Ceremonial swords

What a wonderful day!

This morning I met up with my son and daughter-in-law who are over briefly from the States for a wedding and had been staying with friends en route to me. I hadn't seen them since they left in April and so thoroughly enjoyed the enormous bear hugs they both gave me. They had so much luggage to put into my car, but it all fitted thanks to the fact that I had the sense to leave the dogs in kennels. There was a bridesmaid's dress, RAF Number One's, full evening kilt outfit, 8 ceremonial swords in an enormous hard case plus the normal luggage which you carry with you when travelling home from abroad.

The weather was not at all kind as it rained for much of the two hour journey but to be honest, as we spent all the time chatting and catching up it didn't matter at all. The wedding is to be at Beauly, apparently so named because when Mary Queen of Scots stayed in the village in the 16th century she fell in love with it and said "C'est un beau lieu", from the French what a beautiful place.. There are to be three bridesmaids and 8 young RAF officers, mostly pilots, dressed in their Number One uniforms who will form the Guard of Honour standing in 2 lines to make a tunnel with their ceremonial swords held high as a roof over the bride and groom as they leave the church. The swords are quite magnificent, shiny and very sharp with inscriptions all along the blades.

My son and his wife were looking remarkably fresh despite the fact that their feet hadn't really touched the ground since they arrived in the UK on Friday and they had already packed in the stag and hen celebrations over the week-end. My son is Best Man so still has a bit to do before the event on Saturday, so I came away home after enjoying lunch with them and the friends with whom they will be staying. I just hope they can catch up on some sleep before Saturday - but they are young!

Asd I drove home the hills at the side of the road loomed huge and black against the darkening sky. During the day it is a very picturesque road but at night can be dangerous as it moves from single to dual carriageway frequently for about 100 miles. Safely home now though and an early night for me as I had been much too excited to sleep well last night!