Visiting the Motherland

So, I just returned from a trip to Scotland to visit the family. What was supposed to be ten days turned into three weeks thanks to an Icelandic volcano with an unpronounceable name!
Having not been back for a while, it was great to be surrounded by my MASSIVE, WONDERFUL family and have a ton of laughs with them.
And Scotland is so incredibly beautiful....I'd kinda forgotten. What an amazing city Edinburgh is, with the Castle, all the monuments, and Arthur's Seat right smack dab in the middle of the city. How easy it is to be out of the city and suddenly be in the beautiful, untamed, SO historical Scottish highlands. The Wallace monument was closed but we drove past it on our way through Stirling and I swear I felt a surge in my blood as "FREEDOM!!" rang in my ears!
We had quite a few family get-togethers, I climbed a lot of hills and mountains, scrambled around a bunch of ruins, and spent plenty of quality time with my Mum, Dad and younger brothers, whom I simply <3!
Given the Hunter family's proclivity for humour and high jinx there are many funny, silly stories but probably the funniest thing that happened didn't involve a single Hunter but instead my friend Mirelle.....
We'd gone up to Aviemore, my brother Jonny wanted to go skiing and Mirelle and I went along for the ride, the hiking, and the sight-seeing. After Jonny had gone off to the top Mirelle and I started our hike. But, holy cow, the snow was so deep and we were wearing regular walking boots. After we crossed this one foot bridge and we trudged through the snow a bit we discussed the merits of going back to the chalet for some mulled wine to wait for Jonny to come down for the pre-apointed video-op...and as Mirelle was putting forth her vote for the warmth of the fireplace we had just had lunch at, I felt my foot sink. And sink more. My face must have been a picture as I slowly sank...one leg...all the way down. As I 'lay/sat', my right leg completely engulfed by the snow we were walking on, my left leg sprawled on the surface and my hands grappling at the snow in front of me, desperately trying to get a decent grip, well, panic struck. In the very brief time this happened I realised that "holy crap! what just happened???!!! holy crap! this is COLD! OMG I can move my foot around wtf is up with that? if I pull my leg up will my boot come off, and then I'll be walking around the Highlands in my sock! oh shit, what if my sock comes off....why isn't Mirelle helping me??? STOP LAUGHING MIRELLE AND HELP ME!!!"
She didn't. She couldn't. She was doubled over laughing...and frankly she hasn't stopped yet. Mention it to her and she will be a laugh-puddle instantly. Biatch.
Anyhoo...I pulled my leg out, boot, sock and all and we went back to drink mulled wine til Jonny was Kodak-ready.
Heading out to video the ski-stud we crossed another foot bridge further down from the unfortunate sinking incident and realised that I had sunk right above the raging river of melting snow. Just how much more worse the situation could have been sent shivers down my spine (visions of having sunk all the way through and body-rafting my way down the mountain....yikes!) and sent Mirelle into another fit of giggles. Friends. Hmmph.
I'll diary the trip soon, photos and all...oooooh!! betcha can't wait!....but for now I'm back home. It's gorgeous weather and, following this weekend, I'm a tad sunburned. But all I know right now is that I can't wait to go back...I miss my family and I miss beautiful Scotland.