Castle Gardens -- more pictures!

So, you can probably guess that I'm still in dissertation mode and haven't really done anything else.  Such is life.  Just to keep this blog going, I'll throw a few more pictures that I took when I was down at the castle gardens.  Hopefully I'll have some more exciting things going on in my life soon.  We'll see!  Maybe next time I'll actually have some people in the pictures.  :)

This is one of my favorites...

Castle Gardens -- the thistle edition

Hey everyone!  I haven't posted in forever.  This dissertation is sure keeping me busy!  I was walking through the castle gardens today, and all of the flowers were so beautiful!  I didn't have my camera, but did manage to snap a few with my phone.  I'll definitely be heading back there with my camera the next time the sun comes out... if it ever does! :)

These Scottish thistles were just too pretty to walk by.  They are HUGE, by the way.  You can probably tell from the first picture.  That one was almost as tall as me.  Crazy!

seriously, so pretty!

This little one was growing through the benches!  

Just don't sit down there... ouch!

T in the Park

I hit up T in the Park yesterday for a proper British music festival!  Let me tell you, it lived up to the expectations.  That being... it poured and was a complete mud-fest!  It was really fun, though... and totally worth it!  Some of the pictures are pretty blurry because we were so far back, but I just wanted to give you all a taste!  We saw Weezer, Foo Fighters, The Pretty Reckless, KT Tunstall, Bruno Mars, The Vaccines, Brandon Flowers (lead singer of The Killers), Deadmau5, and some others.

 The main stage

 Gloria & Mary... ready to rock out!

 The amazing mustache cups!

 The Pretty Reckless

Oh yes, that is Little J from Gossip Girl!

=w=  Weezer!  =w=

 KT Tunstall

 Foo Fighters

Deadmau5

The aftermath...

Other family vacay pics... Round 2

Here are some more...

 We decided that this was where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried.

We really don't know.  Ha!  It was somewhere there.

 Greyfriars Bobby & his bar

 Castles ruins

 Drew & Lyndsey and Stella Atrois Black.  Delicious!

 York Minster

 Drew being Drew

 Stronehenge

Hampton Court

My Scottish 4th of July

Oh don't you worry, I still celebrated the 4th of July in style here in Edinburgh.  Some of my American friends and I went down to a park to grill out and drink some beer... and maybe sing some patriotic songs.  Mission accomplished!

 

 Excited to see the sun in Scotland!

 the grub...

 My fellow Americans (Mary & Gretta)

 Check out our BBQ-ing skills!

 our tiny disposable grill...

A lovely day in the park!

Favorite pictures from the family visiting... round 1

Here are some more pictures from our trip.  I took TONS, so you'll be seeing some more. 

 Drink #1 in Ireland... more to come, of course!

 Happy boys at the Guinness Storehouse

 Momma on the Ha'Penny Bridge

 Dad chatting with St. John Gogarty...

 Lyndsey & Drew in the clink...such rebels!

 Giant Drew pic  

(inside joke for the family)

Official countdown...

Only 61 days until I'm back home in the U-S-of-A!  If I can survive the final months of my dissertation, that is.  Fingers crossed!