I Heart The Mudflats

From Mudpuppy SMR:

Recently our family – minus our daughter away at college – returned to Scotland to visit friends and reacquaint our youngest with her birthplace. We moved from Scotland two years ago, and I have been pining for it. We are Americans, but Scotland is the home of my heart.

We traveled from Calgary to Glasgow via Iceland, and decided that it was unlikely that we’d be there again, so stopped for a few days. Here you can see Brian admiring an Icelandic Viking:

Here’s Brian admiring an Icelandic ship:

Brian enjoyed his brief stay in Iceland, particularly the aurora borealis on our last evening. He said they were the most beautiful he’d ever seen, white, red, blue & green. He also said that it really sucked that I could not manage to get a decent photo of him enjoying them.

Once we arrived in Glasgow we were off to Aberdeenshire, to visit our old friends. Brian accompanied us to Aberdeen to visit favourite restaurants and shops and to stock up on our little one’s much-beloved M&S Percy Pigs. We brought home over 10 pounds worth. Here is Brian in the cemetery surrounding a beautiful cathedral in downtown Aberdeen:

And trying to place a call in an iconic Red Phone Box in a tiny village named Monymusk:

We stayed a while with friends, then it was off to warmer Scottish climes and Hadrian’s Wall and the Lake District in England. Here is Brian loving one of my favourite Scottish villages, Pitlochry:

Brian loved the Birks of Aberfeldy, as well as his chat with Robert Burns:

Last, but not least, here is a photo of Brian surveying the view from Stirling Castle:

We’re back in Canada now, but only for a few more weeks. Soon our little family will move again, to Texas this time. Brian is pretty certain that he won’t see any friends or relatives down there, but he is desperate to visit the Grand Canyon and Galveston, New Orleans, New Mexico, and much much more. He’ll check in with you again post-move when he has new stories & photos to share. Until then, keep sharing the Mudflats love.

Brian & SMR

So, what are you reading and what are you using as a bookmark? Leave a comment or send a photo to iheartmudflats@gmail.com.

From Moderator Pacos Gal:

Brian enjoyed a laid back Valentine’s Day this year. The snow and cold kept him inside, dreaming of warmer days and sunny road trips with his travel buddy Irishgirl. There was a particularly funny bumper sticker incident, which caused laughter after an initial brief recoil of horror.

(The Escape just makes it so much better, and as Boodog is quoted as saying “Glad it wasn’t a Triumph”!)

Not to say that Brian isn’t a romantic soul. No indeed. In fact, being inside gave him plenty of time to plan out a romantic evening with his lady love Pacos Gal. He went all out this year, with candles, candies, and of course, himself just bursting with romantic happiness.

Being a moose who loves to spread the warmth of a Valentine hug to all of his nearest and dearest, Brian made his way to Kentucky to spend some special time with Justafarmer. His visit included sharing a drink and admiring some lovely tulips. Because he wanted so badly to nibble on the tulips, he tried very hard not to do so and thought it was only a testament to his true loving nature that when he left, the tulips were still looking lovely. What a guy, huh?

And finally, Brian decided to just stop and smell the roses at Erin’s house up in Alaska.

(Some day we’ll have to learn the secret of how he is able to be here, there, and everywhere all at once. Santa has nothing on this moose!)

Brian’s adventures can be found along with photos on The Mudflats Forum.

I wonder where Brian will turn up on St. Patrick’s Day?

From Mod Pacos Gal:

Brian rang in the New Year of 2010 with a grand trip that encompassed various time zones and countries. We asked mudpuppies everywhere to grab their cameras and take a picture if you happened to see him. I am not positive but really Brian had to have made a deal with Santa for Rudolph’s services. He just made it everywhere, stopped to say hi, have dinner, do some babysitting, shovel snow, take in the sites and enjoy all the various activities and that a New Years Eve can bring.

We’ll start you off with the original Brian in Alaska, wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

Brian seems to be hanging out in Sirenoftitans Xmas tree in Wales:

Next stop Ireland and some play time in the snow caught on camera by Irishgirl:

A bit later he was in Connecticut watching a Jackie Chan film with MonaLisa:

Saw a cousin and tried to help undecorate Tantef’s house in Delaware:

Alaskan Moose meets Scotland at Forty Watt’s in Pennsylvania:

While in Pennsylvania Brian stopped by to help Futurexpat out with babysitting and to check out the moose on her Xmas tree:

Brian heard there was some Martini and Rossi at BuffaloGal’s in New York:

All that running around, a stop at Pacos Gal’s in Canada for dinner:

Better work off that dinner in Kentucky by hiking the Appalachian Trail with lexky:
(who knows who you will see on the trail, perhaps a Governor?)

Fun times continue in Kentucky at Justafarmer’s house or is it Hogwarts!:

Brian stopped to admire the Blue Moon with ghostdancer in Wisconsin:

Back to Canada where he met up with daMamma and played in the tree with her son daMonkeyMan:

Hearing about a party complete with hats in Arizona, he headed for Gramiam’s place:

He made another stop at Hannah’s house for some musical entertainment with friends:

Heading home Brian stopped at North of the Ridge’s place and wow is it cold!:

Oh look there is a kitty! Suchanut caught Brian giving New Years kisses in Alaska:

Brian took a ‘hike’ with CRFlats, laughing at the graffiti in their home state:

Finally, a nice glass of wine to celebrate the new year with who else but AKM!:

Poor Brian, wasn’t feeling up to par the next morning, but luckily Justafarmer left some asprin out for him:

Happy New Year everyone!

You can view even more pictures of Brian on New Years Eve on the Mudflats forum.
Click here to see more!