HARRIET IN THE GARDEN

Harriet is now 14 months and has suddenly gone from a baby to a toddler.   Now that she is walking, she wants to be climbing and exploring.

The ingénue look.

 Exploring in the garden.

She is starting to make words and we reckon one of her first ones is going to be "Easy Jet", the name of an airline which passes overhead en route to Glasgow Airport.

We spent all afternoon together today. After time spent in the village of Milngavie (where she charmed all the little old lades with her blue eyes and winsome smile) we returned home for much needed sustenance!

Oops ... have to watch her all the time now as she is into everything!

INDY IS 3 YEARS OLD

It's Indy's birthday today.  He is 3 years old.  We spoke to him and to Alastair before he left for work.  

Here is Indy on Skype this morning.

The family  have moved to Portland, Oregon where Alastair has a new job.  Indy starts at Pre-school Nursery today.  He continues to have good health other than the occasional bug that he picks up, like every other child, at Nursery School.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES 6: THE PARTY'S OVER

It's back to auld clathes and porridge now that the Games are over.  Everyone agrees that is has been fun and a real shot in the arm for the city.

Maggie, who was a volunteer for the 10 days is now putting her feet up - happy but exhausted!

I went over to her house this morning to hear all her stories of meeting and greeting folk.  She gave me a wee present: a traffic cone from our local Lidl store.  Now this cone is similar to the one that sits on the head of the Duke of Wellington as he sits on his horse outside the Gallery of Modern Art in the city centre.

This is my photo of him taken about 5 years ago.

I don't have a small-sized statue of the Duke of Wellington to put it on so I did the next best thing: I be-hatted the IKEA monkey that always sits inside our front door.

This monkey called Hunka Munka.  He resides just inside out front door and is used when I need to place him outside the door to indicate to the children or Mairi that I am, like the Queen "in residence". 

 

So here he is today, back inside, slumped against the door, exhausted, after all the recent activities.

 * * * * * *

There is a wonderfully funny video of the Duke on his horse by Kevin John Green Lord at this site  here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151715090171456&fref=nf

( I cannot figure out how to embed it....!)

 

COMMONWEALTH GAMES 5 :WELL DONE ALL

It's Sunday and the Commonwealth Games finish this evening with the Closing Ceremony.  Perhaps this is a good time to raise a glass to the organisers for a Job Well Done!  (Today's paper says it all - GLASGOW GETS A GOLD)

Like most folk who live here I got out and saw a lot of the city thee past 2 weeks. Some of it was familiar, some not.

 

Part of Central Station platform passageway mural

 

 George Square

 

The city centre as viewed from the top of the ferris wheel in Glasgow Green

 

The city and river were bedecked in flags - balconies, streets and boats on the Clyde and all the Games' events. Here are a few reminders before they are rolled away:

Apartment blocks built in recent years along the river where dockyards used to be.

Many areas of the city have street names and dock areas which reflect Glasgow's past 18th century trade in sugar, tobacco and cotton.

 The RYA Flotilla on the Clyde last week:

And last but not least, one of the 72 countries represented, as seen suspended from the Emirates Arena roofspace.