Busy Day Off! Part 1
Yesterday was a total day off. I didn't even open the office door or check a single email.
We were going to my folk's in the afternoon, for Oktoberfest. But I woke up early, saw the lovely bright. cold, dry day, and thought "fuck it". Chucked Mera in the car, and headed up my first hill in many, many years!
Ben Aigan is only about a 10-15 minute drive from No Books HQ. It's only a Corbett, not a Munro, and is a very straightforward climb, but still gives you that sense of enormity/smallness that you only experience atop a mountain!
I have walked it many times. More than 20, I would say. I've done a lot of hill walking and Munroing. And I'm never, ever sure if I actually enjoy it. I DO enjoy long distance walking, anything over 20 miles and I'm in my absolute element! But hills? Meh. Never sure. But I hadn't gone near a hill for years, and this is a local and easy one to do, so do it we did!
Couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. And wee Mera, once again, blew me away, with what a perfect wee off roader she is. She is honestly the BEST walking companion anyone could hope for, I actually can't report a single negative about her - I tell her daily "you make me so proud" and "you make me so happy", She's just an absolute super star. Yesterday was no different. You'd think we'd been together for years, not just a matter of weeks. We passed some other walkers and dogs, she cared not a jot. We ended up in a bog. Didn't care. We had an off road bike pass us...didn't bat an eye...the bike slipped and crashed into the heather just about 50 feet ahead of us. She didn't care. Nothing phases this dog. Can't imagine she'd ever been up a mountain before yesterday, but you'd think she'd done 1000. Can't enthuse enough about my adoration and amazement at this wee beastie! 
That only took a couple of hours, then it was home to change my wet feet, before heading to Kinloss for Oktoberfest. And muddy Mera was left at home to dry off and sleep - much to my Mother's disgust, when we turned up without her hahahahha
But hills? yeah, still not sure they're my bag. I'd rather walk 5 miles round one, than half a mile over one hahahahhaha