Hogmanay

For the past few hours I've been waist-deep in preparations for our annual Hogmanay party in Arlington, TX. A far cry from the mac-daddy of all parties, Hogmanay in Edinburgh. But, it's our own nod to the ancestral home & home of my heart. Many hours days spent compiling & organising a musical selection of purely Scottish artists. Many hours spent cleaning & prepping the house; lights strung, plaid hung, pavilion set, twigs snipped. Soon, the traditional Wassail will begin it's creation and the kilt will be donned. A right blythe Hogmanay to yese aw! Wastrel On! (Listening to: TCU vs ISU)

Well, what else do you need?

A phonebooth & an abandoned wagon wheel. What else is necessary? On a previous trip to the United Kingdom, I had focussed on the staple "Red Telephone Booth" as a photographic subject. I experienced much ridicule for that. This time, around I found a differnt subject, pubs, on which to exert my photographic energy. Sometimes, the two just go hand-in-hand. I suppose it's just as well, for the "Red Phone Booth" is slowly being replaced by modern non-enclosed booths that are more functional & considerably less decorative. I find it the end of an era and am saddened by it. By the time I return, i expect that there will be far fewer "Red Telephone Booths" to photograph. Sad, really. This is the side of the Old Smiddy Restaurant in Errol, Perthshire, Scotland. A day full of distilleries & a winery deserved nothing less than a pub for dinner; and a pub we had. A delightfully charming location on High Street (the only street, really) in Errol. It was impossible to miss. The Old Smiddy even had a selection of Cairn O'Mohr wines by the bottle or by the glass. I, if memory serves, switched back to beer at this point, and likely had a pint of the 80 shilling. I recall my dinner being delightful, however. So, should you find yourself in Errol, Perthshire, make sure you drop into the Old Smiddy and let them know you found them on the Wastrel. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Mercedes Boy by Pebbles)

The Millstone at Cairn O'Mohr

Truthfully, I have no idea. None. However, here I am walking alone at the back of pack (as per norm) and I round the corner to find Kelly waiting for me. Dear Kelly, always there when I need her. I'd been taking photos and fallen behind and she espied this millstone propped up in the corner of a falling down soon to be dead building. I'd have missed it, being in the hurry I was. Our party was out of sight, but I snapped a couple of quick shots of this nonetheless then we hurried on to catch up. The Cairn O'Mohr winery is on this mazy piece of land that is spotted with little buildings & farm equipment, most of which seems to no longer have a purpose. Frankly, once the rest of them were out of sight, they were truely away. We wandered and wandered, but eventually did find them inside the cask building (multi-hued, plastic casks at that). I meant to ask our dear addle-pated guide/owner about that millstone, but failed to remember to do so. Thus, it is a mystery. Wastrel On! (Listening to Bus Stop by Government Mule (cover of a Holly's song))

CAIRN O’MOHR

CAIRN O’MOHR AWARD WINNING SCOTTISH FRUIT WINES ARE MADE FROM THE BERRIES, FLOWERS AND LEAVES THAT GROW NEAR ERROL IN PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND BY THE GILLIES FAMILY. That's what it says on their website, and I can attestify to it's truth. What can be said about the Cairn O'Mohr winery that cannot be summed up in a single word? That word would be odd, and encompasses neatly without prejudice or belittling everything about this precocious winery in Errol, Scotland. From the charmingly eccentric couple to the outlandish surroundings and garish colours, odd seems to fit the bill nicely. But mostly, odd describes the wine; and here's where I MUST protest that odd is in way a deregotory term, just one that indicates we've stepped outside the norm. Or, at least, my own comfortable norm. I'm a wine-drinker. I have been a wine-drinker for 'lo many a year now. However, I'd not until this day tried a wine that used anything other than grape as it's source. At Cairn O'Mohr, they grow no grapes, they instead make wine out of the various natural resources they have to hand. Rhubarb, heather, elderberry, grass, oakleaves &c. Odd? Yes. Delightful? Most definitely. I must say that both the Rhubarb wine (with it's decadently sinful label) and the Autumn Oak Leaf (with it's delightfully simple label) were excellent wines. These are not snob wines, I hasten to add. Do not buy this wine & expect to put it back and re-sell it fifteen years down the road, I expect you would be disappointed. Buy it & drink it now, while it's in its youthful prime. And, should you ever find yourself in Perthshire then find your way to Errol and visit this odd winery. Well worth your time. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Madness by Zee)

Blair Athol Distillery

Blair Athol Distillery is in striking contrast to Edradour. Neither small, nor quaint, Blair Athol caters very much to the tourist aspect that surrounds all of Pitlochery. Now this is not to say it wasn't an enjoyable tour, au contrare, it was, and quite. Unlike our previous guide, however, this particular young man seemed to be doing it from rote rather than love; it very obviously was just a summer job for him. However, despite our guide's obvious diffidence, he did impart some knowledge to each of us on the tour. One fact that escaped me as I was back taking photos (you weren't supposed to photograph the interious, thus my hanging back) was that you should not stick your head inside a vat during the fermentation process. Therefore when I did exactly that upon catching up, I damn near fell over & I'm absolutely positive I burned my sinus passages. Shite that hurt! After the tour, we retired to the tasting room where each of us had a finger or two of several diffrent whiskeys. Until the last one, I didn't care for them. The last one (I don't recall the name, but I'm sure George or Missie would) was actually exceptional, but didn't come from that distillery. It was from a sister distillery that is part of the Arthur Bell & Sons Scotch conglomerate. The distillery itself, as you can see is beautiful. Well-cared for, it sits just outside the picturesque town of Pitlochrie at the gateway to the Higlands of Scotland. Should you find yourself in the area, it's well worth the stop! Wastrel On! (Listening to: Hark the Herald Angels Sing by Johnny Cash)

