Perth from Kinnoull's Slopes

With all my family in the house over the last week or so, time for such things as blogging has been impossible. This is not least the case because when they are here, they sleep in the room where the computer lives - and so sneaking a few moments on-line while the rest of the house sleeps is not possible!

I think that generally when we have people staying in the house we don't do too badly in terms of the quality of the food that is on offer (in fact Mrs Hideous has done wonders this year). Our problem is more estimating quantities accurately when catering for larger numbers with unpredictable appetites! Constantly fearing producing measly pigeon-portions which leave everyone hungry and disappointed, we tend to over-compensate and then over-consume.

So, several mince-pies heavier than a fortnight ago we were invited to go for a walk up Kinnoull Hill with some of our neighbours yesterday. It was great to be in the bracing outdoors again, stretching flabby legs, feeling out-of-breath and cursing ever seeing the Nigella Cookbook, and all its lardy, cholesterol-sodden delights. Still, we had a great time with the neighbours and their kids (who are similar ages to ours) and were inevitably well-fed at their house afterwards, although quite what Mrs Hideous thought she was doing with that banoffie-pie I still cannot quite imagine!

Kinnoull Hill was really, really cold - but the views through the crisp winter air were stunning, with the Paps of Fife, Ochils, Ben Vorlich, Beinn a Ghlo, and the Angus Glens all in view, and of those everything to the North and West of us beautifully frosted white. In the photo above, the town-centre snuggles into the valley floor for warmth, taken from the Barnhill side of Kinnoull Hill.