Grey Mare's Tail Nature Reserve

This past Saturday myself and a group of others from class decided to take a drive down to Grey Mare's Tail, which is between Selkirk and Moffat. It was about 1 hour 45 minutes to drive to Grey Mare's Tail car park. We left around 9am and on the entire drive, the weather was looking quite grim. I was thinking that we would be hiking in the rain the entire time, which would be unfortunate since I wanted to take as many photos as I could. About 30 minutes of driving in the rain and all of a sudden the clouds parted and the sun was shining! The rain vanished about 10 minutes from the car park, which was PERFECT timing! Wouldn't you agree? One of my classmates brought their dog to take on the hike and as soon as we got out of the car, the dog bolted off into the Scottish hills to chase after the dozens of sheep that were on the hillsides. At one point, the dog herded a flock of sheep into a stream and one of the ewes was up to its neck in the water! I felt so bad! Once we paid for the parking, we began our ascent up the main trail towards the waterfall. The waterfall is one of the five tallest waterfalls in the UK and it was absolutely stunning! I didn't realize that it would be so big after looking at photos on the internet. We walked all along the trail and there were a couple of spots that led you off of the trail down to the waterfall drop off point. I went down to get some photos, but I couldn't gather the courage to get much closer than about 5-6 feet from the edge of the cliff where the water was falling from. I took a few videos of the ledge. After some photos, we all continued on the trail up towards Loch Skeen (which feeds the waterfall). Once over the top of the falls and around the bend, Loch Skeen came into view and the valley in which it resides was absolutely breathtaking!

We decided to take a break and eat lunch. So we sat down for a good half hour and ate lunch. We then continued on and the trail turned into mud all of a sudden! So, we had to find our own path through the boggy hills. I, again, experienced hiking with wet feet as the hiking boots I have are WELL ventilated, which allows water to just come right on in. I managed to keep dry feet for a while, however, it was ultimately inevitable that I would step in a bog and my boot would fill right up with water. COLD WATER!!! One person decided to head back to the car park before we ascended Lochcraig Head, which put us at 2,628 feet elevation once we were at the top. We managed to find a descent path along a stone wall, but it was still quite steep. Once at the top, the view was amazing. I took lots of photos and videos as well. We took a 15 minute breather to take in the amazing views and then continued down the path to head back to the car park. The path continued on down to a smaller mountain (Mid Craig). Once we got back down to the level of Loch Skeen, we then had to jump across the stream. I jumped and BARELY made it! I think my heel touched the water, but I wasn't soaked, which was the goal! We all managed to get back to the car park safely and my knees did a much better job than they did on the highlands hike a couple of months ago. We headed back home and stopped by a pub to grab a bite to eat. I slept until 10am the next day... All in all, it was an amazing hike and if any of you are ever here, I will take you hiking to this gorgeous place that is hidden in the Scottish hills. Enjoy the pictures!

Also, before I go, the famous Sir Walter Scott wrote a poem about Grey Mare's Tail waterfall. This is how it goes:
Where deep deep down, and far within
Toils with the rocks the roaring linn;
Then issuing forth one foamy wave,
And wheeling round the giant's grave
White as the snowy charger's tail
Drives down the pass of Moffatdale.

Grey Mare's Tail 2011

Asimo...a very creepy robot!

So, this is the new and improved Honda Asimo robot. It is smarter, faster, more agile and adapts to its surroundings. Some people find this robot absolutely fascinating while I on the other hand, find it very creepy! Look how fast it can run! Would you want an Asimo running after you??? I sure wouldn't! Here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrHT_3cG_UI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Culzean Castle

