Boxing Day

Walk 4

After the experience of yesterday, Dr Anne was anxious to go for a secluded walk.  Michael Minty had cleared the old railway line from Aird Street towards Tillynaught.  Dr Anne with her Tilltynaught connections had always wanted to try the route out.  Today was the day.

They entered off the A98 on Aird Street.  The going was good as J. D. and Dr Anne headed up under the Huntly Bridge and on up to Kinnadie.  They crossed the muddy farm road to find a bar across the path.  J. D. climbed over and Dr Anne slid under the pole.  The path was more challenging.  They kept going until they came to a clearing in Rockhilly Wood.  They tried to go further but the path was totally overgrown.  There was a barbed wire fence preventing entry to the field, there were ditches and fallen trees making it difficult to go through the wood.  The decision was made to retrace their steps back into town.  

NB

Dr Anne found her Aunt Nellie's front door with the Crudie glass now a garage door down towards the line.

Christmas Day

J. D. and Dr Anne were due to go out for Christmas lunch @ 1 but when Dr Anne looked out in the early morning she found it to be sunny, warm although windy.  She decided it was the day to go out round the Durn Hill.  The twasome headed out the A98 towards Boggierow.  Dr Anne decided not to go the railway line as it is prone to flooding.

Windy was a minor statement.  The gusts of wind were lifting the two off their feet. They turned up the road to Fordyce and headed up the Boggierow Brae.  At the turn off, Dr Anne decided to change the walk for a less exposed route.  HA...HA...HA...  As the two headed down to Bogtown in single file, Dr Anne turned round to see J. D. taking off towards the ditch.  Gosh, it was hard work facing into the wind but what else could they do?  V.T. was in Inverness.

They crossed the A98, up the path, along the side of the field to Redhythe.  They had good views of Glenglassaugh Distillery and Sandend before they turned and walked down the old road into Portsoy

A view towards Sandend

Glenglassaugh Distillery

The walk took longer than anticipated so it was a quick change and off to Christmas lunch.  Both J. D. and Dr Anne felt like a nap after a champagne cocktail.

Christmas Eve

One walk was not enough for the spritely Dr Anne and J. D..  A quick lunch was followed by the 4 mile walk round what used to be called the Boyne.  Why the Boyne?  There is the Boyne Burn and the Boyne Castle, the seat of the Ogilvies and a stopover for Mary Queen of Scots.

J. D. and Dr Anne went down the Burnie Brae and up the hill towards Langside down to Cairnrankie and Cowhythe then to the hamlet of Scotstown.  It was a calm day making the walking conditions fair.  It was decided that it was too late in the day to climb fences and cross fields to ruins of Boyne Castle.  the twosome headed up to the old road to Whitehills.

The light was beginning to fade so they stepped up the pace round by Bloomvale, Lintmill of Boyne and on to the A98 Banff to Portsoy road.

Christmas Eve

J. D.  visited Portsoy regularly in the early 1970s when she worked in Aberdeen and Dr Anne was a teacher at Shand Street, Macduff.

The activities arranged by Dr Anne for J. D. included walks, coffee shops, visits to friends and acquaintances, scrabble and other games.

They started off by walking the perimeter of Portsoy.  It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny.  They headed towards the cemetery, a quiet and peaceful setting near to the beach and caravan site.  They then walked to the Portsoy Salmon Bothy.  J. D. was given a private viewing of the museum, the bothy and upstairs @ the bothy.  J. D. was well impressed and chose items from the Bothy's bespoke collection of merchandise.  It was off round the harbour to the PORT builiding, the Shore Inn and on to the Marble Shop.  J. D. particularly like the small marble figures - the owl, the frog, the tortoise.  Dr Anne bought a copy of the Portsoy Manuscript of 1843 to aid one of her projects.

Dr Anne  led J. D. up round the Doonie, up through the council housing estate, down through the Soyburn housing estate and on to Durn Road.

From there it was the Sunday walk of the 1950s - the walk round Durn passing the the Durn housing estate, the 5* Durn House B&B, on to the A98 leading into the town via Aird Street.  

J. D. comes to Portsoy

J. D. arrived by bus on 23 December for Christmas and the New Year.

Dr Anne has arrange a variety of activities and will report on them over the next few days.

