Some more photos from Boris and Ludmilla's visit.

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Gifford and Haddington with Anna's aunt and uncle...

Boris and Ludmilla, Anna's uncle and aunt are here staying with us from St Petersburg for 10 days. It's their first visit to Scotland- a big thing for them, as until last year when they travelled the relatively short distance from St Petersburg to Kotka in Finland, to stay with us, they had never been out of Russia!

We have been letting them see East Lothian, and they have been really enjoying seeing a totally different way of life...

Near to Gifford, with Boris and Ludmilla.


By the River Tyne, Haddington, with my mum and dad.


Anna and Olivia by the Tyne.


Sandy, next to a totem pole!

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Some photos from our Valencian holiday...

Tip: Click on "View All Images" and you'll see the photos in a new window, in a much better way!

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The importance of nature....

Sandy with his building blocks...

Above and below, our little hedgehog visitor....


Sandy and the snails...(and Hamish too!)

Since my last post, the weather here hasn't improved. In fact, it's got worse! Each and every day, we now get downpours, thunder, lightning and more rain. Summer? It's hell!
Anyway, we have turned to nature to get some respite! Recently, a hedgehog has made itself at home around the house. It has been spotted in most of the neighbouring gardens over the past couple of weeks, and the other afternoon I took some close ups of the wee fellow! More recently, last night, he actually came into our garden and spent an hour wandering around, even coming right up to our conservatory door and looking in!!

Sandy has also been collecting snails, as the photos show. And finally, a picture of our Skoda, which I sold today. Yes, I sold it to the Skoda dealer in Edinburgh, Chathams, and tomorrow I hope to pick up our new car- a 7 seater for when Anna's Uncle Boris and Aunt Lucia arrive next month.

My best ever car, Skoda Octavia 2.0TDi PD - now sold....

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Summer? You must be joking!

Who said it was summer? This past week must rank as one of the worst in the history of mid Junes in the area of Dunbar...
The nearby strawberry farm, which was supposed to open on May 31st by the Thistly Cross roundabout on the A1, is still unable to offer its customers the chance to pick their own strawberries. We know, as when we went in today, a sign on the run up to the car park informed us, " No sun, so no strawberries, but have an ice cream on us!" No thanks, as the past week's weather has been truly awful here. Mist, fog, low clouds, rain, and plenty more rain. I feel sorry for the owners, who must be praying that each new day brings them the long awaiting warm sunshine...and the revenue that they must surely need to keep them going.

Yesterday, when I took Sandy down to Eyemouth for his weekly swimming lesson, I could hardly drive above 45mph due to the haar and mist, not to mention heavy rain. But I suppose we should be thankful, as it's not as bad as it was last week in England, as this video from BBC news shows! Also yesterday, we were looking forward to heading off for the school fair, an annual fund-raising event that usually has lots of stalls out in the playground. This was due to take place directly after the Nursery class were leading the Dunbar parade, marching around the town at the end of the Civic Week. While we decided it was far too wet, it actually went ahead. Crazy!

Anyway, we did go to the School Fair, where Sandy had the chance to pose with a very striking bird of prey- a Red Tailed Hawk! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so this is a very poor quality picture, which we had to pay for. It wasn't dark, though you'd think it was taken at midnight!

I also took a picture of Sandy playing me a Battleship- a game he bought at the Fair!

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Woodpeckers in the garden...

Yes, we had some very interesting visitors to our back garden yesterday morning. Anna shouted me to come and look out the back window, and when I did, I saw we had first one, then two, then four woodpeckers sitting on the fence at the back of the garden. By the time Anna had got our camera ready to take some pictures, three of them had flown into the trees just behind, but one was still sitting there. It was certainly an usual sight for us all!
Also yesterday, we went to a barbeque organised for all the residents in our street. Unfortunately, the weather has been rather grey and cloudy all week, and so it wasn't the warmest BBQ we've been at, but nonetheless, it was good fun. Olivia certainly enjoyed the bouncy castle!

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Olga's wedding photos, and some from the garden here...

Anna's sister Olga was married in St Petersburg on Friday 25th May, the day that I was returning fom Benmore with my class. Although we were invited to be there, it proved impossible for both Anna or me to get time off work. Today however, Olga phoned us to let us know that a slideshow of pictures showing her and her new husband Nikolai were available for us all to see on the net. Anna was delighted to see them, as we all were, and so we have saved a few for here. It all seems to have gone very well- and it was nice for us all to see Kolya (Nikolai) for the first time! Sandy immediately asked when Olga will come to see us, so we have urged him to ask her personally the next time he speaks to her on the phone.
One of the pictures shows the group who attended the wedding, including Anna's mum and dad, although Aunt Lucia and Uncle Boris were not in the photo. Olga explained to Anna that Boris could not tear himself away from playing snooker to come to be photographed!!






Meanwhile, here, Sandy was intent on flying his toy helicopter that he won at the fair in Haddington yesterday. We had a go at launching it this morning, and took these photos of him and Olivia.

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A trip onto Dunbar's Lifeboat...

After a very busy week away from home for me, with my school class, to Benmore Centre in Argyll, it's been great to be home for what has been a typically busy weekend here too!
This afternoon, we walked down to the harbour at the northern end of Dunbar High Street, where it was possible to see, and indeed board the lifeboat! Sandy loved that- although both he and Anna were a bit unsure initially of the boat, as it was being rolled about in the strong wind. It's a lot smaller than the ferries that Sandy has been used to! On the way, we had stopped to take pictures by the seafront, which are shown.

After a long walk back up to our end of the town, we had another look to see how Asda's new supermarket site is progressing. I'm keeping photos of that under wraps at the moment. Sandy and I intend to go up there every week or two, take pictures, then finally release them once the site is finished, and the supermarket is open.

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A difficult week so far...

Olivia and her apple!


Taken today, when the medicine was working, and Olivia was feeling OK!

Sandy perched on the frame of his bed..

We're all tired. Very tired. It all started on Saturday when Sandy was allowed to stay up late to watch the Eurovision Song Contest with Anna and I. We then had a late Sunday bed after a street barbeque with some neighbours, and then, on Sunday night, Olivia developed a high temperature, fever and a cough which kept Anna and I awake most of the night.
Monday night was worse! Olivia woke at 1.10am and was crying on and off till 4am, despite having medicine. The result has seen Anna looking shattered today, and I feel knackered too! It's been difficult keeping myself going at work the last couple of days. This evening, Olivia again has been very late going to sleep- nearly 11pm to be exact, so we are hoping she is now so tired that she'll sleep most of the night. Fingers crossed! I suppose some might ask, "Why haven't you taken her to the doctor's?"
The answer is simple. We both know the doctor will just say to keep giving her the Calpol and Nurofen at regular intervals and it should improve. Yes, that's our caring Health Service in the UK!
Hopefully she'll be on the mend very soon.

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Into May....

Fooling around in Sandy's bed.


Olivia on the slide...



Me, getting ready to take the next photo, of the garden...

Our garden...from the top of the fence!

Sandy asked us why we think he cycles to the Nursery every day, which is a total of at least 3 miles. He then proceeded to inform Anna and me that there are two reasons for his cycling:
1) To ensure he keeps fit...
2) To help save the planet!!

We both thought this was worth recording!

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