December already and, like me, you are probably realising that there is not a lot of time left to get organised for Christmas...
I was in Edinburgh last week and it was so good to stay with John and spend days with Moira, Colin and the four children - all thriving. Sam is 13 on the 10th, while Daniel, at 7 months, is commando crawling at speed! Catriona just loves school, swimming and dancing and is a “Strictly Come Dancing” fan (TV). Sean is 2 and has some marvellously old-fashioned turns of phrase!
Weather permitting, Yarrow and I shall head south for Christmas, but we’ll be home to take in the New Year. Train might be an option for some but not me, as I have so many bits and pieces to go, for the children especially. Moira and I shall share Christmas dinner - she’ll do the turkey or roast, I’ll take frozen soups and pudds. and “someone else” can peel the veg!
The water-damaged kitchen floor lino will be replaced in the New Year. I have chosen the new one. There was such a beautiful range but I reckon not many households have to be practical and think of dogs, cats, tortoises, people who rush in from storms and gardens and housewives who just cannot bake without making a mess! So our lino will be just about the only one on offer that tries to mitigate all of these! By the way, Cheque will not tramp over the floor till February/March as she is safely tucked away in her paper-filled box, in the old fridge! I DO check the temperature very frequently, as 6C is best.
I’m going, thank goodness, to finish an Aran sweater in time for a very good friend’s birthday (17th Dec.) It’s a fairly complex pattern and I’ve managed to add a few variations here and there - hopefully she’ll not spot them!! Jane lives close by and looks after Sponge and Cheque when I’m away - and she’s one of the few who can sense one’s frame of mind and act appropriately..... Quite often I (and many others, I am sure) just want my own company.....
I hope you too will be with family and good friends at the festive time and I wish you all a Happy Christmas and good New Year.
Ann
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
News - November 1st
November 1st. The village is settling down into winter mode now that the clocks have changed. Although the days are shorter we all hope for some good weather to get outdoor tidying done and perhaps the vege gardens dug over. I’ll have plenty to do.....
John was here for a week, clearing my “to do, have tried, can’t” list. At last my three heaps of garden rubbish have been burned! We already have the makings of a fairly daunting Spring list - outdoor painting of the entire house and the workshop and replacing tiles with sheeting in the east bedroom.
We all go through spells of breakages and malfunctions and last week I had my share for quite a while, I hope..... A shower hose head cracked, my faithful microwave lost some of the functions I really use a lot daily and the dishwasher flooded twice.... A couple of light bulbs popped and a new kitchen blind crashed down! After that fairly dramatic happening (the blind’s 6’ long) I sat still in my new kitchen/ computer chair and thought “if I just don’t move, nothing else can happen”..... Well, the dishwasher was condemned and I expect a replacement on Thursday. I shall live quite cheerfully with my sick microwave till I get to Edinburgh and choose one.
Yarrow and I are settling in the kitchen in the evenings this winter! Yarrow has his beanbag close to the Rayburn cooker, which is warm 24 hours a day. I have my armless comfy chair beside the table and have options to knit, read, watch TV or listen to the radio. Sponge is confused! He wanders in and out and asks noisily for an explanation. He’ll cotton on later than sooner that the other kitchen chair has a cushion just for him! Cheque lounges around in the heated porch, oblivious of the view! She’ll be allowed to hibernate in a month or so - her fridge is in the coolest room and will be set at 6C.
It’s a wet, windy day and I’ve been out to see just how near to the Hydro pole our huge fir tree really is. The tree, planted many years ago at Christmas by Ian and Alison, who were here from Queensland, now may well have to come down. I shall be sad when this happens, but the prospect of being suddenly plunged into a no power situation is not pleasant! The fit tree roots and those of our non-productive apple and plum trees are ruining the vege garden too. All this is quite a daunting task - the Hydro specialist shall advise me initially. Then I’ll possibly put a plea out for a lumberjack wishing a “holiday”, to come and have a restful few days at Heron’s Flight!!
I have a few guests booked in till November 21, and I shall enjoy meeting them. After that it’ll be time to think ahead to Christmas and Sam’s 13th birthday before that, on the 10th. Our grandchildren are all flourishing and I look forward to spending some time with them and the rest of the family soon.
It has been a busy year with many visitors staying at Heron’s Flight - it has been a pleasure to meet every one. My first year alone has passed and I have been so fortunate to have family, friends and neighbours around.
After a brief hibernation, beginning soon, I will be again hoping to welcome you to Heron’s Flight.
Best wishes
Ann.
Friday, October 07, 2005
October News
I’ve had three wonderful weeks! Ian and Alison leave tomorrow ( October 8th ) for a few days in Edinburgh to visit relatives and friends and they will start their homeward journey to Toowoomba, Australia, thereafter.
Believe it or not - and if you have holidayed in the North West of Scotland you will - we have had one day of real sunshine in the three weeks - yesterday. Luckily, Ian and Alison actually do not mind a bit of wind and plenty of rain, as their part of the world is on semi-permanent water restrictions. But it has been sad that many glorious views have been shrouded in cloud. Yarrow has had a ball, setting off each morning with Alison, to collect the newspapers. However, as Alison can take some time, chatting with everyone en route I suspect, Yarrow sometimes arrives home alone! Ian, not an animal lover really, did valiantly try to befriend Sponge, till a completely undeserved swipe drew some of Ian’s blood...
