John.

Today was an interesting one for several reasons.

I started out by trying to see if the yeast was still active. It was so I decided that I might as well do something with it. A bit later I was sitting with a bowl of olliebollens (Dutch apple and apricot doughnutty kind of things). I'm not sure that I got it right. The temperature of the oil seems to be fairly critical, but to cook them fast enough so that they don't get all greasy, you run the risk of burning the outside in order to cook the inside. Am guessing that the size and consistency of the dough is also important, but the book doesn't say anything about that. They still tasted good but they were a bit heavier than I would have liked. Will just have to try again. Any hints out there?

While all that was going on I finished off the administrative stuff to send to Historic Scotland for the son's memorial bench. It should have been done a long time ago but well.... I guess I just didn't want to go there, I didn't want it to be finalised and more importantly, I didn't want to mess it up. It's done now though and all I've got to do is wait until I see if I get permission. If I do the bench will be going up near this Pictish stone. The site has amazing views over the Strathmore valley and he would have loved the idea. I hope Hist Scot approve too.

All finished up and I went out to post the letters and I headed out for a walk around the railway line. It was hot. I took it slow and punctuated the trip with a seat at one of the benches which is already in place. I ate a couple of the doughnuts that had mistakenly made their way into my bag while I watched a buzzard soaring on the thermals over the fields. Not too shabby at all.

Having walked for an hour and a half and not seen another living soul, my attempt to take a photo of someone, anyone, just so long as they were a person and didn't live in my house seemed likely to fail. However on the way back through the village I met a couple of people who were happy to talk about weather. They agreed that it was far too hot and that we are never happy. All the time I was plucking up the courage to do something that I never do... ask if I could take a photo for blip.

Yesterday Instography suggested that I should take pictures of strangers to try and put a spark back in the picture taking thing, but it's a small village. I don't think I would class anyone here as a stranger so I thought I would start with people that I do know quite well.

This is John. He was at school with my kids and he now works in the local butcher's.

"A couple of bits of chicken, some silverside, a pound of your own back, half a dozen eggs... oh and a photo please?"

"No problem."

It all came with a smile too. Ta John.