Yesterday, I decided to set my alarm for 6.30am and head down to the rail station here in Edinburgh to catch the train to Maybole, which is about 5 miles from Culzean Castle. I had to go through Glasgow, Ayr and then finally stop at Maybole. So I had two changes that I had to make for trains. After a couple of hours of being on the train, I finally arrived to Maybole and started walking down the road towards Culzean Castle. It was not hard to find at all since the one road I had to walk on was the B7023 (Culzean Road). The walk was not too bad, as there was a sidewalk to walk on. However, the sidewalk soon ended and I had to spend the remainder of the walk in lane of oncoming traffic. At one point, I came around a bend in the road and there was police tape tied to a good majority of the surrounding trees with various bits and pieces of a vehicle or vehicles. I'm guessing there was a fatal accident at that sharp bend. I was nervous going around it walking! So for about 3 miles, it was quite unnerving walking on the carriageway. I walked past this cheese farm that smelled horrible! It smelled of rotten milk and farm animal waste... About 2 miles past the farm, I finally reached Culzean Castle. I walked down the the ticketing booth and this lady stepped out from the inside and said it was £3 to get in. I handed her my card and she told me the card machine was broken. Unfortunately I had failed to remember to bring cash with me. She let me in for free though, which was extremely nice of her. The castle was closed for the winter but the castle grounds were open to the public. I took some amazing photos of the castle! I found a path that went down to the beach as well. I walked across some very slippery rocks and managed to get far enough from the castle to get a nice shot. I have posted all of these photos, so go check them out! After my hike, I stopped at the restaurant and got a sandwich and bag of crisps to hold me over for the 2 hour hike back to Maybole. It was 3.30pm and the sun was going down FAST. So I decided that it would be a good time to head back before the sun goes down because walking on the carriageway would be quite sketchy in the dark! I did have a flashlight just in case though. I started the hike back to Maybole and arrived at around 4.45pm and saw that I had just missed the 4.30pm train. The next train wasn't until 5.56pm and there was NOTHING around other than this TINY food store that could probably fit about 10 people max at a time. I basically just walked around acting like I was going to buy some things so that I could keep out of the cold. It was so cold yesterday and my hands were so numb from standing outside. The only thing I could think about was the warm train and being back at the flat in the nice warmth. I finally got the train from Maybole to Ayr, then had to switch to catch the train to Glasgow Central, which felt like the longest train ride ever! I was on the train for almost two hours from Ayr to Edinburgh! I got home and collapsed on the bed. All in all, it was a gorgeous hike, a gorgeous castle and I would do it again (just in warmer weather next time). Remember to check out the photos if you haven't already!

Culzean Castle 2011

CSU Externship

So Hills Science Diet is offering 5 bursaries worth £720 each for an externship to Colorado State University in our final year. I have finished filling out the application and am hoping I will get selected to go on this externship. It will be four weeks of working in whatever clinical rotation they put you in. I put down orthopaedic surgery for my preferred rotation. That would be grand if I am able to spend 4 weeks of orthopaedic surgery at CSU! I will be dropping off the application to the university tomorrow and will find out on December 1st.

On another exciting note...actually, I just said that to get you to keep reading. I really have nothing interesting going on right now other than sheep management and diseases of sheep. I am looking forward to our exotic lectures. The lecture book for the exotic lectures is 7 pages long...

Tomorrow lectures doesn't start until 11am, and I am finished at 5pm. There is a three hour gap in between the second and third lectures, so looks like I will be doing some reading up on sheep and cattle management. Sounds exciting, doesn't it??? Oh, and before I forget, HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY! Hope you are having an awesome day! For those of you at AHS, the costumes I have seen so far are awesome! Brian, why's the rum gone? Do you know what I am for Halloween? I'm a nerdy vet student studying in my room...

Well, I should be getting back to the notes here. Talk to you all soon! I am really going to try and update my blog more often now. I really had no excuse other than the fact that I had nothing exciting going on. So, check back frequently as I will be posting more pictures as well.

