Well, what can I say? Another fantastic long weekend. Cameron and I had a wonderful time and we returned with batteries fully recharged.
We were supposed to get up at three o'clock on wednesday morning. However, I didn't finish packing the van until nearly midnight, so when the alarm went off at three, I must have switched it off in my sleep and we actually woke at half seven. We were on the road for half eight and caught the rush hour traffic which put us back even later. Anyway, we had a nice drive up and arrived at Achray at lunch time on Thursday. There were already a couple there and I introduced Cameron to Wayland. Cameron whispered to me "Is that man wearing a wig?" I said "I don't know, lets ask him" and I shouted "Gary, Cameron wants to know if you're wearing a wig". I turned around and Cameron had legged it at a fast rate of knots back up the steps and was hiding red faced behind my van. (If you think dad's can be embarasing, you should try grandads).
We started lugging all the kit down the steps and as usual everyone helped share the load. Once more I promised to bring only a backpack for the next trip, but I know it's a promise broken already.
Cameron got straight on with fishing and hooked then promptly lost a mighty pike within a few casts. In fact a great deal of Cameron's time was either spent with a fishing rod in his hand fishing from the bank, or a fishing rod in his hand fishing from someone's canoe. He occasionaly stopped for something to eat, but mostly he fished.
I didn't do much over the weekend, at least not my usual activities, but just pottered about doing a wee bit of this and that. My energy levels were not what they might have been. I did remember to take some photos on Saturday and Sunday though. Here's just a few of them........
Twa hungry lasses.
Twa lasses stuffin' their faces while Farquar makes a chair
Now that's a nice picture.
Gary getting the communal meal ready.
Whit a gorgeous animal (an the dug's no bad lookin' either)
Messin' aboot in a boat
Blimey! I'd go round in circles if I tried it one handed.
Three men in a boat...well three boats then
Ooh err missus! What a long pole!
Wayland the Viking. According to one young child he is thirty million, billion years old
Scaring the kids in true Norse style
Tales of days gone by.
Lore and Saga (where have I heard that before?)
The questions were coming thick and fast.
"Hmmm... I'll have to think about that one."
Now kids, map readin' an' navigation. This is where ye are...
An' this is where ye hae tae get tae!.. wi' jist a match an' a piece o' string!
We had to leave on Sunday and I left it as late as I could. We were giving young Nathan a lift back and he and Cameron were having a canny craik on the drive back. On the Edinburgh ring road the exhaust blew big time and we had to hobble the rest of the way (some 120 miles) with a noise like a pack of Harley's and very little compression on the uphill parts.
We stopped soon after it blew in a layby so I could have a look underneath as it sounded as if the whole damn exhaust had fallen off and was horrified to realise that I had forgotten to secure the poles from the baker tent to the roofrack. They had slewed around a bit but were all still there, and that's after bombing down the road at seventy. Anyway, we tied them down and proceeded, but we didn't manage to get more than thirty five MPH the rest of the way back. Most times it was close to twenty and down to ten on steep hills. I kept checking behind me and when I thought there were a hundred cars or so behind, I pulled into a layby and let them all pass.
We arrived home at nine o'clock on Sunday night and Cameron's mum was a bit worried because we were so late. My mobile battery had packed in just after we left Achray when I phoned to say we were on our way.
Anyway, we got back safe and I have a new exhaust which was done today. The van's unloaded and the house stinks of smoke from all the kit I dumped in the living room as I unpacked, but it's all being washed, dried and put away till the next time.
Thanks to everyone who made it the event it was. The singing round the campfire was great. Just a pity more people didn't join in.
Eric
:You_Rock_
