This is the view looking back into Ballater. The main, rounded hill you see is just behind our house, and is called Craigendarroch (Hill of the Oaks).
Hubby takes it into his head annually to snorkel bits of the river to see what fish are around. I know, he's mad, but he likes to have some proof that there are actually some fish in there, which is not at all evident on the days when he spends 12 hours fishing the water without even a bite. This year is a particularly bad year for fish on the Dee. I do not join him on his snorkelling escapades, but am always happy to hold his clothes! You should just about see him in this photo as he descends down towards me- just at the little outcrop of stones on the edge of the river.
I did laugh yesterday, because as he swam into shore, there was a little girl paddling in the river. She turned to her dad and said 'Look dad, it's a scuba diver'! Then, as hubby surfaced she announced, 'Oh no, it's just a boy'!! That made him not only laugh but feel good. It's been a while since he was called a boy! :-)
Ha ha ha, that is a brilliant comment! How long has it been since someone called him a boy! I love it, big big smiles. I don't blame you for not snorkelling in there - I wouldn't either! But a lovely shot and clearly he had fun.
Took me ages to see ‘the boy’ But I was looking on the bank then I saw him in the water. Love the idea of him going in to convince himself there are fish to be caught!
A great story. His head above the water really gives some perspective as the width of the river and the depth. At first glance it looks like a wide and shallow spot on the river, but it's much wider and deeper than I thought.
When I look at this photo the river does not look deep enough to me for snorkeling- but looks can be deceiving! I love how children think. We were all sitting at the table and talking about names the other night and I said that when my mother said "Ann Leslie Hamilton" in a certain tone, I knew I was in trouble. "That's not your name!" my grandson said, "It's Grammy!" Love that boy!! Pretty shot.
I would happily swim there but snorkeling has never really grabbed my attention.