wilma fantastic blogs you have put together hope you get to keep it .going to miss all your reporting and photos have really enjoyed them both .hope you have safe journey  home see you at wekend love wilma

Brian Hiya guys, can you give us a contact number for when you come home as we have lot fuzzies.

theresa,ross and Millie-Ann hello, you'll be winging your way home now I think. so excited about seeing you. Fair enjoyed my year of blogging. So farewell blog. Better having our friends back home with us than emailing!!!! xxxxx

gillian and musti hi to you both, what is with all the picures of snakes?!?!?! you could have least posted a warning message. they make the small water snake musti killed last week actually look not too dangerous in comparison. really looking forward to you getting into the uk so we can at least cath up over the phone. make the most of your your last few days love you both gillian and mustiXX

Edi Hi, Didn't realise how long it was since I caught up. It sounds like you are still having an amazing time. I can't wait to see you both when you get bac. Mind you that probably still means it will take me months or years to get up. Though I do hope I can get up for the festival in August. Maybe Kate and I could visit. Enjoy the rest of your time while it lasts and I hope you are looking forward to the positive things about coming home. Hmm, I bet thats not easy but there are a few. :-) Loads of Love. Hope I'll see you soon. Edi xxx

Theresa, Ross and Millie-Ann Hello, Saturday afternoon which is normally gardening time as Millie-Ann is ferried out to one or other grandparent on alternate weekends (Rosemary and Herman today. - Rosemary taking her to Hetland garden center which she loves), but as I am now on holiday for a week I can space the gardening out. Besides lots of heavy showers here today, though bizarrely was bucketing down at Somerfield as I loaded the car but completely dry here at Back of the Hill 2 minutes later! My neighbour says the sun always shines on the righteous!!!! Well baby Rowlands has arrived. Finlay Blake Rowlands - and he's a wee smasher. Poor Pam and Sef are wandering around with only the look of a new parent has. The combination of elation, exhaustion and the realisation that this is it now for the next 100years or so! Pam had very quick labour of 5 hours and it was so quick her recollections are vague but the pain bit is still very fresh in her memory! Finlay of course has already established his authority as head of the household. I have a sneaky feeling Millie-Ann must have been telepathically giving him handy tips on how to achieve this whilst he was still in the womb. And Millie-Ann has been a wee darling with him. I was a bit concerned she would be jealous as Pam and Sef are rated very highly by her, but so far she has been great, stroking his head and singing to him when he was crying. Pam and I attempted a wee Friday afternoon club yeasterday in celebration. But as she has not had champagne forever she didn't manage much, and she is still feeding Finlay so he should be very content today. Millie liked champagne enhanced breast milk(obviously in the Woodman genes that champagne thing!!) So between us we didn't even drink a bottle. I am off out to a friends for dinner tonight though and knew this. And every time I go to this friends I always end up blitzed so paced myself yesterday. Carol-Ann also coming tonight so usually we are carrying eachother to the taxi! The weekend you come home is my school reunion weekend which I have been organising with Allison Menzies (Carlyle) over the past few weeks. Had a great response so far. Inadvertantly sent out an ad on friends reunited to the years 83-88 instead of 83-85, so all sorts of people been responding! Think have made it clear now it's for those of us that are the tender age of 40! So that Saturday i will be swallying in the Firth and not able to partake in your homecoming drinks. Can't say how disappointed I am but may manage to pop in for one before going to reunion. Ross is also on holiday as of today. We are going to take Millie to Edinburgh zoo. She's currently obsessed with lions. She says daddy is a lion, she is a baby lion and "mummy not a lion, mummy a good girl!!" She now has a drum and triangle to go with her guitar, 2 keyboards, squeezebox, mouth organ, recorder, xylophone and 3 tambourines. we're thinking of sending her busking as a one man band on Saturdays down the high street, so if anyone sees her please contribute generously! She's had us all marching behind her round the garden all playing various instruments. Quite hilarious! what a brill time you're having just now. Must feel like a holiday now and a great ending to your trip. Wonder what happens to your blog? do you get to keep it? Anyway as the sun still seems to be shining on the righteous people of the Back of the Hill, I will bid you farewell for now and trot off to my garden. Safe travelling. See you soon! xxx

wilma  Hi nice to have you back on line and that you both are still having a nice time on your travels.had Pauline Michael and Ethan up for a few days last week she was up for Gordons 60th i know that she is so looking forward to seeing you both ,think she is coming up when you both come home . am going down on thursday to her place she managed to get me tickets for Lionel Ritchie again .Well will close now going out to club with hubby,take care the both of you and enjoy the rest of your travels have a safe trip home see you soon