SUDOKU - are you an addict? I had toyed with the idea of having the odd puzzle around, to pick up and complete off and on. Well, my ideas have altered as everyone who pops in here and two thirds of the resident population of Heron’s Flight over the last three weeks seem unable to do without it! So I’ll stick to gardening, reading and knitting, all of which I can abandon with ease!!
As you can see from the previous ’post’ to this one, “our” jigsaw is framed! It is hanging above my workdesk and I will get pleasure every day from it. Thank you everyone who helped! I shall probably have a 2006 project on the porch table - any suggestions for a subject?
I’ll be busy for a while with guests and taming the garden. The grapes are ready and this year they are really good - the crop that needs the most sparing of attention has outstripped all the others. There’s a message there for me.....
I hope you are all in good health and that you may drop in to visit in the not too distant future.
Best wishes
Ann.
Believe it or not - and if you have holidayed in the North West of Scotland you will - we have had one day of real sunshine in the three weeks - yesterday. Luckily, Ian and Alison actually do not mind a bit of wind and plenty of rain, as their part of the world is on semi-permanent water restrictions. But it has been sad that many glorious views have been shrouded in cloud. Yarrow has had a ball, setting off each morning with Alison, to collect the newspapers. However, as Alison can take some time, chatting with everyone en route I suspect, Yarrow sometimes arrives home alone! Ian, not an animal lover really, did valiantly try to befriend Sponge, till a completely undeserved swipe drew some of Ian’s blood...
SUDOKU - are you an addict? I had toyed with the idea of having the odd puzzle around, to pick up and complete off and on. Well, my ideas have altered as everyone who pops in here and two thirds of the resident population of Heron’s Flight over the last three weeks seem unable to do without it! So I’ll stick to gardening, reading and knitting, all of which I can abandon with ease!!
As you can see from the previous ’post’ to this one, “our” jigsaw is framed! It is hanging above my workdesk and I will get pleasure every day from it. Thank you everyone who helped! I shall probably have a 2006 project on the porch table - any suggestions for a subject?
I’ll be busy for a while with guests and taming the garden. The grapes are ready and this year they are really good - the crop that needs the most sparing of attention has outstripped all the others. There’s a message there for me.....
I hope you are all in good health and that you may drop in to visit in the not too distant future.
Best wishes
Ann.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Fergie Tractor Jigsaw
Hi all, Were you one of the visitors this year who contributed pieces to the jigsaw of the Fergie tractor? Did you wonder if it would ever get finished?
Well, it is now finished! and framed. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Ann
Sunday, August 28, 2005
August News
28th August - yet another gale has hit us. Since breakfast it has blown harder and harder and now, at 8.00pm it is really wild and the rain is horizontal. It’s very dark and more like November and I am so sorry for all the visitors to the West Coast...However tomorrow will be better...
It seems a long time since Moira and Colin and the children were here. They were not too lucky with the weather and each night Moira bundled Sean and baby Daniel in the car and ran round to find the cows, which delighted Sean. Sam did a sailing course in Toppers and Catriona helped me willingly and went various jaunts with all the family.
Catriona stayed on when the others left - Moira to return to work as Daniel is a very good baby who goes to nursery and Sean will start playgroup very soon. A day or two later, lifelong friend Dorothy motored from Bathgate, stayed for a lovely few days and dropped Catriona in Edinburgh on her was home. I had a lovely time with everyone...
On September 16th I’ll drive to Inverness and meet Ian and Alison, who will soon leave Australia at the start of their holiday. They will be in Plockton for three weeks and I’m sure we’ll have a visit from Ian’s son David and his wife Caroline, who are returning to Australia for good in December, after many years away. Before the 16th I expect John for a few days - the list of “to do, have tried, can‘t“” is not as daunting as the last, so I hope he’ll have a day or two of complete relaxation at home.
The garden has been flattened twice in less than two weeks so, again, I shall be out as soon as possible tying up plants and sweeping away debris. I do not know how keen I am this time to try to restore the broccoli, spinach, rocket, giant mustard and coriander. Can someone email me with easy ways of preserving/drying any of these? Can I use the microwave? Help!!! And has anyone a recipe for anything using lettuce, besides lettuce soup? Cheque the tortoise and I are both manfully eating salads daily and I have made enough batches of soup - good taste, horrible colour!
I found a big clump of small leaks the other day so they got planted - I now have enough for all of Plockton and the outlying villages, I imagine!
Last week I finally defrosted the big chest freezer in the cellar - possibly two years after I thought it should be done... Well, the elderly potato soup was still edible and brambles from what year I know not are now being made into various concoctions - it’s chutney tomorrow. Seriously, it is such a novelty to have baskets, which glide along the rail again and to have quite a lot of order restored - and even a list of contents!
I hope, wherever you are, you are well and that we’ll meet in the future.
