New! Improved! and now with photos ...

At last, the secret can be told. I went back up to the farm at the weekend because it was Jenny's 60th birthday and Andrew organised a spectacular treat for her: a half-hour helicopter trip. There was one spare seat, and Andrew invited me to fill it. I said no at first, because I only had Saturday off. But then the second choice said no as well, so I changed my mind.

It was well worth the extreme effort -- it was wonderful.

I'd had to start out just after 7am in order to get there in time, which meant getting up at 6am -- this after finishing work after midnight. I was feeling reasonably perky, considering. Bertie was astounded to find himself back in "heaven", but less than delighted to be bundled into a bedroom and left on his own half an hour after arriving. Jenny was surprised to see me so soon after the last visit. "Have you come to get your flask?" she asked. She had to be hustled off to get dressed, and even then she got changed again after being told that although it wasn't a "smart dress" occasion, photos would be taken.

The helicopter was a Squirrel six-seater -- pilot and one passenger in the front, four in the back. John went in the front on account of his leg, and he took the map and acted as navigator. Jenny and I had window seats, and Andrew and cousin Grace took the middle seats. We all buckled in and put on our headsets, then had a surprise: the helicopter lifted off backwards!


Sharing the back seat with me, from left: Jenny, Andrew and Grace.

Once we'd cleared the airport traffic we banked away south towards the farm. Collective squeals of excitement as the horizon dipped and swayed! Andrew fell silent after this -- later he said he was wondering whether to throw up on his mother or his cousin. Happily he managed not to throw up at all. Grace also felt queasy, but the rest of us enjoyed every minute.

Just north of the farm we spotted a car stopped by the side of the road and two tiny figures waving madly -- it was Anne, John's sister, and her husband Chris. We buzzed them and carried on, over the farm and up across the moorland to the trig point on Carn nan Tri-tighearnan, which marks the highest point in Nairnshire (2016m). It was very wild and bleak up there, dotted with peat hags and lochans.


Following the burn up the hill.


Whee! Swooping into a turn at the top of the hill. John is navigating.

We came back down the burn and hovered over the farm for photos, then headed across country to Nairn -- pausing briefly to wave at Jean and Bunty.


The farm from the air.


The new house at Rehiran Beag -- the old house and garage can be seen at the back.


Cawdor Castle and its formal gardens.

After circling Nairn we went back to the airport.


Aerial view of the town.


Group portrait taken by the pilot at the end of the trip.

We were all frothing with excitement (or nausea in some cases!). John was thrilled to have flown over the trig point -- he said he and Andrew climbed up to it ten years ago and he'd often wondered when he'd be up there again. To add to Jenny's day of thrills, we were home in time to watch England beat Denmark 3-0.

I had an hour's lie-down later in the afternoon, but otherwise the rest of the day was energetic. Lots of walks, including one on the beach at Nairn (bare feet on warm sand, bliss) with Grace and Andrew's old school friend Ally. And of course Bertie. We had takeaways for dinner, then watched a bit of TV before I dragged off to bed. Andrew kindly walked Bertie, and pushed him through the door later on.


The Mediterranean? Caribbean? No, it's Nairn, on the Costa del Moray. Bertie, Grace, Ally and Andrew.

Sunday was Jenny's actual birthday, with more surprises planned -- a new garden seat and TWO birthday cakes with candles. There was a minor kerfuffle when Aunt Di arrived and left again abruptly, but otherwise everything went as planned. The double seat is magnificent and perfectly suits the position Andrew chose. The cakes -- one baked by Grace in a secret expedition -- were delicious. I managed to drag myself away just after midday, and drove like a mad thing to get back to Queensferry in time to shower, walk the dog, and get to work. I was a bit late, and VERY tired. But happy.

Yesterday was busy too, though it was my day off -- I had a lunch date and a visit to the dentist to get a crown cemented back in after an in-car toffee incident -- and today I mowed both the lawns, in honour of the rain stopping for a day. Frances next door did hers too, we were both working flat out to get it all done as the first drops spattered down.

Tomorrow I'm going to loaf, really take it easy.