Christmas Greetings

[This photo taken by me on 20 December, 10am from my doorway!]
annheronsflight@btinternet.com
www.heronsflight.org

2009 has been a busy year for the Family.

Spring, summer and autumn found me, as usual, having fun with guests. Many are old friends now and others on the way to being just that too. It was a very busy time, with more visitors than in past years coming to the village.

It was certainly NOT the prolonged good weather which drew people towards the north west of Scotland! Yes, the early part of the year was excellent, but in summer, autumn and now at the beginning of winter we have endured rain, rain and more rain, with the occasional gale thrown in for variety!

The fruit trees had amazing crops of fruit and we all tried every apple and bramble recipe ever devised. Most of the apples landed on the ground with the frequent strong winds, so picking was dead easy!

For the first year ever, the black Hamburg grapes in the greenhouse mostly rotted on the vine and the veges. were, in general, very poor. The ground was waterlogged. Moss has grown on the drive and paths and I am loosening it with a stable brush now. In spring all the surfaces will be doused in moss killer, as, though it may be a pretty colour, it grips tight and is very slippery.

The family in Edinburgh is all well. John was up for a week in September – lovely! Moira, Colin, Sam, Catriona, Sean and Daniel were here for Regatta fortnight. Sam came and went several times and Catriona and Sean came on their own in October. I have been lucky to see so much so them all in Plockton. I went to Edinburgh two or three times too. Indeed I’m going for a few days at the beginning of December, as well as for Christmas.

Sam’s in his final year at school. He was dux of 5th year at the Royal High, so we are all quite proud of him. He is going through interviews at present, for the Scottish universities – we’ll see what happens as he is young and may have to tread water for a year….

A real highlight this year was Ian and Alison’s visit in September. It was a wonderful time for me! I do not see nearly enough of them – partly my fault, I know. Toowoomba is only a day away……

The animals are such good company and are always around me. As I sit in the kitchen writing this Ruah is on one bean bag and Sponge the other. They are good friends with old Sponge definitely in charge!

I hope that you and your family have had a good year, with good health and happiness all round.

Have a lovely Christmas and the very best of New Years!

Love,
Ann

And then there were three ...

1/11/2009
Last Monday Catriona and Sean (who had been here for mid-term) and I said cheerio to Richard and Angela Hough, now old friends who have walked this whole area. You can imagine my trepidation before their arrival, as long daily walks really need quite good weather – and that had been in very short supply since around the end of June!

Believe it or not, the week was good, despite a more than mediocre forecast! Angela and Richard walked their socks off, while Catriona and Sean spent a lot of time out of doors – hours of it on their "ships” (the rock in the front garden which, after all, is only some 20 feet from the high tide! We went on Sula Mhor with Calum but seals were scarce! However, Catriona met Rachel on board and a new friendship was cemented the next day, when the three children played for hours outside. In the dim and distant past we used to exchange addresses and telephone numbers – a one line email address is now all that is needed!

Since Catriona and Sean went home (there was a change over with Colin at Spean Bridge), I have closed for the year and Calum has moored Sula Mhor at the pier for the last time in 2009. I spent the week tidying in the garden and it is not nearly finished yet! One reminder of the very wet weather this summer is the amount of moss everywhere, especially on the drive and pathway towards the workshop and beyond the gates near the Post Office. I have a huge spray container at the ready – but will the 24 hours of dry conditions ever happen now, to ensure the good working of the very expensive treatment?

During the two weeks Alison and Ian were here, Ian spent some time making scale drawings of the flat and paper models of some of the furniture therein. As Moira is flitting to a larger house, I can now offer a bedroom suite and various other pieces which all came from Bathgate, when “Bruar”, where we were brought up, was sold nearly 30 years ago and Granny came to live at Heron’s Flight, in the flat created for her.

I plan to “swop” rooms round in the flat and have the existing front bedroom as a sitting room. When I go south I’ll choose a few essential pieces of furniture, which I know will fit, thanks to the scale drawings and tiny models – Ian and Alison, what invaluable help! I’ll send photos and hope you visit to see for yourselves. The kitchen/dining room needs a revamp and that will be done in phase two. Only then I’ll ask the animals if they like it!!

