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.

I can’t believe we have been in Scotland for three weeks already, I also can’t believe how many times I have used the word stunning.

After our couple of days down the road on our friends site we came up the road to our own site and started the big clean up of leaves and twigs that had all come down through the winter. And getting the camper into the compound after I had cleaned it all out. The view from the window is stunning.

The site is very wooded which is why there was so much debris all over the six acres. The office and pod area were also a mess but Nikki was on the case with that while I was outside. We both worked really hard and worked well over the hours we were allocated but the site was looking good and ready to accept guests on time.

This site is never going to be a white picket fence and bowling green grass site. It’s a wildlife heaven which is why we like it. I think they call it rustic. Every night we hear owls and in the day we hear all sorts of bird song and woodpeckers drumming on the trees. Early every morning I would see Roe deer while sat having my breakfast and one morning a stag wandered through the site before we were open. The photo is not my best because I took it so quick and through the camper window but the site of the stag was just amazing and so close.

Other wildlife on site are frogs in the marsh area and I have seen a pine Martin. I have not seen a red squirrel yet though but have been told I will. I am sure I will discover more as the weeks go on.

After working so hard to get the site ready for opening we gave ourselves a day off and had a drive out heading for the A82 which leads to Glencoe. We were not going to go all the way that day but just a short distance to admire the views.

There are some big gates on the A82 which when the snow is bad are closed so you can’t use the road and also you see poles at the side of the road which are markers for edge of the road and with red reflective tops so you can see how deep the snow is. Luckily that day the gates were open.

We stopped at a view point to take in all the scenery and yes the word stunning was used again. That was our turning point today and coming back the other way you see things in a different way. The road was empty of traffic to the point I could stop, get out the car take a photo or two and get back in the car and carry on before we saw another car.

Another photo stop for photos of a mountain looking like a volcano, even had a cloud at the top which made it look like it was about to erupt. This was called Beinn Dorain

I had also spotted another lock on the way so wanted to stop there on the way back. It didn’t disappoint with crystal clear water and mountains as a backdrop this was loch Lubhair. To be honest I wanted just to dive on in for a swim. Maybe when it warms up a bit.

We will travel that road on other days off and hopefully the sky will be blue. We may even take the camper out for our days off and park up somewhere and wake to that sort of view.

Yesterday we had a day off and decided to go out for a drive to Aberfeldy. After the weather forecast the day before saying it was going to snow we were hoping all the roads would be clear. The roads were fine and the snow was just in the mountain tops. We had been told it’s a nice little town with a great butchers so with the thought of BBQ food and with me starting to dribble we headed off.

We drove along the North side of loch Tay to the end of the lock at Kenmore. Loch Tay is fifteen miles long and with the snow capped mountains around it I was constantly stopping to take photos and saying that word stunning over and over again. My face ached from smiling so much at the end of the day. I absolutely love this area.

We drove through Kenmore and onto Aberfeldy where we had a wander around and a spot of lunch. And of course we found the butchers and bought some different flavours of sausage and burgers ready for a BBQ and some bacon for this morning which was very nice. Will let you know what the sausage and burgers are like when we have a nice sunny day for the BBQ

We came back to Kenmore and parked up for a wander and some more photos. In the summer this will be a tourist trap because of the small beach area and the lovely clean water and a view to die for.

It was hard to drag ourselves away but we will return over the next few months. We decided to come back a different way, choosing to drive down the southern side of the lock this time. This is a single track road so not the sort of road you would want to be going down in the summer with all the tourists. We only met three other cars while travelling the length of the loch and luckily there was somewhere to pull over so we could pass. It was nice seeing the loch and surroundings from the other side.

Along the single windy track were some lovely properties dotted along the side of the loch with price tags to match the view. Priceless. It had been a great day out and it’s just the start. We have more exploring to do and more stunning views to see and some burgers to eat. spring is near and summer is not far away.

The word Stunning is going to be used a lot in this blog this season so be warned. But more of that later.

Before we left Chirk we had one more visit to the ironworks centre. Some reasons for the visit were, it’s great down there with the sculptures changing so there is always something new to see. They have a great cafe down there for our lunch. Good food is always a bonus. And we also wanted to drop off some clothes and bedding because they are collecting clothes for Ukraine.

We sort our clothes out regularly and take them to a charity shop. Correction when I said we I meant Nikki sorts her clothes out regularly because she has a higher turnover of new clothes.

The sculpture park was as good as ever, lunch was as good as ever and the staff were grateful for our old clothes and bedding which was all washed and clean I will add. Hopefully the people in Ukraine will benefit from them.

We also had one more night out at the bridge inn with Becky and Simon. The bridge inn is famous for their burgers and once again we were not disappointed. The walk home was needed after the food and beer and believe it or not I could not eat all my food.

