Snow and Sunshine

I promised you I'd give you even more of a glimpse of the area around where we live. Remember last week's rain? Well, even as the waters were barely receding in Inverurie and some of the surrounding villages, this is what we woke up to on Friday morning.

Tell me I'm not the only fully grown adult who gets this excited with snow. 

Oh, and I use 'fully grown' in the most basic sense of adulthood. Obviously I wasn't referring to physical stature, eh? Well, adult I may be, but the sight of crisp snow makes me act like the age my height would normally be.

Around 11. Ish.

Not only does it incite a childlike excitement, but it also gives me energy - the kind of energy that takes me outside. And because I was outside, and because I'm a blogger (just), and because the Builder gave me a new camera for Christmas, I took some photos of the estate and the surrounding area just for y'all.

Can you see the hotel in between the trees in the photo above? One day, I shall tell y'all all about the hotel. This building began life in the 1400s. Yes, you read that correctly! Most of it was destroyed by fire in the 16th century, but a fair bit of what's now this hotel was built in the 1560s.

How amazing is that?!

Americans, you folks are just babies!

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The estate on which the Builder now works, and on which we live is nestled on the northern side of Bennachie. This gives us a fair bit of snow when the surrounding area may have none, and it also affords great shelter from any winds that may have come as far as the eastern side of the country. Normally the West keeps all the gales to itself. I know this, because I lived through them. Often.

After my walk around parts of the estate, Katie and I took a wee spin. We went to Inverurie, and the photos of some of the flooding are in my previous post. But en route to Inverurie - a drive of about 5 miles - I asked Katie to stop the car once or twice, so I could capture some of the beauty around us.

Here's Bennachie's Mither Tap with a covering of snow. We haven't walked to the top yet, but all being well, it's certainly close to the top of our Things-to-Do list for this year. Remember in this post, Calum, Katie, and I walked up to one of the Bennachie ridges, and the views of the surrounding countryside were stunning. I can only imagine what it'll be like when we climb the Mither Tap.

Around another corner, and Katie was ordered to stop the car again. It's just as well she's as patient as she is, but how could I not capture some of these scenes!

Is this not perfect winter's scenery?

Can you find the house on the far left of the photo below?  

Can you imagine the sheer beauty that the views from this house give all year round! Were I to live there, I can't imagine any work being done. I can picture, and hear, the scene:

Me: Oh, guys, come and see this!

Kids: Mum, we've seen it. It's the same as it was when you called us to the window  yesterday.

Me: Oh, but it's not. It's different today. The colours. Oh come and have a look.

Kids: Yes, mum .... Yep, I see it. Yes, it's different. Whatever you say, Mum....

Sunshine, Trees, a Walk, and Some Stunning Scenery

Our cottage sits on the side of a hill. From the front of the cottage, we look down the hill - primarily at trees, albeit beautifully coloured trees at this time of year. And so the trees are forgiven for hiding the countryside beyond.

However, today we headed out the back of the house ...

and into the wooded area behind the cottage.

The sun was shining, it was the mildest of November days, and Katie and Calum Stewart  persuaded me to head out into the sunshine.

Katie, like me, stuck to the tracks, whilst the Wee Guy took less conventional routes.

These trees are tall. 

The aged parent (that's me) was way fitter than the pair who were following me up the path.

C'mon guys! 

The day was stunning. The view was beyond stunning, if that is possible. Our frequent stops on the way up the path had nothing to do with the steepness of the climb and our own general lack of fitness, did it, Katie?

Nope. Not at all. Our frequent stops were simply to drink in some of the beauty around us.

Above the tree line, there was little growing but heather. Most of it had a real beyond-summer look to it, but here and there, there were splashes of colour still remaining.

I do love the way some plants cling on to summer for as long as possible, extending their flowering season and so giving us the pleasure of their colourful beauty well after their allotted time has passed. It feels like they've gone above and beyond their call of duty, for no reason other than to give us added pleasure.

Bennachie is right behind where we live, and although we weren't climbing Bennachie, we climbed to the top of part of this ridge.

Clearly a number of folks had added their own stone to this càrn over the years. It was so beautiful today, we could easily have sat having a picnic here. As it was, we'd come food-less (never excusable), and so we simply drank in the beauty around us.

Here's Bennachie, south of where we were. All being well, we'll reach the fort at the top one day. After all, to not go to where a fort is would be, well, unforgivable. Ain't that right, CS?

It was a fair way up our chosen path, but an easy enough walk. And of course the descent was great fun! I'm so glad I persuaded myself to leave my work, forget my ironing, and even ignore the fact that Calum Stewart had done his History, but not his Maths or any of his other work, and siezed the moment.

Winter isn't far off, and so enjoying this Indian summer kinda day was important. What was even more important was simply enjoying some outdoor fun with the Wee Guy, who isn't wee any more, and who is, at least, still living with us.

Unlike the two older kids who've deserted us. What's all that about, eh? What on earth has possessed them to think of living away from their Mum and Dad. I mean ... they're still babies, for crying out loud.

Well, they were just a couple of short years ago.