Dinosaur Rhubarb

Dinosaur Rhubard is so big, you can imagine dinosaurs eating it.  The plant is taller than me, with each leaf big enough I could wrap up in it, except it's a bit leathery and prickly.

One leaf is huge.

For those of you who would like to look it up.

The plant is much taller than me. 

The sign said to look at the blooms, as they were very weird, so I did.

I do wonder if you could make Rhubarb pie?  One stalk would be enough!

Dunrobin Castle & Gardens

A visit to Dunrobin castle was on our list of things to do this trip.  It's about 50 miles north of Inverness in Sutherlandshire.  The castle has been in the same family for over seven hundred years and is currently owned by Lord Strathnaver, whose mother, the dowager countess still lives there.  As with other places we've visited, no photography is allowed in the house. ( I think the family who owns Chatsworth has the right idea, take as many pictures as you like and share them with everyone, so they will want to come visit us too!)  It really didn't make a lot of sense, as they didn't even have postcards or a guidebook with pictures you could buy. Oh, well.  We took pictures of the exterior and garden instead.  I did take a couple of pictures in the house, but out the window, of the gardens.  I'm a true scofflaw!

The garden has a wall and a roadway between it and the ocean. 

Looking at the garden through an upstairs window.

Since we couldn't take pictures in the house, we took them of the garden.  It was very chilly and windy, being right beside the ocean, but the walls around the garden protected them a bit.

Water Lilies were blooming, even though it was very chilly.

There was a long bank of these blooming to one side; the purple glowed in the sun.

I think of daisies as a summer flower, but here they were blooming like crazy.

Croquet anyone?

The garden is Italianate in design.

Dog Falls, The Second One of the Day

The second falls of the day to visit was Dog.  It had a nice parking area and a restroom complete with composting toilet.  The falls weren't as visible because of their location, so we were able to get pictures in pieces.  It was still an amazing show of nature.

More giant ferns growing on the hillside.

The trail from the parking lot followed the river.

The start of the falls.

Dropping off into a hole that has been rounded smooth by tons of water.

It ends in a large hole where the water is smooth, because the hole is deep.

The bridge to cross over the river downstream from the falls.  If you are feeling energetic, you can hike over the hill and back down to the parking lot, only 2 3/4 miles but rated strenuous and allow 2 hours.  We had to get home to feed the animals.  That's our story and we're sticking to it!

The water is so smooth, it becomes a mirror.

The extreme difference between the falls and where the water enters a deep pool is amazing!  From boiling water to mirror calm in the matter of a few hundred feet.

Pladda, the First Falls of the Day

The Glen Affric division of the Forestry Commission of Scotland has two waterfalls that were easy an hike through "Ancient Caledoian pinewoods within an iconic National Nature Reserve."  They were several miles apart, so we drove to their parking areas before starting our hikes.  We weren't interested in a 12 mile circuit!

We first drove to Plodda Falls, down a forestry road with enormous potholes from the large logging trucks.  It was rough, but not more so than our road at home. It was juggling around the potholes on a one lane road that made for interesting driving.

The trail to Pladda Falls.

Amazing mushrooms!

The ferns are as tall as me!

The lower lookout had these enormous tree roots to maneuver over.  They were also very wet.

The bottom of the falls.

The upper lookout was set over the falls.  It was dizzying looking over at the water falling.  Unfortunately, Blogger won't allow us to post videos.

Looking over the top vista point at the water falling down; makes one dizzy!

Back at the parking lot, a snazzy convertible was parked next to us.  We considered trading, but they hadn't left a key.

With the top down, the wind would have blown my perfectly coiffed hair.  Oops, I must be thinking of someone else.

Baxter and Gringo

Gringo, who were told was shy, didn't take long to warm to us.  He was sitting on my lap the first evening after his owners left.  He knows who fills his food bowl!

Baxter wondering why I'm taking his picture instead of feeding him.

Baxter and Gringo are two mellow cats. Baxter can open the back door, unless it's locked, so he will open the door and both of them will come in.  They are very polite to ask for food and very helpful when I'm trying to fill their bowls.