This upheaval in the making will go on probably at the same time as my present kitchen/sitting room are torn apart, de-humidified and restored. That work may begin on November 16. ( Have you any idea of the paraphernalia one stores and “has to have” in kitchen cupboards and drawers? Having emptied mine, I tell you my kitchen “essentials” do not fit comfortably in the dining room here – on table tops, chairs, floor surface, window ledges…) But it is a necessary operation, so that the kitchen cupboards, tiles, work surfaces and plaster can be taken away.

Ruah and I plan a short trip to Edinburgh soon. Ruari and Marie will keep Sponge company – he has opted for this, by the way, rather than put up with three children, one dog, one cat, several hamsters that he is not allowed to eat, one house rabbit bigger than himself and one hen. Sponge is no fool!

Sam will come north with me, for a PSBSC meeting. If the workings here have not begun, I may run him home, as I love his company.

The village bonfire on the island is always a grand affair and we all congregate to see it lit, by rocket. The fireworks are beautiful and may this year be reflected in the incoming tide, if the night is still and dry…..

Alison has “tweeked” the website which I think is very special! Thanks, Alison. Do read through it and send any comments…….

Ann

More than a touch of Autumn...

Wednesday September 30, 2009

Today is the best day in a while and Ian and Alison have gone to Inverness to see Dolan’s sister Janet and have lunch. It should be a lovely run there and back. In the last seventy + days we have only had twelve without rain, so today is a real bonus! I have been catching up on piles of washing and doing a general tidy up.

I have been very vexed for all the visitors who have come and been unable to see much of the beauty around. Walking has become a rare activity and umbrellas (very necessary) rarely seen, as the high winds would turn them inside out in a second…..

Our visitors have seemingly remained very good humoured and tolerant! Off they went into the grey mists, determined to make the most of each day... Jigsaws were finished with alarming speed and evenings round the fire were convivial. I was very pleased to welcome back Jutta and Harald, who arrived last year with their hire car more like a swimming pool – inside!

Ruah does not like being wet so, on goes the life jacket and off she gaily trots! Sponge has taken to talking a lot and commands attention!

The vege garden was dug over after the beetroot was lifted. Only the leeks remain. In the greenhouse many bunches of black grapes may yet fully ripen – if only we get a few days of sunshine……

Sam’s been up for a weekend and now John has been for a week too. Ian and Alison are here – it is marvellous to have them around! John was very helpful, doing little jobs around the house and garden. So my “to do” list has shrunk to nothing! He headed back to Edinburgh on Monday. Alison and Ian arrived last Wednesday and will stay till Tuesday – not long enough but just wonderful all the same. They are in the 6th week of their big tour and will be home in Toowoomba, Queensland in about three weeks I think.

I always seem to be talking about water/wet/damp etc! Well I can now add the wall between the kitchen and sitting room, bringing all the “wet” descriptions inside for the first time ever! A pipe running from the cold to hot tanks leaked – probably had been doing so for a long time and was not discovered till one morning recently a kitchen drawer was full of water. To cut a very long story short, the kitchen and sitting room walls (back to back) have to be dried out, now the leak has been traced and mended, plaster, tiles worktops, cupboards stripped off and renewed – and I am not looking forward to that….. It will happen in early November, when the last of this year’s visitors have departed.

Yesterday the three of us left here at 7.45am and motored to Armadale in south Skye. We caught the ferry to Mallaig, had a wait of about fifty minutes, and then boarded the “Loch Nevis”, which, on Tuesdays, goes to the little island of Muck. We had two hours on the island before doing the reverse trip and arriving home at 6.00pm.

“The” road on Muck is only a mile and a half in length. There are thirty five inhabitants, including six children and the main work is with sheep, cows and now tourists. There are two charming little shops, one of which is completely un-manned. It sells little souvenirs made by the children, cards, calendars, paintings and island produce.

A busy café is half of the other shop and all the food on offer seemed to be home-made. It was just a treat!

A monstrous cattle float has made the trip to the island on the ferry and it returned with a cargo of bulls and cows. They were to be transported to Dingwall, when they finally landed at Armadale – a long, long trip…..

Though the weather yesterday was not spectacular, we all enjoyed our outing to Muck immensely.

The days are speeding past and Ian and Alison’s time in Plockton is diminishing…..