Edradour Distillery Gift Shop

The whole experience of Edradour was so charming & peaceful that I needed to write about it a little more. The experience started in a gathering spot where we wedged ourselves in amongst some stinky German folks (a German tourist bus had arrived just moments before us. And it's not that all Germans are stinky mind you...I'm guessing this batch had come straight here from Germany with no rest-stop). So, after a brief history of the distillery & scotch-making in general, we split into two groups. The first group (mostly the Germans) went and took the tour. The second group, us, went to the tasting room where we were offered a few fingers worth of the Edradour spirit while we watched a "commercial" extolling the virtues of being the smallest distillery in Scotland. Very nice, very professional but a bit over the top. I mean, we were already there weren't we? Was there any reason to regail us with that? Marita Beth & numerous others didn't finish their scotch, so I drank it for them. No reason to waste it, eh? Now, onto the tour. The tour itself lasted only about 40 minutes and took us through each step of the process. Because of largneess of the groups, the tour was considerably less personal than I believe it might have been otherwise. However, we had a very knowledgeable, engaging guide who instructed us about many of the varying aspects of spirit-making. This photo is of the gift shop looking up the hill to the tasting room. As you can see, it's not all buildings and equipment. Much of the foreground belongs to a typically beautiful garden. A true delight. Drink Edradour Single-Malt. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Surfing With a Spoon by Midnight Oil)

Edradour Distillery

Established in 1825, Edradour Distillery is Scotland's smallest distillery and charmingly relies on that aspect. Almost as if they refuse to grow, they wear that badge proudly claiming that their single-malt (is there any other kind?) is still hand-made using the same techniques established 150 years ago. Apparently, the distillery still uses much of the original equipment and still only produces 12 casks of scotch-whiskey per week. An astonishly small amount, truly. I'd been introduced to Edradour by Lynette & BJ many years ago and it was a treat to have the rare opportunity to visit the distillery. Getting there was nearly as enjoyable as Edradour sits in one of the most magnificently beautiful regions in Scotland...indeed in the world. It lies at the end of a very small track that is perilous enough to navigate when you haven't been to a scotch sampling. I'm just thankful that the bus-driver for the German tourist group that was there declined to partake. The bus itself was wider than the road, imagine if the driver were drink-driving, too. I shudder to think. The photo is very nearly all of the distillery. In fact with the exception of the gift shop out of view to the left, and the cask storage facility behind the building to the right, it is the distillery. As they claim, "small!" Wastrel On! (Listening to: Hot Shot by Karen Young)

The Glory Hole

Caithness Glass is an amazing place. A tourist trap, a museum, a gift shop, a restaurant & a workshop all rolled into one structure in Perth, Scotland. Although I, personally, wasn't overly interested in going there a batch of us did so nonetheless. And all because our dear friend Shannon Morgan (of Girl Glass) has been instructing Ginger, Marita Beth and several other "baby gaffers" in the fine art of glass-blowing. So, of course we had to stop at one of the largest glass blowing plants in Europe. And I'm glad we did. Caithness Glass has this workshop environment where there are 10 or so workers creating pieces at any given time. It's huge! And, like the faire environment, the spectators can be right there next to the worker as the item is being created. There is also an upper balcony allowing for a slightly different perspective of the same arena. This photo is of a piece being inserted back into the "glory hole" to be heated back to a working temperature. Ginger, Marita Beth, Larry & Denise could have stayed and watched all day. I'm a little more ADD than that and fear that after the second piece had been created I moved on. I took a quick tour through the giftshop, bought a book, then went and sat down in the restaurant and had a beer (big surprise there, eh?). It wasn't too long after that that the rest of the party showed up & we left. But, we left with glass in hand and a newly engendered respect for the craft. Long may hand-made traditions survive. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Learn to Fly by The Foo Fighters)

On the Stairs

Now imagine: You've had a shit day. Your best friends have become, in your mind, a dose of vinegar and you don't relish spending any more time with them. However, because they're your friends you force yourself to do so. Then this scene shows up. Any "forcing" that needed to be done falls to the floor as you bask in the velvet-clad glow of three of your most precious gifts in the world. These three ladies, Marita Beth, Kelly & Denise somehow made the day ok, just by being where they were when they were. My goddess how could it be any better. Dressed in beautiful, long velvet dresses they sit gathered together on the rich red carpet of our lodging and look as though they intend to solve all the world's problems with a glance. My day suddenly got better. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F by the Cincinnati Pops)

Footbridge to nowhere

Whilst out roaming the woods behind New Milne, I stumbled, almost literally onto this footbridge. The bridge goes nowhere. It's just there. I s'pose at one time it had to go from somewhere to somewhere, but as you can see it's not in the best of shape. Being alone in this area and having told noone I was headed there, I certainly didn't feel like trying my luck on it. Just what I needed in my beleagured state of mind was to fall through a dilapidated wooden bridge into a sluice pond. Right. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Disco Inferno by the Tramps)

