THE SLAVONIAN WALK

The October walk was from Loch Duntelchaig to Loch Ruthven. Not everyone was there, but a goodly crowd gathered together under a lowering sky. The crowd included my brother, Bruce and his bidie in, Irene. The day before had been absolutely glorious, but today we were faced with a pretty heavy sky and the ever present threat of rain.

That has never stopped us before, so off we went along the road beside Loch Duntelchaig.

Soon we were off the tarmac and onto the forest track, where everyone was walking quite briskly - not for the exercise, but just to keep warm.

Then it was time for sweetie stop. Jacque had stolen Jim's Werther's originals and started to hand them out before he realised.

Bruce thought he should get off the beaten track to see the view, but then realised nobody had followed him and had to come back!

Meanwhile, Sharon and Jim decided to do a bit of modelling with their poles. Actually, sharon was standing guard whilst Agnes was in the bushes doing whatever it is that ladies of a certain age do in the bushes miles away from a toilet.

By now we beginning to get a bit hungry and Dave allowed us to stop for a bite at a rocky spot beside the track - quickly christened Rocpool Reserve! It could just as easily have been Robin's Nest as every bite was hungrily watched by this little chap.

Dave and Sandra couldn't help but show off their Sporks. Apparently they are a cross between a fork'n'spoon - you can decide which is the bigger spoon. It doesn't seem as though Bruce was impressed and he wasn't alone in that.

Although they had two of these fork'n'spoons, Dave wasn't allowed to use his and he sat watching greedily as Sandra used hers. You can see what a nice rocky restaurant it was.

To continue the rock theme, here is Bruce pretending to be a rock star crooning to Irene and Agnes, who seem to be slightly bemused by it all.

However, some people decided to take the seats nearest the track. I am guessing this is what they do in restaurants when they want to make a quick getaway from the pianist or, indeed, the crooning rock star.

Dave, still frustarted at not being allowed to use his fork'n'spoon, admires Sharon's trousers.

Meanwhile, Mac practises his golf swing - which makes you wonder exactly where he plays and how often he ends up in the heavy rough.

Dave has a look about, just in case Sandra dropped the fork'n'spoon!

Finally, Jim discovers that Jacque had given away all his Werther's Originals.

After lunch we reached the watershed and started to go downhill - not uncommon for us, I would say. But this opened up some nice views across Loch a' Choire - and very nice it was too with the autumn colours of the birch ringing the silver shore and shining out against the more sedate and serried ranks of the plantation. I nearly got carried away there.

Soon we were down beside the shore of the loch and a very few of us actually watched what was around us and followed the path down to a dinky little beach. The rest just carried on, oblivious to the splendour of nature all around them.

But it didn't take Dave long to point it out - once a teacher, always a teacher! He tells me that Sharon and Janet failed the exam later on.

From there it was not too far to the public road and views over Loch Ruthven.

The end of the road - at least for those, like Irene who refused to go and see the highlight of the whole walk - the Slavonian Grebe - does it really get much better than this?

Well, frankly, no!

These may be grebe, but they are more likely to be mallards.

However, just after everyone had left the hide to go back the cars, I quickly caught site of the elusive grebe and snatched a very quick shot. I apologise for the quality, but it wasn't an easy photo to get in a hurry.

Despite the threat of rain, we kept pretty dry and had a great time, especially afterwards when we went to the Steadings at the Grouse and Trout where they had specially laid on te, coffee and some large sticky biscuits and cakes. Well done to all.