Done playing hooky

I've been playing hooky from this blog. Can you believe it?

Jack is just as shocked as you are.

Partly, that's because we've been busy with guests and travel. We had almost six weeks of guests staying with us in May and June. Throw in the time planning trips (choosing where to go; hotel/car/train/ferry boat reservations, itineraries, etc.), cleaning the house, and then decompressing after they leave, and pretty soon it feels like two months went by in a blur.

And I have had more computer problems. Not as bad as a few months ago, fortunately. But our iPhoto crashed again and was only partly restored by the Apple savants. Albums and other organization of materials were lost. I've been able to painstakingly recreate some of it, but others bits are gone forever. That put a serious crimp in my blogging. Grrrrrrr.

Moreover, I've been busy doing some other things. There's a little interview blurb about me in this BBC News article from last week. We've had beautiful sunny weather recently, and I'm taking advantage of it by exploring and hiking with Jackson. And there has been the normal life miscellany -- car inspection, wedding anniversary (our 15th), minor illnesses, World Cup gatherings (we had 4 Americans, 1 Canadian, 1 Brit, and 5 Italians at our house watching the mighty Tim Howard vs. Germany) -- keeping us occupied.

A pantsless interlude during our weekday morning exploration of Inchcailloch, an island in Loch Lomond.

Truthfully, though, it's been nice to have a break from blogging.

Have you, fine readers -- all five or six of you -- missed me? I'm sure it's nice to have a break from me, as well. {Ed.'s note: 'Twas good to hae quiet an nae blethering from ye.}

I'll be getting back in the blogging groove soon. Lots of posts planned. And some fun activities planned for the near future that I hope to share with you.

Where have you been??? Hiking on the Isle of Skye, among other places.