Sluice

The old mill house, in the woods behind New Milne House was right next door to this beautiful little waterfall. I say little, but the photo is actually quite deceiving. The sluice gate was (rusted) open & the water was rushing through in vast volumes and down a 20-25 foot sluice to dump into this receiving pool. The water then babbled it's way through the woods to run down the side yard of New Milne. Majestic and just what I needed to take my mind off the days events. It was therapeutic in a naturalistic way. When you are feeling blue, go listen to the sound of and watch the beauty of a waterfall. Wastrel On! (Listening To: God, Pt. 2 by U2)

Back at New Milne

A full day at Stirling and we return to New Milne. We have planned this evening a wonderful meal prepared by Larry Giesen with assistance from many of the rest of us. However, I'm still touchy. Miffed. Pissed off even. I, of course realize now, that it was all in my head and mostly a petulant reaction to a non-issue. However, at the time it was enough to fuck my day. So, while everyone else is helping prepare food, or gathered in the living room with glasses of wine, or sherry, or port or even Scotch, I'm wandering the grounds of New Milne. New Milne itself means, in "Auld Scots", the New Mill. And so I believe at one time or another it likely was. I also believe that this little house, which sits on the other side of a burn running through the property, may have been the Mill House workers abode. It, like the remains of the mill hidden behind the wooded wall, is delapidated and perhaps not even worth trying to repair. I wondered around this area espying many a ruin and getting quite muddy in the damp undergrowth until I was pretty sure I'd be right on time for dinner. The solace, the serenity, the constant babbling of the burn & the beer all helped get me into a better, if not entirely pleasant, mood. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Serenade Number 13 in G Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

The Portcullis Hotel

The Portcullis Pub & Hotel was originally built in 1797 as a boys school. The Portcullis stands on the site of a previous school where, it is rumoured, King James the VI of Scotland was educated. The previous building was destroyed when the school became too small for the occupants. For a short while the Argyll & Sutherland Higlanders used the location as a Military Store as it is very conveniently located between Stirling Castle and the Argyll Lodging. Beautifully renovated in the 1990's, it is now a fully operational pub, restraunt & hotel. The photo is of the bar area with 2 unknown patrons and a barmaid. You can make out the Portcullis Hotel name on the mirror just above the head of one of the patrons at the bar. Marita Beth, Ginger & myself settled into a pint or two as I blathered on about mistrust and miscommunicaton. I finally, with their help, managed to work myself out of the tizzy I'd been in was prepared to join in whatever else was going on, but not real interested in being overly social. Times change, and at the time I felt helpless and out of control. It's all better now. Wastrel On! Listening To(Into the Tower by Devotchka)

Inside the Argyll Lodging

Peurile petulance led me to wandering this maginicent town house alone. So, although I wasn't bothered by anyone, and never really had to wait for someone to move so I could take a photo, I didn't get to "share the experience" or the grandeur with anyone. There were lots of times on this trip where this was an issue. Self-imposed & self-inflicted, but an issue nonetheless real for me. This beautiful room is but one example of the fineness of the Argyll Lodging. Should you ever find yourself in Stirling, don't miss the opportunity to visit this place. It's truly marvelous. Of course, you'll have to pass by the fabulous Portcullis Restraunt & Pub on the way there...but you can always go back. Arsenal won their game last night against Reading in the Carling Cup, so another round advanced while Chelsea languishes having squandered that particular silverware hope to Wigan. Fabulous, that! Back to work, I go. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Kaiserwalzer Op. 437 by Johann Strauss as performed by an unknown orchestra)

Argyll's Lodging

Argyll's Lodging was included in the admission price to Stirling Castle. An extant 17th century town house, it sits just down the hill from Stirling Castle and is probably the finest example of a 17th century dwelling in all of Scotland. The photo is of the screen wall that protected the dwelling from the churlish street people and provided a sense of privacy and propriety. The unfortuanate placing of the steel rail detracts from the beauty of the entrance as do the large(ish) purple signs in the courtyard. Glistening on the ground of the courtyard can be seen the rain with which we had been dealing since arriving in Stirling. It was to continue for many more hours. At this point of the day, any excuse was a good excuse to get off by myself, so I essentially saw the house cum lodging by myself. When I finally emerged, it was to a gathering of my friends complaining slash worrying about my disappearance. Whatever. Wastrel On! (Listening to Riders on the Storm by The Doors)

Stirling Castle Statue

The Palace (royal residence) is strewn with statuary around its entire exterior. This particular statue faces the inner courtyard and overlooks the Great Hall. The Palace is the building currently undergoing renovation and it was closed to the public while we were there. I wonder if they will coat the outside with the same golden hue that the Great Hall received. How grand that would be. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Can't Forget You by Gloria Estefan)

Marita Beth at Stirling

Still at Stirling Castle. There's nothing overtly special about this photo or this memory except for the fact that that's my wife in the doorway. Leaning back & looking up at some architerctural feature or another. I snapped the photo quickly without her knowledge. Those are my favourite photos when I can catch the subject in the midst of some something without their knowledge. Candids. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Bedlam Boys by The Reelies)

Through the Window

Ok. Not a window really, more like a slit. Yes, it's one of those ubiquitous tourist photos that nearly every person that walks into Stirling Castle takes. However, I'm hoping that since I was at the far end of the Castle grounds on a walk that is not trod so often, that perhaps this one is a little unique. And, well frankly, it was a damn fine vantage. Sadly, I don't recall which direction I'm facing, but I believe it to be Southeast-ish. If anyone knows for sure, I'd love to edit this entry with that information. This photo, like so many taken on these dreary overcast days with a new camera, was a little grey. So, I've applied some saturation & contrast changes to it and added a 50% overlay to it. But since the colours really are that vibrant I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about modifying the image as necessary. ;-) Wastrel On! (Listening To: Fire in the Head by Emerald Rose & Personally by Karla Bonoff)