Wilkies

Wilkies opened in what used to be the Commercial Hotel on Seafield Street, Portsoy very recently.  Dr Anne and Anna,dancer and Bothy volunteer decided to suss it out.  There's a hardware store in Portsoy for the first time in years.  Dr Anne will get batteries and light bulbs, screws and bolts.  There's every implement and container Dr Anne might ever want to cook, house keep, garden.  There are  also lots of things Dr Anne will never want.

Dr Anne and Anna went to the old function room which is now a cafe seating 100 people.  Everyone in the town is very happy to have such a cafe and all have enjoyed their the fayre.

Dr Anne awards a 4/10 for her coffee and scone. She had to ask for a knife and butter.  The coffee was watery.  The table needed wiping.

The Willows

Dr Anne and Wendy Pilates went for lunch @ the Willows.  The tearoom, antique shop, art gallery and vintage clothing is to be found on the Cullen - Keith road, B9018 @ Cottarton, Ardoch, Deskford.

The tea room is an old cottar house.  There are tables with vintage white cloths and china.  Service was attentive.  The menu is vegetarian with all items home made.

Wendy Pilates chose cheese, pickles, oatcakes and salad. Dr Anne chose hummus and feta in flatbreads with salad.  Both were delicious.  To follow Wendy Pilates read, reread and reread the cake choice.  Wendy Pilates chose a cake with fresh blueberries and cococut and Dr Anne had a festive fruit cupcake.  De-lic-ious... This was washed down with coffees, black and cappucino.  All was very reasonably priced.  Both are now members of the Willows Tea Club.  After 5 cups there is a free fly cup. 

Wendy Pilates and Dr Anne went through into the art gallery where there was a delightful selection of cards, jewellry, artwork and antiques.  Wendy Pilates chose an unusual wreath for her front door.  She then led Dr Anne upstairs to rummage through the vintage clothing and small antiques. 

Dr Anne awards the Willows 9/10.

SOLACE

McKeon, B. (2011). Solace. New York: Scribner.

Dr Anne awards this book 8/10.

This was a compelling read, a real page turner.  It was a great start to Dr Anne's Christmas reading season.  The book came highly recommended by November's Saga Magazine.

The characters were rich and thick and the reader related to them with much empathy.  There was the father grounded in the land with the wife, the central figure of the family.  There was the daughter who had left her culture and traditions for the big city never to return and the son who wanted the academic life in the city but was always drawn back into his rural context usually with a reluctant sense of duty.

The build up to the story was page turning, the reflection of the happening thought provoking, the outcome of the happening realistic to someone who has recently been there.  The ending left one in the now with no strategy for the future apart from maybe going on a sight seeing trip.

Is this what life is about?

The Return of Dr Anne after seven months.

Dr Anne has returned after seven months. 

• Where has she been? 
• What has she been doing? 
• Why has she not been blogging?

Room

Donoghue, E. (2010). Room. London:Picador.

Grey Granite recommended this book after reading the Boy with the Striped Pyjamas. It was a compulsive read. However, at the beginning, all Dr Anne could think of was the Flowers in the Attic that she read in the 1980s which she remembered as a bizarre tale. She also kept thining of the Austrian guy who imprisoned his daughter in the cellar and fathered numberous children and the girl who was imprisoned in Vienna. Dr Anne agrees with the critics that the story is powerful.

She awards 7/10 for this read.

April 2nd

When Dr Anne awoke this morning there was torrential rain such that she took her car to the dancing classes. However when the afternoon arrived:

The sun was shining.

The wind had gone.

It was warm.

Dr Anne headed outdoors to tend to the hostas but it was damp and cool up there.

She headed for the sunny side of the garden. There was a bit of digging. There was a bit of pruning. The hours just slipped away. The belly was rumbling so tea time...

April Fool's Day

It is April 1.

The sun is shining.

It was 19c @ Kinloss.

Dr Anne cut and raked the grass. The mower cut out at the end.

Dr Anne planted pansies which have been pot bound waiting for action.

The laptop has crashed so photos will follow.

Newly Mown Grass

The sun is shining.

It is 14c

There is a wind but it is warm.

