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Gill_L
read my profile sign my guestbook Name: Gill Gender: Female Interests: Photography, knitting, food Occupation: Research Tech and Mama Message: message me Member Since: 1/2/2007 True Lifetime

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Monday, June 22, 2009

	I can dream We are in for a week of 100F+ temperatures here in OKC. I'm dreaming of cool 50s-60s and a sea breeze in Scotland! Auchmithie Beach Auchmithie Beach Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness Loch Ness Nairn Beach Old Carrbridge. Most of my photos are up now on Flickr.
	9:49 AM - 48 views - 24 eprops - 15 comments - email it

Thursday, June 18, 2009

We're back!

We arrived back in Oklahoma on Tuesday evening. I'm caught up with chores and have settled down to work on some of the 1000+ photos I took!

Our vacation was great. The weather wasn't as bad as the forecasts had made out. We had a couple of rain showers that sent us scuttling inside for less than half an hour. Apart from that the skies were blue with puffy clouds.
We were busy, busy, busy! We visited New Lanark Mills, Stirling Castle, drove right round Loch Ness which is 22 miles long, stopping at Urquart Castle on the way. Then we visited Culloden the site of the last battle in the UK, we went to the beach a lot, Nairn, Auchmithie and St Andrews, went to Edinburgh Zoo and spent a few days in Glasgow. Oh yes, and we visited both sides of the family too!

We had lots of great seafood and wonderful Scottish breakfasts and the kids enjoyed sampling all the sweets that the UK has to offer!

I am posting my photos on Flickr and linking to that. Saves me time uploading to multiple sites!

Our first full day was spent with my in laws, we went to New Lanark.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24936974@N06/sets/72157619793924797/

We stopped off at Stirling Castle on they way to my parents who live on the East Coast.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24936974@N06/sets/72157619829849087/

9:49 AM - 26 views - 10 eprops - 7 comments - email it

Monday, June 01, 2009

A trip to Martin Park

I have really let my xanga site slide the last month. It's been all go as we finish up the kids' school year. We are heading to Scotland tomorrow for a 2 week vacation - yay!!

Here are some photos from a trip to one of our favorite parks in OKC. I had left the battery for my camera charging at home so Little Lady generously offered me her camera, what a sweetheart!

Last year a powerful storm knocked out the drains that bring water into park so the pond slowly dried up. We were so happy to see that the problem has been fixed and the water is back in the park.

We walked round our favorite trail and up ahead of us I saw a couple photographing a bird. It was a baby blue jay and not phased in the slightest by humans with cameras getting close.
The little guy actually flew onto my shoulder, kiddo did get a photo of it but it was very blurry as they were freaking out that there was a bird on Mom. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad it didn't peck me or poop on me!

We also saw a couple of deer in this meadow, but they were too fast for me to get a shot of them.

We headed down to the stream and the kids had a blast puddling about in the water with some sticks!

By now they were getting hungry so we went to Panera for a snack and then onto Barnes and Noble to pick up some books for our trip to Scotland.

8:35 AM - 39 views - 22 eprops - 13 comments - email it

Sunday, May 10, 2009

	Happy Mother's Day Have a wonderful day Mommies!!
	10:54 AM - 16 views - 10 eprops - 6 comments - email it

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Wichita Mountains - Saturday

This trip was all about relaxing and enjoying some me time, right?? It appears someone forgot to tell my bodyclock and I woke up at 5.30AM!! Alice and Chris were still sleeping so I lay in bed until Alice woke up about an hour later.
I made oatmeal and cherry crumble with yogurt for breakfast - healthy huh? Add a couple cups of coffee into to mix and I was ready for the day. There was a very low cloud cover/mist but we were optomistic that there would be no rain.

We headed back to the hike that we didn't get to finish the day before. The mist made for some dramatic photos. It was amazing how many people were out and about compared to the day before when only people we saw were the ones that we helped get back on the trail.

Lots of pretty spring flowers dotted the trails.

I hiked here last fall with the kids and some nice soul pointed us in an easier route that winds up and round the rocky part of Baldy.

The low clouds were starting to lift then suddenly.......

Blue Skies!!!

Can I tell you how happy I was?? I think I maybe even squealed with excitement!

We didn't quite make it to the summit as it got kind of treacherous, but we were more than happy to have gotten up as far as we had.

And we needed to keep our reserves for getting back down again!

Those walking sticks got lots of compliments whilst we were out.

Some photos taken as we were heading back to the car.

We drove to the picnic area at the Northern most part of the refuge. I had never been to this one, it was beautiful. The bathrooms here were an adventure to say the least. No stall doors and very primitive. But I should be thankful there wasn't a young man in the ladies when I went. Alice wasn't quite that fortunate! At least he was the one on the pot and not the other way around.

We found some horses grazing by the turn off to the picnic area. Chris was keen to feed them carrots that we had in our picnic, I wasn't - that was my lunch!!

Photos from the picnic area

The finale to our time in the refuge was to be to drive up the autoroad that goes to the top of Mount Scott. Poor Alice was a nervous wreck on the way up and had her eyes covered. We stopped at sever points on the way up to take photos.

There are lots of cool boulders to explore on the top of Mount Scott and I found this guy sunning himself up there.

By now it was time to make the drive north back to Oklahoma City. There were some severe thunderstorms popping up and I dislike storms as much as Alice dislikes drive up mountain roads!

We decided that we had to round off our trip with a stop for ice cream. As soon as I got a decent signal I found the address of a Braums on my iphone. We found one in Chickasha and boy did that ice cream taste good!

My little people were very happy to see Miss Chris pull up at our house. I think Little Lady shadowed me the rest of the weekend!

It was a wonderful break, lots of laughs and great company. My family missed me but they survived and maybe next time I can go away for longer too!

10:29 PM - 65 views - 24 eprops - 13 comments - email it

Next 5 >>

I can dream

We're back!

A trip to Martin Park

Happy Mother's Day

Wichita Mountains - Saturday