George at the Castle

Stirling Castle. You can see the view it commanded of the surrounding area. Is it any wonder that the Scots were desperate that it not fall into the hands of the English? My very good friend, George, is in this photo as the foreground to the amazing view in the background. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting George (Dr. George), you will never again find yourself a better man nor friend. A truly amazing human. Anyway, he's standing on the battlement that rings the garden just outside the foreworks of the castle. The garden lawn is inside the castle grounds & it's outer defences, but not inside the Castle itself. The Castle begins when you go through the forework gate (and past the arrow-slitted towers and murder holes) and into the Outer Close. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Miles Davis' Funeral by Morphine & New York, New York by Frank Sinatra)

Robert the Bruce

We left the Bridge of Allan brewery and headed directly to Stirling Castle. Apparently we were under some sort of schedule; I certainly felt like I was being hustled about. Anyway this pigeon-shit covered statue guards the entrance to the castle with his regal pose & humongous sword. An ancestor of mine, in some sort of round-about way, he nearly destroyed this castle in the early 1300's. Not wanting this strategically defensible castle to fall into the hands of the English (Edward Longshanks, the Hammer of the Scots), he blew chunks of it to bits with cannon. Apparently, at some point, he came to his senses, because the magnificent castle remains standing. Historic Scotland (a preservation organisation) owns the property now and have recently "completed" a HUGE renovation project that restored the Great Hall to it's original majestic glory. A true sight to behold. Wastrel On! (Listening To: If I Had My Way by Vince Gill)

The Bridge of Allan Brewery

Bridge of Allan, Scotland. Near, but not in, Edinburgh and close enough that we did this wonderful little brewery before heading into Edinburgh to visit the castle (a MUCH curtailed trip that is an entire entry of itself...if I choose to record it). Here, my wee wife had located, prior to the trip, a brewery. A brewery that was able to and interested in providing private tour for a batch of American tourists. We were treated to discourse by two delightfully knowledgeable men who taught us more in half of an hour than I had learned in several tours through several breweries in my life. It was a thoroughly enjoyable visit with some truly excellent, world-class brews. They even make, for the wee-ones and non-drinkers a wonderful variety of sodas. Their creme-de-la-crème is a masterful Scotch Ale that, sadly, wasn't available to us on this visit. However, Joseph & Kelly went back to Edinburgh as we all vacated New Milne and scattered across the isle (or back across to the U.S.) and picked up a foursome of it. They gladly shared it with Marita Beth & I when we met up in London a week later. Overall the Bridge of Allan brewery is a short, but delightful memory. Wastrel On! (Listening To: A live version of Fried Neckbones by Santana)

The Keg & Inverness Thistle Football Club

We've left Urquhart Castle and returned to Inverness via a meandering bus ride. I spy The Keg. I nipped into this unassuming little pub down a sidestreet in Inverness for a wee-heavy, while my wife was kitsch-shopping up the avenue a bit. No sooner had I purchased my half 80, then in comes my wife with a look of avid concern on her face. It seems that the proprietor of the shop up the street had warned her against the "unsavoury types" that frequented the Keg. My belief? I think the proprietor just wasn't an Inverness Thistle Football Club fan. In the upper left corner of the photo, next to a security camera, you can see a sign proudly proclaiming that this was the Inverness Thistle FC Social Club. On the look, it appears that the "Social Club" is next door, but that's not the reality. Now I don't support any particular Scottish Football team, other than the national, of course, and I certainly was not about to go into a pub wearing the "colours" of another team. Thus, I walked in with no fear, ordered by half-pint and sat to enjoy a spot of local culture. Now along comes my wife with this near-angry, half-mad look, so I downed my libation quickly and left. It wasn't until we got out into the alley that she explained what was going on. I s'pose I'll never fully be able to explain to her, that footy fans are the same the world-over; that is, we're just fans. Sure there are a few hooligans out there that try to wreck the fun for the rest of us, but most of us just want to watch our boys run around the pitch while drinking with our fellow supporters, hollering at the stupidity or brilliance of our team & cussing at the offical; all from the sanctity of our pub (social club). I guess if there had been a game on (we were there in off-season, so there wasn't), she might have understood it a little, but she doesn't quite get the rabidity with which we approach the world's game. So, I left with her on my arm, and nary a look back. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Frankenstein by Aimee Mann)

The Ruined Tower of Urquhart

The sheer grandeur of this ruined tower overlooking the loch begged for black & white. On a less dreary & rainy day I likely would have opted for colour to capture the brilliance of the Scottish lichen on the rocks. However, being so overcast, any colour photo was simply going to turn out flat & lifeless. I couldn't do that. The vast emptiness to the right of & behind the tower is the Loch Ness. This tower sits nearly on the cliff overlooking the loch and provides an amazing view up & down offering it's inhabitants additional security.
We did not climb the tower this time for several reasons. We had already spent a little too much time wandering about and still needed to visit the "must see" exhibit in the gift shop. Furthermore there were a number of folks climbing both up & down the very steep, very slick metal staircase. We'd been in the tower before, on a clear day, and knew what the view up & down the loch was like. We decided to avoid the throngs and head on toward the gift shop.
Wastrel On! (Listening to: Keep Talking by Pink Floyd)

