Unexpected colour

 While the rest of our little trip north was nowhere near as warm as it was the day we travelled, it was pleasant enough and we had a lot of fun outdoors.  My dad works part-time at the Highland Folk Museum, a beautiful open air museum where I could happily spend hours just mooching around, so we made a couple of visits there while he was on duty. Actually it was so busy that he always seemed to have loads of visitors round him (which is good!) so we barely saw him there, but it's always a good place for passing the time happily.

 This is beside the excellent play area at the museum - the kids were happy climbing things and I was happy photographing flowers!

 Outside the 1930s school the Boy spent ages playing hopscotch while Mum, Miss Mouse and I had a look round the garden next to the school.

 Inside one of the newer exhibits, the tweed workshop. I think the last time we were there it was just about to open, so it was great to see inside. I love all the bits and pieces of textile production, spools and shade cards and shuttles and the like. There was a loom in there too, with a Work In Progress on it,  but for some reason I didn't take a picture of it.

 Back in my parents' garden, Thorfinn's rose - the rose-bush under which their cat is buried!

 Miss Mouse and her daddy cycling to Kingussie - the cycle path is brilliant and Miss Mouse did really well. I think we might try taking the stabilisers off her bike this summer. She seems quite keen anyway.

 Back at the museum again - one of the hens at the croft, looking idyllic!

 Broom at Loch Insh. The broom was glorious everywhere - you can see a whole lot in the background of the cycling picture too.

 Just warm enough for the paddling pool.  Two minutes later she ran off inside to get her 'kini' - she fondly imagines it's a bikini but actually it's a tankini.  To my mind it wasn't quite warm enough for that but Indestructochild thought otherwise!

Still, never one to be able to resist paddling, I had to join her. 

So there, holiday pictures inflicted upon you :-). I love our mini-holidays - the beginning is always a bit frantic, getting the cats to the cattery, loading the car up and so on, but once we're on our way it's brilliant. I probably shouldn't speak for My Beloved who does all the driving on these trips! Though he did say that he quite enjoyed the Scenic Detour, even though it took longer.  But a few days just pottering around does us all some good.