Audiobook and Ullapool

Despite a forecast of heavy rain it has turned out to be very sunny and warm and rather humid in the garden, so I am in my hammock. Flora let me lift her in beside me for a while but she saw a bee and scampered off to chase it. We have had a busy couple of days. James and I decided to pop up to Ullapool to look at properties, so we booked a bed and breakfast for Tuesday night and set off in the morning. It felt strange because I’m still getting used to being able to go places at short notice. Recently I booked tickets to see one of my favourite authors, Thomas Keneally, at the Edinburgh Book Festival in August, and his latest book is “The Book of Science and Antiquities” so I downloaded it onto my phone using Audible so that we could listen to it together on the journey. My ulterior motive was that James would be a captive audience because he usually prefers to read his own favourite genres of science fiction fantasy and war history. The audio book is nine hours long and very atmospheric, describing the parallel lives of two Australians, one who lives in the present day and one who lived 42,000 years ago. I’m enjoying it but it doesn’t seem to be James’ cup of tea - he has begun groaning at the start of each new chapter and he says that at the Book Festival he is going to ask Thomas Keneally “Why on earth didn’t you make it shorter?” By the time we got home yesterday we had listened to just over seven of the nine hours so we’re nearly done!
We met up with Alison and Hugh at the Route 7 Café in Aviemore. It was great to see them and we had a tasty lunch. Their new house is nearly ready and it will be so exciting to see it when it’s finished. 
When we arrived in Ullapool we went for a walk all around our favourite places and totally by chance happened to meet the local estate agent with whom we had a very interesting chat. Later we had a lovely dinner at the Ceilidh Place. 
Yesterday we went for a 6 km walk to and from Loch Achall and I paddled in the river while the energetic James extended his walk by going up the nearby hill. It was so hot and clammy that I took off my t shirt (there was no one else about) and soaked it in the river and put it back on. This worked a treat and I felt much cooler but then I realised that the water running down from my T-shirt had soaked my trousers and underwear which were now also very wet. My t shirt quickly dried in the warm breeze but my underwear didn’t and remained uncomfortably damp until I was able to get changed back at the car.