Marita Beth at Urquhart

Worn out, wet & cold, but still smiling is my wife in front of Urquhart Castle. Due to the very poor lighting, many of my photos from this particular trip did not play out the way I would wish. So, I've had to manipulate most of them. This photo has three layers in it. The bottom layer has had both Saturation and Contrast adjusted and a Gaussian blur (.89) applied to it. The middle layer had no adjustments made but is set as an 88% overlay. While the top layer is an unaltered layer set to 70% transparency. The overall effect acted to clean the edges and provide more colour to an otherwise relatively dull & lifeless photo.
Still working on this project at work, but I made a logic break-through yesterday, so hopefully we'll see the end of it soon. I have a UAT scheduled for next week with the team that has to sign off on the application. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Now, however, it's time for a beer. Wastrel On! (Listening To: P.A.S.S.I.O.N by Rhythm Syndicate)

Urquhart Castle new View

The original photo, taken from onboard our Loch cruiser at the dock, was very washed out. I've manipulated the photo to give it an All Saint's Day sort of appearance. I first created a new layer on top of the original. I solarized the original layer and sharpened it a little to make it stand out. The new layer, I turned into an overlay at 88%. The result is an eerie look at one of my favourite spots in the world.
I've had to take a break from coding. I have a logic flaw that I can't seem to wrap my head around and it's making me uncomfortable & irritable. Unfortunately, I also have an absolute deadline that is fast approaching. I pray I can meet that. With the new boss breathing down my neck and requesting nearly daily status reports, the whole thing is becoming nearly unbearable.
However, I did reward myself last night with a 300GB harddrive & an enclosure so I can be mobile with it. Wonderful.
Back to work, I s'pose. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit)

Urquhart Castle on the Loch

Urquhart Castle on the shores of the Loch Ness. This is our first view of this fantastic castle. It was so drizzly and misty that we were nearly on it before seeing it. But there is is, rising off the shores of the Loch in ancient glory. The place is hauntingly fantastic and features a newly completed not-to-be-missed visitors centre. Due to our travel constraints, we had to catch a bus on time to return to Inverness, we didn't have quite the luxury of previous visits, but we managed, nonetheless, to soak up a good bit of history. One of favourite places in the world! Wastrel On! (Listening to: Lyin' Eyes by The Eagles)

Cruising the Loch Ness

On the Loch Ness. We have joined up with Jacobite Tours, took the 30 minute (or so) bus ride down the Loch to the boat dock. Now began our journey down the Loch in the 40ºF chilly rain. Our beloved Dr. George has finally donned his oh-so-fancy see-through hoody in order to fit in with the locals that much better. The boat obeyed the Canal District speed-limits and never exceeded 35 mph, which allowed for the dreary, dreamy landscape to fade in and out of sight slowly o'er the horizon. Truly a spooky delight. When next I return to the Loch, I shall once again take a cruise/tour, but hopefully one that lasts a bit longer than this 2 hour tour. Wastrel On! (Listening To: The Killers Andy, You're a Star)

Gellions - The Oldest Pub in the Highland's Capital

We've dispersed for lunch. Pubgrub for my wife & I (our preference in Scotland, actually), with Ginger & Ed deciding to join us. Now was to come the absolutely most devastatingly difficult decision we were to make the entire trip and for decades on either side. We had been awakened early that morning by a call from our house-sitter stateside. It seemed that Marita Beth's family needed to contact us regarding a "death in the family." Of course, we fretted & worried through the entire morning's events, but there was nothing that could be done from our location except wait. We had called MB's family, but could do nothing but leave a message. During our lunch at Gellion's, we finally received the return call that let us know William Todd's wife had tragically left her family. No details about that need to be written here, but suffice it to say it was not unexpected. Certainly, MB and I had discussed that eventuallity during our trip North to Inverness. Did we stay & finish our holiday, or did we return home to attend her funeral. The family & we decided there was nothing we could do there so we finished out our holiday. But first, we finished our lunch. Sitting in Gellion's, I could look across the street to a very modern office-building in the shadow of Inverness Castle directly over it. The dichotomy was brilliantly breath-taking. Some pasties & chips and a couple of pints later, we left Gellion's to meet the rest of our party for the afternoon's excursion. Wastrel On! (Listening to Everlasting Love by U2)

Inverness in the Rain

June 16, 2005 Inverness, Scotland 49 degrees F. Delightful! The events of this morning are behind us, we are all safely now in Inverness. We will scatter briefly to obtain food from a variety of eateries. We all have our differing views on the "best" food, so off I go to a pub. Because, for me, the best food is accompanied by a good Scottish bitter. Others went to a Thai restraunt they'd espied; others to an Italian/French bistro and yes, some went to McDonald's. There was, after all, a 7-year old with us. This photo was taken down High Street in Inverness while we were establishing where to go & when to meet back. What is more quintessentially Scottish than High Street in the rain in June? Wastrel On! (Listening to: Für Elise (Techno Remix) by Ludwig van Beethoven)

