A Little Sand Between the Toes

From one holiday almost straight to another. This was a very different holiday for us as we visited Seaton Sands with our good friends and thier 7 year old twins. Whilst holidays with small children are common enough for us (having done the lakes with an 11 week old once upon a time, and more recently Wales), this was the first time we never actually left the site. This was always the intention as this is our good friends were the dad suffers long covid, so we wanted to design a holiday where he could join in at points, but sit out and rest at the same time. We also wanted to give the twins' mum a break so she could enjoy time with the kids without worrying about dishes. 

So Seton Sands was the chosen destination. Less than an hours drive for all parties and right on the beach. After our near-summer holiday only a few weeks ago, it was a shock to the system that this one had overnights of -2C and daytime highs of 10C. Still, it was dry, which is really why the holiday worked so well. 

We arrived for check in and got unpacked and the kettle on in time for our friends arriving. Our neice and nephew knew about the holiday, but not that we were coming, so we had to peel them off the ceiling and take them to the beach before they internally combusted. 

Neice decided to pick every shell off the beach (no joke, 2 buckets, the bag said buckets were supposed to be kept in and her own pockets were full) whilst nephew went looking for monsters in the rock pools. It was thier mum who won that contest, finding a dead crab about the size of a dinner plate. Then it was home, food and bed (after much promise of adventures the following day) before we managed to catch up as grown ups and turn in for an early night. 

Missy is always the most important focus for us, so we had booked activities around her walks and made sure that she would be with someone at all times. We had intended that hubby and I would sit out of some of the activities on the Saturday, but as it was, the dad had overdone things the day before and sat out for the day. 

There was an archery lesson (nephew was delighted to be classed the overall winner) whilst I officially got the highest score in one round with three arrows. 

We found Missy fast asleep with dad when we returned. I know that the twins want a dog, so I'm sure they were delighted to see him warming up to Missy so much. She's always been very good at sensing when people aren't feeling right or are upset. Of her own free will, she did spend a lot of time choosing to cuddle up to him. 

There was some tears that afternoon when nephew realised that hubby wasn't coming to the pebble painting that afternoon. Whilst Missy was allowed at the ranger station, she was due a proper walk. I had clocked that nephew was starting to monopolise the hubby, so decided to nip that in the bud and sent hubby off on the walk, to the clear look of betrayel of my nephew. 

Still, after racing across the beach as penguins, and saving him from a deserted island in the vast ocean, we were firm friends again. A game of tig with all four of us (him, his sister, hubby and I) cemented the deal and the issue didn't come up again. I'm all for indulging the kids whilst on holiday, but I will not have any child play favourites!

Sunday hubby and I got to spend some time together and explore the wider site with Missy on the morning walk. The morning plan was a coastal explorer show that I was going to sit out on whilst everyone else went to watch followed by swimming that afternoon. 

I was surprised to be disturbed from my podcast and sewing with the return of everyone sans nephew and hubby. Neice (who had cheekily refused to go to sleep the night before) had passed out at the start of the performance and then it turned out it was a run-about-the-site activity, which my friend was completely incapable of keeping up with. Neice and dad were put to bed, and I made tea. After some grilling, it came out that the mum really wanted to see what the bingo was like (for that full butlins-esque experience) so I vowed to make sure it happened. 

Hubby and nephew returned high as kites, neice awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed and off we went to swimming. I know from my sister that sometimes what people enjoy best is sitting back and watching thier kids have fun, and I think that summed up the swimming. Hubby and I raced the kids down the slides in every combination possible and splashed about in all the spray and tap areas. 

Hubby carried them back to the caravan whilst we girls stayed behind for the bingo. It was good getting some girl time, even if we had no idea what we were doing and found that everyone seemed to be taking it far too seriously. We had a laugh and, after a round, decided to head back for dinner. 

And then it was bed and up and home today. A very quick holiday!

Would we do it again? Absolutely. But not in that way again. 