We packed the camper up and left on the 6th March heading for Meathop fell campsite in the Lake District. This was to break the journey up on the way to Scotland. The site is only about 15 minutes from the M6 so we were not really going out of our way much.

I left in the camper and Nikki in the car. It was a lovely sunny day and the journey was good apart from one bit on the motorway where a crash held me up for about 20 minutes. Nikki avoided it luckily. She doesn’t follow me we just meet at the destination.

Meathop fell is a lovely site with great views of rolling fields and hills and with the sun coming up over the hills I was keen to get some photos the next morning.

About ten miles away from the site is a motor museum. Rather than sit around all day we decided to visit that and then come back to site via Grange over sands. The museum was really interesting having a good selection of cars, bikes and pushbikes and of course lots of motoring memorabilia. Looking around you start to remember things you had or saw when growing up. Did I say growing up. What I meant for me was getting older.

After having a good look around we headed to Grange over sands to wander around while the sun was out. It’s on the edge of the estuary so the view is nice. Some really nice old buildings and a lovely little garden with a bench to sit on and ponder.

Time to leave Meathop on Friday and head for Scotland. I left the site at 8.30 and stopped ten minutes down the road to top up with fuel and then got on the M6 and my sat nav said 139 miles until I turn off left which would not be the final destination just another motorway to get me around Glasgow.

The roads were very quiet and the scenery was stunning. There’s that word creeping in. Nikki had made me a sandwich and gave me strict instructions to stop and eat on the way because it’s a long way.

I was merrily driving along doing 55/60 mph and didn’t see the point in stopping unless I needed a pee break or fuel. As I had topped up with fuel and was planning on stopping for fuel about five miles from our destination and didn’t feel the need for a pee I just carried on driving.

After going around the outskirts of Glasgow and heading northwards the scenery was starting to change. I was turning off the M80 at junction 10 onto the A84 heading towards Callander and on to Killin the final destination.

This last leg was 35 miles of pot holed, winding, bendy road and took an hour but the scenery was Stunning. I wanted to stop so many time to get photos but nowhere to stop with a 30ft camper. The mountains had snow on top, the lochs looked cold and grey.

Anyone driving the other way must have thought who is that nutter grinning from ear to ear. But I was so happy being in Scotland. I had wanted to come to Scotland for years and here I was.

Sorry about the lack of photos but you will get some stunning shots of mountains etc over the next six months I promise. The fuel station I had earmarked to refuel before getting on site was very rustic to say the least with a courtyard that looked like it had been bombed. Full of potholes and it’s an unmanned full station so card only.

Now me and modern technology don’t get on too well but I pulled in anyway. Luckily there was a guy filling up so I asked him what to do. In a broad Scottish accent he said just put your card in and answer all the questions then fuel up. I can do that and I did manage it. I also had a pee so I could tell Nikki I did stop.

Only five miles to get to Killin and I was greeted by our friends David and Elaine who run the site a mile down the road from our site. We are staying on this site with them for the weekend to catch up and recover from the drive. We both feel washed out. Luckily the rugby has been on so made me stay in and watch that.

Yesterday morning we had a walk down into Killin and to the other end of the village to see the famous Falls of Dochart which is where the river goes under the bridge. It looked stunning and is even better after heavy rain.

There is a pub right next to the bridge but we resisted going in but we will be back to sample the beer and food soon. The other side of the river is a lovely old mill with mountains behind.

We stopped of in a cafe on the way back to try the produce which was good. An old church made of tin is also in the village which was built in 1876 and is still used.

So that’s us up to date. We had a quick look at our site on Friday and we have a lot of work to do but it’s so nice and very rustic and wildlife friendly. We will go up there tomorrow and get ourselves set up and ready for the season. We are both very excited about being in this STUNNING area.

An update on my injury. I went up the hospital for my final visit with them. They were happy with my progress and told me yet again that it’s a long haul to recovery but I was doing well. Sometimes I think I am not getting anywhere even doing everything they tell me to do. On the other hand I have a moment and think I could not reach that, or open that a week or so ago. So although I am getting more movement and strength back it’s taking its time.

My physio sessions down the local small hospital which I have every week have now changed to strength exercises. I have certain exercises I have to do with a small 2 kilo weight. This will build the muscles up and will also help with movement because the arm and shoulder will be stronger.

I have to laugh at myself every time I pick up the 2 kilo weight because I used to do some weight training with big heavy weights and have always been quite strong. Thinking nothing of throwing a 16 kilo kettlebell around and now I am picking up a 2 kilo weight and having trouble completing all the sets on all the exercises. It will get better.

