Hockey Saturday

After Black Friday comes Hockey Saturday!

Seriously busy day for Isobel today, started with push back at 08.30 at Countesswells with 3 matches in the inter-house hockey tournament on the outdoor pitches.  This was followed by a brief rest at home and then back into Aberdeen for 3 indoor matches playing for her club Hazelhead in the indoor league at RGU.  She plays for both Hazelhead firsts and seconds as they only have one goalkeeper........Isobel!

Best not to mention the results though!

Here are a few photos.

Wild West Coast

Well the tail end of hurricane Gonzales duly arrived as promised!  Mid morning was flood tide through Cuan Sound, hitting the North Westerly gale at the northern entrance to the sound so we went to look at the end result of wind against tide.  We were very glad to be on safe dry land, it was pretty spectacular and the pictures do not really do it justice!

After this very brisk walk we headed round to Easdale and into the Oyster Bar (the ferry to Easdale was quite reasonably not running so the Puffer Bar was off) and had some warming lentil soup for lunch!

Ellie's Pre-Season Training Camp at Tignes

Ellie is just back from her week of pre-season training up on La Grande Motte glacier in Tignes.  A great time was had by all.  They managed to get 5 days skiing with some mixed weather up on the glacier but at least a couple of really good days.  There was a mixture of slalom and Giant Slalom training.

Mornings were an early start with reveille at 06.45 for the morning run at 07.00 sharp, back for breakfast at 7.30 then ready to head up to the glacier at 08.00.  There were a couple of days they were unable to ski due to bad weather up on the glacier so had a walk and an afternoon session in the gym playing volleyball or basketball as well as fitness sessions.

All in all, a happy but tired girl came home and one who was a lot more confident on her skis so thanks go to everyone at FAST.

Here are a few of Ellie's photos.

Posted by a somewhat jealous father !! 

Commodores Cup and Tignes

It has certainly been a busy weekend, started off on Friday evening driving down to Edinburgh ready to put Ellie on the plane on Saturday morning for her long and eagerly awaited trip to Tignes for pre-season race training.  We met the rest of the group at Edinburgh Airport at 9am (that is excepting Pete Davis who was , as ever, running on Davis time!!).

The girls all got off fine and arrived in Tignes safe and sound in the evening.

Having dropped the girls off Gary (Beth's dad and I headed back north as far as Tillycoultry and had a cycle up over the Ochill hills to Auchterarder and then popped in to Gleneagles hotel before completing the loop back over the Ochills.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and it was over to Peterhead for the Commodores cup, raced over 3 races with the best aggregate score taking the cup. Two firsts and a second was enough to secure things!  Needless to say the crew was mightily happy!

Ellie also dropped us a text or two to say she was having a great time.  She loves her new GS skis.  Highlight of the day was that when they were out for their morning fitness session at 7AM they met the French ski team doing the same, one of whom was wearing a kangaroo onesie.

As ever, there was some rather fine baking as well!

Sporting Girls

We have had a very sporty time this weekend.  Ellie started things off with hockey, keeping goal for her house team in the inter house hockey tournament.  She kept a clean sheet in all of her games, the only one of the four goalkeepers to do so as her house took the title.  A remarkable achievement given that they only had seven outfield players, three short of what they should have had!  Her defence was non-existent and on more than one occasion she had to save from attackers clean through on goal.

Isobel was keeping goal for Hazlehead Hockey Club against Aberdeen University Ladies in a 6-2 win.  She was especially pleased to have received her new kit for Inverurie hockey club, her home club (she is currently on loan to Hazlehead whose keeper in injured)

Whilst Isobel (alias Izzy G!) was playing hockey Ellie dragged me along to the ski slope.  She is using every free moment to train prior to going to Tignes for her skiing camp next week.

Sunday is Gordon skiers so Ellie and I were back up to the ski slope for training, here are a few photos!

Isobel's Baking

Isobel's baking goes from strength to strength.  The last weeks offerings?  Oreo cupcakes, which made her extremely popular with her fellow hill-walking club members.

There was also a particularly fine black cherry and almond sponge cake with a vanilla cream and black cherry syrup centre. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

And not to be outdone, Julie knocked up a rather fabulous lemon cake............happy days!  But no wonder those hills are starting to feel steeper on the bike!

We're Back In Business!

Apologies for the lack of blogging over the summer!  I have been spending a lot of time creating a website for Ellie's skiing club www.gordonskiers.com .  But now that is up and running hopefully I'll have a bit more time to do the family blog.

It has, as ever, been a busy weekend, it started off with Ellie playing in goal for the S2 B team playing against the S3 B team, they lost 2-0 but Ellie did well to keep them in the match with some great saves.

Hockey was followed by a trip to the Alford Dry slope for a quick training session prior to the opening Sunday of the Ski club season with the trials to get into the Performance Squad.  Credit to Ellie for all the practice she has put in prior to the trials, both skiing and fitness.

Sunday saw Isobel heading off to Cairngorm for a climb / scramble up the Fiacaill Ridge and then across the plateau to Cairngorm itself.  She had an absolutely fabulous day with superb views due to the very clear conditions. She thoroughly enjoyed the scramble up the ridge, aided by the security of a rope. Here are some super photos.

Meanwhile Ellie was at the Gordon Skiers Performance Squad trials, a very full on morning of skiing and fitness tests from which she emerged exhausted but with great credit.  We await results.