We had hoped the self contained nature of the holiday would allow our friend to join in more, as there was less distance to go to the activities and he could rest appropriately in between them. And had that been the case, the frequent down time would probably have been fine as the kids would have seen that as a good pay off. But as it was, the stopping/starting meant that the kids were swinging between over and under stimulated - they'd have been better doing a full day out somewhere and then a recharge day doing smaller activities. 

Also, whilst touted as dog friendly, I would describe Seton Sands as more dog accommodating. I totally respected that she wasn't allowed in the restaurant or the activities, but there was a few things that annoyed me, mainly, that the playparks were absolutely no dogs. Which would have been fine if there was a bench outside the park I could have sat at and watched the kids play from. As it was, we had to stand on the main path in everyone's way or the road to do so.

But nonetheless, it met the needs of the holiday, and had we planned it out more like the Wales holiday, it would probably have been fine. Which incidently is how we would organise a second holiday with our friends. A big day out so that the dad can rest, then a quieter day he can join in on whilst the kids aren't as hyper and full of beans.

I would say perhaps next year, but my holiday schedule is filling pretty fast already! 

Excited to announce E

This week on the #leadthewayatoz, Missy was in charge of the takeover. 15 weeks ago when the Dog Furiendly was setting up behind the scenes, they asked for volunteers to do weekly take overs with their assigned letter. I signed up and, with the caveat that I couldn't do Armistice, was assigned the 15th November and the letter E.

Hubby is way better at this than me and I was dumbfounded. E...? An Egg maybe? Eldritch horror - no, no, no, that won't fly. It was pointed out to me, somewhat slowly, that we live in Edinburgh. Known for its world class Educational institutes. And year round Entertainment. We could Explore something touristy. He was very Easy-going on the whole suggestion and I decided, 15 weeks ago, we would do the Camera Obscura and bag a unique word of "Eye-popping Illusions". 

15 weeks. It all started hunky dory. Then Wales went into lockdown. Then England brought in the teirs system. Ireland into lockdown. Scotland went into tiers, Lothian at teir 3. England went into lockdown and now the West of Scotland is being threatened with one.

I panicked and we filmed last week. 

Turns out I didn't need to panic, but seeing as it's likely the central belts going into lockdown very soon, I'm pleased I did.

We had an Excellent day (OK, OK, I'll stop now). We got there just before opening, did all the filming, and patiently queued for the door to open. Missy, in her usual Excited way (last one, promise) skipped in and was met with a wall of "aww". I genuinely heard someone say "my day just got even better!" as I followed behind Missy and someone had already produced a bag of dog treats. Missy knows what Pedigree looks like so ensured that was our first stop before we signed in at the till and we got the full covid health brief.

Then we were on our way. In the whole time we were there, we saw two other families, it was like a ghost town which was brilliant. We finally got to play on the things that always have tons of kids about them (cleaning wipes were provided) and just took our time to enjoy the day. 

So that was E. I spent the mid morning online today posting photos and chatting with folk asking about the Obscura and I'm pleased it's all gone so well. I hated the filming bit, but despite obvious nerves, was happy with the outcome.

I've managed to raise the stakes on the crazy dog parent this week by joining in the Great Doggy Bake off - this week was banana pancakes. Hint, these are more banana omelettes, you'd not going to toss these! 

Missy loves banana, so these were met with great enthusiasm. So much so that it was a real struggle to get a photo with her! 

I'm hoping for a biscuit next, we might do a bit better with that! I've managed to talk Rens mum into joining the contest so I have some friendly rivalry! 

This weeks sewing is part of the ongoing Christmas makes - who wants an oversized sock when you can have a Marvel backbag as a stocking instead? For my oldest nephew - I've got a few wee bits to go in it and some sweeties too. I only have 2 more things left on my to make list (although I am forever adding to that list, so that's subject to change!).

Until next week! 

Compasses ready at Cammo Estate

Missy turned her paw to a new hobby this weekend; orienteering! Despite absolutely no sense of direction, I used to love orienteering as a kid and, over the years of spotting those familiar red and white plaques, I've learned that this was an equal passion of my hubby's when he was a boy. Every time we spotted an abandoned control point, we'd discuss that we should find out the local groups and... that was it.