We had an engine management light come on in the car. Not a serious fault but I like things to be right so took it to the local garage to get checked out. Turned out it was a glow plug fault. So got it booked in for repair , all sorted but my management light came on when I got the bill. I was never expecting it to be such a big bill, but it had to be done and is now sorted.

We decided we need a new screen cover on the camper. This is a cover which covers the screen and door windows, it stops condensation forming on the inside of the windows and keeps it cooler in the summer. I contacted the company that makes them and for a date to go and get one made.

They are in Telford about an hour away from us so it would give the camper a run also. We can’t just order one online because they have to make a template and then make it unless they already have made one for the same model before. But in our case they have not.

The week we were supposed to be going to them the forecast was for a lot of snow so we watched the weather and decided to cancel and re book for another day. Driving a five ton, thirty foot camper in snow is not fun I can tell you. As it happened the snow never happened but better to be safe than sorry as they say.

A nice walk one morning up in the castle grounds with some low cloud/ mist gave me a good opportunity for some photos. The peace and quiet was so nice and from the fields we walked up to the castle grounds where they have a great spread of snowdrops.

It’s was a bit eiry looking with the mist and sun trying to come out and the morning dew on the snowdrops and trees but felt really refreshing at the same time. We walked on the paths through the snowdrops so it felt like we were walking on a carpet of them.

Last week we had a managers training course to go to. Stopping in a hotel is not really our type of thing but we had to attend. As it turned out we met some peaple who we had not seen for five years so that was great to catch up with them. The food was good also which is always a bonus in my eyes. The five days away from Bertie the camper was the hard part and was so nice to get back to our own bed.

A couple of days ago it was a ten year anniversary of living in Bertie. Ten years living in a tin can. I now know how a baked bean feels like left on the shelf.

In two weeks time we will be in the Lake District for a couple of days. A stop off on the way up to Scotland. It just breaks the journey up. From there we will have a five hour drive to the area we will be working in for the season. About an hours drive from Glasgow in a place called Killin.

Killin is a small town and we are looking forward to spending the season there. Exploring the area and we might visit a pub or two. Supporting the local economy of course and research to feedback to our guests staying on the campsite. It would be rude of me as a manager if asked about the local pubs if I hade to say, sorry I don’t know.

As usual I have a list of things we want to do while in the area. I know the Scot’s do a lot of whisky’s but that will not be for me. I had a bad experience with whisky in my teens and that has scared me for life as far as whisky goes. But maybe I could be tempted to try one. I really want to try a traditional dish of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties so will be searching for that on a pub menu. Will let you know how I get on. I don’t think Nikki is as keen to try the Haggis as me.

So that’s us up to date. The rain is pouring down here today, let’s hope it’s not like this up in Scotland all the time, but at least it will keep the midges away. Winter is slowly drifting away and spring is just around the corner. Take care.

As I sit here looking out of the window in between tapping the keys for this blog it’s raining. No surprise there as it is January.

But in the last two weeks we have had temps down to minus 5, we have had snow, not a lot but it was there on the ground settling, we have had warm sunny days where you could wear a T shirt and shorts. Well I could but then I would wear them in the minus temps also. And now we have had storms. Winds of 55/ 60 mph and rain and just as that storm blew through we have another storm forecast for today.

But none of this has stopped us doing things. On one of the nice days we went for a walk across the fields by the river. The river was in full flow because of the rain earlier but the sun was out and as we reached the gate by the pub, looking back the sun was lighting up the aqueduct and viaduct arches just as if someone had put lights under them. What a sight.

And of course we had to go in the pub for a couple of drinks. We always feel we have to support local businesses. And as we move around a lot it’s only fair to support pubs etc in other areas. Well that’s our excuse anyway and we’re sticking to it.

Nikki mentioned she had to go shopping for food which is something I don’t like and to be honest she doesn’t like me going with her because I mess about too much and I get bored. But it was a nice day so a walk first would mean we were both happy.

Tesco in Ellesmere is right by the canal so a nice flat walk and then into shop for shopping. Nikki made us a little picnic to take on the walk. Parked up and a great walk along the canal looking at the narrow boats as we went. Some with there wood burning stoves on which smelt great.

We spoke to a guy who had the job of checking the boat peaple had the correct licence and he said he walks up to ten miles a day and loves the job. A bit like a traffic warden but for boats and like he said but he is liked.

At our return point of the walk about three miles we decided to eat our lunch so stood on one of the small bridges over the canal talking about how years ago this little bridge would have been part of a track with horses and carts going over it. I don’t normally like doing walks where I come back the same way but with a canal walk you don’t have much choice unless you catch a bus back to your start point.

Now as I am getting older I am feeling the cold a bit more sometimes so decided to get my jeans out which I have had for a little while. I love the idea of wearing jeans and a T shirt etc but just feel overdressed.