Best wishes, Ann.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
July News
Regatta Fortnight starts on Monday, July 25th and the village will be busier than usual. As well as our usual visitors, who enjoy strolling along Harbour Street (the “locals” are good at this too - empty pavements and the road littered with people for motorists to negotiate!!), there will be optimistic sailors carrying masts, sails, etc The usual “clumps” of captains and crews will be standing discussing weather forecasts, tides and, worst of all, dissecting in great detail the race that has just been run!
It’s a fun fortnight and Moira, Colin and the four children will be here for the second week. I’ll be delighted to be chief cook and bottle washer - and baby sitter. Regatta Saturday, August 6th, is the Ragamuffin Race, when the children jump in local boats with their homemade sails. They race three times and competition is fierce!! Afterwards there is dancing outside Plockton Hotel, on the main street. Cars are allowed past at times and they can pay a fine into the Lifeboat collection tin - first time visitors arriving that afternoon must wonder where they have landed...
I had Sam and Catriona for a week earlier and Sam was so helpful - we had fresh bread daily, a stack of cardboard boxes was burned, and a beech hedge was lopped. Catriona baked, painted, sewed and introduced our guest John into the art of keeping up with a five-year-old - hide and seek, daisy chains, etc! Thank you, John! We went to the child friendly Craig Highland Farm and were attacked by two geese. Catriona and I had peck marks to proove it. We beat a hastly retreat and visited the local nursery, where we all chose a plant - much safer!!
Yarrow, Sponge and Cheque are all doing their Public Relations bit very well! Many evenings Yarrow is quite exhausted, having shown guests round the village, while Sponge waits for favoured visitors to come down in the morning. Cheque is at last “tearing” round the garden and a tether is very necessary...
The weather has improved in the last few days. Till then, the rest of the country was baking and we had very indifferent days - putting it mildly! At least the midges have not been bad at all! Now, however, the weeds are threatening to beat me - again. But the potatoes and rasps are good, while the rows of lettuce are fairly spectacular! I’m begging neighbours to help themselves and have made some batches of lettuce soup - it’s tasty, but better consumed with eyes closed as it is such a peculiar colour! The little leeks took a battering yesterday, when Cheque “broke loose” and did a dance in amongst them..... The vine has over twenty bunches and I stripped most of the leaves the other day, as the greenhouse was like a jungle. A new compost bin in the down garden is rapidly filling up and, reading the instructions, I should stir the contents soon - that’ll be fun?!
I’ll update you next month on life at Heron’s Flight - August threatens to be busy and I look forward to a visit from two friends - Irene I have known for years, but Dorothy and I go back to Primary school, which, as you all know, was not yesterday!
Best wishes, Ann.
It’s a fun fortnight and Moira, Colin and the four children will be here for the second week. I’ll be delighted to be chief cook and bottle washer - and baby sitter. Regatta Saturday, August 6th, is the Ragamuffin Race, when the children jump in local boats with their homemade sails. They race three times and competition is fierce!! Afterwards there is dancing outside Plockton Hotel, on the main street. Cars are allowed past at times and they can pay a fine into the Lifeboat collection tin - first time visitors arriving that afternoon must wonder where they have landed...
I had Sam and Catriona for a week earlier and Sam was so helpful - we had fresh bread daily, a stack of cardboard boxes was burned, and a beech hedge was lopped. Catriona baked, painted, sewed and introduced our guest John into the art of keeping up with a five-year-old - hide and seek, daisy chains, etc! Thank you, John! We went to the child friendly Craig Highland Farm and were attacked by two geese. Catriona and I had peck marks to proove it. We beat a hastly retreat and visited the local nursery, where we all chose a plant - much safer!!
Yarrow, Sponge and Cheque are all doing their Public Relations bit very well! Many evenings Yarrow is quite exhausted, having shown guests round the village, while Sponge waits for favoured visitors to come down in the morning. Cheque is at last “tearing” round the garden and a tether is very necessary...
The weather has improved in the last few days. Till then, the rest of the country was baking and we had very indifferent days - putting it mildly! At least the midges have not been bad at all! Now, however, the weeds are threatening to beat me - again. But the potatoes and rasps are good, while the rows of lettuce are fairly spectacular! I’m begging neighbours to help themselves and have made some batches of lettuce soup - it’s tasty, but better consumed with eyes closed as it is such a peculiar colour! The little leeks took a battering yesterday, when Cheque “broke loose” and did a dance in amongst them..... The vine has over twenty bunches and I stripped most of the leaves the other day, as the greenhouse was like a jungle. A new compost bin in the down garden is rapidly filling up and, reading the instructions, I should stir the contents soon - that’ll be fun?!
I’ll update you next month on life at Heron’s Flight - August threatens to be busy and I look forward to a visit from two friends - Irene I have known for years, but Dorothy and I go back to Primary school, which, as you all know, was not yesterday!
Best wishes, Ann.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
June News
Well, it’s a month since I last “put pen to paper” - a busy time with me still searching for some odd hours to add on to each day.....
I did finish the annual accounts away at the beginning of the month. They are always a trial.... so that’s a weight off my mind. June’s weather improved steadily and in the last fortnight the garden has needed watered nightly. I think I’ve lost the weed battle in the shrub/rose garden..... actually it is quite colourful at present, so I’ll leave well alone! The leeks finally were planted a while ago. I think there is a wee something wrong with my timing - the day after the potatoes went down it snowed and the leeks have needed constant water since they reached their final positions. However, I’ll perhaps get the spinach, mustard, rocket and yet more lettuce timings better........ Then every space will be used up, at least. The first lettuces are growing much faster than Cheque and I can eat - there’s only so much one can do with a lettuce leaf..... any ideas for breakfasts?
