seaside crofting: 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 !