I got my one pair of jeans out of the wardrobe wondering if they will fit me as at the moment I am a little overweight (or more cuddly) due to not doing a lot because of my injury etc.

And yes they fitted but Nikki said they were so outdated if I kept them much longer they would come back in fashion. So a plan was to go shopping to get some more jeans. But I hate waste so I suggested that if she cut these jeans off I would gain another pair of shorts. Sorted.

With the thought of going shopping and hunting down a pair of jeans I was thinking of ways to get out of it. I wanted some jeans and yes I could get some on line but then if they don’t fit you have the hassle of sending them back.

I started to look on line to see where we could go. A big shopping centre in Chester with a Levi shop filled with hundreds of pairs of jeans at about £100 a pair. Marks and Spencer in Shrewsbury with a good selection at £35 a pair.

So a train was booked for Shrewsbury and at the same time we could meet some friends for lunch, in a pub of course. So before we set off we were talking to our friends on site Simon and Becky and she said make sure you take six pairs of jeans in the changing room so you can try them all on rather than keep going in and out.

The train was half an hour late but we got to Shrewsbury in the end. Walked from the station straight up to Marks and Spencer into the men’s department. Picked up three pairs of jeans, tried the first pair on, liked them and showed Nikki and she liked them. Sorted, put the others back and went and payed for the pair I wanted. Easy this shopping lark.

Then went off to the pub to meet our friends for a beer and some food. Great to catch up with them after two years but the time went to quick. The train back was also late. When we came out of the station at Chirk again we took the wrong turning and ended up in the Hand hotel for a couple more drinks just to end the day off nicely.

My next walk was on my own, another canal walk. There is a pub called the Aqueduct inn which has a fantastic mural painted on the end of it. I have wanted to get a picture of it for a long time after driving past so many times.

So off I set one morning. Four miles later I am at the pub and have taken my photo. The pub was closed, bad timing by me but properly better really because I still had to walk four miles back home. So an eight mile walk just to get one photo. Hope you like it.

It seems I have done so many walks this last month, some with Nikki and mostly on my own. Two reasons for the walks on my own. Nikki says I walk too fast for her to keep up and I like to walk further. I do enjoy going for walks with her though. The other day we walked locally and I spotted a carving on an old tree trunk which she had walked passed before and not seen. The carving has things to do with the area like the aqueduct, a mine shaft, local church.

Nikki is away at the moment visiting her sister and boys for a week. Home alone and fending for myself. I might loose a bit of weight but will be glad to have a proper meal when she gets back.

Another frosty morning with a scatter of snow on the ground I decided to go for yet another walk up into the castle grounds. The sun was out and although the air was cold it was so nice to be outside with just me and the trees, birds, and I never saw another person on the Severn mile walk.

And the trees on site looked so nice the following morning with the sun making them look like they were red. Nature is just so nice. I expect most peaple on site would have not even noticed the trees.

So that’s me up to date as the rain is coming down and the forecast is for 60MPH gusts this afternoon I don’t think I will be going anywhere today. A day of chilling in a tin can. Nikki will be back in two days time so I can get some house work done today while I am stuck inside. Now where does she keep the hoover.

So here we go into 2024, another year which will mean another year older and for us another location. Scotland here we come, well not just yet but soon.

Before we talk about dry January and next year, I will tell you about the last bit of 2023. We visited our friends in Malvern on the way back from Devon. Kevin and Sheryl. It’s always good to see them for a catch up and a good time was had by all over a beer or two and some food.

We visited a couple of pubs and had an Indian takeaway which got delivered. It took an hour and half to get to us and they could not find us but when we eventually got it the wait was worth it.

Malvern is a stunning area with the hills as a backdrop but a very expensive area. We have visited the area so many times over the years to go to VW shows and motorhome shows at the Malvern show ground.

While out for a walk looking for photo opportunity’s I felt I was being watched. I looked around and all I could see was a squirrel, a jay, some pigeons, rooks all the usual suspects but they were all too busy to be watching me. I spotted some fungi near a tree which looked nice and as I crouched down to take the photo the feeling I was being watched got stronger.

And as I looked up I saw it. A face on the tree, a big old oak tree with a real old knarly face made from fungi watching my every move. I know most people won’t see the face and I promise at that stage I had not had a drink. Maybe it’s me that’s weird. Don’t answer that.

After a couple of days it was time to say good bye to our friends and head back to Chirk so I could continue getting my physio regularly at the same place. That way they can see my progress and adjust to suit. The arm is getting more movement and the pain although still there is getting less, but some days I do have a real bad day with it.

From where I sit in the camper I can see the sun come up because I get up early. To be honest the last few days/ weeks there hasn’t been much sun coming up to see. More like looking at the rain on the window.

