Memories

 Putting memories in prints. AotearoaNZ Road Trip series perhaps?

Dundee day out

 We had our weekly (weather permitting) trip to Dundee today.

As it was school holidays here it was a delay free drive for all of the 120+ miles up there.

It is a long drive, but we are trying to combine going there with doing other things.

Today was supposed to be picking up materials from a ceramic supplies company, but things hadn't got together in time.... hopefully next week.

We had three more riders today and it is good to see such a great facility being used.

We had our usual picnic late lunch before Perth on the way home, but the level of traffic and low standard of driving on the A9 gave us cause to turn away from the rat race through Bridge of Allan to Stirling. Let's have a look at the castle we thought.....

Only booked places in the car park....but the attendant said we could have a short break from driving...nice to find someone in a good mood! That called for a special treat, ice cream from the van!!

The Wallace Monument from the castle...it is a huge tower.

We did get a good view on our way out of town...

I think we would be better off having a day out by bus to Stirling and have a day there with a camera and drawing book....

Garden day

 No dashing anywhere today...planting out, potting on plants that will go in as soon as the garlic is harvested. Sowing seeds too.. carrots, beetroot, spring onions...I forgot the radishes!!

Then harvesting fruit..thinning gooseberries and picking a rather thin crop of blackcurrants, which are now in a crumble pie!!

Weekend

 We have had a good weekend with our friend staying over...bike ride together yesterday. Long walk this morning. 

Good company, great craic...and neighbours calling by too.

I found this feather on our walk...possibly from a Snipe, there are some around.

The new chair

 

Pirate has a "new" chair...not quite a Lazyboy....but good! It's a present from a friend, and we all went out on our bikes together this afternoon. 

He stays with us occasionally and gives a hand with bikes and with shed construction and maintenance. Good company too.

AotearoaNZ New Prints

 The start of a new series.

I am working on tree prints as well.  Making time is difficult at the moment..it feels like two steps forward one step back then stand still ....but I will get there.

Hot!

 Not as hot as Canada...but not so usual for Scotland!! I think we reached the mid 20s C.

We had a good session on Caird Park Velodrome Dundee, before it got really hot...made new friends, bought a picnic lunch on the way home and found a quiet layby near Perth to eat.

We had to stop in Sterling services....it was that hot it was making concentration difficult.

Back on the motorway... briefly....we had no desire to sit in a stop start jam for fifteen miles..

Luckily we know the ordinary roads and  had an easy drive , getting back on the motorway in the middle of Glasgow and having just half a mile of slower traffic.

Back home to see most of the Tour de France highlights programme...and then after supper another breathtaking sunset...

The lower picture is the view at the back away from the sunset, the others from the front with the sun a solid red ball....