On the Trip to Inverness

The morning started grey & dreary & full of excitement. We were leaving New Milne as an entire group and headed to Inverness. The excitement didn't fade as we neared the train station in Perth; in fact it grew in intensity as we realized that there were no parking spots. Three cars, 17 people and no parking spots. The drivers took off to park. George & Joseph in one car, Desiree in another and I took the third. George & Joseph found a spot pretty quickly and were returning to the depot while I expressed woes & concerns to Marita Beth who had just purchased our train tickets. Joseph jumped in the car with me and directed me to where he & George had just parked. Nearby & handy. Sadly, no sign of Desiree. With 5 minutes til train time, still no sign of Desiree so KyleF & I walked down the street a ways in the direction we were pretty sure she had taken. Eventually we did indeed spot her way off in the distance, a good 800+ meters away. KyleF moved toward her and I went back to teh station to inform our waiting passengers that she was visible, at least, if not close. Less than 2 minutes to go, everyone but Marita Beth, Alison & Kara moved to the platform. We would take a later train, if necessary. I returned to KyleF, Desiree was nearly there, and said, "we can make it, if we run." Desiree took off, up the hill, around the corner into the station. As soon as they saw us, our waiting companions took off toward the platform. MB said, "the train is late, we might still make it." We redoubled our efforts and arrived on the platform. Empty. Devoid of persons and trains. Our excitement turned inward upon itself and mutated into despair. Then, "Kyle! Hurry, the train's coming!" It was Ed and his magnificient booming voice urging up the bridge, over the tracks, down the stairs and onto a different platform. Our legs straining, our lungs heaving, we ran on. To the sound of our friend's & family's applause, we made the platform just before the train did. Despair had again retreated to be replaced by the excitement promised by a train ride through Scottish countryside. And we were not to be disappointed. This photo was taken through the window of the moving train as we slowed down to enter a station (I fear I don't recall the name of the small village). The scenery was only going to get more beautiful as we went. Wastrel On! (Listening To: The Godfather Soundtrack)

Shutterfly | Help

Shutterfly? Run away! The worst photo services company around. Here's my story. I have a Shutterfly account. Opened earlier this year to accommodate the 1400+ photos I took while on holiday in Scotland. I recently contacted Shutterfly to find out how to obtain one of the original high-resolution images that I had uploaded rather than the 96 DPI images they show online. I was informed that I have to purchase it on CD and they would mail it to me, and that there was no other mechanism in place to provide to ME MY original files. It beggars belief! Nor do I find this information in their policies & procedures Lies & Riddles. I feel like I was a victim of the bait and switch tactic I decided to go ahead and try and deal with the lower resolution files, so I took a look at their FAQ to determine the best way to extract the image. The FAQ very clearly says to Right-Click and Save As the image to my computer. To wit: *Note that you can save a lower-resolution version of the picture by using the right mouse button to click on an image in your account and selecting the 'Save picture as' or 'Save image as' option. (If you are using a Macintosh hold down the control key while clicking.)* I did so only to find upon opening the file that what I chose to save and what I received from the Shutterfly server were very different files. Another email to tech support, yipppeee! This time around, the response was, and I quote: "Please note that what you are trying to do isn't a general use feature on our site, so this is probably something that won't be fixed." My response to them, in much more polite & professional terms was "fuck off." It's a very good thing that I burned my holiday images to CD before uploading them. It's a very good thing there are other services out there that accomplish the same thing as Shutterfly. In this age of "everyone's a publisher," I cannot fathom the company that does not do everything within their power to ensure that they keep their customer base happy & placated. Suffice it to say, I have had enough of Shutterfly and encourage everyone to remove your account and shun their business.

The Great Stairs at New Milne

Perthshire, Scotland. New Milne House sits on approximately 700 acres of land that borders on Scone Palace. It was our house for a week, a glorious, short week. This photo is a look up the stairs from the foyer, and down the stairs from the landing outside my room. Exquisite Scottish polished wood stairs & bannisters matched by polished wood walls. When standing looking up the stairs to the immediate left is the game room and just beyond that the formal dining hall. To the right is the sitting room where much of our after-hours gathering was done. Behind the stairs to the right were 2 bedrooms that housed the Fords, Alison & Kara. Up the stairs to the right was Ginger's room while to the left was everyone else except Marita Beth & myself. It was our 10-year anniversary, it was Marita Beth's contacts & planning that made the entire thing possible, so we took the top room. Glorious! Wastrel On! (Listening To: Night Fever by the Bee Gees)

Common Room at New Milne

Not the best photo, but it does show a bunch of the folks that were on this delightful trip with us. It's the first night we had everyone physically in Scotland, although some of them were still mentally elsewhere due to jetlag. Sitting on the floor with her back to me is Missy; she is chatting with Ginger & Marita Beth Kelly with Ed laying across the top of the coach. On the near coach are Adrian and his lovely wife who just happened to be in Perthshire at the same time we were although they weren't travelling with us. KyleF & I had gone down to the Foundry (a local pub in Perth) and picked them up. Belfast, Ireland natives they were taking holiday in Scotland and met up with us. Great fun, great people. They are sitting next to Joseph on the couch with Larry sitting on the floor in front of them. Out of the picture (although you can see her hands) is Alison. Next to Alison, and completely out of the photograph are KyleF, Desiree & Kara. Missy's son Sean is nowhere to be found and undoubtedly stirring up mischief as only a seven-year old can stir. We are sitting in the common room of the New Milne house in Perth and just enjoying each other's company and wine (or beer). Wastrel On! (Listening to: Hollerin' For Haggis by The Rogues)

Scottish Landscape in Perthshire

Scottish Landscape in Perthshire
Originally uploaded by crazyBobcat.

