Gilbert Kelling #In memoriam

 Gilbert Kelling

23.09.1933 - 17.08.2024

We called him Uncle Gilbert, but really he was my dad's uncle; our great-uncle. A scientist (geologist), he would probably have a very thought-through (yet discreet and compassionate) opinion on the nature vs nurture debate, but if there's a story-telling gene that runs through the Kelling family, then he had it. I think my dad did too. And if you believe they are together now, as I do, it will be a long time before God himself gets a word in edgeways.

We called him Uncle Gilbert, but actually he was more like a grandpa - certainly the closest relationship with a grandfather figure that I ever had. When I looked at him, I saw my granny - his sister, my dad, sometimes even my siblings. What I experienced with him was nothing short of family. He took on the fun grandpa jobs of recounting stories of the generations who came before, welcoming us each time to The Firs with sticky buns and juice...the last time just 2 weeks ago. But he also took on the hard jobs, such as officiating at the committal service for my dad. At that service he said something that has stayed with me since. He said, 'what is mortal remains, but what is immortal lives on'. That is true for my dad, and it's true for Uncle Gilbert. A person's life is spiritual and eternal: peace, love, joy, beauty, happiness, wisdom, goodwill, understanding...these are qualities that never grow old or die. Uncle Gilbert's life proved that you only really grow old when you lose interest in life, cease searching for answers or stop joining your now-middle-aged-PhD students for their meet-ups. He enjoyed a long life and endured a short illness. It is our faith that we shall be reunited again.

We called him Uncle Gilbert, but he had many names. Professor Emeritus, husband, father, brother, teacher, tenor, geologist, guide. We called him Uncle Gilbert: loved and missed.  

Surely your goodness and love will follow me, all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

                                                                                                                        Psalm 23:6

When summer knows no end #orbeginning

The end of summer. Not really. To have had an end you need to have had a beginning. And we can all agree that summer in Scotland this year was B.A.D. Weather-wise that is. Basically because of the rain. And so for the few short hours of sunshine, boy did we summer it up.

The cousins were to be found on the beach at Elie. So to the beach we went (but stayed in a camp-site just around the headland). That's a story in itself, but let's just say you can't choose your neighbours on a camp-site. Or the morning storms. But by afternoon the sun was out and so were the legs.

 

Who'd want to be anywhere else on a Scottish summer's day?

So were the jellyfish. So we called it a day and went for fish and chips:

 

But during that torrential rain we did visit the Anstruther Fisheries Museum. Because, you know, fish and museums. Totally my kind of day.

 

 

And when you've got cousins, you don't even need the sun.

Evidence no.1: The Lamb Clan BBQ

 

Proof No. 2: The Wallace Monument

 

Evidence no. 3 It works with French cousins too!

The date says summer is over, but the sun just keeps on shinin' (for a few mins at a time):

Summer dreams #sunsailhike

We divided our holiday into 3 parts this year. 

First, was the ferry over, followed by dropping off Pablo and heading to Parc Asterix. I don't really like theme parks but this one was brilliant. Hard to take photos of roller coasters really, so this is the funniest momento of the day...looking up Zeus' skirt as we waited for his roller coaster (turns out it was the worst one but worth it just for the spotted pink pants).

Once we arrived in France, I quickly left and headed to a week's conference in Penang. The conference where El Puma and I met in 2006, and this year hosted in a location where I was previously based for over 18 months. All in all, a fantastic catch up with old friends and making cool, new ones, all while actually being warm. 

 

 

18 years of fisheries economics and policies at the OECD represented below:

And during this time, the rest of the family were sunning themselves in Locmaria, so I am told. 

 

Which may be so, but by the time I got there, there was only 1 day of sun left and the clouds and drizzle found us again. But at least we got the family photo in on that one sunny day. 

Sailing (Part Deux) was particularly awesome for them this year, as they had their besties with them, kindly hosted by the grandparents:

 

  

After a week of that, it was Part Trois: the Alps. A 15-hour drive with a stopover in Nantes to return the besties and see more besties was Totally.Worth.It. We love the mountains anyway and try to get really high-ones in during our holidays, but these ones were really, reeeeally high. And hard, say the kids (truth).

We made our base the ski resort that we usually visit each winter in the valley of St Jean de Maurienne in Savoie. It's steep. I mean I know it's steep because we ski, but it doesn't seem quite as steep when you're gliding (or whatever) down runs as it does when you are walking up them. And it was actually quite hot. 

We really did some stinkers of walks. 12km, 1000m of elevation, PACKETS of haribos worked through as motivation enhancers. 

We stayed in the same chalet we stayed in previously. And little crevette was fully inspired by the olympics.

 

And then basically, we walked. 

 

 
And found a lake:

 

And walked some more:

 

And found some snow:

 

 

 

 

And found the ski runs we normally go down:

 

Got some joke photos in too:

 

 

 

And then walked some more. And when we'd finally knackered them out, El Puma took Small Fry on the same routes, but this time on a bike. They got up one piste, which honestly is saying something. Even I found some of it quite rough walking but couldn't let on of course. It was wild, it was savage, but it was immensely beautiful, calming and fulfilling. 

And we all got the reward we wanted: 

And on the way home we spent a night with our lifelong besties (because friendships forged in the womb are always going to be lifelong).

And saw the olympic boats returning to the UK on the same train as us:

But with 10 days' of summer holiday to go, it wasn't quite over yet...