes at 6 a.m. and gave him a lift to the stadium. There was hardly any traffic and by following James' advice to go along London Road I was able to drop him right there, so he was only 20 minutes late and anyway he tells me that the volunteers don't actually start until nearly 7 so he didn't miss anything. He spent most of the day just outside the stadium directing people which door they should go in. He really enjoyed this and came home full of the joys, he loved helping people and told us that he chatted to them as well because he wanted to make their experience as enjoyable as possible. This made my heart just about burst with pride. He had also been getting to know the other volunteers during their breaks and has made a couple of friends. Apparently Sir Chris Hoy was stopped at the door because he didn't have a correct pass - but he was very good natured about it and the situation was sorted out quickly!
I'm so pleased that he is enjoying being part of it all so much.

The Height of Summer

This is it! It is proper hot weather and I am in my hammock in the garden, up beside Jack's wee grave which feels quite companionable. I have done some pottering around the house but have now decided to blog and then read my book for a while, because how often do you get the chance to read outside in Scotland? Despite feeling slightly uneasy at my lack of productive activity, I am loving this time. The washing is drying fast on the line, moving in a very gentle breeze. There are butterflies flitting about, and the pears are ripening on the branches above me. Over the last few days of hot weather I have been doing errands in the morning and then relaxing in the afternoons. I have been out for lunch with Davie. To my surprise and pleasure a few of my (unforgivably neglected by me) friends have popped in to see me, probably having seen my car in the drive, and we have chatted and drunk cool drinks in the garden. It was fun.
Inspired by this I have fired off a couple of texts to other friends. This is what I never find time to do in term time, not even at the weekends nowadays. I just work and then try to rest. No wonder I was so exhausted in February, I really need to get my work / life balance sorted out.

Bring on the Commonwealth Games

I have seen the Red Arrows displays at many air shows over the years, but this evening was the first time that I have seen them fly past my house!
This was of course part of the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games. It was great fun watching the finished product on television after seeing the rehearsal on Monday, and I thought it was very good. When we saw on the screen that the Red Arrows were approaching Glasgow, we hurried through to the front of the house just in time to see them fly past the lounge window on their way to Parkhead.
I enjoyed all of the entertainment; the opening song and dance number was a but cringe-making (I wasn't kidding yesterday about John Barrowman and the dancing Tunnocks Tea Cakes!) but it was also cheerful and tongue-in-cheek. Rod Stewart appeared to have almost completely lost his voice but I thought that Amy McDonald and Nicola Benedetti were particularly excellent. I thought it was sad but appropriate that the Malaysian flag was carried round at half mast, and that there was a minute's silence for the victims of flight MH17 last week.
The most hilarious but agonising moment was when the president of the Commonwealth Games committee struggled to open up the baton to retrieve the Queen's message which was stashed inside it. After a couple of minutes which probably seemed like hours to him, with Sir Chris Hoy trying to help and the Queen looking on, he managed to open it and looked very relieved.
By the way, I thought that the controversial Scottish team uniform looked great; it was meant to be bold and eye-catching and I think it worked.

Top Secret

Davie and I went to the dress rehearsal for the Commonwealth Games on this lovely sunny evening. We walked up to Parkhead from Dalmarnock Station along with thousands of other people; the atmosphere was tremendous. These were extra tickets that Davie was given for being a volunteer at the Games, aka a Clydesider. However we were asked by the organisers not to give away the secrets and surprises of the evening. So I had better make something up - how about John Barrowman being driven around in an open topped bus, singing about Scotland while dressed in bright purple tartan and accompanied by giant dancing Tunnocks Tea Cakes. Is that too unbelievable?

No welcome home

We all crammed into the car to set off on the journey home today. I felt really sad to be leaving Lochinver and would definitely like to book the cottage at the pottery again. David Grant (the owner) came to say goodbye; he was telling us about the celebrations that are taking place next week to celebrate 40 years of Highland Stoneware - the guest of honour will be Princess Anne. The weather was fine and sunny, with no sign of the storms that were forecast. After a couple of hours (I agree with Ewan that it is a long journey home from Lochinver!) we all stopped for lunch in Inverness and Ally and Cat then went off to catch a bus to Invergarry. They still have another week of their holiday ahead of them with Gerry and Christine who have rented a cottage in Glenelg. This created considerably more room in the car, not because the very slim Ally and Cat take up much room, but because they took their big rucksacks with them, which they had been carrying on their laps because the boot was full.
The remaining three of us still had three hours of travel ahead of us, and by Perth it was grey and raining, although no thunder and lightning I'm glad to say.
But when we got home there was no Jack to greet us. The cat flap in the door is still, his bowls and rugs lie neglected, the whole house feels lonely without him. He will never walk casually round the side of the house again as we arrive home and roll around on the slabs so that we can pat him, or come running down the stairs when we open the front door. How can such a small cat leave such a big empty space?

Breabag

What an amazing day we have had today. James wanted to bag a Corbett and chose Breabag near Inchnadamph. Meanwhile Alasdair was keen to climb two Munros; Conival and Ben More Assynt, and persuaded Davie to accompany him. This tied in nicely with our plans because the start and end points of both expeditions are near to each other. Cat came with James and me because she has had a sore knee since last week and she didn't want to overstrain it.
The route to Breabag goes past the Bone Caves of Inchnadamph, which we have visited in winter by trudging over snow and ice. The valley looked very different today in the height of summer; green and full of birdsong, with underground springs bubbling up into rock pools. I felt a bit hot and bothered so after about half an hour I asked James and Cat to go on without me because I didn't want to hold them up. But after a rest I felt that I had given up too soon and decided to continue my walk and I met up with them at the ridge. I found the ascent to be quite rough; first across boggy moorland and then up through heather and boulders. I decided to go on to the summit (James and Cat had already been there) and when I got there it was so windy that I was almost blown off my feet, but I was rewarded with panoramic views for miles around. On the slopes near the summit there were several groups of deer watching me, they were lovely but timid and cantered off as I approached.
The trouble started when I set off back down the hill. There was no path at all, and it took ages to pick my way down a steep quartzite boulder field. The rocks were in no way attached to the hill and it felt very precarious as I slipped and slid. There were large slabs of rock too which provided some relief but they were very steep. Even when I got low enough to walk on patches of heather I could feel the rocks scraping together underneath, like the edges of a broken bone grinding against each other (and yes I do know what that feels like!) I felt as if I would never get down! I still really enjoyed the walk though, and doing two Corbetts in two days is amazing for me. Today was another 700 metres of ascent and about 5 hours of walking.
I got back to the Inchnadamph Hotel only ten minutes after James and Cat, whose descent via another hill was equally arduous, and Ally and Davie arrived soon after, tired but happy. We had a drink as we compared our adventures.
I had an embarrassing incident where an insect crawled down my t shirt. I set off for the ladies toilets to shake it out but since the hotel was so quiet I just pulled off my top in the foyer. I don't know what possessed me because immediately two male guests walked in through the door. I dived behind the reception desk but this must have looked strange because they came straight over and looked over the desk where I was sitting wearing my bra and trying to put my top back on. Luckily I will never see them again.
Anyway after a quick shower we went for our last night dinner to the Riverside Bistro where we had a hearty dinner and talked about our holiday. It has been great.