Autumnwatch

I wonder if I can claim a First? I think I may be the first UK Driving Instructor to have a lesson (very briefly) held up by Reindeer. Real reindeer too; not a shiny red nose in sight. I was in Aviemore with my pupil, Andy. He is a ski and snowboard technician and wanted help on driving up the winding mountain roads to the ski resort. No snow to deal with, but persistent rain added to the challenge. He did very well. It is all about reading the road, planning ahead and choosing speed and gears in advance. As we descended back down past Loch Morlich, I could see a lady in a fluorescent vest walking up the mountain, giving a perfect demonstration of the 'slow(ing) down' arm signal. We slowed right down and watched as she herded 6 or 7 reindeer along the road. Red Deer are a common sight in the Highlands, as are Red Squirrels, and I have also seen Golden Eagles, Red Kites, Owl, Seals and even Dolphins (in the Moray Firth). But the Reindeer were a nice surprise.
Aviemore is also home to The Cairngorm Sled-Dog centre where you can ride in a sled behind a team of Siberian Huskies. I have not done that (yet), but we have watched the Husky sleds race through Culbin Forest. A thrilling sight (especially for our three dogs), but we were glad we weren't horse-riding at the time; that would have been a bit too exciting.
One creature I haven't yet seen is the Sinistral Haggis. The Dextral Haggis (also known as the Common Haggis) is often spotted on the higher slopes of the mountains. Their right legs are longer than their left, which means it is comfortable for them to graze clockwise around the mountains. The Sinistral Haggis however, has longer left legs. This means it has to face the opposite way (anticlockwise) on the mountain, otherwise it topples over. It's a rare beastie indeed.

Currently in Elgin Test Centre, waiting for Glynn, on his second test. A beautiful cloudless day here, with temperatures predicted to reach 19C; fantastic for this time of year. The trouble is, the low autumn sun can make visibility very difficult; especially after last night's rain. In the lesson before his test, Glynn was struggling to see at one roundabout because the sun was directly in his eyes. I suggested that he invested in a good pair of sunglasses to keep in his car. "I've already got a pair for driving." "Well, put them on then." I replied. "They're in my car at home." Doh!
This is the second test (after Andrew) of quite a busy period for me as far as tests are concerned. Obviously, I want them all to pass, but if they all pass in the next three weeks I lose a third of my pupils. And if they all pass in the next five weeks, I lose half of my pupils. A bit worrying with the festive season on the horizon.

Tonight I can forget about driving for a short while. Jane and I are taking Maggie to see the incomparable Julie Fowlis at Eden Court theatre, Inverness. You may remember that we went to see her a few months back, in Fochabers, but Maggie hasn't seen her before (and it is sad that Robert, Maggie's husband, never did get to see her; he would have loved her). Besides, you can't have too much of a good thing.

(An hour later) Sadly, Glynn didn't pass. Of all the pupils I have up for test over these few weeks, Glynn was one I would have been tempted to bet money on him passing. In the last few minutes of the lesson before his test he came up to a T-junction, stopped to wait for a gap in the traffic, then, just before he went to move off I had to remind him to select 1st gear (he was in 2nd). Perhaps that should have set alarm bells ringing in my head, but it was nothing I have ever had to remind about before (at least, not for a long time). Of course, he did exactly the same thing in the test, forgot to select 1st gear, tried to pull out of a T-junction in 2nd and stalled. There was no other traffic, but the examiner obviously thought it was potentially dangerous, so she failed him. Perhaps the sun was too bright and he could not see which gear he was in (I am joking). Bring your sunglasses next time Glynn.