I've got horses...

I've got horses in my tummy!

We were at the 20 week scan today, all's well! Poppy seemed a little more interested than the last time (more detail?)... anyway, we celebrate by going to see Megamind in 3d, so it's a bit of a long day, and late home.. which gives us the chance to watch a little of "Eragon", whilst we eat our supper in front of the TV... Poppy then grabs my mouse and pretends to scan her own tummy, and we pretend that the pictures on the TV are the scan pictures! (my goodness! she's full of trees, witches, swords, rivers, dragons...)

Get off Daddy...

Get off Daddy, I want to play the bloop bloops

I've broken out the old eKeys 49 to have a noodle and a sketch, getting ready for my attempt to "make a tune a month" for 2011... anyway, Poppy loves making music / sounds through the keyboard, and always loves seeing the old eKeys come out (I really should do it more often!)... mind you, I don't get much tuneage done when she's hogging the pooter!



PianoTrem by lepeep

can we have a ...

can we have a poo coming out of his bum?

Today we play with the plasticine Santa gave Poppy. She's picking out the animals and aliens on the box to make, and we tell her "you can make up your own things, you know!"... so I was told to make a bum. (not a tramp, I'll have you know)

Pull your Pod...

Pull your Pod Race face Poppy!

Poppy got the Star Wars "prequel" box set (pah). We're watching Ani (sp? or was he also a ginger orphan girl in a previous life, thanks to those pesky midichlorians?) Anyway... we're watching the pod race, and that wee "grimmace", so well acted is to die for. Oh, does Michael Schumacher keeps some spare tools in his cockpit incase something goes wrong with his engine? or did they only do that sort of thing a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away?

'ello

'Ello!

After hearing a noise upstairs, Gabi and I thought that Santa must have gone into Poppy's room when we were still awake... so we headed upstairs to check (and to go to bed, seeing as it was late). Her door was closed, so I had to open it slowly (to avoid waking the previously excited Poppy) and check that Santa had been, by noting if a bulging stocking was left on the end of the bed.. and it was! Satisfied that Santa had done his amazing job, I turned, only to creak a floorboard... Poppy stirs, still asleep and cracks out "'Ello!" (always polite and friendly!)... mean while, Gabi is snorting and chuckling as I (shakingly) creep out the bedroom and close the door, ready for Christmas morning!

Last run...

Last run the n Chloe?

I think I said that 4 times today... amazing day up at Glenshee, blue Skies, no wind, heaps n heaps o sna... amazing. it doesn't get better than that on the Scottish Hills.... well, if they'd opened Glas Maol, perhaps... and Butchart's tows...

not my photo, but this is spot on for what it was like today...

Seems the world kicks art in the nuts...

Seems the world kicks art in the nuts, when the need it the most

Just found out today that the fantastic "Roxy Art House" in Edinburgh closed its doors after only 10 months... a little cultural cog in a big machine that's been "expended" due to ... once again... bloody money. When "money" is being cut left right and centre, from the people that need financial "assistance" the most, we watch and stand agog, as banks get millions (billions?) in bailouts, phone companies get let of with billion pound tax bills... apparently "we need these institutions to retain and generate wealth in the UK"... how does that work? they take all the money, find clever ways of not paying tax, charge us through the nose... What would it be like in a country that didn't think money was the most important thing to strive for in life? I've been chatting with a friend whom has just come back from West Africa, she met heaps of "poor" locals but were entirely happy with their lives, perhaps we all just need a little bit of sun, some white sands and delicious local, fresh food to keep us "happy" ? (Keep dreaming? I will, thanks).

You CAN eat Ice cream...

You CAN eat Ice cream in October, in Aberdeen!

We had a delightful surprise phone call, and subsequent meeting with Rich & Kel from Australia, over to see his niece & nephew he's never seen thus far... they've been based in Inverness, and are leaving for London tomorrow - so today was the only chance to see them. Hooked up in the Lemon Tree for a spot of Lunch and Jazz, such a beautiful day, blue skies with billowing white (snow?!) clouds... Perfect for an ice cream at the beach! (It is a barmy 6 degrees!)... nope, if you live in Melbourne, that might as well be Kelvin! he he. We sadly say good buy, after only 3 hours... but it was lovely to catch up in person, safe journey R&K!

Well, that's the...

Well, that's the end of that then!

Today, is the last day of our holiday in Skye. It's been a doozie, and to top it off, amazing weather, clear blue skies, 17-19 degrees (according to the car thermometer). What a beautiful drive back through the 5 sisters and up Loch Ness. We stop at the well visited pull in, and my goodness! what did we see?!...



