Loch Ken Trip with Ollie

After last weekends less than successful trip home from the Wallace Reunion, just had to go and pickup the canoe from the site… Be rude not to stay over and have a little paddle while I was there! Got all packed (nearly) before work on Friday morning, last few things in the car after work then me and Ollie set off, car picnic in tow. Good timing, as Oliver fell asleep about 20mins from the site… Guess I’m doing the tent myself!

  

Tent up, beds ready, lil man tucked up and still asleep, tea time! Camping food for Gods; beans, corned beef n tinned potatoes! (And maybe a few beers, just to help me sleep of course).

After a good nights sleep awoke to a reasonable day, wasn’t raining so I was grateful I wouldn’t be packing up getting a wash again. Breakfast sitting under the tarp, pancakes n honey.. And trying to explain what that tent was doing on TOP! of the car took a while. Very cool though, wonder if it would fit a Volvo V50???

  

After breakfast a customary play in the park, pack things up before running down to Castle Douglas to pickup some spare gas for the stove. Fishing net (and other prezzie’s bought) time to go canoeing!

  

 
The wind was picking up quite a bit so not many photos of us on the Loch, needless to say Ollie wasn’t phased; too busy catching the HUGE fish with his little net, and apparently helping me paddle? Hrm… With lunchtime and hotdogs calling to us, back at the shore of the campsite. Handy right next to the park so I got a little chill out as well.

 

After lunch a little paddle to the edge of the ‘ski zone’ further up the Loch, before heading back down and a trip up the River Dee opposite the camp site. Really good as the water levels were still fairly high so could get right up in to the first set of little rapids. Had a good bit of fun paddling up as far as we could, turning and running back down them. Oliver definitely joining the adrenalin junkie club and wanting to do it more and more and faster and faster!!

   

Ollie’s video of us coming down the rapid, have to say his camera work makes it look a lot more intense… Potential future Director of action movies? Famous words half way down! Out of the mouth of babes..

 

“She’ll think we are doing it..” Because Mummy wouldn’t like us coming down a section of rapids, no matter how small and safe they actually are!

And since he had the camera, and wouldn’t give it back, the next few pics are his.. Which has a couple of drawbacks;

1. pictures of me
2. usually quite random (some fairly arty ones!)

One being the big pile of foamy stuff that he thought was an iceberg, and only took my word for it that it wasn’t when the wind blew it to bits! Much to his amusement.

  

 

After finally dragging Oliver away from the ‘waterfall’ back across to the campsite to get the car loaded up and sort some tea before heading back over home. Saw loads of Red Kites, to a point where he started getting sick of them! Had four of them circling at one point. Canoe loaded up, and the burger van on site looked like a good option – approved by the little fella! Chicken nuggets and chips later he was all good.

 

 

 

 

Drive back home, Oliver promptly falling asleep again about 20 mins from the house so a nice easy ‘lift n shift’ in to his bed. Cracking night camping and day canoeing with mini-me, got to do this more!