But one morning I got a real surprise because as the sun was coming up the sky was turning a funny colour and the clouds were pearl effect in colour. This as it turns out is quite rare and they are called rainbow clouds. This happens with the highest clouds at 70,000 -100,000 feet and at a temperature of -80, now that’s cold. Then as the sun comes up it lights them up from below and the ice crystals that are on the clouds turn into these amazing colours.

I saw on the news that they had been spotted in different parts of the country and was so pleased to have seen them. Most people would have missed them by the time they got up.

Out for a walk on a non rainy day last week, well I think it was two weeks ago actually. The viaduct arches were lit up in the morning sun and as we walked along the canal towards a canal side pub one of the small bridges over the canal looked so nice, but that’s where the pub is so the walk stopped there and we headed into the pub to quench our thirst. It’s thirsty work this walking and we had forgot our water bottles. While in the pub we realised we were hungry as well so had a snack. To be honest we could have stayed in there all night but the light was fading and we like to walk back by the canal rather than the road.

The next day was also nice so never look a gift horse in the mouth. We were out for another walk and up in the tree was a squirrel collecting a bunch of berries for his winter stash. He just looked at us as if to say move on nothing to see here and you ain’t getting none of my stash.

So Xmas has come and gone which is great news for us as we don’t do Xmas. New year was a quiet affair but I was awake when Big Ben struck his chimes. I had actually gone to bed then had to get up and thought while I am up I will watch Jools Holland with his hootenanny show. So I watched that for two hours and went back to bed at 1.30am on New Year’s Day.

So that’s another year gone. Going back to the title of this thread, Dry January, you didn’t honestly think that I was going to do that did you. Well so far I have lasted one day January 1st Last year I managed 3 days.

At the beginning of March we leave here to go to the Lake District for a few days and then onwards and upwards into Scotland to start work in the middle of March. We are both looking forward to getting into Scotland.

Happy new year to all that follow our travels and adventures on here.

Update on my injury. The sling is in the bin and after six weeks of living with the sling I am so pleased we have parted company. The day I went to the hospital for my six week check after the operation I said to the physio I am so pleased to see the back of the sling. Her reply was, now the slings off the pain starts because all those muscles need to wake up and start to repair themselves. She was 100% right it’s still painful but the pain is nowhere as bad as it was. It’s going to be a long haul and the next three months are critical to my recovery with daily exercise and weekly physio sessions.

A nice day in Chirk and with Nikki now finished work we decided on a walk along the back roads and then come back via the canal. A walk of about five miles.

I love the canal walks and seeing the barges, some with their wood burners going and the slow pace of life as they chug along the canal. The owners are always pleasant and say hello.

The walk included going through a tunnel which I forgot to tell Nikki although she has been through it before but she doesn’t like it. She wanted to go in front so she could get through faster because I wanted to get some photos. The ghostly figure in the photo is Nikki getting to the light at the end of the tunnel.

As you know by now I like my photography and there are certain photos I want to get. One being a steam train going over a bridge or where we are now the viaduct. Nikki was looking on Facebook and found out that not one but two steam trains were going to be coming through Chirk on the same day. I had two weeks to plan and research the times and place to get the photo.

I must say I am no photographer but just enjoy it. I don’t have a huge big bag of lenses and zoom lenses a foot long. All I have is my phone. It does have a good camera though and I also believe you can make phone calls from it.

So I spent a couple of hours working out where I was going to get my photos on the day, after working out roughly when the train would be coming through. One would be early morning and it would be dark so I opted to get one at the station as it’s light and the other one had to be going over the viaduct.

My day was planned, up at 6am, a ten minute walk to the station and get my spot. Expecting the train at 7am ish. From Chester direction. I expected there to be a lot of people down at the station as it’s not everyday a steam train comes through.

I got there early and got my spot and no one else was there, had I got the wrong day, the wrong time etc. All these thought were going through my head. And then a lady came down the stairs to the station with her son, and then another guy who looked like a proper train spotter. We all had different spots which I was so glad for because it’s a one chance moment to get the photo. The train doesn’t stand still and pose for a photo.

So camera ready and watching the bend in the track and listening for any signs of the train. And here it comes, click, click, click three photos taken very quickly and the train was gone. I could not believe how fast it was going. But I got a photo I wanted.

That made my morning, the sound, the smell, the fact I got a photo I like. I then went back to base and had my breakfast and got ready for my next adventure. So the next steam train was going to be coming from Bristol which is the other direction and would actually be stopping at Chirk station to fill up with water.

So I could get a picture at the station but I wanted a photo of the train going over the viaduct and had already found a good spot with only space for one person and that was going to be me hopefully. The time again was an estimate. So off I went to get my spot before anyone hijacked it. I expected there to be more people about this time.