I have recently had so many very pleasant guests from all parts. This week I’ve met people from America, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Britain. Yesterday and today I have an English couple and three young Australians, who are very kindly calling at the butcher’s shop in Kyle for smoked ham haughs, as they go to the Isle of Skye!
Tomorrow will be taken up largely with soup making, in preparation for Sam and Catriona coming next week. Neither of them is good at eating vegetables - but they love liquidised soup - and mince and “tatties”! Perhaps the garden potatoes will be big enough for them to dig their own..... Sam’s will make bread too. Catriona is more into the puddings and cakes!! Sam then goes for two weeks to Scout Camp and Catriona may stay here till the rest of the family arrives for Regatta fortnight, beginning July 25th. So that just about takes care of July’s spare moments!
I must thank Ian for having tracked down, from Australia via Canada to Plockton, a suitable cookbook for my spare microwave-. I live in dread of my everyday model giving up the ghost! So now I can practise on the quite different controls and hopefully become just as fond of it. Ian and Alison can judge my success or otherwise when they holiday here in September - actually they should not expect miracles, as that is now only 10 weeks away.......
Yarrow and Sponge are enjoying the company in the house and actually vie for attention in the mornings! I remind Yarrow that Sponge is no use at going for walks in the village and so he must tolerate Sponge’s pushiness. Cheque has enjoyed the real warmth of late and has fairly trotted around. Today, she’s sluggish and practically knocking at the front door to come back into her box!
Thank you everyone who has written, often sending beautiful photos, over the past few weeks. How I long to be on Broadband to speed this computer along.....There are a FEW drawbacks to living in our beautiful part of the world - impulse buying is not on (maybe a good thing!), THE bus to Kyle goes once a day, no late night grocery shopping in Plockton, and no ready access yet to Broadband - small prices to pay, believe me! Best wishes, Ann.
I did finish the annual accounts away at the beginning of the month. They are always a trial.... so that’s a weight off my mind. June’s weather improved steadily and in the last fortnight the garden has needed watered nightly. I think I’ve lost the weed battle in the shrub/rose garden..... actually it is quite colourful at present, so I’ll leave well alone! The leeks finally were planted a while ago. I think there is a wee something wrong with my timing - the day after the potatoes went down it snowed and the leeks have needed constant water since they reached their final positions. However, I’ll perhaps get the spinach, mustard, rocket and yet more lettuce timings better........ Then every space will be used up, at least. The first lettuces are growing much faster than Cheque and I can eat - there’s only so much one can do with a lettuce leaf..... any ideas for breakfasts?
I have recently had so many very pleasant guests from all parts. This week I’ve met people from America, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Britain. Yesterday and today I have an English couple and three young Australians, who are very kindly calling at the butcher’s shop in Kyle for smoked ham haughs, as they go to the Isle of Skye!
Tomorrow will be taken up largely with soup making, in preparation for Sam and Catriona coming next week. Neither of them is good at eating vegetables - but they love liquidised soup - and mince and “tatties”! Perhaps the garden potatoes will be big enough for them to dig their own..... Sam’s will make bread too. Catriona is more into the puddings and cakes!! Sam then goes for two weeks to Scout Camp and Catriona may stay here till the rest of the family arrives for Regatta fortnight, beginning July 25th. So that just about takes care of July’s spare moments!
I must thank Ian for having tracked down, from Australia via Canada to Plockton, a suitable cookbook for my spare microwave-. I live in dread of my everyday model giving up the ghost! So now I can practise on the quite different controls and hopefully become just as fond of it. Ian and Alison can judge my success or otherwise when they holiday here in September - actually they should not expect miracles, as that is now only 10 weeks away.......
Yarrow and Sponge are enjoying the company in the house and actually vie for attention in the mornings! I remind Yarrow that Sponge is no use at going for walks in the village and so he must tolerate Sponge’s pushiness. Cheque has enjoyed the real warmth of late and has fairly trotted around. Today, she’s sluggish and practically knocking at the front door to come back into her box!
Thank you everyone who has written, often sending beautiful photos, over the past few weeks. How I long to be on Broadband to speed this computer along.....There are a FEW drawbacks to living in our beautiful part of the world - impulse buying is not on (maybe a good thing!), THE bus to Kyle goes once a day, no late night grocery shopping in Plockton, and no ready access yet to Broadband - small prices to pay, believe me! Best wishes, Ann.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
May News
Hello
Having, this morning at the crack of dawn, written all about May to you, I thought I blogged it dubiously, emailed Australia and a phone call from Alison and Ian confirmed this. I confidently clicked on the saved document on desktop to see “c Ann”!!!
So I obviously do not write again at a very early hour - and here goes again.......