I hope you are all well and have been enjoying good weather – I happen to know from a very recent email from Cid and Di Warden that the last month in Selsey has been just wonderful – well, it’s been so wet here there had to be very little rain left over for everywhere else!

Ann

Burning the midnight oil!

Laure and Frederic, from Paris and Marseille, had a week of very mediocre weather. They remained cheerful throughout - thank you!
One can settle down to a jigsaw, morning, noon and night when the top of the Crags is shrouded in mist and rain - again.. Since you left it has continued to rain and Ruah's ears seem to be always wet!
Thank you for "sticking it out" and for your generous present to me.
Ann
PS: Sorry you are a bit blurred, Frederic - I'm not the best photographer!

"Jigsawers extraordinaires"!

Terry and Daphne McNeill from Northern Ireland, in less than one day, almost completed one of my 1000 piece jigsaws!

In their five days at Heron's Flight, Terry and Daphne did not have wonderful weather - yesterday, their last day, was quite unforgiving and unforgivable..... I wonder if their ferry crossing tonight actually will go - here we have another big gale.....

The photo is taken in the sitting room, where we had a coal fire blazing. Unfortunately it is slightly out of focus - the "merry puzzlers" were grabbing jigsaw pieces and popping them in place like machines - quite impossible to slow down - and I need all the help I can get when taking a photo.....

Christian , Kirstin, Frederick and Laure now have instructions to finish the puzzle ASAP!

Best wishes, Ann

Calms and Storms in Plockton

Catriona was at the helm in the girl's race of this year's Plockton Regatta. Big brother Sam was her crew along with the "ship's master", Terry.

August 11th

July and August are always busy here. Ruah, Sponge and I welcome visitors and this year we have made friends with people from many different countries, while welcoming back guests from previous years – that is one big bonus of this life! Another is that we stay at home to enjoy ourselves and have all the photos you send! Thank you.

The garden has been a lot of work, as everything has grown and grown and grown…… My success in the vege patch is definitely the onion bed. They are very good this year. The leeks will be good too, but the potatoes have not done very well. The grapes, very prolific, will be good later – Sean (6) in particular was not impressed by them (“No, you just cannot eat these ones green”).

Both animals have a good few weeks. Sponge has taken to wandering outside when he hears new voices! Ruah has had quite a few outings and I notice the difference in her walking on the lead. She is still a wee quiet soul in the house, though some people have the knack of “stirring her up”! I’m still working on “Stay”, while I go upstairs with guests. She’ll wait till we are virtually out of sight then gallop up to join us. It will come, won’t it?? Tips welcome!

I’ve had two marvellous weeks! It has been our annual regatta fortnight and Catriona, Sean and Daniel have stayed along with Sam, while Mum and Dad came and went.

On Sunday Moira left with Catriona and Sean (Daniel went earlier with Colin). Sam is travelling south, by bus, today. Tonight I have company from France and Ireland.

The weather has been strange. It has been warm and dry, but the winds have been very unpredictable. Many of the sailing races had to be postponed or cancelled – miraculously, the Regatta did finish on time!

You may have read in the national papers last week of the freak storm which blew up during one of our races. Of the 18 boats sailing, only 4 remained upright and thirty sailors landed in the water. Our two rescue boats were backed up by lifeboats from Kyle and Portree and two helicopters. Next to Heron’s Flight, at the pontoon car park, two ambulances and various rescue vehicles waited. After what seemed like forever, as we stood battered by the rain and wind, we heard that everyone was accounted for and OK. It was two hours ++ till everyone was back in the village, most having been pulled out of the water by the lifeboats then transferred to one of the many large craft that had immediately sailed to the area to help.

Sam and Catriona (she at 9 was the youngest crew person in the local boat race) were with Terry Kitchen and he dropped the sails, got turned and came in on the jib – one of the four that stayed upright.

It was one of the worst evenings of my life……. Ann

PS After I wrote this I “flicked through” the letters in the Dreambook – then I read them all again and am so touched that you had taken time to write – thank you. It means a great deal to me!

July 5th, 2009

We have been enjoying the best weather, in my opinion, for a long, long time. Some would disagree as it has been very hot – several late afternoon shade temperatures were around 31C.

So the hoses have been out, doors and windows open 24/7, weeds have stopped trying to smother the veges and the midges have even gone into hiding most of the time! One of the New Zealand flax plants has a very tall flower spike – I passed it once or twice before I realised there was one – at five feet nearly two inches all I saw was the usual spread of leaves!