We stop in past Supergran & Supergranddad's place in Lossiemouth on the way back, which was a welcome break from the drive... back home to dank, drizzly Inverurie, at least we hear the amazing news that Hannah Miley wins gold for Scotland in the swimming... she's fae Inverurie, divvent yeh kain?!

They're coming out the ground...

They're coming out the ground like tatties!

It's the lowest tide of the month today (in Ord, Skye) - and the coral island is even more accessible, but we see a sand spit being exposed, with hundreds of "spooties" scooting water into the air. I start digging (a futile exercise in getting a razor clam from above)... but, I start to uncover heaps of clams - amazing sized clams, the size of Poppy's fist... I'm scooping sand siddeways, and found three razor clams this way! Needless to say, I pigged out, and took about 2kgs of Clams (hardly a dent in the 3 small patches I dug up)... what a score! So, I've put them in a bucket of clean sea water, and they are happily spitting out the grit... I did snaffle a few for tea, a smidge gritty, but boy oh boy were they tasty.



garlic, onions, chilli, olive oil, S&P, oregano, tomato puree, pasata, spaghetti, a hillock of free clams from Ord. NOM NOM.

yay! we made it...

yay! we made it to the coral island!

What an adventure! Super low tide today, and the coral island in Loch Eishord is tantalisingly accessible... we take our socks and shoes off and take the plodge. Ooya! word of advice, if you are going to go for a plodge in October Skye sea water, and the base is broken shells and coral...try not to go for a plodge!

Managed to snag a bag of winkles and mussels on the way back - some dooooozies.

I don't like...

I don't like the winkle's stained glass windows

Oh, the joys of living on a beach, free food! I collected a few winkles from the rock pools, when the tide is well out, all the big ones like to hang around there, It's a bonanza! Taking them back to the Chalet to boil up for a wee snack (and removing the two hermit crabs that I accidentally scooped up for the ride), I boil them with some garlic... so simple, so tasty.. one of the by-products of a winkle-fest, are the little flaps they have to seal in the water when the tide goes out, poppy, seemed to think they were stained glass windows. I just hope the snails "saw the light" just before I dropped them into boiling water... must have stolen from star fish, or cheated on their wife with a rag worm...sinners!

no Ballan...

no Ballan Poppy! no Ballan Fin!

we've had a lovely evening at Duncan & Lisa's place, with Fin and Callen.. the usual "kids meeting and being all quiet, sizing each other up" 10 mins happens, after that, balls, socks, toys, cups are being thrown (ballen) everywhere! ace fun... 9.30 when we leave, nearly everyone is asleep...adults included! ah, the short, but long windy (crazy) drive home from Achnacloich to Ord... fun in the dark, for sure.

we've run out of presents...

we've run out of presents, we'll have to go buy more!

Today, Poppy is 4. Having a hillock of presents when you are young, seems to be a given (Gabi and her charity shop till you drop 'knack'). Anyway, after opening what seemed like a library, DVD store and Clothes Boutique... it's the end!.... or is it! (I'm sure with Super-Gran's cheque, this wish will be fulfilled.

Today, we headed up to Dunvegan Castle with Ailsa, fit a fine day! lucky that only when we're in the car and heading home, did the weather turn crazy...

Am I really an...

Am I really an explorer daddy?

We went further on foot today, over the hills and far away... to a secret beach north of Ord, Skye. It's a beautiful, tranquil spot, watching the tide come in, checking out the rock pools etc. Supposedly, it's meant to be raining or at least a bit "on and offable"... more of this please if it is then!

Poppy did superbly well, she'd walked about 2 miles over rocks and hills, through birch forests and boggy groves... I'm going to make a flotsam medal for birthday girl tomorrow!

Rock hopper...

Rock hopper Popper

first full day in Skye, amazing , blustery but sunny and fantastic. Poppy is all over the rocks on the beach, loving it! Only down side, not one single bite or catch fishing today... Stll enjoyed watching the wildlife like cormorants, white throated divers, diving ducks, gannets, sea otters, seals... Nabbed some chanterelles from the woods today too. I could get used to this.

To get to Skye...

To get to Skye, you need to bounce over on some clouds!

Poppy is wondering how long it takes to get to Skye... well, it depends where you start from, how many breaks... I digress... the real question is "how do you get there". We are passing the 5 sisters today, and they are amazing, bleak, outstretched and cloud capped... we (Gabi, Ailsa and I) start to tell poppy that you can bounce on clouds to get there... when we get to the skye bridge, it's cloud engulfed... perfect.

this ain't my photo (below)... but it is beautiful...