August already

So the World Cup is over but the political wranglings go on. Never mind, the Scottish football season has now started so all's well - well, nearly all. Let me explain:

Knees - it's now a year since my op and the pain and stiffness have still not fully gone. There has been some improvement but it's so slow compared with the previous knee replacement - although that was 13 years ago when I was just a relative youngster of 64!

More recently, it's Jo's knee that has been the bigger issue but she seems to be slowly getting over it now.

Generally, July's weather has been pretty good. The continuing severe heatwaves being experienced in the southern part of Britain haven't really migrated north - thank goodness - but we have had plenty of sunshine and mid-low 20's temperatures - and virtually no rain. Until last Wednesday - when it did rain - our golf course was brown and white like a links course.

There's been a huge fire in the Cairngorms National Park the last few weeks and, last Friday, the wind suddenly changed direction and Banchory and as far east as Aberdeen briefly experienced the taste, smell and smoke in the air.

Meanwhile my dental surgeries continue. On 2nd July, my gums were cut and peeled back again as they had regressed since the previous surgery. I got the stitches out 2 weeks later. I'm under the knife again in 2 weeks when he opens access to my new implant post. Those stitches come out 2 weeks later and soon after we're on our way to USA. It's going to be nearly Xmas before all the implant work is finished.

This is Honey - the latest of Gary's foster greyhounds:

Luca is down in England visiting relatives - he drove there all alone.

I've coped not too bad with golf recently - with the help of the occasional buggy. In fact, I won our Wednesday Quaich 3 weeks in a row - it helps to have a high handicap! Here I am on one of those occasions, receiving the prize ball from Jim Fowler:

Another golf photo - this time from our Summer Tour, based in Seahouses,  Northumberland, with the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle in the background:

Me, Ken Black & Harry Salter

I had forgotten that the yellow shirt was the colour of pollen and I was covered in small flies attracted to it!

Jo, Ross and I went to see the Odyssey last week. Fantasy, albeit historical, is not really my thing and I wondered whether I could sit through a 3 hour film but I have to say it seemed to pass fairly quickly. We ate in Thaikun (https://www.thaikhun.co.uk/thai-restaurant/aberdeen) in Union Square afterwards.

Last week was pretty busy - we went to the Crail Festival with Anne and Leslie Mason, primarily to see Anne's brother Tom playing with his band. We took a walk around Crail harbour after lunch at the Balgove Steak Barn in St. Andrews:

Me, Jo, Anne & Leslie

Note the golf cap - Dutcher Creek, in the style of a hunting hat. Scott left it behind last summer

No sooner were we back from that, than I was off down to Glasgow for the 2nd of my old school reunions this year. Nice lunch in the Drum and Monkey:

Robert Rowan (2nd left) was in nearly all my classes at school and Alex Noddings (3rd left) lived just round the corner from our home in Foxbar Drive - Dawn was pals with his sister Mary. Most of the others were a year ahead of me at school and I've only got to know them fairly recently.

Our local branch of CAMRA has commissioned Braemar Brewing to brew a one-of special edition ale for our branch's 50th anniversary later this year. We're hoping for a tasting of a trial brew soon - before we go to USA with any luck.

I'll close with 3 photos of the younger generations:

Cade, Kendall & newly out of the US Army, Braeden

Dawn's grand-daughter Avery in rainbow colours

Asher and his best pal Milo