I had a flying visit to Edinburgh – one day. It was Sam’s prize giving and he is Dux of 5th year. Now he’s on to 6th year after the summer. It is incredible how the time has flown…..

After the ceremony, John joined Moira, Sam and me for lunch and that was lovely. Then I beetled back to Moira’s, picked up Ruah and headed north. So I had just short of 24 hours in Edinburgh! The three younger children were, as they say “in good form” and, as I left, I was saying to myself, “a day is better than no day with the family”…..

The journey home was uneventful till south of the turn off west, at Dalwhinnie. The temperature hovered around 28C. Then the heavens opened and I have never driven in weather like that. I wanted to get to Dalwhinnie, to rescue Ruah from her metal crate, in case lightning struck. This daft thought would not go to the back of my mind…. These few miles took quite a time, as conditions were really poor. One plus point was that the temperature dropped 10C in a mile or two! I found out afterwards that Ruah would have been completely safe in her cage – but very frightened…

After Dalwhinnie, the second 100 miles were much less traumatic and we got home around 7.30pm. It had been pretty wet here too and the garden looks good, especially the courgette and its several bright yellow flowers! My four guests had survived quite happily without me! Their breakfast at Plockton Inn was, I’m sure, a welcome break from a week of me! However, I’m glad to be back to keep order, as the gentlemen yesterday climbed “The Saddle” and were “drooked” (completely drenched!) and late, late home. It had been a very arduous climb and their wives and I were very glad when the car finally came down the drive. Today is calm, sunny and still pretty warm…..

I’m off soon to pick Sam up in Kyle. His bus journey takes six hours. He’ll be doing a couple of week’s work experience while he’s here – and sailing!
Sponge and Ruah will be beside themselves with joy when Sam appears!!

I hope all is well with you and that you’ll pop in sometime to Heron’s Flight.

Ann.

Monarch of all he surveys.....

7’6’09

Ruah often steals the limelight here.

But Sponge can and does enhance the views from Heron’s Flight.

Today has been glorious and we have had a visit from the Huntingdon Family, who have “Alkira” at anchor in the bay for the summer. Yana (3) and Alex (17 months) and Halley the cocker spaniel are as at home on the yacht as they are on land. Halley has been known to chase a cat……

Sponge can always put himself out of reach, on one of the front gate pillars!

Near the longest day......

June 6th, 2009.

After days and days of wonderful sunshine and real heat, we have been plunged into temperatures in the low teens. But it is some consolation to realise that our little part of Britain is not going to be deluged this time!

In the last weeks Noel and Pat, John and Brida, Cid and Di, Ann and Patrick, and Mark (not Paul, as I would call you!) and Barbara have re-visited. It was such a pleasure for me to have you staying again… A week ago Ann McGregor and Sheila jumped off a special train and spent two hours here – it was very good to catch up with news and events from the McGregor side of our family.

Some of you were not so lucky with the weather and I realised how desperate Cid was when the sun shone one evening and he persuaded Di to hop on the big bike at 6.00pm – and off they went to Applecross! Most people breakfast quite early and set off promptly on an Applecross outing!!!

Cid and Di, thanks for starting and finishing a 1000 piece jigsaw. We had fun sticking it together and backing it with paper! I now have found sticky backed hangings and the jigsaw is complete. There is yet another to begin if/when the weather deteriorates again….

The garden has taken off – trees, shrubs, flowers and weeds! The big lawnmower is being mended and the grass is defeating me at present. The May blossom was exceptional all over the village and now the growth is amazing. The potatoes, onions, spring cabbage, lettuce and beetroot are all growing well and there are still leeks to plant.

The older cabbage palms have several flower heads each this year and the eucalyptus is only a foot or two shorter than the tall pine in back garden of Tigh an Fhaing, next door. I suppose it is still a poor specimen compared to Queensland eucalyptus, Alison – but it is my pride and joy.

Ruah and I took Sponge, my cat, to the vet last Friday, as the midges were really making his life miserable. He got a couple of injections and was immediately more at ease. This is very effective in combating his midge allergy. Maybe we all who live and visit here should have the same treatment!!

