December 2017

Happy Christmas to you all !

~~~~~~~~~



A few snapshots of what's been happening
in the Highlands in December
around the croft

Wilma just loving the snow

and after the fun ...
a nice little snooze with her sleepover-mate

and when you're bored with looking out into the blizzard...

what better than getting your nose stuck into
 a lovely fresh bale of hay

Thought we had the beginnings of a football game,
horses are supposed to love playing .....

but Wilma seemed to claim the ball (a bouy actually) as her own
and sent Zara away

Glorious sunshine on the snow covered logs

Funny bunny footsteps in the snow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





Some Aultbea fun

The local primary school put on an amazing performance
of Jack and the Beanstalk,
they get better and better each year!

Well done and thank you all for a fabulous evening's entertainment



 ~~~~~



Courtesy of Forbes Garage in Aultbea,

a friendly tyre-man

 and an alternative Christmas tree

 
thanks Alex, love them !





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update on Malcolm's Mum for all her fans

The local gaelic choir

came to the care home where Malcolm's Mum is now staying 
and we were able to share in an evening of remarkable singing, 
a real delight,

thank you all very much !

The care home also arranged a fabulous Christmas party 
that we were invited to.




We discovered that some of the staff
 have such beautiful voices

and the staff put on a scrumptious spread of food
and a remarkable raffle

Young talent came to entertain
 with singing and fiddle playing

and the staff were certainly not lacking in humour !!

They used anything they could find to play "music" on,
cardboard urinals, saucepans, wheelchairs, mops
and trolleys !!

Santa and his elf (the owners)
played a big part in the festivities

and enjoyed the fun

Lots of little people came along, too

to dance, to sing and make everyone smile !

Someone has to join in the dancing,
so it might just as well be us.

Thank you all at Isle View 
for a wonderful afternoon.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






Poem of the Month



I'm not sure who wrote this next little poem or when, 
found it on Pinterest,   but it made me laugh
and brought back glorious memories of my lovely Mum
who never did have time for dusting
because she was always so busy
 loving and giving to everyone around her.

