Sunshine , Showers and Plenty
J > It’s August 1st, and with the best of summer behind us and autumn waiting in the wings, every manifestation of providence is something to be savoured, both metaphorically and literally.
Continue reading →J > It’s August 1st, and with the best of summer behind us and autumn waiting in the wings, every manifestation of providence is something to be savoured, both metaphorically and literally.
Continue reading →D > I found this on online, on an auction site. It’s in oils, on canvas. The auction was on on J’s birthday, and I was the only bidder. I thought he would like it because the artist is his great aunt, Edna Doris Bridge. Flowers on her birthday, for his!
Continue reading →J & D > The ferry left early in the morning, we were aboard as foot passengers. Due to the social distancing requirements, the capacity of the ferry was limited by the seating layout, rather than area of the vehicle deck, and with about 8 passengers in all the huge ferry was said to be pretty full! The others were truck drivers, and crofters taking cattle to the markets in Oban.
Continue reading →J & D > As of yesterday, the 29th June, in Scotland, non-essential shops accessible directly from the street have been permitted to re-open. However, it’s on the 3rd of July – just three days away! – that restrictions on travel in Scotland will be lifted (including restrictions on the ferries) and completely self-contained self-catering holiday accommodation can re-open.
Continue reading →It could be a garden-related art installation : in which case the mass of plastic pots congesting the garden paths would be nicely symbolic of the massive accumulation of pots of various colours, shapes and sizes in the work-shed, upstairs in the storage loft. But if this is symbolic of anything, it’s of the need to liquidate assets in a time of crisis.
Continue reading →A home-grown, home-made lunch that exemplifies our values, and one that’s profoundly satisfying ; though on this occasion there’s a special reason for posting that’s certainly not every day, but is a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Continue reading →D > Thanks to the coronavirus, we’ll not be selling any preserves this year, so no point in making them. What to do with the fruit? Can you guess?
Continue reading →J > It’s getting a little bit competitive! Denise in the Outer Hebrides, and daughter Catherine in Navarra. Sourdough – made with yeasts harvested from the wild.
Continue reading →D > Here’s me watering the tomatoes in Greenhouse 4. Do you notice anything different? Clue : it isn’t the sunshine, or my shorts – though both are remarkable enough for April. The timber ‘exoskeleton’ around Greenhouse 4 was 15 years old, and had deteriorated a lot in the last couple of years. Rot had set in where timbers had been in contact, and moisture was trapped between them.
Continue reading →D > Isn’t the smell of home baking wonderful. It stirs the soul, makes us remember our childhood, and fills the house with joy! Recently, I’ve found I’ve got more time for home baking. No prizes for guessing the reason!
Continue reading →J & D > We’re falling back on our own resources, as the coronavirus crisis bears down on us. Thank heavens, that we own our own house outright, we’re without mortgage or other debt, and have good fertile garden soil and all the other the resources we need to grow much of our own food, and to live healthily and well!
Continue reading →Until even a few days ago, we would never – we could never ! – have believed that anything like this could happen – other than in a Holywood disaster movie! Yesterday, the Scottish Government announced that ferries to the Outer Hebrides will, until further notice, be limited to carrying only persons who are permanent residents of the islands, or key service workers !
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