Ruah is loving meeting all our guests. Excitement is at fever pitch when she hears footsteps on the stairs each morning!

When I next speak to you, I’ll have been on a flying visit to Edinburgh and Sam will probably be in Plockton for a spell. He has now finished his 5th year Higher exams and will have the results in late July. I’m looking forward to Sam coming north for a good part of the summer. The family will be here at Regatta time – that’s from July 27, for a fortnight. I hope John will come after the very busy summer time. He prefers his Plockton quiet!

If you are in our part of the world, please do come in and say hello.

Ann

More May Happenings!

Last May Alan and Jan Walker took a very young Ruah for a little walk – I suspect it was the other way round!

This May Alan and Jan came back to visit and after the walk I was assured that Ruah behaved impeccably.

Alan and Jan – we hope you had a good flight south this afternoon and we hope to see you in the not too distant future.

Angela and Richard Hough, here again and at the same time as the Walkers, have again been lucky with the weather. Despite factor 25 in abundance, they came home this evening, having “marched up and down the mountains” around Sligaghan looking extremely healthy and very pink!

Ruah’s new fleece arrived yesterday and it is a huge success! It is under the hall table, by the kitchen door and I’m determined that she’ll sit/lie there while breakfasts are in progress at least. Already she knows “mat” and goes there with me. Yes, yes, she gets a small treat!!

After the unbelievably bad weather last week, everyone is thoroughly enjoying the best sunshine in the country – and we have more to come!

Ann.

May News

I’ve had a lovely time since we spoke; firstly with Sam, Catriona and Sean in Plockton for a week, then seeing everyone in Edinburgh – a flying overnight visit there last week. And in the last month Catriona, John and Daniel have had birthdays – ages ranging from 4 to 42!

Continuing with the lovely time theme – we’ve had lots of visitors and great fun too. Ruah now has a note in the bedroom folders inviting guests to come for a walk. Thank you Chris and Lindsay, for being her first customers!

Ruah is waiting daily for the postie to deliver a thick fleece for her cage – I’ll photo her with it. She’s always had cast offs to date, so excitement will be at fever pitch when the big box arrives!!

David and Sandra are here again this week and they’ll meet up with John and Sally today. It is so good that they are here at the same time again. Perhaps the very indifferent weather will show a marked improvement!

In the good weather we all got the vegetable gardens dug and planted. I have four drills of two kinds of potatoes, onions, two lettuce varieties, beetroot (for Moira) and leeks growing on, to be planted soon. A solitary courgette will hopefully rampage over the little cold frame at the side of the house! The potatoes are through the ground and I shall put more soil to them as they shoot up. Weekly hoeing of the plot keeps weeds at bay – if there is weather to hoe. If not, the usual summer battle will commence!

Sam’s Higher exams are in a fortnight then he’ll be free for the summer. I expect he’ll come and go and be here for as much sailing as possible. The family come for Regatta – this year the fortnight begins on Monday July 27.

The Plockton Small Boat Sailing Club’s local fleet of clinker built boats will be in the water in a few weeks and Saranna C, Dolan’s boat, will be on the mooring, ready for the annual rowing challenge round the Perch mark and home. Last year’s winning crew, with Kenneth MacRae in charge, had a time of 20m 39s – a challenge for this year’s crews.

Alison has set us up with Google Analytics Dashboard – I hope I’ve got that title correct….. Anyway, it tells, for example, where viewers of our web site live. In the last month we’ve had visits from Britain, United States, France, Australia, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Romania and Norway – I think that is wonderful!

Thank you all for visiting www.heronsflight.org. If even some of you come in person, I’ll be delighted!

Best wishes
Ann

Look at this!

Tim and Joyce Keeler are coming to stay in late August.
I should love to see Tim's truck negotiating Harbour Street, en route to Heron's Flight!

Tim and Joyce - I'm really looking forward to our meeting..

Early April, 2009

It is 8.30pm and only now beginning to get dark. What a difference the clock change and good weather make! This week has been sunny and warm, while last week, when Joyce and Moira "stuck it out" (and almost completed the 1000 piece jigsaw) was just terrible…..
Ruah and Sponge miss you Joyce, and Moira and I salute you!

