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Ali on Fyrish's folly
Due to bad weather and lack of energy Ali and I aborted our mountaineering trip for a fun run up Fyrish, a nearby hill with a folly on top. We began in the wood with light rain and summited in the mist. Not much of a view of the Cromarty Firth today. The ground was wet, icy, snowy and rocky underfoot, making for an exciting descent down the steep East flank. Our run was made more exciting by trying out my 'headcam'. I bought it in the sumer but haven't felt like using it since Edie's bicycle accident. That was the camera's debut trip, which ended in blood and stitches. Fortunately there were no accidents today and we rounded the trip off with a coffee and scone in Tesco.

 
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This bedroom might be tiny (approximately 1:24 scale) but hanging the wallpaper and laying the carpet was just as troublesome as in a full-size house - wrinkles, ruckles, bubbles, blisters - but the dog didn't seem to mind. Renovating Katie's dolls' house (Katie is Ali's sister) is one of the projects we have on the go in Aberdeen. Granny Eppy kindly provided a refurbishment grant, which allowed us to purchase some roof tiles, the above wallpaper and some home accessories - dog bed, xylophone, medical case, food, telephone etc. I'm hoping that by the time we return to 40 Fountainhall Road, someone else has hung the next roll of paper.....

 
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Granny Annie, Edie and Freda enjoying a carton of chips by the shores of the Beauly Firth. The Kessock Bridge, pictured in the background, offers a shortcut to the Black Isle and the Northern Highlands of Scotland.

A trip to the UK wouldn't be complete without a portion of chips by the seaside. That was our excuse anywhere. The gulls circled, hoping for some scraps, but there was no chance of that as our takeaway was scoffed in record-breaking time. Edie went scrambling on the boulders, fell over and saved her chin but returned home with an enormous graze on her tummy and rib area. Our theory is that she's going through a growth spurt and losing track of her weight, size and limb-length. She's currently sleeping in the car. Much safer there.

 
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Not for Freda and Edie! They are at their happiest when pottering in the garden as Lucy munches on juicy, green grass, her reward after a riding session. We are coming to the end of our one-month holiday in Scotland, which means filling our time with playing, pinics and packing. There's a bonus prize for anyone who can guess 5 of the non-essential, 'luxury' items we are taking back to Simao with us. If you're reading this Paul, your pickle's packed!