So the end is nigh, we’ve polished the animals and fed and walked…

Pre-dinner drinks and crisps on the patio at our Arbroath housesit

So the end is nigh, we’ve polished the animals and fed and walked the house, or something... the family have done most of the journey back from the US and are currently at Heathrow, waiting for their 20.00 ish flight to Edinburgh. We are finishing as we started with a night in the van, on the drive. All the animals have again been in the van, Oscar has taken a real shine to it. We’ll have to carefully check for stowaways tomorrow!

A baby blue tit (?) resting on the balcony. It eventually flew away

The van is chipper, we’ve cleaned inside and out, we’ve sterilised the water system and filled the tank, put all our clothes in the bedroom, filled the fridge, but not the freezer, must do that! Fitted a TV/DVD player that we bought in case we had to watch a football match tomorrow, though obviously that need has gone away! The only thing bugging me is a ? on the control panel by the % of leisure battery fullness. 

Oscar asleep in a cast off box in the hall

It appears after the van has been on charge for a period of time, but the only helpful comment about it on the Facebook page I have questioned is that after maybe 48 hours the panel will know the capacity of the batteries if they are new? Hmmm, by the time we leave tomorrow then. I’ve had lots of really helpful advice about batteries though, and with our solar panel and the fact that we don’t actually use much electricity when wild camping (the fridge and water heater at this point run off gas) only lights and iPad chargers and the new TV we should be fine for ages, I would just hate our first real test to be when skiing!

The start of our double Munro day. Left of centre in the distance is the second one, Creag Leacach

Approaching the first top Meall Odhar with the ski lifts of Glenshee

We’ve done another couple of Munro's, (Start: 56 deg 051'52.722"N 2deg 024'47.2"W) on what was forecast to be the first wet day, though as it turned out it was wet here, but not where we were, so that was ok. Know it was wet as Angus had a muddy tummy when we got home. They were obviously not very popular Munro’s though as the path was not the best, fortunately there was no danger of losing our way. We were overtaken at the first summit by a guy on a mountain bike which was a bit depressing though apparently he did have to carry it to begin with, that made me feel better!

On top of the first Munro, Glas Maol (1068m)

Here's the mountain biker we met on the summit

We’ve walked the cliff path on the lookout for dolphins, but they weren’t playing, the gulls were still hatch and smelling however! A lovely gentle walk.

I even sat in the same room as a football match, though I can’t say I really watched it!

Sounds like we haven’t done much, but have walked miles to the van, round the van, even the dog is exhausted as he’s done many of those journeys too! We are not planning on going far tomorrow, maybe just the seafront for a free night, looking at the sea, with a fresh Arbroath Smokie and a glass of chilled white wine....

And there he goes in the distance, camera on full zoom at this point

We saw lots of Ptarmigans with very little of their white winter plumage left. Took this myself with my new camera - good hey?

Here we are on the second Munro, Creag Leacach (987m). Behind is the first one we did

On the way down you can see the A93 on the left snaking up to the Glenshee ski resort that's at the top on the col. The mountain on the left is The Cairnwell (ski toured up that one winter many years ago), the highest point right of centre is our first Munro, Glas Maol and, just to the left, the top of Meall Odhar 

Seabirds with their young nesting on a narrow ledge above a sheer drop to rocks far below. Just one chance to fly!

The interesting coast at Arbroath

We've climbed on some of these cliffs in the past

Lunch at Arbroath harbour. Seagulls were eyeing it up, but the sign told us we couldn't feed him

Oscar cat making himself comfy in our motorhome

Angus dog chilling out in the lounge while we watched TV

Hector cat chilling out on Jackies lap

This hippopotamus is in the front garden of one of the houses on the Letham Grange golf course that we pass on our nightly walk with Angus dog

Oscar cat asleep on Brian's arm one morning

And here he is in the front of our motorhome

And on our bed looking through the window. We'll have to check for stowaways when we leave tomorrow!

Housesitting in Arbroath & motorhome tinkering

The last week has flown by, and what have we to show for it? More pottering on the van, we’ve found our hidey hole, for the iPad, passports etc, bought the wheel clamp, cleaned and bought new bedding, well sheet and mattress protector. Just when we thought we’d got most things sorted on our first night, I went to make the bed, at least that’ll be easy, but no, even that was a problem. The bed is the same width as a standard double, but slightly longer, so the fitted sheet didn’t! I’ll just have to split it up the seam then, so new flat sheets and a new mattress protector that fits now I’ve ‘doctored’ it!

