My first "official" loch

At this rate I may actually get all of my 3 days in Scotland trip posts done in October (wouldn't lay any money down on that though, lol).  Loch Lomond was my first official visit to the shores of a Scottish lake, fitting since it is the largest freshwater body of water for surface area in mainland Great Britain.  My guide for the trip suggested we skip the tourist-laden southern areas and we stopped at an access that only had 3 other cars in it just a bit further north.

What impressed me was how tidy most of the areas were/are in the UK

See, not a bit of debris anywhere but then again trash bins were available everywhere

Mist rolling in over the hills on opposite bank

Looking north at the mountains getting progressively taller

So incredibly peaceful, you couldn't hear the highway noise, just the waves rolling in

Love the play of light as the clouds and mist shifted

So clear

Duck swimming through the waves

I don't put much stock into astrology but I do certainly seem to live up to my Pisces nature when it comes to water

Smile :-)

On the road again

Haven't done a song in a while so leaving with a live version of "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" from The Real McKenzies

Not quite a conundrum

Last week I started a new job in a local gym (the best one in my area, email if you want info! Oh and drivers, there is a hotel next door with truck parking and there's also room for a bobtail to park on the street--day rates are $5) and yesterday I finally got around to putting some of my truck gear up for sale as well as removing the 2 big truck keys I had still hanging on my key ring.  That was a big step for me in admitting I probably won't drive full time ever again, I do plan on keeping my CDL active, even went and got my 2 year DOT physical done at my own cost over the summer but that part of my life for the most part is probably over.  The pay is excellent if you get with a good company but there are so many negatives right now within the industry that I was burned out after 11 straight years of it.  I have seen much of the United States and some of Canada thanks to trucking and learned so many things and for that I'm very grateful.

That brings me to my not quite a conundrum...........what to do with my blog and twitter name--should I leave it? It is quite catchy and I'm unsure of what else to go with as of now.  I could always go the route of modifying it to Gab (was) a trucker since the gabsatrucker was a bit of a play on "gab is a trucker" in the beginning. "Gabs" was never really a nickname until the blog started gaining readers anyway.  Suggestions are welcome!

Even my alienware sports the gabsatrucker name, branded much?

A couple of hours in Glasgow

One of these days I will sit down and plan a proper visit to a place instead of waiting until the last minute. I miss so much but have also seen far more than I ever dreamed I would get a chance at seeing.  Here are a few pics of the Glasgow drive-through.

Cute, eh? Check out the sporran on the front

Mix of the old, the not as old, and the new

Taking pics of the other tourists taking pics

Quite a sordid and bloody history if the Scottish man who stopped to translate for me is to be believed. Public hangings and floggings apparently

Sensing a theme? 

Glasgow Cathedral. Read more about it here and here.  I can't say enough nice things about the Historic Scotland staff, they were incredibly helpful and friendly and even took the time for a long chat (I learned quite a bit about the Glasgow-Edinburgh rivalry, lol)

Construction is ongoing but also as unobtrusive as possible

Even on a dreary overcast day the colors are gorgeous

Can you imagine this being your church?

They were very dapper and scholarly

Looking towards the Necropolis

The red car certainly stood out

Memorial of the Glasgow Necropolis bridge

Hopefully you can read this by enlarging the pic, if not go here

Looking back

I found the architecture of the memorials and graves quite fascinating

Looking at the cathedral, check out closeup of monument in next photo

Scottish Lyrics to "Wee Willie Winkie"

Wee Willie Winkie rins through the toun,

Up stairs and doon stairs in his nicht-goun,

Tirlin' at the window, cryin' at the lock,

"Are the a' the bairnies in their beds, it's noo past ten o'clock."

"Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben?

The cat's singin' grey thrums to the sleepin' hen,

The dog's spelder'd on the floor, and disna gi'e a cheep,

But here's a waukrife laddie that winna fa' asleep!"

Onything but sleep, you rogue! glow'ring like the mune,

Rattlin' in an airn jug wi' an airn spune,

Rumblin', tumblin' round about, crawin' like a cock,

Skirlin' like a kenna-what, wauk'nin' sleepin' folk.

"Hey, Willie Winkie - the wean's in a creel!

Wambling aff a bodie's knee like a verra eel,

Ruggin' at the cat's lug, and ravelin' a' her thrums

Hey, Willie Winkie - see, there he comes!"

Wear it is the mither that has a stoorie wean,

A wee stumple stoussie, that canna rin his lane,

That has a battle aye wi' sleep before he'll close an ee

But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips gies strength anew to me.

Looking out over Glasgow

We have Mr. Tennant to thank for our bright whites, he patented bleaching powder

Loved this twisted tree

Yes, this really should have gone up at the start of the necropolis pics