The cruise ship experience...

Gail and I went for a weekend walk around Aberdeen harbour. 

Did you that Aberdeen is soon to become a cruise ship destination? 

Who will want to visit Dubrovnik, Venice or Barcelona when you could disembark at the Granite City?

Unfortunately, the deep water harbour extension project is several years behind schedule and the reception facilities for cruise ships are not yet complete. 

Let's have a closer look at what's going on there just now.

So we have a huge jack-up drilling rig and a couple of diving support vessels enjoying the protection of the recently completed breakwater.

An 'interesting' aroma is wafting over from the landfill and waste treatment sites behind the harbour, and mingling with the sea air. Close by is one of Scotland's ugliest public housing schemes.

Hmm. I'm thinking the whole cruise ship experience hasn't quite been fully thought through.

Maybe would-be visitors to Aberdeen should check out other accommodation options...

Checking out Aberdeen's new e-bikes

Just recently, clusters of brand new, gleaming white e-bikes have appeared at certain locations on the streets of Aberdeen.

I even spotted three of them in Duthie Park yesterday on my early morning walk. 

Several of my readers have in the past sympathised with my plight at being left at home alone while my owner Gail indulges her enthusiasm for (non-motor assisted) cycling with her Thursday morning ladies. 

I wondered if these new bicycles, available for hire through a scheme recently introduced in the city, might provide a solution.

I checked out the bicycles front and back. I might even have 'christened' one of the tyres, but please don't tell anyone. Each bike even has its own individual name. (I suggest that a certain big dog friend in Florida enlarges the photos below to see what the one I was inspecting is called!) 

Sadly I couldn't see any suitable equipment for facilitating dog transport other than the chihuahua-sized baskets attached to the front handlebars.

Hmm. It seems the e-bikes can be accessed via an app. I asked Gail to show me the website but, can you believe it, there appears to be no provision for carrying 7.5 kg wire-haired fox terriers on these bicycles! 

The good news is that yesterday it was so windy, with heavy rain imminent, that Gail's cycling ladies (most unusually) opted to stay at home and, in one case at least, to tend to the emotional needs of their beloved WFT. 

One has to question whether darkest November was the best time of year for Aberdeen City Council to start up a bike hire scheme....

Does this count as a Nature Friday post? Gail says that, with just the briefest of mentions of local weather conditions, I might be "stretching it a bit". But I do believe that our dear pals the LLB Gang will allow for some latitude in interpretation of their blog hop theme! 

Nimble Nobby

Morning friends! 

I am thinking of putting in a request for a rebranding of this blog. 

'Nice Nobby / Naughty Nobby' will not, I think, quite do. The 'Naughty Nobby' bit is frankly rather offensive, using an insulting word to encompass a range of behaviours including curiosity, independence of spirit, creativity, determination, courage, exuberance and more. As for 'Nice', well I put that in the category of damning with faint praise. 

I was thinking about this in Duthie Park yesterday morning, when Gail had been rewarding me for jumping up on the concrete blocks in front of the Winter Gardens. 

She says she once saw a collie running along and over the whole line of 17 blocks at speed, and tried to train my predecessor Bertie to do the same, but all to no avail. So much for 'Bouncing' Bertie!

Since I conquered this particular task at first attempt with no problem at all, I believe that, sticking with the alliterative theme, 'Nimble Nobby' would be a suitable tag for this blog. Please watch the following short (30 sec) video and tell me if you agree. 

Oh and one more thing. On Monday one of our very favourite blog friends, Cecilia, asked if we knew that there is an Aberdeen in her home state of North Carolina? Well in fact we did. The notice board behind me here gives information about the different Aberdeens all over the world. 

Including this one.

I wonder if any of my other friends live near an Aberdeen? 

The Queen's final journey through Aberdeen

It was a funny old day, yesterday. 

I'll confess to being a bit put out on finding the gates to Duthie Park closed at 7:00 am, and somewhat confused when the security guard behind the gate told Gail they were keeping the park "sterile" for the day. 

I was not the only pup disappointed to be deprived of his regular morning run in the park.

So we tried for a walk along the river instead, but only encountered more barriers.

Then it was home and, most unusually, Gail started watching morning TV (and, truth be told, spent most of the time crossly muttering under her breath about the lameness of the BBC's live commentary as the Queen's coffin was being driven from Balmoral towards Aberdeen, and complaining that surely her TV licence fee could stretch to our national broadcaster having someone available who had the remotest clue about the geography of Royal Deeside....)

At about 11:30 am Gail lifted her eyes from the screen, put on my lead, and walked me the half mile to Great Southern Road where quite a crowd had gathered to see the funeral cortege as it passed through in its way to Edinburgh. 

People and pups of all shapes and sizes were present to witness the event. 

Gail had wondered if it was OK to take a dog along to view this final journey through our city. But apparently quite a few other folk had also decided that since the late Queen was a well-known dog lover, it would be appropriate. We even ran into my wee pal Ella.

I was patient, quiet and well-behaved, like the rest of the crowd. 

Then it all happened rather quickly. A helicopter overhead, a motorcycle outrider, then a procession of seven cars, led by a hearse containing the Queen's coffin draped in a special yellow and red flag. I'm afraid Gail only managed to snap a photo of the second or third vehicle.

We didn't see any tears or great display of emotion here on Great Southern Road in Aberdeen, just a mood of calm, polite and respectful curiosity. 

But apparently I had witnessed history. 

Not that that means much to a pup who is only seven and a half months old...

(I am pleased to report that I got a 'proper' walk along the cliff path by the North Sea later in the afternoon.)

Rare and precious moments

Earlier this week I made a wonderful new discovery. Sun puddles! 

 

They are lovely and warm and they move around the house throughout the day. 

Gail tells me sun puddles are a rare and precious commodity here in Aberdeen. A bit like puppy downtime, she says.

I am beginning to realise that Gail is right, at least about the sun puddles.

By yesterday morning they had all disappeared.

But, with the optimism of youth, I find there is always an upside. At least I had a chance to make more yellow snow! 

Can you see it?