Brian Hello, its me again. Just wondering how you both are. Took boys to see Waterboys last night...both fell asleep with 3 songs to go. Celtic won the league today, I know Fuz is a closet fan. Arm s getting better, almost lift a pint now. Weather has been superb, need rain for he allotmen though...how sad. Still off work, dont mind in this weather. Im thinking of going up the road next week, watch Carlisle v Swansea, I think Rhys wants to go. Must dash as I am reparing Sunday dinner before I go to the pub. See you both soon. Lots of love, Bri, Kath, Rhys and Euan.PS Hope I get the sum right

Theresa Ross and Millie-Ann Good morning, Have 15 minutes spare before my clinic starts and being conscious of the fact I ahve not blogged for am onth am trying to get a small one out now. Sooooooooo busy at work hardly have time to draw breath. Currently have an ear infection andfull of cold. Can't actually hear anything in my left ear which makes for interesting conversation as Ross can't hear anything in his right ear so we have to make surewe're sitting in the correct order to hear eachother (thoug for him I think he deliberately does the otherway so he doesn't have to listen to my drivel). Nowt much happening here. Am ever hopeful of winning the lottery so I cna give up this job so guess still have anither 20 years to go! Pam is truly massive now and everything is on track. Baby is in right position (for a short while there was concern baby was copying Millie and in breech position) and baby is currently estimated to be 8lb 4oz (gulp). Pam is on mat leave now and has completed all her internet shopping in one week. Told her to treat it like a holiday as it's the last bit of freedom she'll get (in a good way though). Sef is now worrying as hepromised to buy Pam a bottle champagne a month and now as the time is getting closer he has bought none and is being severely nagged as we have Friday afternoon clubs to think of. Had big Pam and Christine round on Good Friday for an Easter Friday afternoon club and we had avery jolly time - Carol -Ann even joined us. Then I braved it and went out on the bank holiday Sunday again (first one since last August). Have to say was in similar state to last time - once again partaking in karaoke at the anglers ( a tradition now) and waffling on to anyone who would listen. Managed to get home after midnight (much to Ross's disgust), believing i was being quiet as a mouse but ctually Ross thought there was a herd of elephants trampling through the house! And then had the mother of all hangovers the next day(never drinking again blah blah blah..). Oneof those hangovers where you can't reakky remember the conversations you've had with folk until the day progresses! So I am truly attempting to dry out. Swore myself off alcohol but only managed 6 days as we had first BBQ of the year last Sat and felt obliged to celebrate with wine - and I only had 2 glasses. There is of course an alterior motive to this - am organinsing our school reunion for end of MAy and naturally hoping to look slim and gorgeous for it (lost 2 stone so far by the way) so alcohol has to be omitted for now (ha ha ha as if it will work - how deluded am I?) Millie-Ann is grand. Full of conversation and was even concerned for my sore ear earlier in the week (probably worried it would hinder my slave duties!). She continues to dig, dig, dig in the garden which at present is handy but maybe not so when the plants g o in! She currently is desperate for a guitar so that'll be entertaining. Will send you a photo to your own email Em so you can see how she's coming on. Have to say excited bout you coming home now. Ross and I on holiday second week of May and planning to take Millie to Edinburgh zoo - sure she'll love it. Right have to go and work now. Safe travelling. xxxxxxxxxx

Sara Jackson Hey there mrs, you are probably wondering who this is but yes its your long lost uni friend. I have just been having a wee read at what you have been up to, how jealous am I! I know i have been crap at keeping intouch but i do think about you on your adventure. Now enjoy the next part of it. Loads of Luv Sara xxx

Lesley Mincher Can't believe that your on your way back already. sounds like you had a brilliant time, i'm fair jealous.