Dr Anne looked at her lists: house list, garden list, Bothy list, Auntie Cath list.

She decided to go outdoors and give the grass its first cut of the year. The edges were trimmed. The grass was cut at number 4. The edgings were collected.

How happy Dr Anne felt as she surveyed her work for the day.

Spring comes to East Neuk

Spring comes to East Neuk
In the Dell

On the Mound

Spring commences officially tomorrow.

Today the sun is shining and it is warm.

The birds are singing.

The buds are bursting open.

Dr Anne is out in the garden and at one.

The cold raw wind is no longer.

Oh bliss.

Solar

McEwan, I. (2010). Solar. London: Cape.

Dr Anne sees that this book is now in paperback and is up top in the ratings. Greygranite gave Dr Anne this book months ago but she read the first few pages numerous times then stuck. However, she got cracking with it this week. Did she enjoy it? She enjoyed bits but it lacked the order that Dr Anne yearns.

Dr Anne can give this only 4/10.

My Life in Books

Dr Anne's friend Sandra emailed one night to say she had been watching My Life in Books. Dr Anne went on to BBC iplayer and watched all the programmes to date at the weekend and has made a point of watching the programmes each night this week.

So what are Dr Anne's 5 books and what do they tell about her. It sure was a difficult choice.

The first choice is 'What Katy Did' by Susan Coolidge. This was part of a series with What Katy did next and What Katy did at school. Katy held court from her bed when she fell off the forbidden swing. Everyone grew to love her as she learned from her mistakes. Money was very tight in the McArthur household so books were precious. What Katy Did was treasured and is to be found in the personal bookcase in the bedroom. This choice was closely followed by Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and the adorable Gilbert Blyth. Dr Anne has 'Anne hanging around' in her hall, a present from Heather when she visited Prince Edward Island during a Rotary International Exchange.

Number 2 is the influences of the Canada years. Soul mate Susan sent Margaret Lawrence's books home to enable Dr Anne grow up. She advised to start with The Stone Angel where there are plans to put mother in an old folks home while reflecting on her life but Dr Anne much preferred the Jest of God and the Diviners. They were read time after time. The Diviners taught Dr Anne about men, love and life.

Dr Anne loved Freddie Forsyth's and Jeffrey Archer's as good thrillers which were page turners. She read all the early novels. Her favourite Archer is Cane and Abel. She has however chosen Forsyth's Odessa File over The Day of the Jackal. It was the reason for the pursuit of the evil ones that clinched the decision.

People who have had triumph over adversity in their lives absorb Dr Anne. Who can forget the release of Mandela, John McCarthy, Terry Waite. Dr Anne can remember what she was doing on these days. The story which really hit home was Brian Keenan's 'The Evil Cradling'. His descriptions of his imprisonment haunted Dr Anne. None of the others matched it.

Dr Anne's final choice comes down to Mintzberg or Handy. Their management books shaped her later career. Dr Anne has chosen Handy's - The Alchemists. Again these are scenarios about people with focus who over come adversity.

So what does the choice of books say about Dr Anne? She really is an emotional romantic who loves to see triumph over adversity. It is maybe for Grey Granite to comment?

Can't believe it is Spring!

The first miniature daffodils of the year

A great show of crocuses
Dr Anne has spent the afternoon in the garden at East Neuk. One would never know because of the extent of the work to be tackled. However, every little mickle maks a muckle. Tonight she is well satisfied with the moment.

Another Spring Day

The snowdrops are fully out today.

The sun is shining.

It is 12c.

Stillness Speaks

Tolle, E. (2003). Stillness Speaks. London: Hodder and Stoughton

A neat little book to dip in and out of.

Lessons for Dr Anne:

• Know yourself
• Live in the now
• Have awareness of nature
• Don't take thoughts seriously
• Don't judge
• Be still

Dr Anne awards 8/10

Spring is early

Dr Anne is surprised to find that it is 12c today at noon. There is a warm wind. These are temperatures for the end of May not the end of February. Being negative there is winter still to come. Being positive maybe it will be an early spring. The Dell
A grand show of hellebores

Longing for Spring

The first crocuses
Snowdrops in the Dell

Dr Anne longs for spring. Today is definitely winter.

Toast

Slater, N. (2003). Toast. London: Fourth Estate.

