There are few pictures of myself that I like. This is one of them.
We were on a family holiday and had taken a house above Loch Ness in Scotland. The location is a little up the hill from Castle Urquhart.
We had great views from large windows and some days were clear and bright, on another we watched rain sweep across the loch. The garden backed onto a wooded hillside and in the early morning or late evening we would sit and watch deer come into the grassy area to eat.
For a family with a multitude of health issues it was a perfect place to relax, read books, chat, write and eat.
And for eating, I got to be chef for the holiday. I have no formal training and any qualified chef would soon despair of my lack of proficiency. Still, I enjoy cooking immensely and my dear wife purchased me the chef's jacket I'm wearing. It only gets worn when I have the time and energy to consider a menu and do the preparation.
I didn't prepare every meal for the holiday, but I did do a majority of them and had various helpers at various times.
From memory I'd been prepping for a few hours in the morning and had stepped out to sit with the wife and get some fresh air. I look thoroughly disreputable, but I'm in one of the comfiest pair of joggers I've ever owned, my chef's jacket which always makes me happy, and I've even managed a smile.
Before anyone asks, no, we did not see the mythical Loch Ness monster. Such is the way with mythical creatures.
text by stuartcturnbull, picture taken by @lizzaturnbull using my iPhone13