28 February 2019

February 2019






Welcome to February's blog posting, enjoy








On the croft


Creating new vegetable patches can be a labour intensive job;






first use a layer of cardboard to get rid of the grass,
then spread out hairy-pony poo,
 top with spent seaweed gathered from the shore,
let the chickens rake it all over,
then with a little rain every now and again
stand and wait for it to mature into lovely fertile soil.






Last year the front garden was turned over to potato growing, it too is now mulched with seaweed 
to stop the weeds and the grass growing back,
 ready for a different crop this season.








The gang:

our girl Zara showing off her neatly pedicured toes









Tilly loves being in Zara's field shelter
 and nestling down on the hay watching the world go by









When it's time for serving up supper
 Wilma can always be found close by, just in case something doesn't quite make it to the plate









Wilma is very tolerant of Tilly cat when she ousts her
 from her own basket,
claws and teeth never come into play.











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Film evening


3 Lochs Cinema and Gairloch Heritage Museum
hosted a great nostalgic film evening in Aultbea,
with two local interest films






The postman's 125 mile round trip to deliver post 
from Dingwall to Poolewe was done on foot !
It took Big John 3 days to get to Poolewe 
and 3 days to get back to Dingwall 
and on Sundays he rested and this he did every week !





The hall was packed to bursting and unfortunately several more folk were turned away,

not surprising for a great night out for a fiver,
including tea and homemade cakes afterwards !





(thank you Stan Miller for the photo)




Thank you Stan and Karen for a wonderful event.






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Update on Malcolm's Mum



Malcolm's Mum celebrating her 94th birthday, 
looking well and happy
and enjoying the superb care of the wonderful staff at
Isle View Nursing Home.






Isle View staff made Mum a wonderful iced birthday cake to share with all her friends there,
they decided that 94 candles on the cake
 might just be a fire hazard !











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The Aultbea Free Church
 was destined to be pulled down a few years ago
 but the community were not having any of it .











With local determination, hard graft, volunteers, prayers,
 a vision and donations the church has now reopened.









and WOW!
it is amazing !

















Thank you Dan for the guided tour and to everyone who made us all so welcome and provided tea and superb cakes.








Well done to you all for this wonderful community project
xxxxxx








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"The Gorse Bush" cafe


Our friend Rupert Shakespeare (what a wonderful name!)
will be opening his first eating establishment 
in Kinlochewe , Wester Ross
on 1st March.







 "The Gorse Bush"
  cafe occupies the Old Village Hall
in Kinlochewe village and will be offering fresh, hearty, local produce in a relaxed and informal setting.


Rupert was the award-winning chef 
(Highland Chef of the Year 2017) at the Aultbea Hotel 
so we are looking forward to some more of his 
scrumptious delights !



https//www.thegorsebush.com

email :  info@thegorsebush.com
                 01445 - 760423                 
 07709-685940

open Tuesday - Sunday    9am - 5pm


Well done Rupert, we'll be there!
xxxxxx






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Pause for thought











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Book of the Month




















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Website of the Month



www.thetappingsolution.com


"Tapping" also known as EFT - Emotional Freedom Therapy
is something that I have only recently become aware of;
it involves the tapping of the end points of the meridians of the body while focusing on things that we want to change about ourselves.



 

(it is not possible to access this video from this blog)


 There is lots of information and videos out there on the internet, you might think that it's a load of mumbo-jumbo but perhaps it might just work for you,
you decide.







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Quote of the Month







"Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

American philosopher and poet
1803 - 1882



courtesy of Ecological Consciousness Facebook page








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My big bruvver and I have February birthdays and as a reminder of our childhood days here we are in the sea,





my brother is 4 years older than me,
I think I must have eaten all his dinners !







here we are dressed in crepe paper as Sooty & Sweep,
not looking too pleased !








and is it any wonder that I didn't learn to ride a bike !






Happy Birthday Colin 
xxxxxxxxxxxxx 






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So with spring almost upon us and 
everything bursting forth
 

 



 enjoy all good things in the month of March,
wherever you may be


from Malcolm and June
xxxxxxxxxxx



1 February 2019

January 2019


Hope you enjoy our January photos.


We just love it when the waves are taller then we are !




it's a bit like being thrown around in a washing machine.


thank you Janette for this photograph


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On and around the croft





Tilly has taken to pinning down her tail
 so that she doesn't lose it








and hiding at the top of the log store in the kitchen






just to annoy Wilma
who believed that with enough effort and time
she could reach her !








then they just settle down together for a quiet half hour












making the most of January sunshine and blue skies









My first attempt at spinning using a drop spindle,
 very lumpy !






a further attempt produced a not-so-lumpy yarn,
this is what you might call an "artisan" yarn
but it'll be a long time until I spin enough for a jumper!






It does make you appreciate the processes and the skills 
involved in making a hand-crafted garment.




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A few of us have started to go walking and exploring







and have discovered Achtercairn, near Gairloch










with it's ancient round house sites









and hearth stone dating back to 477BC









a derelict watermill at Second Coast










a cave at Laide










a colony of more than 60 seals on the rocks here
at  Mellon Udrigle










a beautiful, almost golden egg, stone
on the circular walk at Mellon Udrigle










and a heart-shaped mini pond












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Our friend Karen forwarded this next item to me,
knowing that I would find it amusing ,
thanks Karen.













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Book of the Month


I'm still trying to get to grips with this one.


















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A little piece of history,
inside a crofter's house in the 1930's, not so long ago !





photo courtesy of Highland Folk Museum






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Greta Thunberg




Greta is a 15 year old Swedish girl and if you haven't heard of her yet I don't think it will be long before you do;
she is a powerful speaker and is taking on governments
to act on climate change.


Greta https://www.facebook.com/ZDFheute/videos/350003005579098/?t=38Thunberg






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A bit of fun










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Quote of the Month



"The secret to living well and longer is :
eat half, walk double, laugh triple and
 love without measure."


Tibetan proverb



 







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So with more snow on it's way it's time to take Tilly's lead and take it easy for a while
 




 and curl up with Wilma by the fire






keep warm and happy until next month,
wishing you a cosy February
from
Malcolm and June

💜💛💚💙