What a nice easy read this was, just what Dr Anne needed. Oh, many memories were rekindled after a lifetime. Each chapter reminded Dr Anne of another story.

Dr Anne's mum was a great cook and prepared the food her dad liked - broth or chicken soup, roast beef, chicken, egg custard, rice pudding with tinned peaches, pears or fruit cocktail, to name a few. There was a sixpenny tub of Portsoy ice cream on a Sunday during the summer. It seems like yesterday but so long ago.

Sweets were a luxury as there was no surplus money. Dr Anne remembers the names and the flavours: sherbert fountain -2d, Smiths crisps -3d, floral gums -3d an oz. Every Saturday Dr Anne visited the Bremners to watch Dixon of Dock Green. As she left a Fry's Chocolate Creme was taken from the back of the telephone.

Nigel working in the hotel kitchens and front of house reminded Dr Anne of her student jobs. The Park Hotel, Portsoy - £4 per week, the Park Hotel, Montrose where there was a lot of eating and drinking to be done as well as hard work - £6 per week plus board, Fortune and Reid, the grocery shop - Christmas and Easter holidays. It was the days of prawn cocktails, mixed grills and Black Forest Gateau. There was of course the voluntary work with mum's bed and breakfast. Reflection says it was a good grounding for a good work ethic as well as skills and knowledge.

Dr Anne gives a rating of 8/10 to this book for rousing memories.

In the Garden

The winter flowering heathers looked good in today's sunshine.

Dr Anne drifted out to the garden. The tulips needed to be taken from the garage and given some light. She has put them back in the garage overnight as it is going to be frosty. Once she was out Dr Anne grabbed the secateurs and started on the roses. She kept reminding herself to do a good job and take her time as there is no rush. A job well done is better than 10 jobs half done.

Dr Anne is happy...

Snowdrops in the Dell

Dr Anne is delighted to see snowdrops in flower in the dell. It feels like spring at long last.

The New Corrections

Franzen, J. (2001). The Corrections. London: Fourth Estate.


This book had excellent reviews. It is about an aging couple with three grown up children. The father, Alfred was of quiet demeanour but authoritarian. Mother, Enid was a 'stay at home' mother bringing up the children. The lead up told of the lives of the three children portraying the lives, loves and innermost feelings. This was interspersed with the lives and feelings of the parents. The culmination was the 'last Christmas' when all three children were present on Christmas morning and finally came to term with their father's parkinsonisms, their mother's dilemna and their own duty to their parents and siblings.

This story reminds Dr Anne of many of her friends who are involved in the caring of siblings and parents at this time. It ain't easy when one is emotionally involved.

Dr Anne awards this read 8/10.

Are they growing?

Daffodils

Dr Anne has been out peering for growth. These are the daffodils planted late in the year near the back gate of East Neuk. The snowdrops have grown a few inches. Neither the crocuses are nor the new tulips show any sign of life.

Freedom

Franzen, J. (2010). Freedom. London: Fourth Estate

This book was recommended as the Christmas read by the Guardian and Saga Magazine.

It pretty much represents people of a certain age, Dr Anne's age. The family happenings remind Dr Anne of her times in Canada in the sixties and seventies and eighties although the Canadians would tell one that they are not Americans. There was an opennesss there not to be found in rural Scotland. Although Dr Anne hasn't visited Canada since 1988 she keeps in contact by telephone asking about the life and times of the next generations.

Will Dr Anne's case studies tell similar stories?

Dr Anne awards 8/10 for this read.

Now to read his first novel - The Corrections.

Can you see?

Snowdrops
Snowdrops

Narcissi

Dr Anne went out today to sweep the back path and wash the car. Of course, her attention was distracted to death and decay then she saw life.

Stovies at the Institute Hall

Above are some pictures of the stovie night at the Institute Hall. Before and after the Bells and the Firework Display at the Links @ Portsoy, stovies were served @ the Institute Hall and soup was served @ the Bothy museum. There was a good attendance. Around £336.50 was raised @ the Institute Hall and a further £100 @ the Bothy. Over 1000 people attended the Firework Display which was sponsored by the 75 Club, the Thrift Shop and a bucket collection.

010111

Happy New Year and here's to it.