One of my favorite pictures!

I took this picture at Crathes Castle outside of Aberdeen, Scotland.

I was just reminiscing.

Ode to the Scottish

We loved our time in Scotland. The country is so beautiful and the people are

great! When I came across this video I had to post it.

Classic Scotland!  Enjoy

Auld Lang Syne

It has come time to leave Scotland and take the short flight across the North Sea to the Netherlands.  This past year and a few months have been great.  Today is a day of mixed feelings. We enjoyed living in Scotland and especially the new relationships that we made with our new friends here.  It truly is a beautiful country.  Many days while driving to work, I would say to myself that I was "Driving in a Postcard".  Yes, the weather is rainy, windy, and cool......but that is part of what makes it so beautiful and green.

Leaving and the change that it brings with it are a part of life.  We will begin Chapter 2 of "The Big Adventure" in the Netherlands starting Saturday.  Starting over in a new country brings a renewed excitement and the anticipation of what lies in store for us.  I don't how we will be able to learn to love the Netherlands like we love Scotland, but we will give it a try.

There are three slide shows below with pictures of Scotland--through our eyes.  Take a few minutes and see for yourself what a beautiful adopted country we have been living in.  Everyone sees life through their own perspective.  The following pictures are Scotland......the way that we saw it, the way that we will remember it.  We will forever treasure the time that we spent here, the beauty that we were able to enjoy, and especially the friendships that were forged.  A part of our hearts will always be Scottish.

PS -We have been having a little bit of trouble with the Photobucket slideshows.  Evidently you can't see them if you don't have more modern tech  on your computer.  I don't know why I just know that we can't see the slideshows on Bud's older laptop but we could see it on our Mac.

Goodbye Scotland 1

Goodbye Scotland 2

Goodbye Scotland 3

A Day Too Soon for April's Fools Day!

I can't believe we woke up to this!

I don't think it was suppose to actually snow in Aberdeen.

Other areas, but NOT here.

The wind howled all night long!

As far as sleep goes, it was not a good night.

Part of being a grandma or grandpa means 

you should not be waking up in the middle of the night!!

There's our two black cars.

Say goodbye to mine because it has been sold.

Ssnniiifffff! Its going to its new owners today.

I will be using the bus or convincing Bud to let me drive the Volvo.

I could walk, but I'm not going to in this weather!

The Frozen Dee River

A couple of weeks ago, Bud took these pictures of the River Dee.

The river was freezing up again and we wanted to get some pictures.

Being from the desert states in the U.S., 

we didn't see very many rivers of this size.

This was during a very cold snap - duh!

Earlier in the winter, the river froze solid with ice,

but we didn't get pictures of it.  Still, this freeze is pretty good.

You often see people Skulling or Rowing on this river.

They do in all kinds of weather, even in the winter,

however I've yet to see them do it in the ice!

If I ever do, then I will know that they are really

SCOTTISH TOUGH!

The Dee is famous for its salmon fishing.

I have seen men standing in their waders

with ice forming on the shores of the river.

That's what I call crazy!

(However, I've yet to find one who has caught a salmon!)

Shards of glass.

This bird is very industrious - found a twig.

I don't know how these gulls don't freeze.

I realize that this is their habitat but its so cold!

On days like this I wonder how much food they find.

Doesn't that look cold?

This picture gives me a brain freeze!

I wouldn't stick my face in this river on a hot day!

Burrrrrrr!

Moving - temporarily to Aberdeen

We are moving temporarily to Aberdeen until our apartment in The Hague is ready.  We plan to be there about six weeks.  Hopefully they will get the apartment done in a timely fashion.  In the meanwhile, we are going to be without internet service until March 10th.  I don't know how I am going to survive that long without seeing what is going on in my world!

Just thought I would leave you with this picture.

It is classic Scotland - stone fences are everywhere -

that is how you know you arrived in Scotland!

Adios!

The North Sea at Aberdeen Beach

Yesterday, while I was waiting to meet some friends for a movie, I decided to take some pictures of the North Sea at Aberdeen Beach. The North Sea is very cold. Today was no exception. Although I didn't go into the water (duh!), my hands were freezing in the few minutes of shooting these pictures. I had to go warm up in the car.

Usually you can see some sandy beach here.

The Scottish are tough people.
They go swimming in the North Sea during the summer.
It is pretty dang cold!