Miss you Mum.



~~~




Dust if you must


Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there,
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind,
And when you go - and go you must,
You yourself will make more dust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~







At this time of year everyone is rushing around,
surprised that Christmas has arrived so soon,
wondering where the time has gone
and planning for the forthcoming year,

so this next little picture (found on Pinterest)
seemed very calming and appropriate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Book of the month


Someone very kindly sent us this lovely little book
this month

but we don't know who, 
so don't know who to thank,

so if it was you "thank you"





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





So, from Zara, always big on eating,

Malcolm, always big on new adventures,

Wilma, always big on relaxing,

and me, well always daft !

 vvvvvvvv

 vvvvvvvv

have

yourself

a warm

xxxxx

peaceful

happy

Christmas

 and  a 

wonderful

healthy

xxxxx

f u n

  y e a r 

 ahead in

 2 0 1 8

 vvvvvvvv

 vvvvvvvv

November 2017

It's been a cold, wet November

and Jack Frost has been about.

Even with a bit of snow on the ground

us girlies still go swimming every week

and we're still laughing !

For the first time ever we were able to warm up afterwards with a wonderful bonfire,

pure bliss

Meet the remarkable Rebecca,

looking bonny and glam without a wetsuit !!!!

and Jim looking super cool !

Water temperature at the moment around 8/9 degrees,

that's not so bad, it's the biting wind that gets us

scurrying home for a hot shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our computer has been giving us some grief this month;

my brother Colin thought that the next photo

 would relieve our tension !

It did and made me feel heaps better !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our local primary school organised their annual

 Beetle Drive this month;

everyone is welcome, from toddlers to "no upper limit"

and as usual it was hilarious !!

 For those of you who do not know what a beetle-drive is:

everyone is issued with a card

and participants work in pairs

and there are 12 rounds.

A "2" must be thrown on the dice to begin,

so that the body of the beetle can be drawn

before the wings, head and legs can be added.

A "1" must then be thrown for the head,

before the eyes and feelers can be added.

Frantic throwing of dice ensues, 

with lots of squeals, shouting and laughter

until the first couple completes a beetle

and shouts at the top of their voice

"BEETLE !!!!"

After 12 rounds everyone should have a completed card 

as below

The total scores after the 12 rounds decide the winners.

There are all sorts of other prizes, too,

such as prizes for the scariest beetle etc

Well done our primary school and thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the croft

 our geese have been making the most of the

 November sunshine

and Zara and I

 have been having lovely walks along the shore

it's taken a few months,

 due to lack of confidence on my part,

but we now go out on our own !

When the rain is blowing horizontally across the croft

what better than standing in the shelter eating hay

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It has been lovely to see Nicola again

all the way from South Africa

and to spend some time with her on her travels

 around the Highlands

( Message to Mike: we look forward to seeing you too on the next trip ! )

We went with Nicola to have a look around Ullapool

where they have been making an impressive lobsterpot Christmas tree

In between the twine lights have been strung 

and sparrows are thinking that this is the place 

to build a rather festive nest out of the wind.

So this is where old walking boots end their days

outside the Northwest Outdoors shop

in West Argyle Street, Ullapool,

great shop with a great coffee shop upstairs, too,

the Mountain Top Cafe with wood-burning stove

and delicious food

and fabulous photography for sale.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update on Malcolm's Mum

Mum is doing very well,

7 weeks on from falling and breaking her hip,

but has decided not to return to living on her own

and will now continue to live at the local care home

overlooking Loch Ewe

Mum pleased with the gingerbread house she made 

on her first trip out from Isle View

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The party season has started !

The zumba dancing gals waste no time

 getting into the party spirit;

after trying to eat our way through an abundant

 array of food

we danced non-stop for more than three hours,

it's what we like doing best !

Thank you Janis and Anji 

for yet another fabulous, fun evening !

Your parties get better and better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meet Pinnochio, a rare little tomato

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quote of the Month

May peace and peace and peace be everywhere

The Upanishads ( c.900 - 600 B.C.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Well, someone's got to be a little daft around here,

might just as well be me.

 The tacky, flashing earrings go well with the reindeer dress,

don't you think ?

 Wishing you all a happy, warm and peaceful December

      *               *         *      *      *      *            *                       *         *            *            *       *

 wherever you may be

*            *             *            *               *

*           *         *         *         *

from June and Malcolm

*           *           *              *              *

*           *           *                *             *           * 

xxxxxx 

*       *       *       *          *

October 2017

The terns had finished nesting and moved on,
the tide was high, so time to jump !!

Jenny enjoyed playing in the waves

 with the rest of the gang

and is loving her first ever wetsuit

Around the croft

October has been a bountiful month for blackberries
and all for free.

This year we are growing a different variety of carrot
(unfortunately can't remember the name at the moment)
as they are meant to be round,
so don't have to fight their way through
our very stoney ground.

The garden is still looking colourful, just,
with Michaelmas Daisies,

and a bedraggled peacock butterfly
resting on the geraniums

Zara found sitting around in the sunshine..

rather tiring

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mobile cinema was back in Gairloch again,
with another selection of 4 films,
this time we saw the Judi Dench film, Victoria & Abdul;
a smashing evening and you get to see loads of friends, too

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just back from a lovely week away on the Island of Barra

in the Outer Hebrides,
the most westerly island of the UK

Our holiday cottage, number 8, Ardmhor,
sat right on the edge of a beautiful bay

The bay in front of the cottage is Barra Airfield !

The times of arrival and departure of the two daily planes
are obviously governed by the tides

and this must be the smallest baggage reclaim ever,
except maybe for Tiree airport

From the cottage you can see the airport terminal
in the distance

The airport café, open 7 days a week and Friday evenings,
serves the best fish ever !
caught in the Atlantic just on the shores of Barra.









Seals came by the cottage, this is Ron
(Ronseal)

The beaches were staggering

even if it was difficult to stand up at times in the wind

The colours are fabulous

and I just loved the circular patterns in the sand 
made by the sand dune grass blown by the wind

and loved the patterns of the seaweed
once the tide has gone out

Wilma as usual enjoyed herself

taking in the sea breezes

and enjoying the walks

This is one of the local museums
that we were looking forward to seeing,
high up in the hills

alas, it obviously wasn't very popular,

a great pity, the earlier tourist guides
showed it to be really interesting

Kisimul Castle, Castlebay  on a grey day

and the fifty shades of grey of Castlebay

If ever you get to Castlebay go to the Post Office with it's delightful adjoining café;

it is dog-friendly and you will be greeted by Spud,

the jack russel-cross-poodle,

(so named because he came from the local potato farm)

and they serve the biggest and best scones ever !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family update

Malcolm's Mum fell and broke her hip earlier this month

and has had fabulous care from both

Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and Dingwall Hospital;

she will shortly be transferred to Isle View Nursing Home,

a short distance from us for recovery and physio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book of the Month

I bought this book in the wonderful community run shop in Castlebay on Barra;

the book and the shop are both inspirational and fun.

The author does say that the kilt is optional !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Malcolm's sister has been over to see us this month
from Madeira
and on her return home sent me this postcard, 
I am still giggling !

Thanks Barb xx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~








Quote of the Month



"Work is not always required.
There is such a thing as sacred idleness,
the cultivation of which is fearfully neglected"



George MacDonald (1824 - 1905)







~~~~~~~~~~~~~





If there are any magicians in the area
that have lost their white rabbits,
they are making their home under one of our sheds,
please collect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






So, with the help of some of the locals,

we wish you a frighteningly good November,

June and Malcolm

xxxxxx