May has been a mixed month weatherwise. It’s been generally cold and with quite a lot of rain. We had another real gale last week and it was of great concern all round as there are now a lot of yachts at anchor in the bay. Only one yacht went walkabout and three brave young local chaps boarded her with difficulty, started the engine and got her out of danger. Today is wonderful - warm and sunny and I have spent three hours in the garden. The lawns are cut (I had help with the front one) and all the vege garden is weeded. Now there are potatoes (with flowers about to open), rows of different lettuce, broccoli and onions. The leeks should be ready to plant next week perhaps....
My son John came up after I got back from Edinburgh, where baby Daniel arrived safely on April 27th. We are all delighted with him and Sam, Catriona and Sean are greatly taken with their little brother. John stayed 8 days and was not idle! My long list of “to do, have tried, but can’t) very quickly disappeared. The trellis looks terrific and half of it is planted with climbers and a Goldcrest Cypress. The other half I plan to do when Ian and Alison come in September and they can have a wee bit of garden named after them!
The month has been busy with guests from all over and I have really enjoyed their company. New Zealand cousins of Dolan also stayed a few days. Don was over for a 60th Anniversary War Reunion and Lynley accompanied him - they visited family in England, Inverness and here and did such a lot of travelling to say hello to all the family.
This month I had a “Baking phase”. It ground to a halt the other day after a visiting village dog ate two sultana cakes at the back door to cool, the tops of two fruit loaves burned to a cinder and fancy icing I tried refused to set - even in the freezer! So I am knitting in the evenings - anything rather than spend necessary time getting the annual accounts, etc. in order for the accountant!
The animals are well and Yarrow (dog) and Sponge (cat) really love it when guests appear. Yarrow has had so many walks up the village and Sponge appears from nowhere to check if new arrivals admire him! Wee Cheque (my tortoise) is safely out of hibernation and will be coming home a week on Friday. She’s not very big but is more work than the other two! I will soon be spending quite a lot of time hunting the garden for the pink shampoo bottle, attached to her by a short length of strong string, or I’d lose her under the hedge or elsewhere. I do bring her in nightly in case the “cake eating” dog decides she is worth trying........
I’ll be in touch soon again - now I’m going to save this letter! Ann.
Having, this morning at the crack of dawn, written all about May to you, I thought I blogged it dubiously, emailed Australia and a phone call from Alison and Ian confirmed this. I confidently clicked on the saved document on desktop to see “c Ann”!!!
So I obviously do not write again at a very early hour - and here goes again.......
May has been a mixed month weatherwise. It’s been generally cold and with quite a lot of rain. We had another real gale last week and it was of great concern all round as there are now a lot of yachts at anchor in the bay. Only one yacht went walkabout and three brave young local chaps boarded her with difficulty, started the engine and got her out of danger. Today is wonderful - warm and sunny and I have spent three hours in the garden. The lawns are cut (I had help with the front one) and all the vege garden is weeded. Now there are potatoes (with flowers about to open), rows of different lettuce, broccoli and onions. The leeks should be ready to plant next week perhaps....
My son John came up after I got back from Edinburgh, where baby Daniel arrived safely on April 27th. We are all delighted with him and Sam, Catriona and Sean are greatly taken with their little brother. John stayed 8 days and was not idle! My long list of “to do, have tried, but can’t) very quickly disappeared. The trellis looks terrific and half of it is planted with climbers and a Goldcrest Cypress. The other half I plan to do when Ian and Alison come in September and they can have a wee bit of garden named after them!
The month has been busy with guests from all over and I have really enjoyed their company. New Zealand cousins of Dolan also stayed a few days. Don was over for a 60th Anniversary War Reunion and Lynley accompanied him - they visited family in England, Inverness and here and did such a lot of travelling to say hello to all the family.
This month I had a “Baking phase”. It ground to a halt the other day after a visiting village dog ate two sultana cakes at the back door to cool, the tops of two fruit loaves burned to a cinder and fancy icing I tried refused to set - even in the freezer! So I am knitting in the evenings - anything rather than spend necessary time getting the annual accounts, etc. in order for the accountant!
The animals are well and Yarrow (dog) and Sponge (cat) really love it when guests appear. Yarrow has had so many walks up the village and Sponge appears from nowhere to check if new arrivals admire him! Wee Cheque (my tortoise) is safely out of hibernation and will be coming home a week on Friday. She’s not very big but is more work than the other two! I will soon be spending quite a lot of time hunting the garden for the pink shampoo bottle, attached to her by a short length of strong string, or I’d lose her under the hedge or elsewhere. I do bring her in nightly in case the “cake eating” dog decides she is worth trying........
I’ll be in touch soon again - now I’m going to save this letter! Ann.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
The-End-of-April News
Hello
I thought I should keep you up to date with April so far because I’ll be in Edinburgh for about a week sometime soon. Grandchild number 4 was actually due yesterday, Catriona’s 5th birthday. Yarrow and I shall drive down when summoned. I’ll spend the time seeing that meals arrive on the table for Sam, Catriona and Sean and trekking to and from nursery with Catriona - Sean in tow probably. I’ll have fun with Sam, who is now a quite grown up 12.
I’ll also spend time in the evenings with John, who will come north soon after I return. His list at Heron’s Flight is long, but there are a lot of little things I need him to just show me how to do.
