Happy Christmas!

December 8th.

At the rate 2014 has hurtled past so far, I feel I must write this year’s news now!

I have been very lucky to have many visits from my four grandchildren in school holiday and when Sam could come. He’s now in year 5 medicine in Edinburgh and just at present in Sydney, In Westmead Hospital.  He’ll be home at the beginning of the year.  Sean and Daniel came and sailed – and sailed!  They love it!  Catriona will row and canoe – and enjoys that too.  Moira only managed a week up, but we had great fun.  Colin had even less time, but he blitzed many bits of the garden – wonderful!

In February I went to Tenerife with Moira and the three younger children – that was lovely.  I came home ready to get the house prepared for the summer visitors, who came from April till late October.

Amber had gradually become blind and that was not a big problem, as she knew every corner of the downstairs and around the house.  However, her kidneys suddenly failed and we lost her quite suddenly.  Ruah (she is seven now and a very good companion – still greedy!),  searched and searched for her……..  Sean especially was very sad, as Amber had been “on loan” from him.  But he saw her a month before she died and she was well then. 

All summer I had visits from old friends and made many new ones – I really enjoyed it.  Thank you so much everyone, for coming!

In September the Referendum vote went comfortably to Scotland staying in the United Kingdom.  I wonder if the Nationalists will calm down……  I often doubt it.

Moira and I waved Sam off to Australia on September 20.  I hurried back as Elizabeth Arlsan was arriving – my last visitor.   It was fun, Elizabeth – bring Uta next year?!

October vanished as did many months this year!  Well, Ruah was clipped and looked reproachfully at me for days!  And I did do some “spring” cleaning!

The weather has, on the whole, been marvellous this year!  We did have a wet week earlier this month, but it has been generally dry and mild, though there is a nip in the air today. – I got the lawns cut ten days ago – ridiculous in mid-November! 

Finally, my brother Ian in Toowoomba and sister-in-law Alice in Nuneaton have both had spells in hospital recently   - Ian is home and progressing very well, while Alice will be home very soon I hope.   I wish, as I often do actually, that I were nearer Queensland……..  And I shall be soon!  Yes, I’m going!

I hope you have had a good year that did not speed past quite as fast as the Plockton year!  May your Christmas and New Year be special.

Best wishes, Ann

Halloween, 2014

Up in the village, the smaller children will be going round the houses “guising”.  They will be dressed up and most can be unrecognisable!  They will sing a verse, say a poem, tell a joke and then get a treat – a few sweets, some fruit, perhaps a 20p.  As none of the children live near this part of the village, we shall not have guisers – unless the odd stray disguised adult!

My last guest of 2014, Elizabeth from Germany, was here last week and left on the morning train on the 24^th.  I hope you enjoyed the concerts in Dunblane, Elizabeth and got home safely.  Thank you for the gifts you brought.

I was in Edinburgh the week before.  Moira was at a course till the Thursday and Colin took the boys to Blackpool for a couple of days.  Catriona and I had fun!  Sam arrived on the Sunday and Moira and I saw him off to Sydney the next morning, early.  He is enjoying his time in Westmead Hospital and will be there till Christmas, when he will head north to Toowoomba, for a few days with Ian and Alison.

All this year I have been delighted to tell you about the good weather.  Well, on the 20^th, as I was travelling home from Edinburgh, it got more and more wild and I was meeting the tail end of hurricane Gonzola!  It was in no hurry to pass and we were battered by gale force winds and torrential rain for about ten days.  The result has been many landslides, north, south and east of us – we were cut off briefly, as the trains were affected too – still are!

I have happy memories of this year’s busy time, when I met so many old friends and made many new friends.  Thank you all for coming to stay with Ruah and me.  We loved every minute!

I hope you will come again, if not next year, and then soon - please do not try to beat the 38 year gap of Ron and Janet, the 35years of Brian Dunn (see you in April, hopefully!) and the 20 years of Tony and Sandra!!!  It was marvellous to see you all again. And Richard and Angela, in China right now – did you do enough practising with the chop sticks?  Say hello to James from me….

It may well be a quiet winter, but I’ll remember this year with such pleasure - you were all special, wonderful guests……

My thoughts at this time are with Ian and my sister in law Alice, in hospital in Toowoomba and Nuneaton.  Get better soon and come home…  I wish I were nearer….

