Callum Erin and Swans

My two eldest grandchildren have been helping me get back on my feet after my operation.(Well actually it's been their mother doing all the work,but they have kept me entertained)
Here's a few of the places they took me.Luckily i've a small collection of walking sticks,i must've known the day would come i'd need them.

Callum at the top with one of his creations on Lego Digital Designer.I think he's given this the name of H.S.S.Devastator 1V.
Erins self portrait isn't really showing her with a black eye.She's explained that the pen was running out of ink,so she was trying to get it going again.Love the picture though.

This pair of swans have taken up residence on Blairmount Pond,hopefully they'll start nesting.

Wigtown Overview

A view taken on Wenesday the 18th of February 2009.Taken from the Martyr's Monument overlooking Wigtown in the Machars,Dumfries and Galloway,Scotland.

Panorama of Wigtown Overview on CleVR.com

My Depressive Lumber Laminectomy at the Western General

The blog is on a go slow at the moment.
This blog author is convalescing from a recent visit to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.
I've had a back problem for many a year,and every visit to my doctor or an orthopaedic consultant was always with the same stock answer.'General wear and tear and ageing.
Late in 2008 my consultant sent me to Dumfries for an MRI scan.
This is a rough picture of the result.

After my MRI scan,the radiologist seemed somewhat surprised,that given my back problem history i'd never had a myelogram on my spine.

Late in 2008 i attended an appointment at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh to see Mr Biodun Ogungbo,a neurosurgeon.
Mr Ogungbo was very clear in his explanation of my problem,and of an operation to rectify the depressed neural cord.I agreed to have the operation,and was told it could be March or April 2009.

It was a bit of a surprise when the call came early.So i headed off on the bus to Glenrothes in Fife.My very kind aunt was to take me in on the 12th of February 2009.
Thursday morning came and after ringing the hospital to ensure a bed was available,we set off.
My other more elderly aunt accompanied us.It was snowing heavy as we headed across the Forth Road bridge.


It's 10'oclock and i'm in the day room of ward 32,awaiting my bed.
I'm still in the day room at 2 o'clock,i'm well into the book i've started and my bed's still not free.At about half past i'm called for.I'm escorted to ward 31 there's a bed going to be available there,but i've to wait in this wards day room till it's ready.
I continue reading until 5 pm when my bed is ready.

Luckily i haven't missed meal times,and generally the hospitals food is very good.
I've had some contact with some of my fellow patients in the day room,and a right mixed bunch they are too.

Without going into detail of the conversations and antics of my bedfellows,i've learned lots about hard drugs,most of Britains prisons,and how easy it is to remove a catheter if you want to mess the bed.I thought i'd stumbled into a victorian asylum.But i'm being a bit harsh,they weren't all like that.

Time i think to mention the staff.All the nursing staff were brilliant,and it's possible that one of the staff nurses is a distant relative of mine.Considering the antics of some of the patients,they really are angels.They must have the patience of Job.
Later that first evening i was visited by the beautiful Dr Brown,the first of my two anaesthetists.She had a standard number of questions to ensure all was well for the following morning.

Night time came.The day shift were long gone home,and Yvonne the night staff nurse had taken charge.I now had to fast until after my operation.I was allowed to drink water though.
My room mates were still discussing Wormwood Scrubs as i went to sleep.

It's Friday the 13th of February 2009.Breakfast arrives in the ward just after 8 am.None for me of course.
At 8.40 i'm put onto a hospital trolley,a hospital porter and a nurse wheel me to the Pre Op room...

...where my team await me.

I'm a top priority patient,hence the first in the theatre today.
The beautiful Dr Brown's here,and i meet my other equally beautiful anaethesist Dr Irons.Surely this is a hollywood movie set,not an Edinburgh hospital.
Tricia and Laurie are also present,although i'm not entirely sure of their roles,but everyone's so young.

Now the lovely Doctors Brown and Irons are giving me their full attention as i ask them the time to record it for this blog.It's 8.50 am.
As tubes were inserted into the cannula on the back of my left hand,Doctor Irons asked whether i was ready to go to sleep now.
Wide awake,i replied in the affirmative...


...Next thing i remember is waking up back on the ward,feeling pretty rough...