There have been quite a few visitors braving the “frozen north” so far and I have enjoyed company several times. From next month my diary is pleasantly filled up. By then surely warmer weather will be here........
The poor eucalyptus tree which suffered so badly in the January gale is showing no signs of recovery. So I have bought 2 small trees and I’ll grow them on this year in their pots and probably plant one near the large tree next Spring. A plants man has told me that the tree can be cut down to the ground and should regenerate - I’ll plant another incase, as the eucalyptus is certainly one of my favourites - then I’ll have to stay around patiently till it reaches maturity............
It is so cold!! The wind’s from the east and is biting. But it’s dry and today I’ll get all the lawn edges strimmed and perhaps the grass cut too.
The potatoes are planted and luckily I covered them well with soil drills - 2 days later we had snow and a touch of frost!
Leek plants will go in later and that leaves room for salad crops. There will be early lettuce and radish hopefully, from a wee sheltered cold frame at the front of the house.
The greenhouse is purely vine this year. There were lots of sweet bunches last year and they get encouragement and nothing else. Dolan and I spent hours trailing water and feeding to tomatoes every year and the yield, though very tasty, would not have filled one supermarket plastic bag!
I’ll stop now and continue when the Edinburgh mission is successfully completed!
Thursday saw us home after Daniel's safe arrival on Wednesday night. Moira got home the next day at lunchtime and I checked that Daniel (10 days late and 8lb 10oz) had all his fingers and toes, got in the car and had a pretty bad journey home - strong winds, torrential rain and a deal of spray from oncoming lorries. As usual I stopped briefly at Dalwhinnie and Yarrow flatly refused to get out of the car! So on we plodded, both eventually very glad to be home.....
It’s a lovely day and practically windless so I’m going to weedkill various bits in the garden - mainly two areas where I cut down brambles recently. As the weeds have not yet felt it warm enough to envelope the garden, I’m feeling rather smug as there is not a lot to do - that feeling will evaporate quickly.....
From now on Heron’s Flight will be quite busy with guests. My next “time out” is at Regatta time - the end of July. That’s when I hope family and friends come, so it’s not a holiday but wonderful to have everyone around. My nephew David and his wife Caroline are actually coming for a few days next week. As the house is already busy, they know to “stay out of my hair” while breakfasts are on!
Next month Dolan’s cousin Don and his wife Lynley are also dropping in for a little time - their home is Dunedin. The New Zealand cousins have all visited two or three times so we know them well. My plans for a “big trip” are on hold till perhaps Sam is out of Secondary School - we’ll see.....
Email enquiries for accommodation this year have been many and varied and I look forward to meeting guests who have decided to stay at Heron’s Flight. Quite a few requests have been for a “twin” room and unfortunately I do not have any. As the suites of bedroom furniture came from our Great Aunt’s and Parents’ homes, I will be their custodian and pass them on intact. One suite is dated around 1800, the other practically new by comparison - 1936. I am the hoarder of the family and luckily Dolan too loved elderly furniture, tools and people!
Perhaps I’ll see you soon.......
Ann.
P.S. Yarrow, Sponge and Cheque have not had their customary write-up. I’ll bring you up to date with them next month.
I thought I should keep you up to date with April so far because I’ll be in Edinburgh for about a week sometime soon. Grandchild number 4 was actually due yesterday, Catriona’s 5th birthday. Yarrow and I shall drive down when summoned. I’ll spend the time seeing that meals arrive on the table for Sam, Catriona and Sean and trekking to and from nursery with Catriona - Sean in tow probably. I’ll have fun with Sam, who is now a quite grown up 12.
I’ll also spend time in the evenings with John, who will come north soon after I return. His list at Heron’s Flight is long, but there are a lot of little things I need him to just show me how to do.
There have been quite a few visitors braving the “frozen north” so far and I have enjoyed company several times. From next month my diary is pleasantly filled up. By then surely warmer weather will be here........
The poor eucalyptus tree which suffered so badly in the January gale is showing no signs of recovery. So I have bought 2 small trees and I’ll grow them on this year in their pots and probably plant one near the large tree next Spring. A plants man has told me that the tree can be cut down to the ground and should regenerate - I’ll plant another incase, as the eucalyptus is certainly one of my favourites - then I’ll have to stay around patiently till it reaches maturity............
It is so cold!! The wind’s from the east and is biting. But it’s dry and today I’ll get all the lawn edges strimmed and perhaps the grass cut too.
The potatoes are planted and luckily I covered them well with soil drills - 2 days later we had snow and a touch of frost!
Leek plants will go in later and that leaves room for salad crops. There will be early lettuce and radish hopefully, from a wee sheltered cold frame at the front of the house.
The greenhouse is purely vine this year. There were lots of sweet bunches last year and they get encouragement and nothing else. Dolan and I spent hours trailing water and feeding to tomatoes every year and the yield, though very tasty, would not have filled one supermarket plastic bag!
I’ll stop now and continue when the Edinburgh mission is successfully completed!
Thursday saw us home after Daniel's safe arrival on Wednesday night. Moira got home the next day at lunchtime and I checked that Daniel (10 days late and 8lb 10oz) had all his fingers and toes, got in the car and had a pretty bad journey home - strong winds, torrential rain and a deal of spray from oncoming lorries. As usual I stopped briefly at Dalwhinnie and Yarrow flatly refused to get out of the car! So on we plodded, both eventually very glad to be home.....