Now this photo was going to be even harder to get because of the distance and the layout as the train would just appear and cross the viaduct, so again only one opportunity to get the shot. One good thing was that it would not be going as fast as the one that went through the station because it would be stopping at the station to fill with water and the distance from the viaduct to the station is not very far.

As I stood there waiting a guy with a big bag of camera gear came down and chatted saying the train was running late and would be an hour later than expected. Now was he just saying that so I moved off and he could get my spot or was he being helpfull . I thanked him as he wandered off but decided to stay in my spot. And the waiting continued until another guy wandered down to me with all his gear and told me the same. I asked him how he knew and he told me about an app that has all the times etc on.

Again I thanked him and stood my ground and he stopped about a metre from me. Then he said did I just hear the train. So camera again ready and eyes focused on the spot the train would emerge to go over the viaduct. Here it is I shouted as it came into veiw. Click, click, click another three photos taken quickly. I looked at the photos and I could have cried. Tears of joy that is because I got a photo I had always wanted and I was so happy. It won’t mean a lot to other peaple but I can not explain how happy that photo made me.

As i started walking back up the road there were people everywhere who had been at different locations to get their photos and they were all running up the road towards the station where the train would be stopped filling up with water. Now I didn’t plan to go to the station but I was caught up in the excitement so I also started running towards the station which was only five minute walk away.

As I got to the station the train was still there filling up with water, steam everywhere and the smell of steam and burning coal. There was a lot of people about so I found a spot quickly and started taking photos knowing at any time it would be leaving on its journey to Chester.

With a blow of the whistle and a hissing of steam and clouds of steam it started to leave the station. I watched it leave until it was out of sight and as all the people dispersed I wandered home to check out my photos with a big grin on my face.

What a morning it had been and so much planning and research etc but it all panned out well. I had got my photos plus some bonus ones like train in full steam below leaving the station. Happy days.

Now we are back in Devon for our annual trip to get the vehicles all serviced and mot etc and to see Nikki’s mum who is in a care home up the road. The drive down was good with me driving mostly with one hand because of my injury but it was mostly motorway so really all I had to do was aim it towards Devon and go. We got here in good time and set up.

It’s been an expensive trip to Devon this time with the dentist and car and camper. The camper needed a new clutch which was a all day job but they run into complications so we had to book into a travel lodge for a night and then a second night because the problem part didn’t arrive until the next afternoon. But it’s all done now and hopefully all ok as we have a lot of miles to cover.

We leave here on Monday to go to Malvern to visit friends and then back to Chirk so I can get my physio every week at the same place. That way they can see the progress and then adjust physio to suit. But I know one thing it’s going to hurt whatever they do, but as they say no gain no pain.

So that’s us up to date. The last photo is the river mole which runs through the site we are on. I love the glow and warmth of the sun kissed leaves and the sparkling cold water. Take care.

I had my operation on my shoulder six weeks ago after getting a call from the hospital saying they had a cancellation and could I make it that day. Yes I can was my very fast reply but I had eaten breakfast. Normally they insist you don’t eat anything after midnight. No problem you will be last on the list for the day.

That’s good I thought at least the surgeon would have warmed up by then, either that or he will be knackered from working all day. It was worth the risk. I needed to get this operation done.

So Nikki dropped me off at the hospital and said see you later. Normally the operation for a rotator cuff injury is keyhole surgery which takes about 30-45 minutes and you go home the same day. Theres normal, and then there’s me. I’m not one for doing things in halves.

This was the first time I have actually been in hospital for something serious. I was wheeled down to the theatre and surrounded by a jolly team, one lady even threatened to plait my beard while I was asleep.

Two and half hours later I was wheeled back onto a ward where I would spend the night drifting in and out of sleep because of the anaesthetic and being checked up on every hour by the nurse. Why do they do that, they wake you up to see if you are ok. Yes I am ok, well I was until you woke me.

A morning of being sick every time they gave me some pain killers followed and ended up with just paracetamol which would not touch the pain. The pain was, well I can not tell you how painful my shoulder was. Later that day they rang Nikki and said come and get him.

The first week back home was the worst week ever for the pain and I could have easily given up on life. To show how bad the pain was I was not interested in food or beer, now that’s bad. I have since made up for it though. Now it’s still painful but getting less every day. I do exercises every day to keep the arm moving and go to physio. The sling comes off in a couple of days and then limited movement for three months. It’s never going to be the same but I am still alive and will be out on my bike again sometime for sure.

That’s you up to date on my fall and op. I won’t show you the scar in case you feel ill but it’s a good scar.