Target App for Phones

I just wanted to make a post about something I found quite useful for my iPhone. I believe that it also works for Android phones as well. This is for veterinarians to use in practice. The app is basically the Target Drug Book converted into a quick reference guide on your phone. If you look up "Target Veterinary" in your app store it will show up for download. It is completely free and is a great reference for use on antimicrobial drugs, their efficacy against the various pathogens associated with common conditions and their dosages. Back to studying!

UPDATE!

Ok, so it's been over a month since I last updated my blog (according to Tanya and my blog). I really haven't had much to update about other than we have been sitting in on cattle lectures since classes began. We finished our last cattle lecture on Thursday and will be starting lectures on pigs, sheep and exotics for the next 4 weeks. The exam is in about 6 weeks, yikes! My birthday was on October 22nd and I did not go out for it. Instead, I sat in my room and watched some movies and got on Skype for a total of about 3 hours between, Kristen, Kristin, mom, grandma and grandpa. I went down to Starbuck's for 5 hours yesterday to study so that I could get out of my typical study environment (which is my room). Studying in my room constantly becomes very monotonous and boring so I have decided to take up studying at Starbuck's on the weekends. I was very productive yesterday and managed to get a lot of the notes converted into flash cards to study from.

I purchased my airline tickets to come back on December 15th -January 15th, so I will have a month in AZ to enjoy the nice weather and get some quality desert hiking in! My feet have missed the dry desert hiking and they were exposed to some harsh Scottish weather during those 4 days of hiking in the highlands. Hiking shoes made for Arizona = NOT good for hiking in the Scottish highlands.

Note: Arizona hiking shoes have breathable holes on the sides, which makes it easier for water to flow into the shoes...end result = wet feet for the remainder of the hike.

Well, there was my quick update. I have new pictures that I took down by the castle here and I will upload them as soon as possible. Hope everyone is doing well. Miss you all!

Thought I was gone, didn't you???

Well, after a few months of no posting, I'm sure for those of you who were following the blog were wondering if I was ever going to post again eh? This past summer was amazing and I had an absolute blast! So after the last post when I had just finished exams, I flew to Arizona to be with everyone there and work for a bit. I was so happy to start working at the clinic again and work in surgery with Dr. Prevatt a few times. I sure do miss working at the clinic full time. Kristin, Michelle and Mike came down to Arizona this summer as well and stayed for a week and then I went back to WA with them. We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway for several days and the views of the coast were gorgeous! I will post the photos as soon as I am finished with this post. Washington was a blast and I wished I could have spent more time there. Kristin, Michelle and I went to Mount St. Helens for a day trip and there was a really cool chipmunk there that walked right up to my camera and sniffed it and quickly ran away. I then went to California with my mom, which was a nice relaxing trip. The ocean was cold, but the more time I spent in the water, the warmer it felt. The waves were immense and cap-sized me a few times! After California, I spent a couple more weeks in AZ and had a blast hanging out with everyone and definitely enjoyed my puppy dog before I went back to Edinburgh. At 13 years old, Brownie sure has quite a bit of spunk in him and loves to chase his tennis ball around as much as he did when he was 5 years old! After AZ, I went to Ottawa, Canada to visit my amazing girlfriend for 6 weeks!