Ready to tackle the crab

Saturday we again walked Angus in the woods, we all appreciate the cover, before going to a Saturday market in Arbroath. I couldn’t even summon up the energy to roast the chicken we had, and planned on grabbing a pizza, so how did I get talked into buying a crab? Boiled but not dressed. It only took me an hour of cracking, prodding and poking to extract all the meat! It was worth it though, you get twice as much white meat when you do it yourself, but did make our chilli crab linguine a little more labour intensive than when I just used to buy a dressed crab from the fish market!

Keptie water tower and park, Arbroath

We collected my bike from the ‘doctors’ on Saturday too, after B had persuaded him to have another look at the back brake, so Sunday I was persuaded into “a little test ride” 10 minutes I said, we were out two plus hours..... at least it was all pretty flat. We had made it along the disused railway line and through the park and were just looking at the phone to work our way through the streets when a man on a bike shouted if we were ok? I said yes, just not sure quite where we were, and he stopped saying I never cycle past cyclists, even if they say they are ok. 

Ice cream on the beach with Haar fog rolling in

He was a lovely man, pointed us at the war memorial that Colin had mentioned, but far more importantly told me where the good ice cream shop was, on the seafront. Obviously my energy needed a boost to come home. I was allowed a day off the following day as he tinkered with the bikes. 

Mountain bike with shopping basket!

We’d thought we’d get panniers to put a little food shoppers in, without quite working through how you fit a rack to a full suspension bike, plan B a basket on the front, mine will obviously have to be modified to make it cat friendly, but B has tested his, the baguette even got home in one piece! My bottom bone knew it had only recently been on a cycle though. Gel seat perhaps?

Hector has been on really good form, even running down the stairs when we got back one day, to pin me to the floor lying on my chest and purring. Just as well it was before Angus got back from Doggy Daycare as this is just what ‘Mr. Jealous dog’ is afraid of when a cat comes too close! He would love to know he’d been right all along, those pesky cats just can’t be trusted!

Oscar also has been at the top of his game, not interested in B or a sachet first thing one morning, he was much more interested in what was behind the wicker basket in the hall, so after evicting him I rescued the baby bunny which seemed completely unharmed and put it under the hedge!

Hector chilling out

A trip to Dundee yesterday, via the caravan shop to buy a wheel lock, was very pleasant, there is some really interesting architecture in Dundee, and as well as everywhere looking better in the sunshine it was graduation day at the university, so there were lots of beautifully dressed proud parents and relieved students wandering around, all making for a great atmosphere. One of the many purchases we have made this week is a new camera, he wanted to be able to zoom in on things, so there will now be lots of close ups, till he gets bored, or drops it!

Hector checking out our motorhome

Hector pinning Jackie to the floor

As for the rest of today? I have to decide whether to boil the haggis for an hour, or microwave it for 6 minutes, seems like cheating, but research says it perfectly acceptable, and then whether fizz for Fizz Friday will go with haggis? Life’s hard! I am at least happy that we have the right accompaniments for the haggis: tatties and neeps, but the perennial question of what is ‘neeps’ followed us round the shop yesterday. Yes, it’s turnips, but is it turnips as we know them? The decision was made, they didn’t have any small round white turnips, but they did have big orange swede, which I need for the boiled gammon tomorrow anyway. Finally on going through the reduced section I discovered a packet of mashed turnip, it was orange, and it had pictures of swede on it.......!

Desperate Dan, Dawg and Minnie the Minx statues in Dundee

Jackie with the Dundee penguins

A rare photo of all three animals in the same room. Angus (L), Oscar (C), Hector (R)

A sleepy Angus dog

Oscar cat

A very big Oscar cat on the bed

Angus, in no hurry to get out of the car after his walk, was joined by Oscar

Trying out the rope swing in the woods during Angus' walk

Evening walk in the golf course with Oscar cat and Angus dog

Enjoying our 10:00pm walk with Angus in the local golf course

Sleeping ducklings with a very alert mum duck on one of the greens in the golf course

Jackie gets the undivided attention of Angus and Oscar while handing out the chicken

Got a panorama feature on the new camera, this is the view from the lounge (on the first floor)

Think there may be a wasps nest in the roof. Good zoom feature eh?

What about this for a shot! A buzzard just taking off from the lawn

Here he is sitting high up in a tree. I love the zoom feature on my new camera!