So with no bike riding and no driving and having to do everything with my left hand life has been interesting. Nikki has carried on working but the season has now finished so we are now in chill mode until next March when our season starts in Scotland.

I have been out walking locally around the village looking for photo opportunity’s and got some nice shots of the local church.

I love old churches and graveyards. The old headstones and the old church doors where so many people have walked through over the years.

We also went to Shrewsbury on the train for a day out. And of course that ended up with a pub lunch, well it was more of a feast really so we didn’t have any tea when we got back home. The river in Shrewsbury was very high and a lot of the fields we passed on the train were flooded due to all the rain we had in the last few days.

I love this time of year with all the autumn colours in the trees and with a new camera ( phone) to try out it was a great opportunity. luckily I got some photos before the big storm winds yesterday which blew so many leaves down the trees are looking quite bare now.

Walking through all the dry leaves, the sound of crunching and the sun shining through the half naked trees onto the ground lighting up the leaves on the ground. Nature is wonderful.

So it’s the end of the season as I said and in two weeks we will be heading down to Devon to get the camper and car all serviced and the mot done. And our annual checks at the dentist and doctors. After Devon we will go to Cirencester for nearly three weeks. While there we will travel out to visit friends and family.

At the start of the new year we will stay around that area before coming back to North wales for a five day training course and then start our journey north to Scotland to work from March. Hopefully by then my arm will be a lot more functional than it is now and I can lift a pint of beer with my right arm as I am sure it tastes better using the arm you have used for many years. Cheers for now.

Five weeks ago today was when I had my fall on my bike down the bike park. Since then I have had X-rays, ultrasound scan and then an appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon which resulted in me getting a date for an operation on my shoulder.

Talking to the surgeon he said it was a torn in two places badly and they might not be able to repair it fully because the tendons might not knit back together. They may have to put a piece of skin in to repair. This would be animal or human skin. With my luck at the moment I would end up with a piece of skin from someone having a boob job and end up with a nipple on my shoulder.

The recovery time is very long and for the first six weeks my arm would be in a sling and no driving. After that I would have to be limited on my movement with my arm. So not lifting too many pints or if I do use my left arm. The appointment is on the 17th October, it was on the 5th but that one got cancelled. Good old NHS.

So on a more positive note we have found out where we will be next year. As we are now managers we are going to have our own site and it’s going to be in Scotland.

I have never been to Scotland but have always wanted to go up there with the job and now we will be. The site is on the edge of a town called Killin about one and a half hours drive north of Glasgow.

To say we are excited is an understatement. Having our own small site in a fantastic location. There are a couple of not so good things about it, like reduced hours and a short season so money wise we will be worse off but money is not everything. Life is more important.

The scenery is just awesome up there with plenty of mountain biking and hiking to be done. The loch ( loch Tay) is right next to us so swimming and kayaking. A old railway line that runs to Callander is a really nice cycle route that Nikki could do with me, or at least some of it.

It will be colder up there with snow still on the mountains when we get there which will look fantastic. Hopefully the roads will be clear. But will I still be wearing my shorts or will I have to get some trousers on. Or will I get a kilt. Watch this space.

You may remember me saying we were going to the Lake District for a weekend, in a B&B to make a change. We still went but Nikki had to drive because of my injury. She did well with me being a bad passenger.

Our friends from Leeds were going to meet us there just for one night and at about midday we got a call from them saying they were in the pub having lunch. We were still on the M6 because Nikki had to work in the morning. We still had two hours of driving to go and a stop for lunch, book in B&B and then walk up to pub.

When we walked into the pub we had a surprise. Another friend of ours from Leeds also was there with her friend. We had not seen Natalie for about ten years and just by shear coincidence she was staying just down the road and Anita had found out on Facebook. So Anita got them to come over. A very long afternoon and early evening we all had in one pub then another and I think another with food in between.

The next day Tony and Anita were going to meet us down by lake Windermere for lunch before going home but Tony’s back had gone really bad so they decided to get home. Hope your on the mend Tony.

Me and Nikki walked down to Bowness which is on the edge of Lake Windermere. In fact Windermere the town is up from the lake which is where we met our friends and where we stayed. The scenery is great with the lake as the main feature. Very touristy and I would not have liked to be there in the main summer season.

There were plenty of choice for getting out on the lake including hiring your own small rowing boat, or small engined boat or just hop on one of the many bigger boats while it drifts around the lake. The weather was not great but at least it was not raining.

After a walk along the lake edge we wondered back up through the town to the B&B just to have a chill out as we were both so knackered. We then planed to walk back down in the evening to have something to eat and maybe a beer or two.

We always go out early as that suits us. When most peaple are going out we are on our way home to bed. While we were down at the lake I spotted a bar called Lake view and thought how nice it would be to sit up there overlooking the lake with a beer so that’s exactly where we aimed for. As we were out early we got a good seat with a great view of the lake.