Earlier this week I spotted an advert on Facebook for an orienteering open day at Cammo Estate and decided to give it a go and see if it lived up to my childhood memories. It was originally to be a solo event but, through the power of "do us a favour", I ended up with Maisie (but no brother), my older sister and BIL, thier dog Wee Ben and eldest nephew (10) accompanying me. I won't beat about the bush, my nephew hates outdoor pursuits and activities. If there isn't a screen involved, he won't partake in it. I've managed to get him into some board games (exploding kittens is a favourite) and, thinking myself clever, got him into Pokemon GO. What's wrong with that? Nothing to do with the game (I've played it daily since it launched) its just that he doesn't actually want to walk and play, he'll stand and catch pokemon and, screen glued to face, shuffle at the slowest pace. Not ideal for dog walking, or being anywhere near traffic! I've digressed. I was worried as he'd already expressed disdain at the thought of the sport, even though I'd tried to dress it up as "treasure hunting".

A quick run through for those unfamiliar to the sport; you get a map with points marked on it and, going 1 through to 20, use the map to find all the points as quickly as possible. It's all modern now, you have little trackers on your finger that you pop into a little reciever which beeps and records the time stamp. In my day it was a literal stamp made from pins that you punctured the sheet with!

Indicating North, I handed my nephew the tracker and map and off we went. The first one is always easy and, as we organised ourselves to find the next point (I was having him do it all by himself and was just guiding things along) I asked where North was. He pointed. True North. It was like the clouds parted and the heavens shined upon us, the first in my genetic family line with an internal compass. He was clearly delighted with this unexpected praise and elation and, recognising he had a natural knack to the sport, was hooked.

No complaints of being tired, he ran as soon as we spotted the next navigation point. No complaining for the phone or making excuses to stop and delay, we made our way round that track in a very respectable time, telling his parents to hurry up. 

Highlights included a fleet of cavalier King Charles in pyjamas (no photos sadly, we were admiring at a dash) and some huge tree plates from some fallen trees which, for reasons unknown bearing in mind his usual vampiric dislike to Sun and outdoors, my nephew finds totally fascinating. 

Afterwards we parted ways and I heard later from my mother (who they visited next) that it was all he would talk about. Hopefully his parents will encourage him and make it a hobby, I'll certainly be letting them know if I spot another one! 

I'm going to leave it on a high, with a comment to say to tune in next week as Missy has some exciting news to share! 

Bringing in the Bells

Firstly, Happy New Year. It is not only a new year, but a new decade. Merely by virtue of being alive I have now seen two millennia, two centuries and now five different decades - not bad for 32! 

In my house, New Year is the time of friendship and we didn't buck the trend. In what's become a tradition, we had a friend come stay with us on the 30th, and then we went to another friends (parents of our honorary neice and nephew) house for the bells. Missy was definitely ready for a party and we all played with hot wheels, then pass the parcel and then had dinner before moving onto more grown up games as the kids went to bed. Hubby had picked up the crystal maze board game and, with his best Richard Ayoade impression, was desperate to be games master. So as with years past, and hopefully those to come, the bells arrived to laughter, friendly rivalry and good food. What more could I ask from the year ahead? 

New Years Day presented the usual problems, what was open, where could we go that two young kids would enjoy and we can either bring Missy or won't have her left long. The Camera Obscura and World of Illusions stepped up to the plate for us and ticked all those boxes. Most importantly, open. Indoors, warm and dry and good for kids? Absolutely. And the best part, much to the delight of the little ones, dog friendly. 

