Wednesday 25.4.2018

Out early, a perfect clear and cool Spring morning, dew still on the grass, geese, yellowhammers, skylarks, peewits, oystercatchers and even a woodpecker tapping away in the middle of the woods. Looks like we got the best of the day which has since got very April: showers, sunshine, showers, sunshine, showers etc etc
Much of this last week or so has been the same. Yesterday it was hail one minute and warm sun the next. Thankfully the daffodils, having bided their time,survived the snow and are at their very best just now

Impossible to believe that only a fortnight ago, to the day, two families gathered for a rather special wedding in a very special place -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Eingvellir

Bobble hats and big coats to the fore, E & G plighted their troth against a backdrop of mountains and rivers


and then it was off for pizza, a traditional Icelandic Wedding Cake (kransakaka marzipan ring cake, originally from Denmark & Norway)

and - of course - a dip in a hot tub (and a swim in a cold lake for those who like that sort of thing.)

Apart from that memorable day the week was taken up with swimming - what swimming! - rambling round Reykjavik,including the graceful stunning cathedral,climbing hills and taking in the landscape, poised for the arrival of Spring....in fact the snipe arrived that very week presaging the change of season.

Once home(and flying in over the Highlands made me realise Scotland is home - as it should be after nearly 30 years here!)

it felt appropriate to beat the bounds of our own little patch:

and check up on some of its residents.

And of course, always important to check that Bennachie is still there so a few days later we did just that.....and glad to say all was right with the world.

Phew...long post....that early morning walk seems a long time ago...time for a preprandial stroll round the boundaries......