May 2018

Welcome to this month's blog

Things are happening in Aultbea Hall !

        It's now easier than ever to find out what's going on

                    as Aultbea Hall now has it's own

              website    :     aultbeahall.wordpress.com 

              Facebook page    :  Aultbea Hall

              email address    :   aultbeahall@gmail.com

              exterior  notice board and 

       regular updates in the Gairloch and District Times.

Thank you to all those who have made these things happen.

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On the croft

 
Our new polytunnel is now up and filling up !

We're planting as many perennial fruit and vegetables as possible to minimise growing from seed each year;


 the asparagus plants grown from seed last year 
should produce from next season and 
then continue for at least 15 years, possibly longer.

Our Suffolk Red grapevine ordered online
 looked very much like a dry old stick when it arrived
but is now showing signs of life, it may take some while though before we make our first bottle of wine !

Malcolm's peaches are continuing to bloom in the greenhouse!

We also bought some unusual seeds on ebay which we are delighted with; they include 3 sunflower varieties, 
Titan, Kong and Mammoth ! great names !
Wild sea cabbage,
Yellow stuffer tomatoes,
Indian golden podded peas,
Indian strawberries
Chinese watermelon radish 
Giant snow peas and
Kiwi berry.

Enticed by their names we probably got carried away but
time will tell if they grow in our Highland polytunnel.

The seeds came with excellent instructions to follow and if you fancy a go at any of these find Derek on ebay,
trading as elfskins edibles.




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No wonder we were wilting ! 33 degrees !
and that's outside, not in the polytunnel, on 30th May

 

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Quote of the month

"If speaking kindly to plants helps them grow,

imagine what speaking kindly to humans can do"

(found on Pinterest)






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Update on the animals




Wilma has been very poorly, probably had a brain haemorrhage,

but after her get well parcel from one of her many fans

(well some of it was for Wilma !)

 and the outstanding care and attention
from Douglas the vet and his team
 at Conanvet, Conan Bridge
(thank you all!)

she is now back to her usual mischievous self

 

and having lots of cuddles

Zara had her friends come for a sleep-over,
all very relaxed and chilled !!

Our old cockerel is still strutting around in the sunshine
even though he's a bit past his best

This old hen gave me a look that said
"do not disturb, can't you see I'm busy !"

Tilly found a nice cool spot to get out of the amazing heat

and sends you all a "high-five"
(or is that a "high-four" ?)

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Visitors to the croft this month




It was great to see Penny again and her new traveling companion Freya !

Penny recommends 
Inverewe Garden Camping and Caravaning Club Site
in Poolewe
01445-781249




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Hazel and Paul also paid us a visit 
and were able to soak up some lovely Highland sunshine

 
Hazel and Paul recommend
Tranquility B+B at 21 Mellon Charles, IV22 2JN
01445-731241





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Following on from last month's thread about minimising 

the amount of plastic in our bathrooms

I finally got round to ordering some bamboo toothbrushes;

they are lovely to use, help to save the planet and  

a tree was planted for each one !

 All the plastic toothbrushes that have ever been produced
still exist !
and they will be with us still for a very long time.
Time to change.

Why not give them a try ?







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Happiness is .......

sitting with a little ol' pony and a scruffy terrier
in the sunshine





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Wishing you all a sunny June
with all the things that make you happy,

until next month, enjoy yourselves

from June and Malcolm and the gang
xxxxxxx


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April 2018

Hi everyone,
This has been an exciting month for Aultbea !

Aultbea Hall has been granted nearly £10,000
from the National Lottery
to buy cinema equipment so that the community 
can have it's own cinema  again.

Aultbea Hall was originally built as a temporary
cinema building in the 2nd World War,
so thank you Stan Miller for initiating this for everyone
and to the National Lottery.





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Janette and Lorna's "Croft Fresh" pop-up cafe
pops up every Thursday in Aultbea Hall
from 11am to 2pm 
So, for tea, coffee, yummy homemade cakes,
  delicious homemade soup
and a very warm welcome come along !