We arrived for 11 and Missy was immediately fawned over by the staff. There was a lady in the queue who wasn't keen (read visibly rigid in terror) of dogs, and that was  absolutely fine and we offered to move Missy as far from her as possible. The Obscura runs a comfort policy, so Missy ran the risk of being removed to a different part of the building if she upset the lady too much, but she was as keen for us to have a nice time as her and her family to have one. It's always nice to come across someone who is reasonable about their phobia, too often the hubby and I have been screamed at for the mere presence of Missy, calm and relaxed and under control, at somewhere she is perfectly entitled to be at, so I always get a bit panicky about these things. 

Almost as soon as our hands were stamped and the first glimpse of wonder had been seen in the distance, the fire alarm went off. Sheer outrage and disappointment dissolved to delight once a fire engine showed up and my neice and nephew waved eagerly at the firemen - oh, to be five again when life's problems were so swiftly fixed. Thankfully the false alarm was quickly resolved and we got to skip the barmy of the newly forming queue and dashed straight up to the very top to see the Camera Obscura itself. 

Missy has visited in the past, so I won't go into too much detail except to say that the staff were just as friendly to us all, and that we had an absolutely fantastic day. Their hop in and out policy meant we could leave for lunch and then come back in when it got a little quieter again. Its the first time our friends have done an actual "attraction" with Missy, and they were all very impressed at her as she calmly mooched about and paid absolutely no attention to the crowds (except her admirers, of course, dogs aren't that common a sight at the Obscura, so I found myself promoting the policy a few times!) 

And that was the day. The 2nd was spent recovering from two back to back busy days and then I started the process of putting the house back together again as hubby was back in work. I have had a break from the tidying to get on with some sewing:

The one feedback from my attempt at a low waste Christmas? The presents could be seen. Solution? Gift bags with zippers, just in time for my eldest neices (15!) birthday. She was very pleased with her gifts and loved that her feedback had been taken on board. I suspect the bag will end up storing craft materials or something, so very pleased.

We also managed a games night with them, at 15 and 10, my eldest niece and nephew are now old enough to actually learn and play (nicely) proper games. Well, that's if you consider exploding kittens and throwing a burrito at one another as real games. 

(Side note, I'm not very good at exploding kittens, but I am the champion at throw throw burrito!) 

Here's hoping the year continues with good laughter! 

Looking for Vampires

So, on last weeks ghost walk, the story of William Henry Millar and his truly bizarre burial was brought to our attention. Buries in a lead lined coffin, in a shaft 40ft deep, was this man who had a huge collection of occult books afraid of grave robbers, of vampires or...was he a vampire himself?

Set in the middle of Craigintinny, near to Portobello, the Craigintinny Marbles, a 30ft tall monument, towers over the little council built bungalows and bowling green that surround it. There were  no information stands nearby, so I was glad I had done my homework before my mother and I went looking for it. Millar had requested to be buried away from the population of Edinburgh and, in the 1860s, this would have been farmland so it would have completely dominated the landscape. Whilst interesting, I was disappointed at the way it has mostly been ignored, like a large inconvenient rock, and built around. I felt it deserved perhaps a small grassy park and some trees, not a high fence and a car park.

Either way, it's an impressive monument, and it's peculiar situation fits the peculiar man it was made for. 

I had suspected it wouldn't be a long visit at the monument so had already organised that there would be a trip to the seaside. Portobello was only 5 minutes away and, despite the chilly day, there were plenty of dogs out walking their humans. I always love the visual juxtaposition of a blue sky and sand with people in wooly hats and thick coats. I don't know why, but it makes me smile.

Despite best attempts, I could not coax my mother into having an ice cream on the promenade and so we headed back to where I had parked the car. I have walked that beach a hundred times and lo and behold, yesterday was the first time I had noticed the absolutly ginormous pottery kiln, neatly tucked away behind some flats. 

Clearly a day for finding odd giant things in bizarre places! We detoured off and had a look at it (I had originally thought it was perhaps an old grain silo from when Portobello had a proper harbour, but the sign corrected us as to the rich history of pottery making in the area. News to me, but fascinating nonetheless.

I've been making Christmas the last few weeks and prepping an army of doggy bows and bandanas for a craft fair I have next weekend. Don't let the photos fool you, there has been so much Christmas fabric that I'm almost bored of the season and it hasn't even begun!

