Back in Aspen late November 07

We flew to Newark ( via Frankfurt - never again ), and drove up to see Duncan & Katy at Ithaca , northern NY state. Enjoyed some good walking, cycling, eating and drinking with them for 3 days and lovely to see them. We returned to Newark via Croton - on - Hudson where Carolyn Lamb (an ex Dunfermline HS teaching colleague of Mary's) and her delightful family live spending one night with them. Back to Aspen just before Thanksgiving to find it starting to snow an hour after we arrived . Didn't stop M though getting out on her mountain bike not hugely successful ! We still need a lot more snow though. Straight into Aspen Ski Co work for M ( see smart new uniforms) and bus driver training for me for Snowmass Village ( see bus on Owl Creek Road ). Thankfully passed 2nd and final part of CDL test ( pretty nerve racking ) and now have full CDL licence. Start in earnest for full time seasonal job in 2 days time - 2 days and 3 evenings (3 till 11). Plenty of time for powder days hopefully. Thanksgiving dinner with Mike & Gigi Potter our neighbours who kindly looked after Meadow Ranch for us while we were away - see turkey cooked on rotating spit - quite delicious and with every trimming you could imagine. A happy time is Thanksgiving over here and goodness what a lot we had/have to be thankful for .

Oct & Nov in UK

The remainder of our 2007 UK stay passed far too quickly. We had a brilliant 3 days at Howtown in the Lake district with Meghan & Jane (see photo at top of Hallam Fell of site of resting place of GSR and NMR ashes) following Richard Coleman's 50th birthday weekend at Crieff (see photo at top of Ben Chonzie , one of Scotland's lower Munros - thanks to Keith Griffiths for pointing out that it is not the lowest - i.e. mountains over 3,000 ft) , a 5 day golf tour at Sandwich , Beaconsfield, Harrowgate and Hexham (see photo of Jean & Chris at their golf club there ), the RTO concert at Cadogan Hall ( you can search on BBC Radio 4 website under The Really Terrible Orchestra and get Sandy's Today programme interview with Jim Naughtie and/or search under Channnel 4 News - again under The Really Terrible Orchestra and get the video clip , with terrible music included , of our rehearsal just before the concert ), a visit to Jeremy Coleman at Cambridge, and then a last few days in Edinburgh ( remembering a particulrly good dinner out with Barbara and Bill, & Jane and Johannes ) and in Braemar (see photo of John & Jane Butters in the Mearns - Lewis Grassick Gibbons country in Aberdeenshire). All in all , a huge success and a very special visit ` back home ` to see Meghan and Jane , family and friends.