Our end-of-drive notice board reminds passers by,
when it's not raining that is !




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Our Sunday morning swims continue
 

 but unfortunately Jenny is moving on for a
new adventure with her fiance 😢

So for a little while at least this was Jenny's last swim
around the pier and round the yellow bouy .






Swimming in Loch Ewe always brings a smile to Jenny's face
and ours !

Sunday mornings are not all about our swimming,

our dogs love it too.
Notice Janette's new whippet on the right,
(name to be confirmed)
who has settled in to the Sunday fun, no problem .







Wilma doesn't do jumping (legs too short)

Wilma doesn't do running (legs too short)
not when her friends are whippets and labradors !

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Malcolm's Mum continues to enjoy her new life
in Isle View nursing home, Aultbea
where there is always something entertaining going on.

This month they held a wonderful garden party
to herald in the arrival of their new chickens
and newly built chicken coup.


Meet Nikki the White Sussex, Flora the Black Rock
and Elsie the Maran.

There were a couple of extra large chickens made their way
to the party too!

The pipe band brought in for the occasion
 was possibly a bit too loud
as the chickens remained firmly out of sight !
 

Fiona brought her two ponies down to join in the festivities
 and enjoyed the afternoon's sunshine.
 

Everyone enjoyed the afternoon,
with tea, cakes, raffle and stalls

portrait drawing

and face painting, I can never resist it.
Everyone smiles at you when your face is gaily painted
with flowers !
Or are they just thinking "weirdo" ?

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The daffodil bulbs planted earlier this year
along the driveway have all blossomed and
brought extra cheeriness on those grey days

Malcolm is helped most mornings by Tilly
who seems fascinated by the screen,
we try to limit her screen time.

All available window sills and surfaces 
in the kitchen and spare bedroom
are currently taken up with seedlings,
just need some more sunshine.

The peaches on our 3 year old peach tree in the greenhouse
are coming on brilliantly, this year there should be 
about 100 or more peaches !

The cover is on the new polytunnel,
with just a few more adjustments
 it will be ready for planting .

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Tilly has found her "must-go-to" spot in the greenhouse
where she can often be found relaxing.

Tilly can also be found just hanging around
contemplating daffodils ....

doing acrobatics and wondering whose tail
that belongs to ...

or seeing how near she can get to the hay
without Zara getting annoyed.

Wilma after a busy digging day on the croft.

Zara looking nice and slim ready to get eating
the lovely rich grass coming through.

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A stunning shot of the Scottish Highlands
 captured by the International Space Station
from around the end of February,
notable for its lack of clouds
which hamper space photography,
 especially during Scottish winters.











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With all the world attention on the huge problem 
of plastics in our oceans and landfill,
I took another look in our bathroom.

Instead of buying another plastic bottle of shampoo and
another bottle of conditioner,
I bought a bar of Oliva soap;
it can be used as soap, conditioner, men's shaving foam,
probably wash clothes and the dog with it,
all gentle, no plastic, only a cardboard box, takes up less room in the bathroom and your suitcase when travelling
 and cheaper,
what's not to like ?


After all soap is soap,
 it's only advertising that says we need all these multitudes of products.

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 I have recently signed up to receive by email

daily inspirations; 

if this is something you feel you might like, go to :

teampositive@thedailypositive.com

It is absolutely free and there are free videos/audios/

meditations and info on all manner of topics.

Below is an example from The Daily Positive Team

that struck a chord for me, hope you like it.

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"Today be present to the miracle of being alive.

As you breathe, feel air moving in and out of your body.

Feel your heart beating in your chest.

Be still and notice the true gift that it is

 to wake up each day and

 have the opportunity to experience this ride called life! 

This life is so precious and it doesn't last forever.

Allow yourself permission to live fully."

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Bye for now

enjoy the month of May,

from all of us down on the croft
up in the Highlands 

xxxxxx

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