A Photo...and More Words...

Matthew, landscaper extraordinaire, has a son named Tucker.  One day during the summer, Matthew brought him to the house.  I showed him the pumpkins--which were small and green at the time.  When the first one got big and orange, before all the others, I thought of Tucker.  Matthew had to come over for some replacement planting a few weeks ago, so when he was finished, we cut Tucker's Pumpkin from the vine.

I got this in an email from Matthew last night...

How cute is that..??  Not just Tucker, but the pumpkin, too.

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Here's the next installment in the travel journal.  This one is pretty short, though the one tomorrow will be much longer as it comprises two days combined.  In any case, here's Wednesday, my first full day in Edinburgh...

6:20pm Wednesday, Oct 12

Hard Rock Cafe.  Edinburgh.

Flight over wasn't bad.  6 hrs.  Arrived early--7:30am.  Longer wait for the luggage it seemed.  45 min. cab ride to the George Hotel thru rush hour traffic, but had great cabbie.  We had a nice talk about all the goings-on in Edin since I left.  Felt like I'd never been gone.  The only unsettling defect to the experience was not driving home to Cramond.

Hotel room is good.  Tucked away in a confusing, though very quiet and private section of the hotel.  I like the coziness, but it's a bit off the beaten track and will probably change rooms tomorrow.

Morag arrived shortly after I began unpacking.  She looks good, though is using her cane and had a hard time navigating the stairs.  Another reason to change rooms.  We talked for ages, then I called Jack/Alice to let them know I'd arrived.  Turns out they'd been waiting downstairs for nearly an hour!!  The four of us sat in the lobby, had coffee and talked.  It was beyond wonderful to see them.  It felt so natural and normal to be "home."

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8:15pm Tempus Bar

George Hotel

Had a short nap, then walked around town for a bit before ending up across from the hotel at the Hard Rock Cafe.  It was quiet--for a change--and I had a great dinner of chicken and chips, with a Corona beer.  I bought a new zip-up-the-front Hard Rock sweatshirt as my old one is getting a bit tattered, then went back to the George and into the Tempus bar.

Things are all changed now; it's not in any way like it was when Alan and I had our wedding reception here.  I was envisioning the old quiet, elegant bar that I remembered as I sipped a Dalwhinnie, but instead it's now a 30-something, blaring music, too loud to talk restaurant/bar situation.  Disappointing, but the Dalwhinnie tasted just as good!!

Had a nice conversation with an English gent who's been posted to Edin by his employer for several months to work.  We talked books vs Kindle (he had a book, I had my Kindle).

I miss Alan.