It’s a lovely day and practically windless so I’m going to weedkill various bits in the garden - mainly two areas where I cut down brambles recently. As the weeds have not yet felt it warm enough to envelope the garden, I’m feeling rather smug as there is not a lot to do - that feeling will evaporate quickly.....
From now on Heron’s Flight will be quite busy with guests. My next “time out” is at Regatta time - the end of July. That’s when I hope family and friends come, so it’s not a holiday but wonderful to have everyone around. My nephew David and his wife Caroline are actually coming for a few days next week. As the house is already busy, they know to “stay out of my hair” while breakfasts are on!
Next month Dolan’s cousin Don and his wife Lynley are also dropping in for a little time - their home is Dunedin. The New Zealand cousins have all visited two or three times so we know them well. My plans for a “big trip” are on hold till perhaps Sam is out of Secondary School - we’ll see.....
Email enquiries for accommodation this year have been many and varied and I look forward to meeting guests who have decided to stay at Heron’s Flight. Quite a few requests have been for a “twin” room and unfortunately I do not have any. As the suites of bedroom furniture came from our Great Aunt’s and Parents’ homes, I will be their custodian and pass them on intact. One suite is dated around 1800, the other practically new by comparison - 1936. I am the hoarder of the family and luckily Dolan too loved elderly furniture, tools and people!
Perhaps I’ll see you soon.......
Ann.
P.S. Yarrow, Sponge and Cheque have not had their customary write-up. I’ll bring you up to date with them next month.
Monday, March 28, 2005
March News
March News.
Hello
We have just had two days of incredible weather! The sun shone from morning till evening, the wind was very light and it was very warm. Our first visitors made the most of it, walking for a large part of the day then lazing in the front garden and on the rocks by the shore.
None of them was lucky enough to see the otter that has been playing in front of the house for some days, though one was spotted on the opposite shore on Saturday.
Yarrow had a weekend to remember too as he was taken on very many walks. He soon realised that, if he lay close to the back door, he had to be circumnavigated and in all likelihood would be included in the next sortie! Poor Sponge has again been in the wars. Last month a “cat unfriendly” dog came into the house, chased Sponge upstairs and trapped him in a bathroom. The ensuing chaos took a while to sort out and all the blood belonged to the dog....... Well, the other day Sponge sported war wounds and is still a bit sorry for himself. He’s a big, big cat but not a fighter, so he gets all my sympathy.... Wee Cheque is still hibernating - I hope!!!
It’s a week later now - Easter weekend and very early this year. I am busy, with guests from France and Germany, then two couples from England. Dolan and I always enjoyed meeting visitors from many countries......... We liked to hear about their countries, homes and lives. If you are travelling remember to slip a few photos of your homeland and family in the luggage to show us all!
My “Edinburgh family” - well, some of them - may be here soon. Sam and Catriona have holidays from school/nursery. Their new baby is due on April 15 - Catriona’s 5th birthday! John is coming to clear my “to do and really can’t do on my own” list too. So his few days at home will be busy, but I know my list will vanish pretty quickly!
I have a lot to look forward to in the coming months - guests, family from New Zealand in May and Ian and Alison in September. In the meantime we still enjoy good weather and have a little sympathy for the east and middle of the country where it has not been nearly so sunny and dry. As the forecast for our little part of the country is good till next weekend I hope to have a lot done in both gardens -then it can rain occasionally and gently, at nights, if it likes!!
Next week I meet guests from the United States of America, Ireland and Scotland. I hope I may see you too, if you come near Plockton.....
Best wishes, Ann.
Hello
We have just had two days of incredible weather! The sun shone from morning till evening, the wind was very light and it was very warm. Our first visitors made the most of it, walking for a large part of the day then lazing in the front garden and on the rocks by the shore.
None of them was lucky enough to see the otter that has been playing in front of the house for some days, though one was spotted on the opposite shore on Saturday.
Yarrow had a weekend to remember too as he was taken on very many walks. He soon realised that, if he lay close to the back door, he had to be circumnavigated and in all likelihood would be included in the next sortie! Poor Sponge has again been in the wars. Last month a “cat unfriendly” dog came into the house, chased Sponge upstairs and trapped him in a bathroom. The ensuing chaos took a while to sort out and all the blood belonged to the dog....... Well, the other day Sponge sported war wounds and is still a bit sorry for himself. He’s a big, big cat but not a fighter, so he gets all my sympathy.... Wee Cheque is still hibernating - I hope!!!
It’s a week later now - Easter weekend and very early this year. I am busy, with guests from France and Germany, then two couples from England. Dolan and I always enjoyed meeting visitors from many countries......... We liked to hear about their countries, homes and lives. If you are travelling remember to slip a few photos of your homeland and family in the luggage to show us all!
My “Edinburgh family” - well, some of them - may be here soon. Sam and Catriona have holidays from school/nursery. Their new baby is due on April 15 - Catriona’s 5th birthday! John is coming to clear my “to do and really can’t do on my own” list too. So his few days at home will be busy, but I know my list will vanish pretty quickly!
