To the countryside we went today to take part in the Highland Games at Dundas Castle. We got to play make believe and pretend that we inhabited this stately castle that is still privately owned today. We drove up by a coach…

 (bus) to be greeted by our own pipes and drums.

We looked out over our lands as the sun was shining down on us and marveled at their beauty.

The rhododendrons were a bloomin and the firth sparkled in the distance.

We pulled our coach into the carriage house and proceeded to our clan leader for we were participating in the Highland Games!

McKenzie was the competition for we were the Clan MacDuff…proud and strong

tossing hay bales over tall poles with a pitch fork while 

seeing who could swig the most Scotch.

We tugged the rope, threw the wellies, shot putted the stones, rolled the hagis, hurled the logs and even had to fill in for one of the drum corps. We excelled at everything but the drumming and my partner’s Clan even took first place! Although he be of Clan MacEwan…he is well loved.

After participating in such a rousing afternoon, we were plum tuckered out so we felt it was time to get a brief respite from the activity by heading inside.

As we passed under the flickering candles of the hall

and then past the fireplace, we remembered that we needed to check on our lands from our “Keep” for we had been gone for some time.

As those that have gone before us, we circled up the stone steps and ascended to

our great Hall

 where we checked on our meal preparations before heading further upwards.

All looked well in our kingdom below, 

so we descended down our stone staircase which would take us to the main part of the castle where we could freshen up and maybe take a short nap in my blue and yellow covered toile bed chamber, one of my favorites!

“Honey, no you cannot leave for the beach tomorrow for your friend has left already,”

“What? Who did he go out to dinner with?”

“It’s okay, mom will be home soon. I know that you are bored and want everybody out of your house.”

“The recipe for the Gazpacho is in my office closet in the wicker basket in the manilla folder. It isn’t in there? Try the file sorter on my desk. Not there? How about the file cabinet to the left of my desk?????

As I was brought back to reality by the phone call across the Atlantic, after another changing of the guards,  I thought to myself,

“Downtown Abbey…here I come!”

What a fabulous day!

Until tomorrow~