SPIDER ATTACK

In response to Aussie watt's 'SNAKE ATTACK' blog entry http://aussiewatt.blogspot.com/2007/09/snake-attack.html , look what dropped down to see me today whilst I was out washing the windows.

Extension - Site preparation

As some of you already know we have been planning to build an extension out the back of our house for a while now, and finally its about to happen, the builders start in a few weeks. So this weekend I spent preparing the back for the builders arriving, lifting slabs and knocking down the steps at the back door.

I'll keep you posted at key stages as the build progresses, certainly we will find the blogs a good diary of this important project for us.

All we can show of the finished article just now is some of the original plans that we had drawn up last year. The finalised plans are basically the same, only difference is that we decided on an extra 1/2 metre wider and deeper.

The back garden earlier this year.

The back garden tonight following my weekend of destruction.

Jackie and I also went to a 'Bring a party to a party' night on Saturday at the Thistle in Altens with some Rosehearty friends, David & Linda, Karen & Duncan and Vicky & Robbie. Linda keeps an eye out for these sort of nights, and at £18.50 a head for meal, entertainment and bed & breakfast you can't go wrong. Great company, great night out.

Techfest

Today we went to the Aberdeen beach ballroom for a family activity day as part of Techfest, which is an annual festival of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It was very much hands on with lots to do. There were some good shows also. We went into a cosmic dome and learned about the various constellations which was very interesting for both kids and adults, and also watched Professor Brainstorm do some experiments using air in his air-mazing show. J loved the home made spud gun experiment.

B and J's challenge was to build a structure out of knex capable of holding a table top. J had to wear a hard hat for the load test.

The teddy bear hospital was B's favourite part where her teddy was diagnosed with a broken paw and bandaged up. J's teddy had a cut knee after falling off the climbing frame.


In the ancient technology section they drilled wood and made a pendant using traditional tools of that era.

Amongst other things they made a mini composter using a plastic bottle, learned about dolphins in the dolphin discovery workshop, and spent ages in the puzzle section solving all of the various challenges.

The MacDonald Brothers

Last night a group of us from Kintore headed off to the Fraserburgh Leisure Centre to see the MacDonald Brothers. Luckily for us Auntie Sn and Uncle D got us all front row seats. It was a great night and the kids loved it.

B and her friends C and K. K is a big MacDonald Brothers fan.

Our neighbours S and R with J and L.

Girls on the front row now up dancing for the second half. You can also spot C's brother on the end of the row. He is a huge fan also but reluctant to dance with the girls.

Auntie S also organised notebooks for B, J and L, which she got Craig and Brian to sign. A nice keepsake from their first pop concert.

Back to School

Back to school today for B and J. B starting primary five and J primary two.


I can't believe the holidays are over, I'm still waiting on the summer to start and already the nicht's are fair drawin in. Maybe September will bring a heat wave?

Dad's 60th

Dad's 60th Birthday Party in Rosehearty kicked off early evening with a chinese buffet and some drinks, excellent! It saw the usual suspects, except of course M, D, C and K who sent their love from Australia via e-mail with a photo from their very own party. Visit their blog on http://aussiewatt.blogspot.com/ to see M dressed up as Granda.

A party is never complete without a Costco cake. Granda was contemplating if he could manage it all in one sitting.

V was telling us a story about a recent visit to the Leisure Centre for a meal where one of her company was rude to the waitress and V said 'I could have took her by the juggernaut!' The room errupted and the joke carried throughout the evening.

The kids loved the party and were very good, you wouldn't have known they were there. They had their own party in the front room

Uncle G could have been done with a zimmer at the end of the night, he was pretty rubbered.

School Holidays

Sorry there haven't been any blog entries lately, we've been in between computers but are now back online.

The school holidays started a couple of weeks ago. The first couple of days were beautiful sunshine, and I remember reminiscing about long days playing outside without a care in the world, and it was great to see B and J out in the cul-de-sac doing exactly that, from morning to late evening, only coming in for food, juice and an occasionally nose blow when the green no.11 was sufficiently formed and laced with muck.

The weather then deteriorated and has been dry spells in between rain ever since, more like a scottish November than July, so there has been a lot of scratching around the house getting under Mums feet.

In the first week Mum, B and J went to Grandma and Granda's for a few days. They always have fun there, I've attached a couple of photos of them plating swingball in the garden.

While they were away I was working on my golf swing at the driving range, and then ditched work on the Friday afternoon for a round at Ellon. Ace!

After a quiet weekend Granny, Granda and L came to Kintore for a visit.

We went to Deep sea world in Edinburgh one day. J and B didn't care much for the pirrhanas.

Tail end of the week was a highlight for me, I managed to get corporate hospitality tickets for the Open at Carnoustie. It was a brilliant day, roaming the course seeing how golf should be played, although Tiger did hit a duffer off the first, and had to tee off again for three. Also there was the free bar, 4-course lunch and all the other little perks that go with these sort of days. Lord and Lady Fraser were amongst Total's guests. He can fairly knock back the whiskeys! I was in good company.