A trip up memory lane!!

Today C and I went on a trip down up memory lane.

At the head of our glen is an estate that we love very much. It holds many happy memories for all of us. A long time ago before my children were born and before I met my husband I used to escape there every weekend that I was not on call. The shepherd and his wife who lived there sort of took me under their wings and treated me like a daughter. That's half the reason that we settled where we did.Their son also lived there and was the deer stalker.

As I had children they were like grandparents to them. Today C and I went back to the estate and remembered.....rolling easter eggs down the hill.....sitting in the river on hot days.....going to feed turnips to the deer......helping to clean the holiday house....trips up at halloween..... visits to tell about first days at school.....feeding lambs.... sleeping in a cupboard..... happy visits full of enjoyment and love.

As a newly qualified vet I have memories too......blood testing cattle on a day so hot that when I drank cold water I nearly fainted......treating a very sick cow for staggers (magnesium deficiency) and watching her miraculously recover before our eyes.... calvings..... lambings.....the sheep dog who fell over a cliff and survived to "tell the tale" and allow us all to meet in the first place!!

This is a picture of C sitting on the "dummy" deer that shooting guests have to be able to "kill" successfully before they are allowed loose on real ones.

It was made extra special by seeing a herd of live deer on the hill as we left.

All those people are gone now but the happy memories live on.

The weather was atrocious (it's sleeting now!!) and the tea and mince pies in the car before leaving were a genius move on my part!!

20 days to go!!