I have a lot to look forward to in the coming months - guests, family from New Zealand in May and Ian and Alison in September. In the meantime we still enjoy good weather and have a little sympathy for the east and middle of the country where it has not been nearly so sunny and dry. As the forecast for our little part of the country is good till next weekend I hope to have a lot done in both gardens -then it can rain occasionally and gently, at nights, if it likes!!
Next week I meet guests from the United States of America, Ireland and Scotland. I hope I may see you too, if you come near Plockton.....
Best wishes, Ann.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
February news
Hello
In the last few days the temperature has fallen and the winds are now from the east, with a good touch of north. So many places have had snow and yesterday we even had a covering. By mid-day it was gone, much to the disappointment of the children in the village - the schools had a day off as the roads were icy and there was quite a lot of snow in the glens.
I have been in Edinburgh twice in the last ten days. A whim took me there! It was good to visit the relatives and see the puppy in Moira’s household. He’s a Cavalier King Charles and quite adorable. “Charlie” exhausted himself trying to get Yarrow’s attention and then frequently fell asleep beside, near or even on his new friend!
Catriona came north with me and I took her home at the weekend. I did not dally as workmen were coming yesterday to fill the cavity walls of the house. This was an external job, unlike the new radiators, which did leave some holes in walls and paintwork needing touched up. I did the necessary and know that I did not reach Dolan’s standards of workmanship....... If all the heating “improvements” of the last few months are as effective as promised, I’ll be delighted. However, nothing beats the Rayburn in the kitchen and a roaring coal fire in the sitting room!
There is a small yoga group in the village. I have started going along and I’m pleasantly surprised by the gradual loosening up of taut muscle groups at least. I am not sure that yoga is meant to be such fun, but that’s what it is! Soon I must get going in the garden and that certainly is not going to be a gentle activity - perhaps the one will balance the other?
After last month’s huge storm one of our palm trees - a youngster 7 years old - was left at a crazy angle and resting on a wall. Ruari next door helped straighten and stake it and I think it’ll be OK. Quite a few shrubs look more dead than alive too. I have ordered a conifer (“Goldcrest”), an escallonia and a black bamboo (I’ve wanted this especially for ages) for the border in front of the car parking area. I’ve quite a bit of work to do before they are planted.
I am looking forward to our first guests of 2005, on March 18th - a week earlier than I had planned to “get going”. Ian, Elaine, Allan and Helen have stayed before and I shall be testing “going solo” on them - they know this, though maybe I should have stressed it more than I did!!! I am delighted that quite a few bookings are from old friends. 2005 will be a first and I hope it will be, as ever, a really good time for you and me, here at “Heron’s Flight”. I look forward to you coming...........
Ann.
P.S. - if you do email about possible accommodation please can you indicate this in the subject, so that I know before opening the mail? I now receive such a lot of “strange, unwanted and perhaps infected” mail that I have been advised not to open any dubious ones - and I should hate to appear rude to you by not replying.........Thank you.
Monday, January 24, 2005
January News
I wish you all a Happy New Year - belatedly.
Over two hours ago I wrote a long letter and proceeded to try to send it to the website - new territory for me!!
Well, it has all disappeared and now I’ll give you a synopsis, before I turn into an ice block in this cold room.........
I did have a very pleasant time in Edinburgh over Christmas and enjoyed staying with John. We had Christmas and Boxing days at Moira’s, where the excitement was tangible. Catriona left her roller skates from Santa when we headed to Plockton soon after. She did enjoy her first taste of New Year Celebrations in the Highlands!
On the 12th January we had the worst weather in living memory - winds of! 30MPH here. A whole family of five was swept to sea on one of the islands - an unbelievable tragedy. Damage to houses, gardens and boats paled into incognizance.
Only this weekend has the rain and wind gone and the welcome winter sun, daylight stretching noticeably and cheerful early spring flowers make me determined to start thinking of welcoming guests at Easter. This week I am going to Inverness to pick up a new car - a Honda Jazz, in red, which Yarrow will like too!
So perhaps we’ll see you at Heron’s Flight - which would be lovely.
Over two hours ago I wrote a long letter and proceeded to try to send it to the website - new territory for me!!
Well, it has all disappeared and now I’ll give you a synopsis, before I turn into an ice block in this cold room.........
I did have a very pleasant time in Edinburgh over Christmas and enjoyed staying with John. We had Christmas and Boxing days at Moira’s, where the excitement was tangible. Catriona left her roller skates from Santa when we headed to Plockton soon after. She did enjoy her first taste of New Year Celebrations in the Highlands!
On the 12th January we had the worst weather in living memory - winds of! 30MPH here. A whole family of five was swept to sea on one of the islands - an unbelievable tragedy. Damage to houses, gardens and boats paled into incognizance.
Only this weekend has the rain and wind gone and the welcome winter sun, daylight stretching noticeably and cheerful early spring flowers make me determined to start thinking of welcoming guests at Easter. This week I am going to Inverness to pick up a new car - a Honda Jazz, in red, which Yarrow will like too!
So perhaps we’ll see you at Heron’s Flight - which would be lovely.
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