...but I soon picked up once the lovely nursing staff attended me.
I'm in a different room on the ward now.Just opposite the nurses station so i get to observe all the comings and goings.
I was on oxygen,painkillers and an anti bacterial drip for the rest of the day.
As well as the excellent nursing staff,i was once again visited by the lovely Doctor Brown,and late in the day by my surgeon Mr Ogungbo.
He was really pleased at how well my operation had gone and gave the go-ahead for my release the next day.
A fairly quiet night followed by a few interesting going ons the following day,saw my aunt collecting me about 3 pm.
After a quiet couple of days in Glenrothes,i'm convalescing back in Galloway.

This negative shows my healing scar.

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Aldouran Glen-Lochnaw

It's Saturday the 7th of February 2009,todays walk takes us through Aldouran Glen and round Lochnaw Castle.
Twenty eight walkers young and old rendezvouz at Leswalt village hall.

Heading in a westerly direction out the village,Aldouran Wetland Garden is our first point of interest.A pair of swans are in residence,and the local community are hoping they'll be nesting.
They have a lovely website here
aldouran-community-garden

Now we head up through the glen.Aldouran comes from the Gaelic and means Glen of the Otters.I doubt there's enough water in the burn nowadays.
Aldouran Glen Wood, owned and managed by the Woodland Trust Scotland, is one of only a handful of "Ancient semi natural woods" left on the Rhins peninsula.

Our walk leader assures us that this is the only climbing on todays walk.We'll see ?

A break at the top of the glen to catch our breath,and to say hello to those we haven't seen for a while.

This friendly looking creature was pleased to have our company for a minute.

Still heading in a westerly direction.There's no great hurry today.

Now we're heading alongside Lochnaw Loch.That sounds funny to me,you'd think it would have been Loch Naw wouldn't you.

Now as we reach Lochnaw Castle,we see a summer house on it's last legs,whereas in the back courtyard restoration work in progress.

The ancestral seat of the Agnews, one-time hereditary sheriffs of Galloway, Lochnaw Castle is situated by Lochnaw Loch in the Rhins of Galloway, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Stranraer. The original four-story tower-house dates from the 16th century and was extended both in the 17th and 18th centuries. However the 18th-century extension, together with a Victorian mansion which was built adjacent, have been demolished. Ruins of an older castle, destroyed in 1390, stand on a small islet in the loch.

There's a ton of stuff on the internet about Lochnaw and the Agnews,some of it stretches the imagination a little.A fairly comprehensive account can be found in the book 'My Granny Made Me an Anarchist' by Stuart Christie.There's a preview here
'My Granny Made Me an Anarchist'

It looks like a good read,i'll have to try and get a copy.

Now here at the Home Farm Riding School we turn north...

...till we reach Drummullin Wood.Here we take a break at the once productive but now bare walled garden.

Back alongside Loch Naw now...

...this is where we'll lunch.It's warmed up nicely with the sun.Ice breaking and stone skimming occupied the youngsters (and a few of us oldies)

Time to head off again.Lots of brambles to contend with on this part of the walk.

Once out of the undergrowth,it's road and farm track till we're back at Glenhead.

Now Loch Ryan comes into view.We're directly opposite the P & O ferry terminal at Cairnryan.

Reaching a T junction we turn left towards our next objective up Kirkland Hill.
I've always connected the word 'Hill' with the word 'Climb',but i must be wrong-our illustrious leader told us we'd done our only climbing.One of our senior ramblers did mention 'Electric Brae'.Here on Wikipedia is an explanation.
Electric Brae

The Tor of Craigoch once housed an iron age hillfort.Now it's a monument to Sir Andrew Agnew...

...as this locally produced granite plaque explains.

I remember coming up here last spring.The mud clung to my boots making them feel like lead weights on my feet.The frost today has made it easier.

To the north is a picture postcard view of the top of Ailsa Craig,and the snow capped hills of Arran.

We bide a while to enjoy the views and identify different landmarks.

Now we set of on the last leg...
...with Leswalt in the foreground and Stranraer at the head of Loch Ryan.

It's all downhill back into picturesque and historic Leswalt,and we're soon back at our departure point.Today walk has been very pleasant and fairly easy,despite the no climbing hills.

A winters day in Cheltenham

Some lovely seasonal pictures from one of my daughters in Cheltenham.
Pictures taken on the 4th of February 2009 on Leckhampton Hill above Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.

Galloway Hills Panorama from Knockbrex

We've not had a lot of snow here in south west Scotland,but what we have had certainly makes for very scenic views.These hilltops could well have more snow on them tomorrow,it's forecast for tonight.

Panorama of Galloway Hills from Knockbrex on CleVR.com

And here's the usual squashed version!