Conversion

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Jonathan > Back in September of last year – before I went away to Navarra for a couple of months, I completed the task of converting the old byre – in the field that runs from the public road (and Carrick) down to the shore – from hen house to housing for the sheep during prolonged stormy weather (especially if they have very young lambs).   Nearly all of the materials (timber, screws) from the old nesting boxes, perch rails and feed troughs were recycled into a manger and a different arrangement of feed troughs.  Some of what remained was worth putting into storage, with only a small quantity to be put on a bonfire along with damaged and rotting pallets.

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Respite

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The Sound of Barra from the slopes of Eiseabhal : This weekend has brought a welcome respite from the wind and rain, a chance to get out of doors more for the simple pleasure of it.

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Overlooked Too : Gerinda by day and by night

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Jonathan > The first day not taken up with building work, I drove up the NA-132 to the head of the valley, and at the summit, turned off to the north and steeply uphill again to the Sierra de Gerinda. Parking by the first turbine and set off along the ridge road through the turbines, and onward into the hills and forests. It was already mid afternoon when I set out, but it was so lovely to be up in the hills that I just kept walking for two hours and more – until the sun had set.

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Overlooked

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J > Browsing through our Google Photos, as a distraction from the raging storm outside, I soon found myself basking in the reflected sunshine of my trip to Navarra last October-November.  To my surprise, I discovered a batch of photos I’ve overlooked in posting about that trip.  It was the first Sunday in November, and as it turned out, the sunniest day before I returned to Scotland four weeks later.  To be fair, it was a cold day : as in the Outer Hebrides, the clearest skies are associated with cold winds from the north-west. But it was sunny and dry, and I’m used to wrapping up against the cold. It turned out to be the best day out of my trip to Navarra!

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Beinn Stac – Hebridean Sock Kit

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Denise > I’ve got a stack of the new Beinn Stac and Hebridean Sock kits ready to take up to the Hebridean Woolshed’s garden shop (though they’ll just be put away in boxes of stock until we reopen at Easter for the 2020 season).   That said, they are available immediately for online customers.

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Tiling The Terrace

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Jonathan > We knew the terrace leaked : the sum we offered for the house – the offer that was accepted – took account of that fact. That was nearly two years ago, and with each winter’s damp and frost the bare concrete slab of the terrace could only get worse. So that’s the most important job I’ve been attending to during my two-month stay here in Navarra, at Casa Los Fueros.  Now Denise and I can think about adding more plants and pots to our terrace garden – the next time we’re in Navarra together.

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