Shortly after Karen and Barry left, Gringo started throwing up.  We thought it was getting better, but finally with Sarah, the daughter, we decided he needed to be looked at.  The vet thought it might be a food allergy, so now Gringo is on a Royal Canin diet.  Posh cat!  I've tried to only give them what they will eat right now, so they won't come along and finish the others food.  Gringo seems to be feeling better and has even returned to chasing the red dot.

Gringo likes his new food.

Baxter is sure Gringo's food is better.

All of my pictures of the Boys are when they are eating, so I made an effort to get other poses.

Baxter enjoying the keyboard and my petting him.

Gringo near the food, but not eating.

Highland Folk Museum

We have always been fascinated by museums that collect buildings, as well as objects.  The first I can remember seeing with Bill was Greenfield Village in Michigan, where Henry Ford put his buildings collection. Since then, we have visited  every one we have found. So it was a given that the Highland Folk museum would be on our list when we had a non-rainy day.

The Highland Folk museum is divided into four sections: Aultlarie Croft, Balameanach, a traditional village, Pinewoods and Baile Gean, a settlement from the early 1700.  Most of the buildings are originals transported and rebuilt on site.  A very few are new, built from pictures of the times.

Harvested grain and wheat were stored on a wooden platform on these stools.  They allowed for air circulation, while the rounded tops helped keep vermin out of the crops.

Shepard's Bothy surrounded by stone walls. 

A local talking to the tourist.

Steam powered tractor; they have two of them.

The crofters were mainly farmers and shepherds, who worked for the land, paying rent to the landowner.  We've seen several examples of the crofters thanking the landowners for lowering the rents on years when the crops were not good.

A Highland cottage, rebuilt from a 1929 picture.

A Box bed kept one warmer by closing the door. We saw several variations of this style, with this one being the most posh.

The village houses and shops were more substantial in build and style.  There is a school, church, Tweed makers cottage, tailor's shop, blacksmith and Joiner's workshop.

The Clock makers workshop, where he also repaired bicycles.

A home furnished in 1920's style.  

The Tailor's shop,  complete with his hand drawn patterns.

The Joiner's workshop owned by Donald Fraser.  Since I have Frasers in my family tree as well as carpenters, I've claimed him as a relative!

A walk through the pinewoods brought us to sawmill from the Ardverikie Estate.  It was originally powered by water, but is now set up without the power.

It's not a real person, though I had to look twice to be sure.

Baile Gean is a 1700's township which has been excavated and moved to this site.  The houses were, we thought, very primitive by comparison to others we have seen.  It made us realize why people were maybe more willing to take a chance in the assorted British colonies, even if one had to become indentured to make it there.  Seven years service with a chance to then be your own boss, as opposed to staying here and working for someone else forever.

An upper middle class house; only 25 extended family members would live here, as well as the cows on one side during the winter.  The box beds in this house slept 5, so no rolling over allowed!

The smaller the house, the poorer the people.

A docent in the largest house, where a fire was always kept going, meaning the  people always were breathing in smoke.  No wonder they died young as a rule.

Smoke would come through the roof, as there was no chimney.

The interior walls of some of the houses was wattle and daub, which would keep some of the cold out.  There was no lighting, except for the doorway and the fire.  This small room had a window which opened onto the entry area. All the floors were dirt.

Lexie the Spaniel

When we are asked to house sit, it usually means there are animals involved.  Someone has to keep then fed and happy while their owners are on holiday!  Here in Inverness, we are sharing the house with Lexie, a spaniel, as well as two cats, but they will have their own post.

Lexie telling me it's tea time. 

She sits on the end of the sofa looking out the window.  When you talk to her, she smiles.

Lexie won't look at the camera while we are walking.

While Lexie loves to walk, she is also extremely dog reactive.  Since it seems that everyone in Inverness owns at least one dog, we walk in the late evenings when there aren't as many people walking their dogs.  So far, she has taken me on four different routes around our neighborhood.  I'm sure there are more I will see in the next 3 weeks.