As you can see the view is pretty good while having a beer and some food. It was a shame to have to leave but with full tummy’s and eyelids that were struggling to stay open we walked back up the hill to crawl into bed.

The next morning after breakfast it was time to head home. The weather was not so good and it was raining so we never hung around and got on the road. Nikki had work the next day and needed to sort some stuff out. We really enjoyed the lakes but wish we had more time so a good excuse to go back another time.

As I am off work at the moment I try and get out for walks, I can’t just sit and vegetate. A couple of days ago the sun was out, the sky was blue so I took myself off down to the canal for a walk. Only about a five mile walk but like I said it gets me out. And I can talk to the trees and birds and bees and any random strangers who will talk.

So that’s us up to date again. Our winter plans have all changed because we are having to stay here longer with my operation and recovery before driving away. But I am sure it will all work out well. In the meantime I have plenty of time to research the area where we will be next year.

This will only be a short blog today, but more about that later. We had another weekend away up at the Wirral in the camper. Just a chill out time away for a couple of days. The weather was not great but we were away chilling.

We went for a beach walk which ended up in a nice cafe for slice of cake and drink. Not a lot of peaple about considering the day before it rained all day I would have thought everyone would have been glad to get out and about.

The day after the beach walk I decided to go out on my bike along the coast trail. All flat and fantastic views. I said to Nikki I would be out for an hour but the time just flew away and I kept saying to myself, I wonder what’s around that next corner. So the miles were flying by. I ended up doing 26 miles and got as far as New Brighton.

In the distance I could see the industrial area of the Mersey across the water and as they got closer and closer my ride got longer and longer. At a place called Melos I saw a lighthouse which looked great against the moody sky.

As I got up to New Brighton there was another lighthouse which looked even better, I think because of the location and a great photo opportunity.

Bank holiday was fast approaching and we had some friends coming to visit. We had a bit of a plan which involved me Shaun and Jack going down the bike park while Nikki, Katie and Tilly would go for a walk up to the castle.

Jack is only 13 years old but likes to be out on his bike, Shaun is a mountain biker but not to the level I am so it was never going to be a full on thrash down Llandegla bike park. On the way there I chatted with Jack and told him I would not take him anywhere that was risky and he must not do anything he did not want to do.

And to be fair he did really well only coming off about five times but nothing serious. Shaun has a bad back so was never going to go mad. And so the reason for a short blog today. I am typing with one finger because I fell off my bike that day and have ripped my rotator cuff which holds my right shoulder together. Man down and a big ouch and a few swear words, some X-rays, and signed off work for six weeks and arm in a sling and they are talking about doing keyhole Surgery. The thing that annoys me more than anything is when it happened I was going uphill at walking pace. The bike just slipped away to the side on wet tree roots. All the times I have been down there riding fast and dropping of ledges, jumps etc and just lapped it all up.

And it doesn’t end there. We needed to get some pain killers after leaving the hospital the next day. ( The Guinness medicine never dulled the pain.) And coming out of the super market and stopped at traffic lights a car ran into the back of us. The girl driving was not concentrating and put her foot on the accelerator instead of the brake and BANG. Luckily she hit the tow bar so no damage was done to our car but she had a nice dent in the front of hers.

With strict instructions to take it easy I decided to go for walk a couple of days later, what harm would that do. I can’t just sit on the sofa all day. So on with my walking boots and after a struggle with getting them and done up I strode of in pursuit of the castle passing the big white pearly gates as I call them.

As I am strolling along talking to the sheep and the trees and only about fifteen minutes into my walk my lace snagged on the other boot and I went down hard. Luckily falling on my left side. So with a grazed arm, hand, knee and a sprained wrist and bruised leg I hobbled back to base wondering how I was going to explain this one to Nikki.

There I am sat in pain and Nikki comes home and asked if I had a nice walk. I did for fifteen minutes. So I was told I had to stay on the sofa the next day to be safe. I managed that without falling off the sofa.

I have since had ultra scan on my shoulder and when I have my follow up appointment in five weeks I will know what they are going to do. I am hoping it will be a lot better by then.

Me and Nikki had a day out yesterday just to get of site and for me to get off the sofa. We went to Ellesmere which is only about half an hours drive away. We parked up, I got my boots on and this time Nikki did them up before we went for a walk down the canal and up through the woods and then to a cafe called the boathouse where we had lunch.

In a couple of weeks we go to the Lake District for a couple of days, stopping in a B&B which will make a nice change.

It’s nice being off work but to be honest I would prefer to be at work and still going out on my bike etc. And at the beginning of November we leave here so I need to drive out of here. There is light at the end of the tunnel.