Ann

September 22, 2014

On September 16 I began writing you.  This morning I finished my letter, saved and thought I did the usual to transfer it to the website.  Well, the whole letter has vanished, though I have blank saved document!  Now, as this is/was a two page document I am bamboozled...  But here goes again….

We have had wonderful weather for the last month.  The ground is parched after many, many days of warm sunshine and very light breezes – the midges were not troublesome either!

I’ve had mostly great fun with the house plants in the front porch.  The avocados  are a metre tall, a few special seedlings have done well, the banana I bought as an 18” plant is rapidly heading to the roof and my two bananas grown from seed are over a foot tall – happily they are a variety that should  grow on outside from next spring/early summer.  My week of anything but fun was recently, when my old bonsai just died – in a matter of days….  Ian and Alison gave me it many years ago.  Luckily it had thrown out four side shoots and if one of them survives, then the bonsai lives on….

PSBSC is at the end of a busy summer of sailing, instruction and racing; next week Malcolm MacKenzie, the present Commodore, will hand over to this year’s Vice Commodore at the AGM. 

The Scottish Referendum, talked about and planned for so long, is finally over and with a result of 55% of the population deciding not to separate from the rest of the United Kingdom.  As the number of people who voted was a very high percentage of the eligible population, it is a true reflection of what our little country wants.  The number of people who voted in Plockton and district was 100% I believe.

I’ve had a busy time and both Ruah and I have enjoyed meeting our guests. We’ve had visitors from so many places.  Thank you all for coming; thank you to all who have returned; thank you from Ruah for all her walks!

When I next write, I’ll have seen my last guests of 2014 and shall have been for a few days to Edinburgh.  Then, if the normal pattern continues, hibernation for a spell!  But, I have my 2015 diary at the ready!

Best wishes

Ann

 

August 13th, 2014

Computer confusions and News.

After writing and saving a letter to you, I went to put it up on the site and – lo and behold – there was Ian and Alison’s address, in bold letters, just I had written and printed off earlier in the day – and I had not saved it…..

There was and is no sign of my letter.  In my documents the title “Blog, 12 August, 2014” is there and the Australian address is all that appears.  Now, had I even saved that, I might begin to understand all of this……  All I do know that an evening’s typing and talking to you has just vanished…….

So off to bed I toddled.  Well, I’ve given that up and here I am beginning again, though it’ll likely be sometime a good bit later when I finish…….

It has been a very good month, with the family coming and going.  Sean and Daniel came at different times, Sean to do stage 3 and Daniel a revision of stage1 (last year the wind just did not blow during his course, so no actual sailing was possible) of the RYA Youth Training Scheme.  Sean did well to pass, not having the advantage of the local children, who sail regularly in club nights all summer. 

Daniel passed too and then, as he was here most of the school holidays, enjoyed sailing in a club night, crewed in an RS Vision during Regatta and was crew and sometimes ballast when the unique “local boat” fleet raced.  He will be good too.

Catriona came and went and came again.  I was delighted when Becky and Amanda Sweenie came for Regatta weekend as they are very near to Catriona in age.  And, as usual, Catriona’s friend Heather was here from Singapore, so a little gang of teenagers was around the house! 

The children, as usual, painted the sail, on a double sheet, for the Ragamuffin Race – the last race traditionally of the fortnight.  See the photo at the top of this blog post! The sail was judged the most topical and the five “artists” – from the right – Catriona, Amanda, Becky, Daniel and little friend Alistair were so chuffed. Note the spelling “mistake” which was corrected!  

 Each boat can have a maximum of five with an adult to help with the deal of rowing involved in the Ragamuffin event.  Our boat, Saranna C, had no adult to row and give advice – mistake!!!  Next year we’ll capture an unsuspecting sailor for the job!  Of the eleven boats out, Saranna C was 6^th overall – a good effort in fluky winds and with some very young helmsmen.

Going back a little in the month, Colin found time to come up and do amazing work on some bits of the garden drastically needing cut back.  Daniel was here too then and he lopped a tree and bushes at the rock, so I now have a much better view of the sailing!

Moira came for the last week.  The weather was still quite good – it had been very hot and sunny so the ground was tinder dry.  We did little travelling, though one day saw us going to Portree where we visited Margaret MacKenzie, who launched Saranna C for Dolan….   “Piglet”, our 10’ little boat, was launched and Moira, Catriona and Daniel made good use of her.  Sean all this time was preparing for a football festival in St Andrews.

