Hope you all had a great Christmas

I've spent the last week feeling sorry for myself and unable to drive due to last weekends stupidity. My wrist is slowly getting better and glad to say the face has healed up, as good as its ever going to be anyway but since we started with a benchmark its not difficult!
Quiet Christmas because of my injuries, catching up with family and friends and managing not to get too uproariously drunk!
Fi and Lindsay did the trial at Drumcarrow today, I went along to support, tell anyone that would listen about my wrist and take photos. The place was like a skating rink and I was struggling with the camera so not too many good shots, A great day out, thanks to Derek and Lindsay for Fi's coaching, looks like I'm getting left behind now at trials school, plenty catching up to do as soon as I'm fit!

The paddock, icy icy

Limbering up and talking nonsense

Right Fi, the clutch is on the left and ye dinnae need brakes

Just before the off, much intrepidation

Whoa there, one of the guys shows how its done

Lindsay with a dab, braw scenery

Lindsay gets it over

Derek trying to show us how to do it, aye right, maybe in a year or 3!

Down to earth with a bump!

Another good weekend with a family party Saturday night which i enjoyed immensely, so immensely in fact that I decided I'd let Fiona drive the van this morning as I was still feeling poorly after my immense enjoyment and whisky intake last night.
It started well and both Fi & myself were feeling more confident on the trials bikes, shortly into my confident inspired trials riding I made a mistake and god knows how i managed it but got thrown over the handlebars, I landed face first and my £8 helmet i purchased in Thailand broke the peak which then helped cut my face. I couldn't get up for a while as i was winded and I've also pranged my left wrist. Fiona comforted me by laughing and taking a photo whilst Lindsay offered encouragement like "get up ya fanny you'll be fine"
I wasn't and spent the rest of the day sitting around scaring anybody who looked my way! The run home reminded me of my racing days, being taken home broken in the front of the van getting a good slagging, the good news is the bikes fine!

ouch, that wiz sair!

Fiona showing me how its done

Lindsay showing what i should have been doing

I think Fi was shouting "can you turn roond, yer bleeding puss is pittin me aff"

Long overdue Applecross

This has been a busy year, after our time skiving over on other continents we spent this year catching up with everybody in Europe, the downside of that was we haven't visited Applecross enough this year. After seeing our host Judy on a TV programme we decided to make the effort before Christmas. We both took a half day and headed up last Friday on a very wintry, cold and bleak day, glad we weren't on the bikes to be honest. We got to the Bealach in the dark and with high winds whipping up the snow across the road on top, that said we managed without too much drama. Great to catch up with everyone up there and meet some new people as well, a great place to chill out and escape modern life and see a real community spirit, it is very heartening in these days to see so many people putting the effort in to make everybody's life better, not just themselves.
The usual whisky overdose was as always followed by the usual hangover, I'd been Applecrossed again! Some pictures to give you a flavour.....

Sheep at Tyndrum in the snow

Glencoe

The Bealach was a challenge on Friday

Pretty and not too much snow at the lower levels

Going out to put food on peoples tables, it doesn't get to the restaurants by magic you know

Stormy sea with a hint of sun over Raasay

Another shot on the Bealach

And another

Loch Carron, always worth a photo

The feral goats at Kintail, a real pain in the butt when your motorcycling through here, be aware!! 

The last two weekends

No posts for a couple of weeks so I'll apologise for that, its been busy and we've even managed some motorcycling, two weeks ago we ended up in North Berwick in the sunshine, a great day out and the low sun made for some nice views at the beach, not bad for the 30th of November.
Last weekend saw a very busy time with the Lothian & Borders Classic club dinner and then a few hours on the trials bikes with Lindsay Barrie which proved how rubbish I am and how unfit I am. The weather though has turned and we were playing in the sleet but its warm work and you don't notice the cold. Thanks to Derek Allan for sorting out a Beta for Fiona.
So two weeks and lucky enough to have had some great motorcycling, what a great hobby, good fun, fresh air and great people.

After a nice breakfast in Gullane at the coffee shop time to head

The Bass Rock

Reflections

Bonnie colours

North Berwick, if you look at the top of the hill you can make out the whale bones 

Getting muddy!

Evidence of some off bike time

Lindsay showing us how its done as darkness falls