On the cold side of the Jet Stream

It has not been all sunshine and sitting outside since the last week or so of June. There have been plenty of showers too, sometimes heavy enough that we couldn’t even see the other side of the loch! Apparently the jet stream is currently westerly oriented across the Atlantic, instead of north of us. This is bringing low pressure and changeable, often wet, weather to Scotland. I remember how hot it was in Essex and London - and quite warm in Glasgow too - in May, and it seems so long ago! And according to the weather forecast this unsettled weather is probably going to continue - perhaps our summery weather is behind us? I hope not. 

On one of these recent rainy days Alison & Hugh came through from Nairn for lunch of locally hot smoked trout with new potatoes and broccoli. This was followed by a very convivial afternoon in the living room in front of the log fire. Sometimes you just have to embrace wet weather and make the most of it.

Other wet weather activities have included making soup. I made a red pepper and red onion soup for Hilary and Steven’s lunch on 20th June and I thought that it was a little too fiery, although our guests didn’t complain and James said that he liked it. So I made it again the other day with a little less chilli pepper and it turned out very well. Alison and Hugh brought us some beetroot from their polytunnel and I made it into borscht, which not only tastes nice but is a vibrant purply red colour. 

James and I have both been enjoying reading on Ewan’s blog about Heather & Ewan’s holiday to Nashville, and looking at photos they have sent us. What a wonderful time they have had visiting Chicago, driving through Kentucky, hiking in the Smoky Mountains and even having a close encounter with a black bear! They spent the last part of their holiday visiting the bars of Nashville to listen to Country Music, a long held dream which more than fulfilled their expectations. The holiday of a lifetime.