I've been putting together squeaky heart toys too, so will get a more festive photo later. Having lots of little things on the go at once has worked well as I can easily pick them up and put them down again, although I am looking forward to getting my teeth into a bigger project soon! 

Spooky Fun

Missy had her Halloween party on Monday and I won't lie, it was an eagerly anticipated event! As it was organised by the same company that does Missys dog walking and classes (just about finished level 3, she doesn't need them, but we approve of anything that will mentally stimulate her) we knew that there would be dogs and people she knew.

So it was a party, that means games, right? Well, there was Dookin' for (gravy) bones, various Halloween themed agility toys and games for dog and owner to partake in. We came in second with the game were we had to have Missy perform a obedience trick (sit, stay, paw, beg (a work in progress), lie down, stay, touch, back up and, strangely enough for us, stand (we need to train her to stand on command so we can work on bow which is turning into a disaster, but I honestly don't mind, there are worse things than a dog that is over keen to sit and wait for a command!) and then we'd take a little sticker off the wall with different pictures having different values. 

Amongst the games, there was time for making some new friends, including the above whippet who, had we stayed any longer, my husband was going to put in the back of the car with Missy to steal as our own! The costumes on the dogs were great, we had a Halloween onsie on one dog, another painted up as a skeleton (most of it had rubbed off by the end of the night, so he was absolutely fine), harnesses decorated with devil wings and Missy went as a triceratops. She's clearly hit middle age and has done that odd thing  some men do were they seem to get broader, not put weight on, but just physically become more broad in the chest. Most of her costumes are a bit snug around her neck and chest, hubby thinks it's muscle from all the squirrel chasing and I'm forced to agree!

Yesterday was a bit of a different dog walk - we had a two hour ghost walk in Edinburgh with Thistle Knights Tours. They were great in responding to enquiries about which of their tours, if any, allowed dogs (the ones that go into the museum obviously aren't!) and I soon organised a puppy play date for Missy and Maisie together. My brother is game for anything really and we also invited my mother, who then invited her sister who then invited their other sister...

I will confess that I was annoyed that my play date had been comandeered by the three witches of McBeth (and I mean that as in they dressed up as witches. Without telling me it was now a fancy dress affair.) Mostly I was concerned it would be a bit pants (its a free tour, X Files Edinburgh, and you just tip at the end, so I was naturally dubious of the quality) and I would somehow be blamed for dragging them all out in the cold and rain. By this point in the week I'd had to scrape frost off the car 4 out of 5 mornings and then the last 24 hours were solid rain. I was a bit concerned it would be a literal wash out.

Of the 18 booked, we made 6 of the final 7 on the tour. And it was great, I shouldn't have been so worried. The rain had stopped but the dense cloud cover had brought the temperature up away from 0C and had also brought in a dense mist, perfect for ghost stories in a graveyard. At each point we got a choice of three stories, so we could make it as Spooky, gory or silly as we liked. I got to have a shot at dowsing and we made a very slow circuit from Greyfriars to the Canongate. The chap doing the tour was great and very quickly sussed out the nature of us all so didn't scrimp on offering us big laughs and gory details. Definitely a recommend for something a bit touristy in the capital!

I also finally got a picture of Missy with Greyfriars, it's normally far too busy to try. A group of Italian tourists watched in stunned silence as I had her neatly sit and stay, at which point it suddenly sounded as though this was the most adorable thing they had ever seen as a wave of "Awww" and other such sounds were made. Missy tarted herself out afterwards as they all then wanted to pet and cuddle her. She's a daft wee thing, honestly! 

Maisie was worn through after her first bus trip and the excitement of town. So we all headed home afterwards to a relatively early night. 

Not a bad wee week! 