BIG Brother Well modern technology is a wonderful thing...didn't realise I could do this. Got my birthday card today, very cool indeed. Cant believe I am 34 already. Fuz seems to have been at a few barbies too many, or was it just the wind making his cheeks waver like that. The proclaimers are number 1 in the charts over here, how great is that? Going to watch The Waterboys twice in April, Bristol and Cardiff, taking Rhys and Euan to Cardiff with me...whether they want to go or not. Kath training and dieting like mad for her birthday, shes having a Limo to Cardiff bay with 11 other drunken crazy women, she said all that's missing is you Em. But we will take you down there for that meal we promised you when you come to Wales. Any way pictures look good, boys watched it and both went WOW, but I explained it was a sort of mid-life crisis sort of thing. Safe travels and we will see you both soon LOL xxx Bri, Kath, Rhys and Euan.

Ally I had toadfish in a headlock when i met him, your a woosh beattie!

theresa,ross and Millie-Ann Hello my dear pals, Am thinking this may well be one of my last blog entries as I'm sure you'll be flying your way back to good old homeland shortly. Will be quite sad to lose the blogsite as I feel it has become my own personal Bridget Jones diary site! Anyway sorry not emailed for a while (almost a month - that's terrible). Been fair busy and kept meaning to do it but then before I knew it another day was over. Am at work at the moment so I can email at leisure without fighting with my daughter for the mouse and having her shriek in my ear that she wants Bob the Builder on (her fave on the PC at present). Having a relatively quiet day at work today though probably just jinxed myself there and now will have a thousand phone calls. Lucky my alter ego is wonder woman and I do have the soundtrack now to play so can do a wee spin and off I go. Can you hear it. nana nana nana nana WONDER WOMAN! Yes I know it's sad that I'm still obsessed with her but I have a shallow and quiet life nowadays so have to stimulate myself in my fantasy world! Ross and I currently finishing off decorating The spare front bedroom which is to become Millie's new bedroom. Millie thinks this is wonderful as she now believes she has 2 bedrooms. I came home from work on Monday to find her assisting Ross in putting on skirting weilding a hammer (a real one - no plastic ones for her thank you very much) and singing at the top of her voice Bob the builder.She was also wearing her earmuffs which Carol-Ann purchased her for Wickerman last year.She seemed very happy in her work and is obviously considering a job in the building trade.... The cocktail party went swimmingly (think that's the appropriate word) despite a small altercation between Christine and Elaine (C accused E of not trying hard enough at karaoke. To be fair E was totally blitzed by this point and may well have been having trouble standing up never mind singing). Have to say never seen Christine angry before - it was very impressive and I for one will not be getting on the wrong side of her. Many cocktails consumed - starting off reasonably well and tasty but as usual falling into chaos and totally bogging one's the more drunk we got and the more we decided to do a bit of radical experimenting! The kitchen floor took 5 washes before you could walk without being superglued to it (have to also say that Ross did all the cleaning up for me the next day,bless him). Also as we were on holiday the following week Ross partook in cocktail evenings for 4 nights that week and totally embraced them. The down side of this was i gained 5lb in one week at weight watchers- the weight watcher lady was so shocked she recalibrated the scales for me in case they were wrong! Managed to lose 5 and half the next week though so balanced out. Have now lost a stone and 11lb so slowly getting there. The photos from my 'surprise' party are great. Believe I have more to come and Susan if you're reading this can you do me copies of yours please. Can't wait for you to come home Em as we are planning an honourary Friday afternoon club for you. Have kept all the lush champagne back for it.Pam will soon be able to drink again too - hurray. She's 34 weeks now and a marvellous sight to behold. Not long to go now bless her. Am fair excited for her. Also Maz is pregnant - 13 weeks now, so that's also marvelous- must be the Oz air and way of life that's done it. Righty ho - off to see a couple patients and then home to red wine as it's aThursday . Take care and safe travelling. xxxxx

Mark Gallacher Toadfish from neighbours. Doesn't get much better (apart from maybe Harold) so fair play!!!