Munro bagging

Hit the ground running this time .  We flew over together , and after meeting Barbara for breakfast at Edin airport, drove straight to Inverness to meet for the first time 5 week old Anna. What a bundle of joy. Left M with J & J and Anna and the following morning set off to join "Yorkshire" at Arrochar for our annual meet. 

Met Keith at Killin and climbed with him Meall Ghaordaidh.  He drove back to Edin and I went on to the Village Inn,  Arrochar . 3 more great days on the hills followed.

Keith waiting for me in Glen Lochay

The summit of Meall Ghoaordaidh

John Ashworth at start of a long 4 Munro day

Looking to summit of An Casteil

Coming off Munro 4 to clearing skies

With Rod on way up Ben Vane

Truly hefted

August in Aspen

Missing the first 2 weeks of the music festival as we did with that magnificent family holiday in Kiawah,  our summer in Colorado was shorter than usual.

We enjoyed greatly our lodger music student Norman Huynh , a student conductor who has just been appointed associate conductor of the Oregon Symphony in Portland. What a privilege for us. A lot of great concerts and of course the opera scenes masterclasses on saturday mornings was the icing on the cake.

Lots of good mountain biking in September before heading off to see our new grandbaby, Anna, in Inverness in the middle of the month.

The bike in to the start of the hike to Petroleum Lake

Grizzly Reservoir

Anderson lake - weather about to change dramatically before we got to Petroleum lake

Made it - just . Petroleum Lake. Very remote.

This guy was perched on a tree right above our house for most of a day.  Research indicated he was waiting to pounce on  a flock of humming birds that we've been feeding for months !

On her way to her first professional gig. A memorial service in Aspen.

The Buick in trouble.  Don't write her off quite yet though.

Kiawah

The two weeks in Kiawah Is , SC with the family ( sadly without the 8 months pregnant Jane, and Johannes ) - a year in the planning, came and went far too quickly.  A memorable get together combining 4 generations with Granny Eye joining us for a few days  ( Mary's sisters Martha and Janie taking a 3rd house for the 2nd week ). Big, big success.

Day 2 of the Ryans' 2 weeks stay - meeting dear friend Martha for breakfast in Charleston. Bad pic, but all I've got ! 

Meghan with Cormac, Angus and Iona

Cormac and Angus 'help' us to do our early morning beach yoga

Iona and Cormac at first tennis lesson .....

......aided by tennis coach Granny Moon

Iona and Angus

The Oregon contingent arrives - Oli at top of the table flanked by 2 of his Irish cousins

Granny Eye ( 94 ) joins us on the beach and holding her youngest great grandchild Maggie. Meghan and Katy the safety officers

July 4 parade - Duncan with Oli and Maggie in tow

1st game in 3 years for Duncan. An adventurous 18 holes for us both. Dad soundly beaten ....

...despite the distractions. And no, that's not a doll Iona's holding - that's baby Maggie. Oli on Duncan's knee

This guy - a few hundred yards from our house - kept the kids on their best behaviour

The parting of the ways - in 3 directions - at Charleston airport

Scotland

7 days of Munro bagging with golf at Muirfield at each end. Mary meanwhile holding the fort in Snowmass and welcoming our new music student  - Norman Huynh who has just been given a 3 year associate conductor's position at Portland OR - who will stay with us for the 8 week long music festival.  Item of late news - we watched him conduct on July19 the 1st movement of Beethoven's  5th for the ACA orchestra at the tent. Other festival highlights - Puccini's La Boheme at the Wheeler with student leads ( i.e appropriately cast which is invariably not the case in professional performances at the Met, ROH, Glyndbourne ! ) , and some brilliant Mozart and Haydn symphonies at the Tent.

With Jane and Johannes in Inverness in their new house

Jane with '6 weeks to go' and therefore losing my munro companion on this trip

Angus, the ferryman awaiting me at the appointed hour at the east end of Loch Mullardoch on day 1

Easy access - 5 miles up the loch to my starting point for the 4 munros on the north side .

Heading for munro No. 2. No need for compass here

Ditto

Lunch time day 2.  Left car here on road to Lochcarron and biked 6 miles up the glen to the south

The views SW towards Skye from Munros 5 and 6 in the twilight

Emerging from tent following morning - dreich describes it pretty well

Munros 7 and 8 completed, collected tent and bike and back to car

Munros 9, 10, 11, and 12 in Knoydart. Looking west to the last of them Sgurr na Ciche

Profusion - need to know what they are though

Rod i/c barbecued steak - well protected against those pesky midges

Munro 13 - Sgurr Thuilm on a cracker of a morning

A burn to cross on the way

Final pull to summit of Sgurr Thuilm

Top of the world

Looking north back up to Knoydart

Loch Arkaig looking east to the Ben Nevis range

A rare view of Ben Nevisand northern corries

Normal weather service resumed. Munros 14 and 15 in the Mamores

Day 7 and Munro 16 .  Here having car trunk breakfast at the dam at eastern end of Loch Quoich with Gairich back right

Looking back down Loch Quoich from near the summit

Dropped in on good friends Richard and Sheila Evans on way back to Edinburgh . Ewe 95 sheared. Impressive

Job well done

Raemore ( Fife ) looking its usual magnificent self