Trains and Rosettes

The 1940s and 50s day at Bo'ness had been on my radar for a while. I originally spotted this advertised when taking my friend to the railway earlier this year and have subsequently stalked Bo'ness and Kinneil railway through all their social media channels since. Ironically as I hated it as school, I've developed a real love and passion for history of all kinds in my old age and try and get along to all the reenactments that I can. This was obviously not a reenactment but a celebration of the time period with live music, dance displays, both steam and diesel engines and, of course, encouraging everyone to dress up. I love dressing up. Which is funny as I'm always in dog walking trousers, walking boots, a baggy jumper, tatty baseball cap and an obnoxiously bright hi-vis coat. My own mother today told me how lovely it was to be seen in a dress and my response was that they just aren't practical when walking the dog. But still, any excuse to embrace something bright and fun and I am there!

So, I've already said I wore a dress so the post today is a little back to front:

I actually made this nearly two years ago. It had not seen the light of day until now - not because I wasn't happy with it, I adore that I made something with a vintage pattern and the trials and tribulations I had as a novice at sewing at the time, but it's just so...fancy dress. It's bright and colour blocked and really in your face, which is exactly what I wanted until I realised that I had no opportunity to wear it! It was a vote two to one against a 40s vintage pattern outfit I've made (I'm keeping that for later!) and so off I went whilst wondering what I'd let myself in for.

My mother and I arrived in time for the first train of the day so we caught that and had brunch whilst the rest of the place was set up. We were both pleased to see three other women dressed up in our carriage having had a moments hesitation in the morning (whilst I don't care what other people think, the weather was changeable and I was concerned everyone else would be sensibly attired in macs). Missy had on her party collar and all three of us received compliments and we equally gushed over the other outfits.

Once off the train we jived a little and watched the dance demonstrations. We had already decided to skip the second train and decided to go warm up a little with some tea in the cafe. The staff all had on poodle skirts which I thought a wonderful touch. As we had our tea my eldest sister and her two (niece 14, nephew 10) arrived. I swear my birthday doesn't seem to be ending this year as I was handed pressies.

I noticed very quickly my niece didn't seem right. It clicked as we watched a group of flapper girls laughing in front of the pack of photographers - I had been actively trying to encourage all my family to dress up. My mother and myself were the only two to do so (credit to my nephew he wore a waistcoat and a flat cap to look a bit vintage) and had spent most of the morning explaining what we were wearing and that they should join in. My niece is at *that* age. She is very fashion conscious and doesn't like to break free from the herd and be different. She clearly expected my mother and I to be the only muffins dressed up and had instantly regretted that she had missed such an incredible Instagram opportunity. Those dressed up, I could see her little mind thinking, were clearly getting the most attention and having the most fun.

My sister had wanted to get me afternoon tea for my birthday but had lost out to two things, firstly that the buffet car is the only place you can have it and it's also the only place Missy is unwelcome, and secondly, you have to book months in advance. Even on days were there are no events it sells out right away. She had therefore decided to bring a picnic and we all enjoyed that on the next train. The ride was fun, my sister blagged me a shot on the foot plate at Manual saying it was my birthday and I got to hang out and play pokemon with my nephew.  A good day all in all!

After the excitement of the 40s/50s day, it was a day for Missy as we went to the Paws at the Prom event held by the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. We did this last year and had a great time and, with the promise that this year was to be bigger and better than last, hopes were high.

In the car and off we went, picking up the entourage on route - my mum was coming as was Maisie; she was getting a wee day out without parental supervision owing to my brother working. We arrived in good time - I parked in Portobello and we walked over to the home, and both dogs were keen to say hi and meet new people and other dogs. They have recently built new paddocks on site and were using these as zones (Education in one, shopping another and so on) in addition to the arenas and stalls in the main field. It meant that even though this year was definitely busier than last (the good weather was most certainly the reason for that), it felt less crowded.

Gotta love a photobooth!

Neither Maisie nor Missy placed in Bonniest Girl and we decided to commiserate with lunch at the burrito van. My mum particularly loves the golden oldies category and, waiting for it to start, I got chatting with the "paw"rent of one of the competitors. I think they appreciated me checking if the dog was human or dog nervous owing to its harness being bright yellow with "nervous" stamped across it, and was told that it was a "generally everything" type nervous. We cheered them on, although we were pleased that a very elderly 17 year old dog won.