In Ottawa, I got to spend a week at a cottage with Kristen and her parents. Although, I did have to study for two exams because I failed to pass the two exams when I was in Edinburgh. So I had to go back to Edinburgh to re-sit the examinations and I was going to only be in Edinburgh for 6 days. At the cottage, Kristen and I got to canoe down the lake and relax on the dock during the day and sip on beers. It was oh so relaxing and I needed a good de-stressor. Kristen's dad and I took up fly fishing for the first time and I managed to catch 4 large mouth bass on the fly rod, 3 of which we ate for breakfast, 1 of which jumped out of my hands as I took the hook out of it's mouth. I caught one while I was canoeing solo as well but it was too small. Kristen and I went swimming in the lake a few times and it was so muddy and full of algae that it was kind of gross to swim in. There was also this man from Germany that would swim the full length of the lake every morning. Crazy! The lake was so thick of algae that I'm sure he was paddling in the thick of it too! Kristen and I also floated out on rafts to the middle of the lake and it was so relaxing! However, in an attempt to relax, the black flies and deer flies wanted to make sure that we weren't completely relaxed, as they assaulted us with their relentless dive-bombing attacks. They even bit us through our water shoes! Stupid things! I had so many welts from the mosquitos and flies. One day, I was fishing and felt water running down my bicep. It happened to be blood and there was a large welt and bruise where I had been bitten. We had S'mores at night around a very smokey campfire to ward off any evil insects that came near us and we donned our campfire clothes to cover up any exposed skin that the insects might find tasty. All in all, the week at the cottage was a week of greasy food and relaxation! Kristen's dad caught a 5kg Northern Pike as well, which was a very nice catch. After the week at the cottage, I went back to Edinburgh for 6 days. Well, first let me tell you the problem we had prior to me leaving for Edinburgh. So Kristen had to work the day I was leaving. The night before, I had looked at what time I was supposed to be leaving and failed to look at where I was leaving from. I had assumed it was the airport in Ottawa. So, in the morning, I took a look at the confirmation email again and noticed that it wasn't at the airport and was at the rail station! Ah! So I told Kristen and we had to hurry up and get to the station. We got in the truck and made our way to the station. Once we were there, I checked for my passport and could not find it! Ah! So we had to drive all the way back to her house and search for the passport. I could not find it and started to panic and then Kristen forgot that she had hid my passport as a joke. The idea of her joke was that if she hid the passport, I would not be able to find it and would not be able to go back to Edinburgh and would have to stay in Canada. I grabbed the passport, we went to the rail station and I flew to Edinburgh. I took the two exams that week and then saw Tom Green at the Fringe Festival the night before I had to leave.

Back in Ottawa, Kristen and I spent 5 more weeks together. We went to Kingston, Sandbanks, Merrickville, downtown Ottawa (got some good gelato and saw a weird light show on the Parliament buildings) and went canoeing as well. We also went to her friend's wedding, which was an absolute blast! Kingston and Sandbanks was so relaxing and nice. It was nice to get away from town and relax as just the two of us. I will put up photos of the trip after I post this. After my amazing time in Canada, it was time for me to go. However, we ran into a bit of a flight snafu again. I had checked my email for the flight time the night before and apparently it was the wrong email (I didn't know that at the time). So we set up a time to leave by the next day. My flight was scheduled for 5.30pm and on the day of, we planned on leaving the house for 2.30pm. Well, that day, at 2.37pm, I went to check in online and noticed that the flight was changed to 3.07pm. I failed to look at the right email because I had so many emails from them changing my flight so many times! So we had to RUSH to the airport, quickly say goodbye and I go to the check-in counter at 2.45pm. I went through customs with untied shoes and made my way to the desk. When I got there, I threw my passport and ticket in front of the lady and she just looked up at me and said, "Sir, we are not boarding for this flight yet. Please have a seat". Doh! The flight had been delayed! I was so lucky!

So I am now back in Edinburgh and classes have started up again. I spent 4 days this week hiking through the Scottish Highlands with my buddy. The idea was to hike for 137 miles. We hiked about 35 miles of that and my knees were not doing so well. My knees were still acting up from when I practiced running back in Ottawa (7.22 miles without properly warming up). It was an absolute blast hiking though. We ascended 800 metres at one point and camped in the clouds in a bog. It was very cold that high up. I woke up to deer calls around our campsite, it was amazing! We had to descend the 800 metres, which is what really did my knees in. We came across an old building that hikers use to stay in overnight called a "bothy". We finally got into Ullapool and collapsed! My knees are still quite sore, but are getting better. Anyway, I will be posting some pictures up of the hike so you can all see where I was. I will cut this short so you don't have a book to read. Enjoy the pictures and I will post again soon!