30 November 2015

November 2015

Another month has whizzed by 
but in between the rains and the winds
November has still allowed me to take some 
photographs to share with you. 



 The Loch Ewe Community Skiff
is coming on really well,
the inside has been painted and the skiff turned over
ready for the 7 coats of primer, undercoats and top coats
to be applied.
 

With lots of helping hands at each stage
  we'll soon be out there rowing !!




Wilma has been a good dog 
and all good dogs deserve a bone....


and this one proved worthy of guarding !






It may have been a bit on the small side
and there was only one .....


but we managed to grow a melon in the Highlands !




The sun appeared to make the water warm 
and so Malcolm decided to make a rare appearance
in the loch this month
and seemingly enjoyed it.





Storm, Jeanette's whippet puppy,
is now old enough to be on the social circuit,
Wilma needed no encouragement to make a new friend
at our Sunday morning beach party.




It was great to see Bryan looking so well again
and to meet his lovely daughter Julie, 
who came up from Norfolk.


    



Malcolm's Mum's house build is coming on,
completion should be at the end of January,
ready for her 91st birthday on 1st February 2016.
 



The sun rising over Loch Ewe ..

















... quiet and still





Sunlight on the waters of Loch Ewe,
looking like sparkling stars,
love this one.




From the Highlands







we wish you all love and happiness 
during your festive preparations 
and your Christmas celebrations.
 xxxx







31 October 2015

October 2015

Wonderful Highland weather all month !

 The sun shade was even out on 30th October,
our very late summer !






Wilma, our very rough-coated Jack Russel,
has had a busy month, 
she's been helping me with carding wool, 



(can you spot the dog amongst the wool ?)


... she's been helping harvest the potatoes !



 and been busy making new friends with Radar,
a Visla puppy, who lives by the beach where we swim.




 Wilma needs to show him who's boss
before he becomes rather large.







Meet Storm,
 a whippet puppy who has just arrived in the Highlands
and lives with Janette and Alan
 and will soon be able to make friends
with Wilma when he's had all his jabs.





While Janette and I swim Wilma amuses herself by the jetty.



As the weather has been so good 
it has been a very out of doors month,
so we took every opportunity to make the most of it.

 

When the tide is out in the harbour
and Fiona says "let's go and have fun with the ponies",
you just have to go. 




Bringing Fiona's son, Jack ,
back from school. 





On the last day of the season
it was lovely to be able to ride to the Aroma Cafe in Mellon Charles
and sit outside with coffee and cake.





Thank you to all of you at the cafe 
for a great season of refreshments,
see you again in the spring.



Malcolm's Mum decided to get up close to Aken,


I think next time she might get on him !






 Mum's house is progressing well
and really taking shape.





Soon be laying the carpets !




Here we have our neighbours 
Jay, Alfie, Calid and Holly 
just about to go off to collect whelks.



Mum is spending her days while her house is being built
in the conservatory of the cottage she is staying in,
where she can watch the world go by.



Mum was delighted at the beginning of the month 
to have a surprise visit from her very dear friends,
Peggy, Christina and John
all the way from Harrow in Middlesex.

Great to see you all !






Along with Mum's plot came an old byre,
which was damaged in a storm
and needs a little attention,
another rainy day project ! 








The sun going down over Gairloch.





A beautiful crescent moon over Loch Ewe.



Just wanted to share this next photograph with you,
 taken near Stornaway, 1916
of two women bringing home the peats 
AND
knitting at the same time !

Truly multi-tasking.


Photo courtesy of Highland Folk Museum,
Highland History and culture.



To Peter and Paul,
thank you for rewiring our house 
and making such a super job,
sorry you had to spend so much time in the dusty, crowded loft.
It's now time to start some serious decorating,
but hey if the sun's still shining,
what's the rush ?




Will November bring lots of sunshine too,
or is that hoping for too much ?

Wishing you good weather wherever you are, 
June 

1 October 2015

September 2015

Summer did arrive and the sun shone on Loch Ewe
and is still shining on the last day of September !


The next arrival was Malcolm's Mum
who flew up to start her new life in the Highlands,
at the grand age of 90!




Malcolm's sister Barbara flew over from her home in Madeira
to fly with Mum and made the whole transition to Scotland
super smooth.
Thank you Barbara for all your hard work
to make it happen.




As you can see Mum has settled in very nicely
and Wilma is making sure that 
she gets the best seat with Mum.



Mum on her first walk up to our house...






The next few photos were taken on a drive out
to Applecross.


 A real romantic, red-roofed cottage 
nestling in the hillside


Even in the remotest part of the Highlands
you can earn a living ....

 


Some of the locals taking it easy.

 










The scenery on the way is staggering,
the route is the highest council-maintained road in the UK,
supposedly.



 and when you approach Applecross ,
it's breathtaking !



When you get there the Applecross Inn
is one of the friendliest inns you will ever find !







A new cafe has opened in Aultbea,
called Oran Na Mara,
Gaelic for "song of the sea"


with lovely views over Loch Ewe,
delicious cakes and coffee 

 and a sense of humour !






 This is Wilma, the chickens and the geese
enjoying themselves
 in the freshly-collected, smelly seaweed !







On a beach near Ullapool
we came across some fun, stone sculptures ...





















  
It was so good to see Penny and Len this month,
who travelled all the way from Suffolk 
by motor bike, brilliant !!!







 Lunch was at the Aroma Cafe & Perfume Studio
in Mellon Charles (excellent as ever!)
as our kitchen was out of bounds 
while the house is being rewired.





Great to see you both, looking good in the leathers !
Enjoy the rest of your trip.




Mum's house is coming along,
the chimney is up....



 and the walls are starting to take shape.







Young Duncan helped Malcolm to bring home the peat
from the common grazing 
ready to be dried for the winter.







Malcolm's sister, Barbara, could not be tempted
to join Janette and I for a swim in Loch Ewe,
preferring to stay well and truly wrapped up warm !





but Janette and I love being tumbled around by the waves




and while we are gone 
Wilma finds something to amuse herself with. 







After many years
 I found my way back into the saddle again !



All I need to do now is remember how to steer again 
and to stay on !







Thank you Fiona for getting me back on !








Seashore colours of September....







































Hope you have enjoyed your September, too



and wishing you a wonderful October.

June x and Wilma