Following on from Missy completing her level 2 training, I had decided to place her into best trick as well. She decided that instead of spin and turn she would much rather lie down or give an unenthusiastic paw. Humiliated (but in good humour, Missy wasn't the only one to get performance shy), I returned to my mum and had to laugh that our new friends had stayed to cheer Missy on.

Maisie watching the competitions very seriously

We then went to the QandA session they were running at the Education Area and got some good advice to pass onto my brother about Maisies reactive barking. Then it was back to the main paddock for the last competition I had entered Missy in for: Best Rescue. The day had turned warm and the sun was out and Missy had decided that she didn't want to stand or sit pretty, she just wanted to lie down, sunbathe a little and have her belly scratched. Which is absolutely fine, but in a paddock full of dogs within a field full of dogs, certainly gains a lot of attention!

With the judges going through the names, I complied to Missy and gave her belly a scratch and she stretched comfortably and made herself very at home. I could hear people laughing at scene, even the DJ, when he clocked sight of us as he called out Missys name, laughed and said that she was clearly relaxed and enjoying herself. The judges deliberated for a while before announcing third place to the dog on my left, then second to the dog on my right. They clearly weren't going to pick all three dogs from the one corner so I was shocked when they called out Missy who "was clearly embracing her life as a rescue and showed perfectly just how wonderful a rescue dog could be".

Absolutely overwhelmed. Missy got to pose with her rosette and clearly didn't understand what the fuss was about. An over-proud doggy-grandma, my mum insisted we return to hers and celebrate (with tea, I was driving!).

Missy was glad to get home and fell fast asleep on the sofa (after I had put away the spoils of the day, you know, just in case I dropped some of the free sample dog biscuits). Her rosette and certificate are by her bed - a perfect end for the weekend.

Scottish Seabird Centre

I often start with a weather update, but this time I feel its truly worth commenting on. Thursday was the all time high temperature recorded in Edinburgh (31.6C) and then by Saturday the high was 18 complemented with torrential rain. Saturdays doggy play date with Maisie was downgraded to a pop round for lunch and a shuffle round the park so today I was determined to have a bit more of an adventure.

I always love to find a new dog-friendly day out and the Scottish Seabird Centre has been on my radar for a little while, but I've held off as the good weather meant that the place would probably be rammed. A slightly damp weekend seemed like a good time to try it and we pre-booked the morning boat with fingers crossed for better weather. I also rang them to double check just how dog friendly they were and was pleased to be informed that, apart from the kitchen, Missy was more than welcome anywhere.

The weather was kind - it was still overcast and a bit drizzly, but it was warm enough a light rain coat was all I needed and cool enough that Missy was comfortable to be exploring. We timed our arrival to get checked in for the boat and were surprised to learn it was a full boat. We'd been warned that the skipper had last say about the dog (basically if they were being boisterous they may be asked to leave) so it wasn't until we were on the boat that we breathed a sigh of relief. It was a nice catamaran type boat and we left those with kids to the sheltered bit and sat at the back so Missy could have some space and I could get some nice photos.

A very different perspective of Tantallon Castle

It was a bumpier ride than we are used to! Loch Katrine with tea and cake, easy. An audio tour on Loch Ness with tea and cake, no problem. Windermere with, yep, tea and cake, a breeze. Tea would have been a safety hazard on this boat as we lurched and bounced over the waves and laughed as we were asked continuously if we felt OK. I had a bag to hand just in case Missys travel sickness returned and we all watched as someone made a dash to the privy to lose their breakfast. Missy was a trooper and just cuddled up to us, taking it in her stride as always.

