Lichen Tree! Not.

OK I know it's actually a fairly unremarkable hawthorn with lots of lichen on it, but it's a fairly spectatular covering as there was on the silver birches in my extra too. The grounds around mum's flats are beautiful, lots of natural woodland teeming with red squirrels - or so they tell me. Personally I think they are teeming with imaginary red squirrels but who am I to argue, lol.
Slept fairly well again last night apart from a couple of nasty bouts of cramp around 4am! It's hard jumping around in the dark in a room you're not very familiar with. Fortunately I had my trusty bed socks with me so disaster was averted. Ouch though!
We spent a couple of hours at mum's today after lunch in a nearby cafe. On our way back after lunch we passed the lodge house and she mentioned she'd gone along to a board games club there. It was run for the residents of the retirement village she lives in. I asked how she got on and she said with disgust that she was bored rigid. On asking why she said they were all so slow and spent hours finding 3 letter words to put into scrabble. She and Colin played a game when we got back to her flat, she scored 287 to his 323. Clearly both of her marbles are still working effectively!
I drove down about 3pm, snow was theatened in the early evening so we wanted to leave ahead of that and in daylight. It's got a lot colder today, but there was some lovely bright sunshine, in the morning especially.
The road over the Cairn o Mount was completely clear so a good drive over with beautiful views. From Banchory it saves such a lot of time and miles being able to use that road, you've just got to be sensible though.
We picked Cleo up just after 5pm, she was pleased to see us I think. Nice to be home again, comfortable though the hotel was, and able to sleep in my own bed tonight.