The time just sped by.  Friday evening everyone went to the Regatta concert – very good as usual.  Saturday, after the Ragamuffin race ended around noon, the traditional street dance began outside Plockton Hotel.  And that evening there was more music at the Plockton Inn!

Sunday saw, I imagine, about half of the population of Plockton packing up to go!  Moira and the children left at noon and were in Edinburgh at 5.00pm.  The Sweenie parents and little Duncan came and collected Becky and Amanda in the afternoon and by evening Ruah and I were left looking at each other ……

However on Monday guests arrived and this week Kristel and Mark (Paul!) have been, Ava and John off their beautiful yacht moored just outside and tomorrow Dominik and his party arrive from Germany.  It is lovely for me to welcome so many people, for all over.

Perhaps you may think of visiting too – Ruah and I should like that very much!

Ann.

July Update from Heron's Flight

July 17^th, 2014

“When weary o’ travell’n  and takin’ in the sights

And ye’ve had enough of dodgin’ the vicious midgie’s bites

A comfy bed to rest your head in which to pass the night

Awaits ablaw the coothy roof they ca’ the Heron’s Flight.

                  

    (Thanks to Duncan and Lisbeth, Dundee)                                                   

Last month I said that Sam should enjoy himself before returning to Uni. for his fifth year.  I knew he had a stint at Dunfermline Hospital to do before that.  Well, we were phoning and he said he was on nights for the first time. I have not spoken to him since, in case I wakened him!!!

Moira and I are very pleased that Sam will do his elective training in November and December at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, Australia.   He’ll finish a week before Christmas, fly to Brisbane and then go to Toowoomba for his first visit to Ian and Alison.  During his time in Sydney he’ll be close to my niece Valerie and her family and hopefully will see them often. Nephew's more of a problem - he's in Melbourne....

Back to Plockton…..   Sean came for a week and, with five village children, did his stage3 RYA sailing, under the auspices of PSBSC.  He went home on July 3, the day before his 11^th birthday.  Moira and I met that day at Spean Bridge, she bringing Catriona and Daniel bound for Plockton!

Daniel and five children then did stage 1 RYA.  Daniel had started this last year with Malcolm, my nephew, but there was complete calm then and sailing was virtually impossible.  Having passed his tests, Daniel went out that evening, with three others, on a PSBSC club night.   He had a wonderful time and this Granny thinks he’ll be a good sailor!

The weather has been warm and between wet and dry – the gardens have gone wild!  I have never seen such lush growth….  Hopefully Colin is going to manage a few days here and he’ll tame a lot of my garden.  The most worrying bit for me is our Red Barberry front hedge – it is being attacked from the shore side by brambles, sticky Willie, wild roses, etc – quite beyond me. When the cows roamed the village, the foreshore and other areas were kept as smooth as a bowling green.  There must be a case for even tethering the odd cow here and there!  Sheep are not allowed into the village and goats jump!  Any other suggestions welcome!

Heron’s Flight has been very busy with visitors from all parts of the world.  I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone and Ruah has loved all her walks.  I have received several lovely photographs too and I thank you for them. Yesterday Brian sent a link to his 2014 Plockton photos – wonderful!  Duncan, a poet and songster too, penned the poem above and sent a disc with "the" heron, Heron's Flight, Saranna C, views around the village both known and very unusual, accompanied by haunting  music and song......  Thank you Lisbeth for filling up a disc with beautiful songs…..  Andy, thanks for Daniel’s photos, much appreciated by his Mum too.  And Malcolm, thanks for various photos of the family, croft and animals!

One evening recently the doorbell rang and knew I had seen the gentleman’s face before – and said so.  Well, Brian Dunn stayed with us 38 years ago, when the Navy was doing some work (we never knew what!) here.  What a pleasure it was to meet him again.  He’ll keep in touch and be back and I hope his wife Jackie and two friends come too – more of that in the future…….  Thank you Brian and the "triangle" for coming.

I’m looking forward to the family being here, mostly for some of the Regatta fortnight which finishes on Saturday, August 9th.  Hopefully the boys will get some more sailing and even crewing in the races!

Have you been on holiday yet?  If so, I hope it was marvellous.   If it has still to come I hope it’ll be a very happy time – you may even visit Plockton?

Best wishes

Ann