It’s been a very tough couple of years for everyone due to the pandemic but some positives have come out of it for me and my family.

During a Saturday night in February this year my oldest son Alasdair came through to where Lynn and myself were watching tv and said he planned to do a cycle on his mountain bike round Farr wind farm to which Lynn said that’s too dangerous to do on your own Dad will do it with you. Now I’d not been on a bike properly since 2012 when I rode London to Paris but agreed that yes it would be too dangerous to do it himself.
I phoned my brother Kenny and asked if our demo gravel bike from our cycle shop was booked out for the next day which it wasn’t and he said take demo bike for Aly and you take my gravel bike.
On the Sunday morning Aly and myself picked up the two bikes and headed out into the hills. It turned out it was dangerous as I ended up enjoying it that much I bought my own one and haven’t missed a weekend since.

I can honestly say I didn’t think I’d say I’d enjoy riding my bike again but every time I go out I end up smiling the whole way round.
I’ve also managed to get our youngest Findlay out with us a few times which he has enjoyed a lot also and it’s great family time doing something we all enjoy.

Findlay tonight signs his Scottish Football Association contract to play in goals for Balloan City in the Moray Firth League which is a Junior version of the Highland League which Alasdair is currently playing in whilst on loan.

Since the start of the pandemic as I’ve mentioned in a previous blog Alasdair took up road cycling to keep his fitness up for his football and it certainly made a difference because when football resumed he got picked for the Inverness Caledonian Thistle squad for a Scottish cup game against Buckie Thistle, although he didn’t get on it was a great experience for someone who had just turned 17.

A few weeks later on 10th June he signed a 2 year professional contract with Inverness Caledonian Thistle and was put out on Ioan until January. Going to watch him play doesn’t half play havoc with my blood glucose levels due to adrenaline but I can’t take extra insulin onboard to cover the high blood glucose level because as soon as the game finishes and the adrenaline reduces I’d end up going low and having a hypo so I have to ride the waves during the match.

Can’t leave it there without saying how proud we all are of our Isla, after many interviews at school to become a prefect she successfully achieved this and has also taken a roll at Inverness Caledonian Thistle helping coaching younger girls general skills which she absolutely loves doing. I’ve literally just found out that she has got a part time job in Tesco just down the road from us after having a interview on Saturday.

To say myself and Lynn are proud of our Bairns is a understatement.

Take care everyone and stay safe. Xx