Mother and son reunion day!

 Darren came up yesterday evening and today we have had a couple of outings which has been nice. Firstly I will post a picture of the mahonia which has lots of new growth which is great as hopefully it will be beautiful next spring.

We walked into Dunkeld along the river path but it was quite muddy today after all the rain. We went to the archive centre and Kit and Kat so that Darren could check out the souvenirs we had spotted. Then we went to a new cafe, The Clootie Dumpling, it was absolutely lovely in there, Celtic music and a waitress in traditional dress and lots of original paintings. We had a cheese scone and a drink. I bought some sweets for my journey and then we walked home the road way.  In the archive place I was tempted to buy a cd of Niel Gow music, he is famous in this area, even had things of his at the castle we visited. With him on my mind Darren took a photo of me standing by his statue.

I got packed and repotted two sunflower seedlings that had survived. This afternoon Darren drove up to Dobbies and at last he got to enjoy one of the huge cream scones, they have an offer after 2pm 2 for 1 and I had my monthly free drinks to claim today. We finished of the jigsaw when we got home, Darren is very good t fitting those last awkward bits in.

We have had dinner, my case is in the hall packed and ready to go and I have just watered all the indoor plants. It has been a good day, not too long now before Darren is back for good which will make it feel properly like home,

Odds and ends

 Tina headed off for Mirfield this morning, we got the stuff out of her car which was for the charity shop which wasn’t taking donations when we went. We put it in the small shed out of the way for now, 

I got the case out while Pandora was sleeping as she was lredy unsettled when Tina went. I have got most of the packing done and have checked my rail tickets and have the ready with the rail card. Sadly it seems I disposed of my English bus pass!

I have been to the shop a couple of time, it is the post office as well and I got a package sent off to America, that was a bit of a song and dance but we got there. I also went round for some ingredients as I made a cake as Darren is on his way up.

I have done some jigsaw as well, I wonder if  Darren will be tempted to do some, maybe not as I have done all the interesting bits!

It has rained on and off all day but it is still quite warm. Idid pop to the shop again a while ago as I needed milk, I’ll e to see the mist in the trees.

Hopefully Darren will arrive safely soon, he didn’t set off until this afternoon as he had some jobs to do before he left. It is later now as he arrived as was typing that sentence.

Lazy day and late shopping

 I have done quite a bit of the jigsaw today, more since I took the photo.

I did get some washing done as I will be wanting to pack some of the things. When Tina had done the work she needed to do we went out and had lunch at Pitlochry dam, a very nice cafe there.

Then we went to visit Tina’s aunt who was pleased to see us. I took one of the jigsaws we had finished and we got some cakes at the cafe to take as well. 

I made some phone calls this afternoon, to friends this time! Wrote a couple of emails too. My second collapsible stool arrived first one was only nine inches high, I couldn’t have lowered onto it and I certainly could not been ble to get up if I had! This one is needs a bit of a knack to it but it is funky!

One of the sticks/would be bonsai has shoots!

Not easy to see against the brown of the dish.

Tina had a n evening Meeting but was home before eight so we went to Perth for some shopping, I wanted to get some bits I needed to take away and to stock up a bit for Darren. We had some thunder this afternoon and quite dramatic skies on the way home. The last photo looked liked smoke but it was rising from a cloud!

Bedtime now!

Jigsaw and tiresome phone calls

 The rabbit hole jigsaw is proving trickier than expected although to be fair we haven’t spent much time on it. But firstly I will post two photos Tina took last night. She walked down to the river and as it was lower than usual she ventured onto the stones and took a couple of views with a different perspective.

Back to the jigsaw, I have done a bit more to it since I took this photo.

I then decided to try again to locate an insurance policy, I have the documents but when I first moved here tried to update my address but neither the provider or underwriter could find any record of it. It has bothered me since as I have been paying it for over ten years. So today I decided to try again. No joy with one call but given another number to try, no luck again but given a link to try and update my details on line. No joy as my policy wasn’t listed but there was a telephone number. Next lady said she couldn’t help and said she’d put me through to that department, then a message saying I could talk to a chat bot, said rather sharply that I wanted to speak to a person! Then half an hour on hold but a helpful lady who eventually assured me that both policies were on my account but that I could only see one when I logged in! So have to take her word for it!

