Just before lunch time

Gary appeared on Sunday morning with Luca in tow at about quarter to ten.

Well, Gary didn't know that the times of masses had changed two years ago. Why should he know? So there they were coming in just as I was heading out!

I think Gary still had me going to the Vigil Mass on a Saturday night. I did appreciate the vigil because I had already been to mass when I got up on Sunday morning and when I was working it gave me a full day to work without interruption.

We don't have a vigil anymore. Not since our priest had to take over the parishes in Braemar, Ballater and Aboyne.

Sunday morning is fine for me now because I can meet my buddies at mass and go to the Milton for coffee and a scone afterwards. I've all the time in the world now.

I've read his blog and if I had thought there was a half a chance that he and Luca would have considered coming to mass, I'd have grabbed it. I wish now I had suggested it, Gary, when it crossed my mind.

Luca has been to mass, you know. He and I went when you and Carol, Dad and Ross went to Manchester to see the football.

He was very well behaved.

Anyway, after mass we did, as Gary said, go for a walk to the Burnett Park. D'you know the pond was frozen!
Luca and Gary stood well back as I went to the edge to check how strong the ice was. I reckon you could have walked on it but Gary, very wisely, suggested that I didn't try it out.

Luca stood well back, as I said, pointing at it with a worried look on his face.
"Bath," he said.
'Big bath' would have been more appropriate!
Don't you just love it when wee ones take what they know and apply it to something else!

Here are the wee films I took on Sunday morning.
The first one is in the park not far from the pond. On reflection, I should have got the pond in to show everyone but I didn't think at the time, sorry.



The second one was taken in the grounds of the Tor na Coille. Luca was delighted by the sound of the frosted grass as he crunched his way through it.

What do we think of Luca's hat?

I loved the idea of having three pom poms on a hat but the cosy ears on it kept slipping round and covering his eyes. It didn't seem to bother the wee fella though. He just wandered around half blind!