It's been a while since I posted anything...

...but it's been due to a surprise overseas trip I pulled off last week.

I couldn't tell anyone, except those that needed to know, as I needed to make sure I had a place to stay (sister) and that my daughter and granddaughter (son-in-law) would be in town (imagine going all that way only to find that they'd buggered off to Europ for a week, or something as equally disappointing).

I planned the whole thing at the beginning of September, just after the birth of Layla Jane (born 4 hours after my birthday ended due to complications) and had to keep it a secret until now.

That said, I'll write a whole piece on the trip and post some of the hundreds of photos that I took on the trip, sometime this week.

I just thought, for now, I'd better let my only reader know that I'd been away...


Here are some pics to keep you waiting in antici---pation...


The main reason(s) I went over. Mum, dad and granddaughter

The outside temperature, taken from the car, at 10h30 in the morning....-1degC!!

Imagine waking up to fresh snow on your first morning in Scotland....I did...


Some family and friends at one of the numerous get-togethers (piss-ups) we had

Full moon over the Scottish Saltire (flag), flying over the Edinburgh cathedral at the bottom of Princes Street, on my last night "back hame"

Edinburgh Castle lit up in all its glory, with the trees up the hill decked out in fairy lights

Drinking gluhwein in the German Market at the foot of the Castle. Usually I don't touch the stuff, but the stall was called "Fire Punch" so we thought we would give it a go...and I had three mugs

The snow I woke up to on the last morning of my trip...


These photos were all off my cellphone, but I'll post some better quality pics from my DSLR soon...