A little heavily saturated, but there's only so much you can do with a photo. Taken out of the side window while driving through a rainy section of Perthsire, I managed to capture some of the truest elements of the Scottish landscape. Queen Anne's Lace in the foreground with beatifully green, rolling hills fading into a mist-obscured background in the mountainous distance. Brilliant. If only I could be there instead of this piece of dirt on the anus of America that they call Texas. As soon as there is a financial opportunity to get out, I will.

Wastrel On!
(Listening to: Honey Bee by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

MB, Ginger & Glamis

Once again integrating my wife into the photo; this time with our very dear friend Ginger of Faire Pair Tights & Such. She made the last minute decision to join us on this trip, and I am so very glad she did. A breathe of wonderfully clean fresh air and a revitilization of wonderful memories. These 2 outstanding ladies and Lisa Oliver & Myself made a Yule Time trip to England some years back. What a wonderful time that was. This trip was all that as well, only additional, different friends and different locations; but very special nonetheless. This will be my last photo of Glamis Castle. At this point we were done with the Highland Games; done with the Tug Of War; done with the caber tossing; done with the weight for height; done with the shopping; done with the beer. No, strike that last one, we're never done with the beer. Just continuing to drink at a different location. So, off we'll trudge from here back to New Milne to meet up with Kyle & Desiree Ford, and Larry & Denise Geisen who had arrived just a little while before, having been delayed in the US over night. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Visions at Night by Lashing Patsy)

Tug of War

Now this surprised me. I had no idea, truly no idea, that Tuf of War was a real, highly-thought-of competition in Scotland. So important is this competition that there are Tug of War associations in various countries throughout Europe and Tug of War competitions at every major and minor Highland Games held in the United Kingdom. It was to my great surprise that watching grown men struggle against each other on a slippery ground would so captivate people for long stretches of time. I guess grunting, groaning, sweaty men hanging onto a large rope for what appears to be dear life, or at least recognition is a real attention grabbler. As surmised, I'm sure, I'm still reporting on the Higland Games. For a relatively small festival, there was a great deal going on and we spent quite a bit of time there. Wastrel On! (Listening to: I'm Ready by Tracy Chapman)

The Caber Toss

What's a Scottish Games without some stick tossing, eh? Here's one of many photos I took of burly men throwing big sticks around while wearing kilts & tennis shoes. None of the photos are outstanding, and this one doesn't really rise above the rest in any way, but it's the one I chose. Wearing a grimace at least as dirty as his sneakers his objective is to toss this 21' long naked tree into the air so that it passes end over end. Judges at the end and side determine it's scoring by means of o'clock hands and protracter degrees. If the caber manages a full rotation it is awarded an o'clock based on it's final position (such as 10:00, 11:30, or the ultimate 12:00). If the caber does not manage a full rotation, but instead falls back toward the thrower, then it is given a degree score based on it's ultimate angle to the ground (45, 60, 85 degrees &c.). This fellow didn't manage a rotation and achieved approximately a 65 degree score. Not too bad considering it's weight and length. I certainly couldn't do any better. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Beaches of St. Valery by Three Pints Gone)

Glamis Castle from the Lawn

Glamis castle taken from the vantage point of the Highland Games on the lawn. The photo was cropped a little oddly so as to not incorporate all the vehicles in the foreground. That would, I think, have destroyed an otherwise rather mediocre photo. No amound of photo manipulation can really clean this photo any more than it is. The day was just too dreary & dark and I was shooting with a 3.2 mp Canon. Live & learn, and in the meantime do what you can with what you have. Wastrel On! (Listening to: The Operations Conference Call (in one ear) & Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around the World by U2 (in the other ear))

Scottish Fling

One of our favourite things at any given Highland Games is to watch the young dancers perform "traditional" Scottish dances. This Highland Games at Glamis Castle was no exception for us. I spent quite a bit of time watching the young men & women perform their dances. Sadly, after awhile I did have to retreat further away because even in Scotland, they have hideous bagpipers. His pipes should have been taken from him early in the day, but they let him continue to play for the dancers and thus torture those of us trying to watch. Behind these four young dancers you can see the blowup children's area and the umbrella's beginning to come out. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Reggae Remix by Ruff Ryders)

Silhouetted Glamis

Two o'clock in the afternoon just outside Glamis Castle and you'd think it was post dusk. This is the weather to which we would be treated for nearly two weeks. Many of my family & friends believe me odd, but this is my favourite weather. Dreary, dark(ish), cloudy & rainy. I'd rather be a vampire duck, I think. I took this photo just as we left the Glamis Castle yet before we headed across the fields to the Highland Games. What I wouldn't give for this type of scenery & weather in Texas. Wastrel On! (Listening to: For What Reason by Death Cab for Cutie)

Up the Stairs

Up the stairs at Glamis. Loved the patterned imagery created here. The stairs lead up one of the towers of the castle that we were not allowed to enter. Glamis Castle still has residents, along with ghosts. Glamis Castle is known as one of the most haunted castles in Britain. It certainly has more stories and legends attached to it than most any other castle on the British Isles. Vist here for more. Sadly, as many times as I've been to Glamis I've not felt even the tiniest shiver of a ghostly presence. Being a believer, I keep searching & hoping. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Can't Not by Alanis Morissette)