The worst was over as we arrived at Bass Rock and it was certainly worth the rough journey:

So. Many. Ganets. The noise and smell was astounding. I remember fondly doing the same boat ride as a young child and I was surprised at myself that those two things had not left an impact. We made a leisurely sail around the rock and were given its history and had the behaviours of the birds explained to us. It was fun watching them dive into the water by us and see them flying back and forth to the (now very large) chicks. Missy clearly found the smell exciting as she stood up and wagged her tail at all the activity, but she's not daft and showed no inclination to move to the edge of the boat or water.

We then sailed over to another island and watched puffins and shanks in the water. I was pleased to spot a seal before anyone else as we watched the tiny puffins. In a moving boat, it was very hard to get photos of them, so I sat back and just enjoyed watching the little birds. After that it was almost a trundle back to dry land and we decided to grab some lunch before going into the seabird centre proper.

We decided to upgrade to the annual pass as I can definitely see us at the centre again with other family members. The staff were great and seemed genuinely pleased to see Missy and we happily played with all the cameras and read all the information about the conservation projects that were ongoing for the birds.

There was a very nice looking cafe and soft play and we scoped out the play room ad well which had plenty of appropriately themed kids books sat out for parents to read.

We finished with a walk other beach and I was surprised to see the old tide pools in existence. Perhaps next time I'll come prepared with a swimming cosie and go for a paddle - or at the very least a bucket and spade to build some sand castles! A lovely day all round, I'm already planning a repeat trip with the neices and nephews and their fur cousins!

A Wee Wander aboot Toon

The weeks continued to be busy - there's good news in that the BIL is out the hospital and settled in back home. We're on alert just in case of emergency, but everyone's breathing a little easier and looking forward to getting their summers organised again.

I managed to slip away for a few hours to see friends. We went for a nice stroll along the canal with Missy in tow and then we enjoyed a lovely burger at the Red Squirrel. After a bit we then decided to move onto Affogato for ice cream sundaes before strolling back along the canal.

We spotted a few of the Oor Wullie statues that are currently to be found across Scotland and got a some photos of them. They certainly divide opinion and I agree with the MIL in that there's simply too many of them - I really enjoyed the Edinburgh cow parade and the checklist you could download and mark off and this one doesn't really have that option. Still, they brighten up the street and make you smile.

I haven't managed much on the sewing front, but expect to have a few pieces for next week.

Just a short one today, hopefully back to regular programming next week!

Cammo Estate

Its been a typical Scottish spring weekend, snow one day and then glaring low sun the next - I cant complain, at least today was dry!

So, I've been playing about with the Dog Furiendly site that launched earlier this year and, whilst not complete, it does list some places I didn't know about. Last weeks Muiravonside was one, and this weekends walk around the Cammo Estate was another. Located by Edinburgh Airport, it was a quick and easy drive out and we were well rewarded with a nice easy-going walk where Missy could quite safely be off the leash and ignore all the other dogs in her quest to find small furry rodents.

It took us about an hour to dither around the estate and admire the strange tall tower and the canal. The offices are more complete than the main manor and Missy got lost in the old piggery chasing the ghosts of scents. In true dog walker fashion, we only stopped to look at the map as we were leaving, and realised there was a visitors centre. We had clocked a load of orienteering posts, so I think next time we pop by we might have a shot at that - its been years since I did orienteering. 

Today is St Patricks day and to be honest, its been a bit of a wash out. Normally something local is organised but this year people clearly aren't feeling it. I made a cake to match the colours of the Irish flag and made a point of wishing my Irish relations a good day, but that was really it. Perhaps next year!

Its that time of year when my sewing stash gets full of starry fabric and I have something strange in the works - with the upcoming Magic Circle competition, the hubby has asked for a Wizards Carpet Bag. Complete with several pockets neatly hidden away inside and a leatherette base and details. Its my first time using a bag frame and I was frustrated when looking for tutorials online which mostly referred me to use the instructions provided with the frame. Would have been good advice had it come with instructions! So I made it up as I went along and I'm rather pleased with the results:

I do love the print, and have enough to make a matching waistcoat for the hubby. I might give bag frames another go and make myself a proper Mary Poppins-esque carpet bag, but that's a project for another day!