The new Jazz is, needless to say, very similar to the last one, except it is sapphire blue. It has only a 1200 engine but I do not notice any difference. I got petrol for the first time today and was not certain how the cap opened – much to the amusement of my friend at the pumps in Kyle! I really must bring in the manual and have a good read.

Our computer Word assessments had us quivering. I think we all passed…. After all the years, sitting "exams" was quite a strange feeling, not enjoyed by any of us!

Swimming, often for four of us, is going well, though the early morning sessions are now not possible, as they of course would clash with breakfast preparations. However, there are two or three other options during the week.

Calum’s new "seal trip" boat is looking so very trim and is nearly ready to go. Sula Mhor, the big Gannet, will be leaving the pontoon regularly from Easter time.

Tomorrow, I’m going to Spean Bridge, north of Fort William, where I'll meet my son-in-law Colin, with Catriona and Sean. The children and I will be in Plockton in time for tea. We'll have a lovely time for several days. Sam is joining us on Monday. Catriona will have a day of pony trekking up near the Five Sister mountains while Sean and I'll do some serious crab catching! Another day we'll go by train to Inverness and visit Auntie Janet. A train journey is a big treat for Catriona and Sean – and Ruah!

All round the house has been getting a good bit of attention and the down garden is ready for planting. Dan came down a couple of evenings ago and did all my bonfires. We have no other way of getting rid of big garden rubbish. Recently however, we moved a step forward with very blue dustbins for paper, cardboard and squashed plastic rubbish.

The lawn mower started first time – it is an amazing machine! But the hedge trimmer gave up the ghost just as I began to deadhead all the heathers and the strimmer is sounding its age!!

So Colin is bringing replacements and I'm taking him the "Mantis", which is a little petrol plough among other things. Dolan made good use of it, but it is far too heavy for me to drag along…..

The children and I will have a lovely time till their return to Edinburgh. Catriona will be nine just after school re-starts and Daniel will be four soon after.

From Easter weekend onwards, Heron’s Flight will have many visitors, I’m pleased to say! I look forward to meeting you all. Some hard work is going in to the training of Ruah and Sponge in preparation!! It was so wet last week that Joyce and Moira did not enjoy a walk, though there were some high jinks on the front lawn, with little Meacha from next door joining in. Ruah did not get a chance to remember her village tour route! She’ll be ready to take you, however…

Best wishes

Ann

PS:
You probably know here is a serious virus warning going round and I have decided that to open some emails, which might be about a booking, cannot be done, as their "Subject" gives no clues! If you contact me, please put dates (e.g. September 7, 8, 9.) in the "Subject" then I shall know to open it. This will be very helpful, thank you.

Eagle's view of Plockton

 

The morning after "the news"!

4/4/09
The country is quite badly affected by snow today.
We have a mere dusting on the Crags...
Ann

We're glad to be back home!

March 3rd, 2009.

Last night Ruah, Sponge and I were wakened by hailstones battering the windows! So when we got up this morning and saw the grass was still green, I at least was delighted! Other places not too far away were not so lucky – the main road through Cluanie from Inverness to Skye was blocked till afternoon, I hear.

Ruah and I came home last Monday, after 10 days away – very glad to see Sponge (well cared for by Ruari next door) again. Sam and I had a week in Dundee, while he had a placement at Ninewells Hospital, in the ENT department. He was very well looked after and enjoyed every minute of it. We stayed in a small, dog friendly hotel, which had been a jute baron’s home. It dates from the mid 1800’s, when Dundee was a very prosperous town, thanks to jute.

Ruah and I toured around a lot – went over the Tay road bridge three times – twice by accident!! We looked in vain for Desperate Dan’s statue. My generation was brought up on the Dandy" and Desperate Dan’s adventures – he’s been in Dundee since 1937 and I could not find him! However, the Discovery, the Castle and Dundee Law were impossible to miss, I’m glad to say, though 70 acres of snowdrops at an estate near St Andrews eluded me too!

When we got back to Edinburgh, we were glad to have a simple home-made meal! It was lovely to see the rest of the family too…

Before coming home, I persuaded Moira to come and help me buy the new Honda Jazz. We chose a sapphire blue model – there is not an ordinary red, same as my present car, available at present in Britain, we were told... However, as long as it keeps going “Brumm brumm” I’ll be delighted! It’ll be ready for collection after next weekend, so I’ll see the family again!