Marita Beth at Glamis

Marita Beth read somewhere that one of the best ways to preserve memories in photogrpahs is to insert yourself into the photo. So, I tried to take a photo of Marita Beth in our environment nearly every where we went. I'm sure it got tiring for her, but not for me. Here's my darling girl standing in front of Glamis Castle. We have arrived, parked, trudged through the soaking wet grass & mud to the front drive. In moments we will purchase our tickets and insert this glorious, stately, remarkeably well-preserved castle. (Modified) Have I mentioned that I don't like Shutterfly very much? It seems that they can't figure out which freaking photos I have. So, the photo I thought I was linking to with the above description, is not the URL they provided me. So, instead, here's a photo of Marita Beth & myself in front of Glamis Castle. Not sure who took this, but I wish they'd included a wee bit more of the castle. Oh well. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson) and (Listening to: Hippityville by John Abercrombie)

Glamis Castle

Glamis (pronounced "glahms") Castle. What a fairytale view, it's such an amazingly preserved piece of history, I love visiting it each trip over. And this year, we had a special treat in that they were having a Highland Games on the lawn. Photos from that later. Back to Glamis Castle: 'A place of legends and fairytales.' Family home of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne and a royal residence since 1372. Childhood home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, birthplace of Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret and legendary setting for Shakespeare's famous play 'Macbeth'. Beautiful isn't it? Wastrel On! (Listening to: Seven Drunk Nights by The Town Pants)

Grapefest & Callendar House

We visited the Grapevine Grapefest this weekend, so I'll take a short break from the travellogue to discuss this event. Grapefest is a wonderful treat of wine, shopping & entertainment. As is our history, we purchased tickets to the People's Choice (an additional $15) where we are given an hour and a half to visit as many of the attendant wineries and sample their wines as we can; while keeping track of our favourites. This is not an easy task, but for years now we have given it our best shot. I was much more organized this year, than in past attempts, so feel I was more accurate in my representations of the wines. Then there's shopping. It's primarily a duck & bunny kind of show, with the occasional outstanding artisan or concept shining clearly in the ranks. This year, a concept by 9 ladies really caught my eye. It seems that they take a meme, or an image and divide the duties into 8 tiles, with each artist being "assigned" a particular tile. When the 8 tiles are complete, they get together and over wine, cheese & other foods (probably chocolate), they compelte the 9th tile and assemble the piece. The concept fascinated me. So in my own unabashed theivery of their concept, I present the "Callendar House" (original photo) and the "Callendar House by 9 Tiles." Wastrel On! (Listening To: 1001 Night's Waltz by New 101 Strings Orchestra)

PhotoFriday entry for Massive

Photo Friday Entry
MASSIVE
Back to the Falkirk Wheel. An impressive, massive structure. Wastrel On!

Mickey, Meet Dr. George

Ok, so my entries are a little out of order. Yesterday's entry should have been several days back while the entry with Joseph & Mickey should have backed up to today's entry. Sorry. But, it's my journal, deal with it. :-) So, here is another photo of Mickey. This time she's playing with Dr. George. Taken again from our bedroom window, you can see the wall-covering ivy on the right side of the image. This was such an amazing place, and getting to share it with Dr. George (one of the most incredible men I have ever met) and so many others made it ever more special. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Lusty Young Smith by Celtic Stone)

The Centurion

We picked up Ginger just fine at the Edinburgh Airport. She was a little surprised to see us rather than Larry & Denise (who were still in the US), but true to form, she adapted quickly. Of course, we still had to pick up the other two girls, so not wanting to spend a couple of hours in Edinburgh airport, off we went into the grand city itself, well a suberb of anyway. Of course, it didn't take very long for me to locate a pub, a parking spot & a pint. Delightful. It was in the Centurion where I noticed the first of many signs I was to see while in Scotland; "No playing of Football songs, nor wearing of Football colours!" Signs such as these are apparently needed in Scotland to avoid hooligan-hassles! Sadly, I neglected to take a photo of the sign, so here's a photo of the exterior of the Centurion. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Sally Ann by Great Big Sea)

Gillian's Keys

I'm thirsty, I'm tired, my toe is broken and I need a drink. So, here's a photo, because I don't want to type anymore. Wastrel On! (Listening To: Dark Wind by the Saw Doctors)

Meet Mickey!

The girls were successfully retrieved from Edinburgh, although it turns out that Desiree & Kyle and Larry & Denise got delayed in the U.S. due to weather. Larry & Denise stayed in the Milwaukee area, while Kyle & Desiree got all the way to Washington, D.C. before being grounded. Meanwhile, back at the manor, we had discovered the manor house came complete with a border collie. This is Mickey playing football with Joseph. This photo was taken from our bedroom (oh my gosh, what a bedroom!) upstairs. Mickey is an extremely loveable, football-playing border collie. We had many a good time with her over the week. The moment she heard anyone in the front yard, at whatever time of day, she came running and quickly retrieved one of her several footballs. It was her sport, and we obviously were there to play with her. It made me miss my own boder collies, Berecyntia and Cormac, greatly! Wastrel On! (Listening To: Rocky Top by Carbon Leaf (Live))

To the Manor Born

New Milne, in all it's glory. This is our first view of the house taken from just inside the driveway gate. Hard to believe that this was to be our home for the next week. Of course, we were several hours early and unable to "move in" just yet; we still had to make a quick trip to the Edinburgh airport to pick up those three lovely ladies. However, we did speak with Jim (the caretaker/owner) who allowed us to unload our luggage into the foyer so that we would have room for three more passengers plus luggage. Luckily our hired vehicle was large enough to accommodate this. But here it is: our home. Wastrel On! (Listening To: (She's Just) An Old Love Turned Memory by George Jones)