Now that the thaw's here...

Astronomical

Serendipity...
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mjpowell/Astro/Naked-Eye-Planets/Naked-Eye-Planets.htm#AstroViewer

Get a look at the current night sky over Strathcarron!

Better late than never

Tried uploading this earlier but it seemed to be having some trouble...don't know why.
Anyway, here it is...

The original as been edited to fit on here, there was more but this seemed to be the best of...
Another weekend coming up, I'm sure we'll get out and about, more later.
Had a lovely fresh bramble and apple crumble the other day...gorgeous.
Got your postcards and the 'buffs' from Betws-y-Coed, the mention of that name brought back some memories of holiday in the snow, hill walking, pub meals and fruit wines in front of the fire in the Bryn Tyrch pub
thanks Mum XXX

Zoe's 5th Birthday Cake

Zoe wants to say a big thank you for all her cards and presents.
and wants to let you all know that she had a lovely day...

ice skating

As promised...not quite Christopher Dean from Torvill and... but there's definitely potential for something!

Perhaps he'll become a stuntman, or ice hockey player...who can tell?

The Birthday Girl is 5

Well, another year passes in what hardly seemed like 365 days. Last week we went ice skating for the first time (as a family) and this week it was the kids club at Inverness picture house, swimming, pizza a quick shop and home on the Saturday with Zoë's birthday today (Sunday).

We have video of both Andrew's daring on ice and Zoë getting her birthday cake...if I can upload it!

Meanwhile here are a couple of photos...

Away from Home

Edinburgh isn't quite Applecross, especially in Festival week; however, I find myself in a guest house, editing reports and planning ahead. Facebook is an easy way to keep in touch with Sarah and play a game or two of word twist.

I don't know if I'll get to see much of the festival, depends whether it'll cost me  and whether I can tear myself away from editing reports and planning ahead I guess.

First Day

Waiting for the Bus

Waved goodbye to Zoe as she embarked on her first day at school this morning.

Another Milestone in the Robins family timeline!

Summer's Day

Finally, nice weather in Applecross and a day or two off...hurray :-)
It was so calm we decided to Canoe round to the bothy at Uags on Saturday; and when the kids seemed to like it and were up for another water-borne trip we headed out to the Crowlin Islands. Onle a mile-and-a-half offshore, but certainly far from the usual madding crowd of tourists.

In fact we saw five kayakers and two yachts all day!

We set of on a full spring tide and returned about an hour or so before low water.

We found a beach to have lunch... you'll notice the date/time stamp on the camera is wrong!


The conditions were superb, there were hundreds of jellyfish to see, several fish got caught. We drifted the canoe around the edges of islands looking into the crystal clear waters and we ended the trip by stopping at a small island and jumping in!

Andrew preparing for take-off

 

Splash Down

Blistering Barnacles...well done!

A great week-end to end the holidays...back to work; back to school: oh well, til the next time...

Homeward Bound

After around journey of some 1800 miles we are ready for the last 600 or so miles back to Applecross.

The day we arived in London we were at a surprise birthday party for my Brother-in-law's fiftieth, the ol' fellas not getting any younger :-)
Then we had a day to relax before driving through the night for a 02:00 ferry.
So tired that we all had an hour's crash at a rest area happened before Paris was reached.

The outward journey was made all the more interesting by storms from Paris to Orleans through France. The rain was so heavy that we were driving through waterfalls falling from bridges that crossed the peripherique. The planned camp at Combreux was abandoned as we had to slow to 10 mph to see where we were going! A hasty retreat to the motel was in order. Setting up a family tent in a downpour is an over-rated activity I reckon.


Temperatures in the mid-thirties, fresh ripe fruit: cherries, nectarines, peaches, apricots, melons and plenty of vegetables and good meats made poolside barbecues a regular treat.



My father-in-law made the children a playhouse on the patio beside the pool.




Anyway, the weather was much kinder on the return journey and the family tent got an airing and we drove away from a quiet, shaded campsite wishing we had planned in a few more days camping...next year :-) Travelled to Dunkerque by Route Nationale single-carriageway roads. Interesting getting around Paris, the SatNav tried to take us through an alleyway wide enough for a pushbike!

A few day's in London gave us the opportunity to catch up with an old friend and take the children to the Natural History and Science Museums (if you haven't seen iMax 3D then make the opportunity, we saw Hubble and it was impressive).

So, we're travelling again tomorrow. Back in Applecross in a couple of days.