Plockton Regatta, 2012.
“Saranna C” (built by Dolan, 2002) with Malcolm and Sam MacKenzie.
Malcolm is cousin Calum’s son and Sam my grandson
Photo by David Skilling, sailing behind Saranna C!
It’s late November, 2012 and
time to be thinking over the past year, before looking forward…….
A year ago, Catriona my
granddaughter and I were very excited about our trip to Australia. We left on December 9 and visited my nephew
David and family in Melbourne before staying in Toowoomba with Ian and Alison
for Christmas and New Year. We flew to Townsville to see the Barrier Reef, a Christmas
present from Ian and Alison. While there
we visited Leah and Frank and old friends Jenny and Geoff Duce, who ferried us
around the city and treated us to a delicious meal - we owe you – come and get it, please! Valerie my niece and her family arrived in
Toowoomba from Sydney. So in the space
of two weeks Catriona had met five cousins, two aunts and two uncles! It was a lovely time – Christmas dinner, in
shorts and t shirts (our best!) round the big outdoor table, sunhats and dark
glasses at the ready! Alison had
organised many decorations, for the newly finished sunroom, with blinds ordered
to help keep the room cool and shady – stark contrast to our necessary extra
heating, double thick sweaters and bright lights in Scotland! Though it was a while ago now, we still think
of our lovely holiday and thank you, Ian and Alison. I’m so glad you are coming over next May – no
time at all! Thank you, Ian, for coming
for a holiday in October – that was lovely…….
Before arriving back in
Edinburgh, Catriona and I had three days in Singapore, where we visited a
friend that Catriona knows from Plockton!
Heather’s home is Singapore but her Mum has a house in the village, so
we meet each summer.
We arrived in Edinburgh in the late evening of
the 10th January and Catriona was off to school the next
morning. Amber and I motored north to
collect Ruah, who had been on a long holiday with Dolan’s sister Janet – I know
she had a lovely time.
After what seemed a brief
hibernation, it was time to get the house and garden tidied up, ready for first
guests, in April. I had a very enjoyable
spring, summer and early autumn, meeting people from all parts of the world –
and this included many who returned once more.
It was lovely to see you all.
Thank you for coming and leaving me with very happy memories and
photographs of your stay at Heron’s Flight.
This year too the
grandchildren came and went in various permutations! Sam was here for a lot of the summer, sailing
and relaxing after his second year in medicine at Edinburgh. He’ll be twenty next month……… Sean did the first course of sailing training
and enjoyed it. Daniel did a” taster”
afternoon and was hooked too! Catriona
preferred to row and canoe. The whole
family was here for regatta and Moira spent a lot of time in “Piglet”, with
various children perfecting their rowing.
Countless hours were spent
each visit at the pontoon, fishing.
Visiting yachts were tolerated as they came alongside for water or a
short stay – they take up a lot of pontoon space, cramping the fishermen, you
see! Sean did net the most enormous
jelly fish.
Our weather this year has
been very much out of the ordinary.
April was dry and sunny on the whole, May began atrociously, with snow
down to the verges in places. The in
mid-May everything changed and the sun blazed out of a cloudless sky. And this went on and on and on, while eastern
and southern Scotland, along with England suffered severe flooding several
times. There was not a break in the bad
weather all over – except for our little corner of Britain! Towards the end of regatta time there were
some difficult sailing conditions, as the photo shows, but the wonderful
weather lasted well into August – all thanks seemingly to the “Jet Stream”,
which had slipped south from above us to the north of France. Nobody has been able to let me know if it has
stayed there or slipped back??
Dolan’s side of the family
keeps well on the whole - we are all getting older…… Sandra, Janet’s daughter, has recently moved
in to her new house on the Brae, Plockton.
She did so very well, learning the necessary trades as the house
progressed! Don her brother did a lot
of the work too – a real team effort.
I hope that you and your
families are all well and that we may meet next year. Meantime,
I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a very Good New Year.
Ann