The first guests arrive on March 22nd and I’m looking forward to that. It’ll become busier at Easter and I’m pleased to say that Heron’s Flight will be like that from then on. Sponge, Ruah and I do enjoy company!

Twice this winter I have had a fright with my bonsai of many years. Ian and Alison gave me it on one of their visits. Well, it recovered the first time and actually was quite un-naturally healthy looking.. But, a few weeks ago the leaves again went black in no time at all and I resorted to the drastic pruning that worked the first time. Alas, there is no sign of life, yet. I am not hopeful. The “Serissa” gave me many frights over the years – too moist, too dry, and too top heavy, too many roots and too much pruning needed. In all the years it produced just a handful of dainty little white flowers, probably due to my overzealous pruning! I always vowed never to contemplate a replacement, but - we’ll see!

I’ll let you know next time how the computer class went and how the swimming is going – I hope we can keep up the latter as the year gets busier…..

I hope too that you are well and that you may pop in to see us soon.

Best wishes
Ann

Horizontal or vertical - we don't know!

The animals do get on well, but at night there is a definite pecking order. They are trying out all sorts of compromises at present. Sponge is totally relaxed about it all. Ruah is totally apprehensive!

February 1st, 2009

Since we talked last, the red Jazz, Ruah and I have been to Edinburgh twice. We finally got home on January 12, which put a few friends off their strides, as they had organised a birthday treat for me for that day! But they altered plans and I was treated to a lovely, long, lazy lunch on January 14th. Thank you Jane and Kathleen for thinking of it! Thank you all for the birdbath which is photographed in situ beside the rock in the front garden.

The big gale of the month was the weekend before I came home. It was a corker! The next weekend was little better! However, as February approaches, it is very mild and spring like. There are several clumps of spring flowers blooming - lovely!

Sam and I have our annual trip away in the school holiday in February. Two years ago it was London, last year Paris, so watch this space for “The Trip 2009”. Before then I’m doing some spring cleaning. The carpet cleaner will be coming on February 5, so I want to be ahead of him for once. I started with great enthusiasm……
The west room furniture dates from around 1800 and does not get our modern polishes or sprays. It gets a layer of fairly thick wax rubbed in with the grain, polished off when it is dry, then a film of wax which is again polished. . This treatment does last a year or two – thank goodness! The round elephant-leg table has had its coat of raw linseed oil too.

The three bathrooms are also done, along with all the lamp shades in the house. Instead of finishing off the two guest bedrooms I’ve suddenly shot off at a tangent and decided that my kitchen should be de-cluttered! This happens yearly, so when the first guests arrive the kitchen is quite clinical. By the end of October there will be postcards and photos from all over, drawings that the children have done and many, many notes to myself! And, for the winter, it will again feel very homely and comfortable!

I’ve time still to do more, to give the carpet cleaner a “clean” sweep – but not long…. So, I have now got myself back on track and the brass stair rods will be next on the list– the first several are quite fun to do!

Ruah and Sponge continue to thrive and each really enjoys having the other around, in the evenings especially. They give me such good company and pleasure…..

My diary is filling up nicely and I look forward to the first guests, on the 22nd of March.

I hope you may stop by as well, before too long?

Ann

January 1st, 2009

1/1/2009



Happy New Year to you!

“Lang may your lum reek”, as ours has been and is doing today! There is thick ground frost here and the temperature will struggle to reach 0C. The sky today is a beautiful, cloudless blue and it could be a day in summer - till one steps outside!!

Sam, Catriona and I brought in the New Year in “35”, the MacKenzie family home in Harbour Street. The now traditional rocket lit bonfire was spectacular, partly because of its size and mainly because it had not been soaked by incessant rain! The fireworks too seemed special and were much appreciated by a large crowd – villagers and visitors alike.

We first footed in a couple of houses and got home about 2.30 – quite late enough for the three of us! We’ll do some more visiting today and friends will call here too.

Tomorrow will be a lazy day, as we head to Edinburgh on Saturday. Sam and Catriona start the Easter term at school on Monday.

Ruah and I will finally get home on January 9th, I think. By then the days will be beginning to stretch and I’ll start to look forward to meeting guests. This year promises already to be very special, as Ian and Alison from Toowoomba will be here in September!

I hope you may come too?

Best wishes for 2009

Ann