Crathes Castle Walk

After my tour of Crathes Castle Gardens,
I thought Bud should see it.
It is a nice little walk from our house
so yesterday after dinner we decided to walk over.

One of the formal sitting areas of the garden.

The shrubs are all in bloom all over the castle grounds.

We thought this tree was cool because it has
a hole in the middle of the trunk.

Crathes Castle

All over the grounds they have markers to tell about the various
varieties of botany specimens that are planted throughout the estate.

This tree was planted around 1860!

It is huge!

Look at how these branches grow downward.

This tree was also planted around 1860. It is a Redwood.

I dared Bud to look in this box . . . it is a dog poop deposit box.
I didn't really think he would . . . but you know Bud!

Crathes Castle Gardens

Yesterday, my friend Sydnie and I went to Crathes Castle.
The castle is about 3 miles from my house.
It was a gloriously beautiful day!
Sunny and warm!

The pond outside the grounds.

The reflections in the pond were so brilliant.

What a sight!

A self portrait.

A view from the castle tower

I still can't get over the "green-ness" of Scotland.

Don't you wish your backyard looked like this?

This is Sydnie. Her husband and Bud work in the same building.

The Laburnum flowers were sooo fragrant.

Who thought I would find Columbine in Scotland.
Columbine has been one of my favorite flowers
since I was a little girl. We would go camping in Colorado
and the columbine would be growing wild on the mountain side.

This tree's branches are all intertwined.

The lilacs were very fragrant.
In Utah around the corner from our house
was a whole row of lilac bushes.They were about a city block long.
When I would drive down that road in the springtime,
I would drive on wrong side of the road,
with my window down, head hanging outside the window,
trying to take in their scent. I love the smell of lilacs.

Oriental Poppy. Looks like the Scottish Thistle.

I would guess these are Blue Bells, but I don't know.

Lupines

See the bee in the lilacs?

Notice the fern growing on the base of the fountain?

Geranium

Bird of Paradise

Modern Plant Art?

A Succulent

Poppy

It was an absolutely beautiful day, in a beautiful place!
I think I will go again in a few weeks.
More flowers should be in bloom.
This was the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

Pizza Hut

Bud told me it was stupid to blog about Pizza.
Obviously I disagree.

The thing is - I miss American food.
Fast food, restaurants, grocery items . . .
i.e. Taco Bell, Cafe Rio, Costa Vida, Carl's Jr.,
Red Robin, PF Changs, Brick Oven, Pizza Factory, Joe Bandito's,
Corn Tortilla's, Corn Meal, Jello Chocolate Pudding, Cool Whip, etc.
(Let's not forget a nice grain fed Angus steak!)
You get the point.

The other night we went to the movie to see Star Trek. (It was alright, worth seeing but not as good as the older films.) The theater is down by the beach. They have T.G.I.F.'s and Pizza Hut. They also have a Mexican food restaurant. I can't say I really recognized their Mexican food! Won't be back there anytime soon.

We wanted to go to T.G.I.F.'s but the wait was too long. We decided to get "take away" at Pizza Hut. (Most restaurants don't do take out. It is nice to find one that does.) We heard it wasn't too bad. Bud ordered pineapple and Canadian bacon. I got a Supreme. Fifteen minutes into the drive home, Bud says, "Get us out a slice. It smells good." It was good! It wasn't quite as good as home but it was not that bad. I think the cheese is the difference.

Friday's is where we go when we are craving American food. Once again it isn't as good as Pizza Hut in the states but its not bad. I wanted to go to Friday's the other day but it was rush hour and it is on the other side of the rush. Bud offered to take me to one of the Scottish restaurants nearby. I declined. I wanted American food. The best American food I can get is in my own kitchen! I must say I enjoy my own cooking much more than I ever did in the states!

Just a side note, Bud and I also saw "Angels and Demons." We loved it. We hadn't read the book but the movie was great. I would recommend seeing it.

How Long Does It Take To Dry Out a Tent in Scotland?

Here is our tent, set up in the backyard, trying to dry out.

Here is our tent, getting rained on every day.

Here is the cover for our tent. It got relatively dry on the clothesline.
I brought it in after it sat out in the one day of sunshine,
in hopes it would dry out the rest of the way in the house.
The cords were still damp.

After the next day of sunshine I brought the tent in to dry.
I wasn't going to risk my good fortune of a mostly dry tent.
After two days it still wasn't dry.
We put it back outside today, in the sun and the breeze,
hoping to get it dry.
We brought it back in a short time later,
when the clouds started rolling in.
Maybe someday it will be dry!

On another note, Jake is doing alright. He is struggling with the decisions he has to make. Now that he has had a second seizure, it increases his chances of having another one by 70 - 80%. Poor kid. I wish I was there to make things better!! Ha ha, if that would actually work I would be on that plane in a second! Since there is nothing I can do I guess I will stay in Scotland.