How would you like to be on an oil rig in the middle of this?

This is nothing though, compared to the weather at the rigs.

Bud has been on oil rigs in the middle of the North Sea.

 

 This is an older picture of Bud on a rig.

He doesn't get out to them any more.

Thank goodness!

  

 Bud said these waves were about 40 feet high.

You can't tell but these rigs are really high.

He was delayed in getting off the rig because of the weather.

 

Here is a picture of the rig he was on.

Unusually calm!

Enlarge it to get a sense of how large it actually is - imagine 40' waves!

Elgin Cathedral

 

Elgin Cathedral is one of my most favorite places to visit.

(Also read more here.)

  

In this picture you can see the round stone columns that were once support for walls in the cathedral. You can only imagine how huge this place was when it was in its completed state.

  

The sunlight was perfect for taking photos.

The day we visited we  had an unusual sunshiny day, although cold.

We had several snow storms leading up to this day.

  

Although the cathedral is in ruins, it is still very impressive.

  

It was built during the 1200's. I think that is amazing when you consider what tools they had to use back then.

  

Of course, there is a graveyard surrounding the cathedral.

You see a lot of skull and crossbones on the markers.

  

I like this picture and the way the sun picked up the different colors in the stones.

  

This marker is a reminder of how hard life was back then. (Click to enlarge.) Four of their children are buried here, dying at very young ages.  Scottish gravestones generally give a great genealogy of the members buried there. There were also several markers where families had lost several of their sons in battle during WWI & WWII.

  

A lot of moss is growing on the markers.  On this one you can actually read what it says.

Here are the players that day!

 

Mel and her best little buddy waving at mama!

  

My tiny little super guy!

  

Here he is standing at the entrance of the cathedral.

  

My daughter Snort!

  

Snort's friend Melanie.

  

The wee munchkin.

  

  

Arrrgh!  A pirates life for me!

(I don't think these were for pirates though!)

In Memory of Wm. Stephen, Jun. who died February 18, 1833

We drove to Elgin to see the cathedral ruins yesterday.

I came across this memorial.

It says -

Perpetuate

The Memory

of Wm. Stephen

Jun.

Who Died Feb. 18th

1833

Aged 25 Years

Erected

By A Few Of His

Friends

Who Held His

Character

In The Highest 

Esteem.

It just seemed fitting that on the 177th anniversary of his death that perhaps I should recognize him for his great character.  His friends held him in such high regard to create this memorial. I hope we all are of such character that our friends would esteem us with this much devotion.  Here's to friends!

Stuck In Scotland!

What is that car doing in the farmer's field?

 

Hmmm?

  

Yeah, its been stuck there since late fall/early winter.

 

I saw it there after the harvest.

Then it was there through the snow.

Then the plowing.

Then the planting.

Looks like a pretty nice car too.

I wonder if they will have to wait until the three days of summer come

to yank it out of its earthly tomb?

Sunrise in Banchory

 Beautiful Sunday morning sunrise.

  

Feels a little Medieval!

My Snow Post - For all you experiencing a snow day in New Mexico!

A similar vein is running through my friends and families posts -
Snow Day!

I decided to jump on the band wagon and show you all my Snow Days!

As in several days . . . some places schools closed for a week or more.

 I am sure you heard the news around Christmas of the U.K. being buried in snow.

Here is the view out of my front window.

During this weather, our house creaked and moaned,
popped and barked.

I thought that was a little interesting  . . . and disturbing.

Noticed the flat top roofs - what were they thinking?

The view from the balcony out in the back yard.

 I love the snow flocked trees.

 

Brrrr!

Across the valley.

Our frosted clothes line.

 This birdhouse has the right kind of roof!

 

 This the Dee River down by the harbor.

The river got plugged up by ice flows.

 

 (These two photos are courtesy of my friend Sydnie.

We didn't get pictures before the flow got broke up.)

 

The river bank after the flow broke.  Those ice chucks are huge -

as in six feet wide, some that tall.

 

What the river looks like now.

Seeing my friend, Mojo's post made me miss my kids and grandkids.  How fun is it to play in the snow?  Bud and I don't play in the snow.  I guess it is because we don't have little ones (or big ones) to play with!  Now the snow is all gone and it has been raining instead.  It was nice while it lasted!