It’s funny how we remember things from years ago but can’t remember what we did yesterday. Even more so as we get older. I like rolling back the years and thinking how it used to be. How simple life was, how polite people were and nothing was too much trouble. People spoke to each other.

The small village we are in now is like rolling back the years. We went and registered with a doctor and everyone was so friendly and helpful.

We went to the post office/ village shop to draw some money out. A lady behind the counter then came over to the post office desk and served us. There were no bars, no big screen to hide behind. The loose change was on its little stand just there on the counter top. This was normal and I loved it.

We had a day off and decided to go to Callander, a small town just over half an hours drive away, and a very nice drive with stunning scenery. The main road runs through the town and shops are either side. We parked up at the end of the town and the plan was to go down one side and back up the other side.

This size town is as big as I like, Nikki likes bigger towns every now and then but she was happy with this one for today. My idea of going up one side and down the other soon became obvious it was not going to be quickly with Nikki. She likes to go in shops and have a look, I am happy looking in the windows as I walk by.

A shoe shop appears. How many pairs of shoes does a woman need. A lot apparently. And yes she bought some new shoes. Apparently they were needed for some reason. The two ladies in the shop were very chatty and took the shoes and Nikki’s bag from her and put them in the bag and doing it up so it was all secure. Good old fashion service.

We did manage to get to the end of the street without any further expense but then we had to come back up the other side which meant a lunch stop. I didn’t mind that one. After that we were on the final straight but failed when a cake/ bread shop came into view. Just when I thought we had made it to the finishing line. The cake was lovely eaten down by the river with no more shops in view.

As we left Callander just down the road is the Trossachs wooden mill shop. Now this one I wanted to stop at. Not because I wanted to shop but because in the field next to it are three Highland cows or coo’s as the Scot’s say. I have loved these breed of cow for as long as I can remember.

The big one is called Hamish and is 13 years old and a fine specimen he is. They are very docile and you can buy food from the shop to feed them. So yes that’s what I did.

We have just got over Storm Kathleen but to be honest the winds were not as bad as we thought they were going to be. We even had snow on the 5th April but that soon went. It stayed on the mountains for a good few days though and looked great up there.

Where ever we drive around here takes forever because I have to jump out the car and take photos. A quick pull over into a lay-by when I see something. The photo below of Glen Ogle viaduct was a quick stop. It’s part of the old railway line which is now a cycle way from Killin to Callander which I plan to do one day. It’s about 24 miles each way and now I know where there is a nice cake shop in Callander it will drive me on. Depending how much cake I eat is whether Nikki has to come and pick me up or I cycle back.

We had a nice walk up the hill behind where we are the other day. Up through the woods passing small waterfalls and going higher and higher. The view looking down over the loch and the valley was stunning. That’s Killin in the distance. There’s that word again. I would have liked to see some blue sky but that’s for another day.

Nikki gets our food shopping done by Sainsbury’s home delivery because it suits us otherwise it means a hours drive to Stirling an hour plus shopping and then an hours drive back and then unpack etc which means your day off is gone so home delivery is the best for us.

Stirling is a city in my eyes but Nikki wanted to go there to get some bits and pieces from Tesco which is the nearest biggest store. I wanted to get some bird food, not from Tesco but from a big garden centre on the way.

So with the sat nav set and the thought of driving in the big city, off we went. We got close to Tesco and the sat nav decided to take us through some back streets and not the way I had looked at on google. To be fair it got us to Tesco but the back of Tesco where the deliveries go.

I was glad to get on the road out of Stirling I must admit but we will go back because I want to visit the castle. I did get my bird food from the garden centre though. Hope they like it.

We have seen two red squirrels on site and the other evening a Hare ran through the site which was great to see. I am hoping the red squirrel comes to the feeder which is close to the camper but not to close.

Ben Lawers mountain is not far from us and there is also a huge dam up in the mountains named Ben Lawers Dam which is on a single track road that goes from the A827 to the Bridge if Balgie. It goes up and up and then down and down.

Yesterday morning I decided when I got up early and Nikki was having a lie in that I was going to drive up there. So at 7.30am off I went on a photo shoot. The road climbs up and winds its way through the mountain until you come to the dam which is very impressive with the mountains all around.

It was cold up there, about 3 degrees so I had a quick walk across the dam to get some photos of the loch from a different angle. Then back in the car and carry on along the single track road.

And then as I turned a corner, up in front of me down in the valley were about eight Highland coo’s crossing the small river and making their way up the side of the hill towards the road. I must admit I was very excited about this and parked up in a passing place and started taking photos as they were heading towards me.

I drove off leaving the coo’s behind and heading for the bridge of Balgie which is a small narrow bridge. Just up from the bridge is an old post office and tea room which we plan to go to as we have been told it’s very good. And of course the drive there is stunning.

Then I turned around to head back the way I had came but to see the scenery from a different angle. And then I met the coos again. They were just strolling along the road as if they owned it. They do really because they were around before me, this is their land. I just stopped the car and they all walked around me and stared and went on their way. My morning had been great. The rest of the day it rained and rained and I don’t know how many times I looked at the photos I took but it was a lot.