After lunch Tina drove us into Dunkeld. We had a drink and then she went off to the recycling centre and I did a bit of shopping and walked home. Stopped to do a quick sketch on the way.

Sitting with the cat now. I have started getting things together for travelling on Friday.

Picture hanging and harp concert

 After the usual chores and chatting to Anya I did do  bit to the jigsaw but not a lot to show for it. After lunch I pondered making space in a cupboard be getting some pictures hung. I tried balancing on the mattress once before but couldn’t keep my balance and behind the bed is the sore I have left. The bed is ridiculously heavy so moving it isn’t and option, even if you could there is nowhere to move it to! So I wondered if I put my drawing board on the bed I could maybe manage to balance, worth a try. I used a step stool to make trending onto it easier. After all that waffle, I now have a funny te towel nd some photos above my bed!

I then got ready to walk to Dunkeld as there was a harp concert in the cathedral. There are free concerts twice a week during the summer. As iwas levingi noticed that one of the rescue plants, a white poppy had flowered, so pretty.

Walking to Dunkeld I saw dog roses and some wonderful vivid ferns.

Then tried to catch the black headed gulls on the rocks.

I had a drink at Corbenic and then made my way to the cathedral, not a large audience which was a shame.

The harpists were ll students t The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The first lass was in her first year and the other two both in their fourth year and about to take their final exams. The spider pieces were fun!

One of the girls sung beautifully while she played. A really lovely way to spend n hour.

I had some pin in my hip and knee, so now we have had dinner I am not going to do much more this evening. There is some athletics on the tv at the moment.

Coffee morning and walk

 I got a glasses repair kit as a couple of days ago one of my lenses fell out and the screw was nowhere to be seen. Not surprising as I don’t see too well without my glasses! It was very fiddly but I managed! Then I went to the coffee morning in raising money for Christian Aid in the church. I stayed and chatted for over an hour and bought a couple more books. When I came home I went out in the garden for over and hour, pulling some weeds in the gravel and tidying the pots and then in the shed to try and organise it a bit by breaking up boxes and moving things around. Hopefully int will be a bit easier for Darren to get to his boxes at the back. Pandora came in to check out what I was doing.

After lunch I went for a walk along the Birnam path but heading away from the town. It is all very green now but I took some shots where there was a clearing between the trees.

About a mile from home there is a bench near the water so I sat there and did a sketch, no getting away from the trees!

I headed back then as I had had too many drinks nd needed the loo!

We have had dinner and I will go out and water the bonsais in case the forecast rain doesn’t arrive.

Garden and Aberfeldy

 I spent about an hour and a half in the garden this morning. Firstly I hoed all the areas I have already done as it is an on going battle with the ground elder and other weeds. Then I carried on from where I had finished, cutting the hedge back above the area and then digging it over and removing masses of roots. I haven’t finished the area, but have made a good start. I sat and read with the cat on my lap for a while when I got in before having lunch.

We got some of the charity shop stuff into the car and we drove to Aberfeldy where there is a thrift shop that is run by different organisations every week. Took a photo from the car on the way.

Sadly the thrift shop isn’t accepting donations at the moment but we went to the Co op to do a bit of shopping and there was a Salvation Army container there for clothes, so got rid of one bag! We decided to call in at Spirit of Wood as we were in Aberfeldy, took another hoot on the way there.

It was a very narrow road up to the wood place so luckily we didn’t meet anyone coming away! What a fantastic place, such unusual pieces. I took some pics of a few.

I was tempted and got a side table to go next to my new chair. It was marked as a stool but a fantastic table for me!

Just down the rod was Dewars whisky distillery which also had a cafe.

Some funky wood use in there too.

Very plush bar/cafe.

We shred a whisky truffle, but there wasn’t much whisky involved!

A couple more car pics on the way home.

Tina had sent for a jigsaw from EBay being sold by a charity. It will be a challenge but the wooden jigsaws re such fun to do.

I had picked three Alliums, which were falling over but still looked great when I was working in the garden. After dinner I thought I would try to draw them without much confidence, but you can tell what they are!

Feet up without the cat at the moment, she had given Tina dead legs instead!