Crathes Castle

The Crathes Castle is a national landmark on the Royal Deeside (Dee River) that runs inland from the North Sea at Aberdeen to the Royal Residence at Balmoral. I lived in one of two cottages on the property in 1976. The other one was occupied by the groundskeepers.  I never tired of the place, though the arrangements were temporary and from there I moved to a place across the street from the Bridge of Dee. I still love Aberdeen, the Granite City and the Deeside is a magical place. 

The place was never intended as a military fortification - and was used more or less as a hunting lodge.

Waiting

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a string of pearls or a pair of pants or a wig with curls or another chance. Everyone is just waiting.

Words on the Wall

A different sort of graffiti.

Television to do homework by

It's not difficult to figure out what warps the current generation when you consider what they watch on television. Yes, you know you're "old" when you say things like that. All I'm saying is that a lot of what we were exposed to as kids was far gentler than the current media bias in production.

It wasn't all just Westerns:

STAR TREK

Sea Hunt

The Addams Family (creepy & cooky)

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

Dennis the Menace

Twelve-O'Clock High

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Twilight Zone

Outer Limits

Leave it to Beaver

Get Smart

The Man from UNCLE

The Prisoner (best British TV Series)

The Fugitive

I Spy

It Takes a Thief

Daniel Boone

Lost in Space

Sky King

Dragnet

McHale's Navy

Combat!

Courtship of Eddie's Father

Dick Van Dyke Show (if they made it today on MTV it would be called the Penis Van Lesbian Show)

And if you were allowed to stay up late, Love American Style

Cowboys and Indians

When I was a kid growing up, the event of the evening was one of the westerns they showed on television. 

My kids liked going for a "horsey ride" on my knee mainly because I remember most of the theme songs. One of the painful things about having a photographic memory is that all this stuff still bounces around inside my skull...  ;^)

Rawhide (Clint Eastwood)

Maverick (Roger Moore, James Garner, Jack Kelly)

Cheyenne (Clint Walker)

Have Gun Will Travel (Richard Boone)

Branded & The Rifleman (Chuck Connors)

Wyatt Earp (Hugh O'Brian)

Johnny Yuma (Mark Damon)

Tombstone Territory (Pat Conway)

The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore & Jay Silverheels)

Zorro (Guy Williams)

and later -- The Wild, Wild West (Robert Conrad and Ross Martin)

So, here's to you, my high riding heroes. Gone but not completely forgotten.

Friday Events

When I woke up this morning I finished some work on consulting, made calls to a potential investor for Ashima Devices, Inc., my high-tech start up company, and did some e-mailing. I called a sick friend who was having a bad day so I didn't drive over for a visit. I'll do it next week.

With time on my hands and the new STAR TREK movie out, I got some lunch and drove to the local theater. I'm a Trekkie - I love Star Trek, so you can filter my movie review, but I give it five stars of a possible five stars!  aaaaa

The movie was a bold new approach, headed for another franchise of going where no one has gone before!
Then I came home and Emilie (17), done with school work suggested that I take a swim. You can see Emilie laying on a lounge poolside.  If you look at the jacuzzi, it has rocks around the top. There are fossils in some of the rocks.

I'm white as a Canadian (so says Emilie) and because of that unfortunate situation, I didn't stay out long enough to get burned. 

If it was a PERFECT day, my grandson Griffin (pictured below, held by Emilie) would have come over for a swim or a dip in the jacuzzi. But Griffin didn't come over   :^(

Right now, Emilie and I are trying to decide where we are going for dinner later tonight since we're the only ones home.  Until that time, I have a book to read.

Illegal Alien Amnesty

The Development, Relief and Education 

for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

I shouldn't be surprised at this development. After all, the Obama Administration promised change. It's simply the most absurd piece of legislation I have ever heard of - and that's saying something. Read about the story on Reuters (CLICK HERE).

Senator Harry Reid (D) Nevada introduced the bill. I wonder if Harry is being paid off or if he's sipping some of grandma's cough medicine, but he can't be living on the same planet as the rest of us. These vainglorious legislators have no boundaries.

Click below to see the Lou Dobbs commentary on CNN