Midgiegate

Last night was not without incident; after the party a window was found to have been left open, a light had been left on, and ten million midges had invaded the living room where Ally and Cat were to sleep. Ally and Cat had to fight them off valiantly with a feather duster! All was sorted but there were a few very tired people in the morning. 
Cat’s second cousin James and his partner Cal arrived round for morning coffee and it was great to see them again. They were telling us about their recent adventures racing up steps on St Helena, filming a bicycle race across Africa, and their ongoing project of restoring their boat. Cal was telling us about reintroducing Manx Shearwaters to the Isle of Canna after their population had been wiped out by rats; it was fascinating. They had to move some chicks from Rum to Canna before they became fledglings, so that when they first saw the world it was from Canna and therefore they would always return there. 
We said our goodbyes to Kevin, and Jamie and Kerry drove him to Inverness to catch his train south. The rest of us also headed to Inverness where we met Davie and Chanel, who had just driven up from Uddingston, and the eight of us had lunch in the Castle Tavern which was excellent. Then off we all set to Fort George, a perfect destination for this sunny afternoon, suggested by Ally. We strolled past the barracks and up to the ramparts overlooking the Moray Firth, where we could see a number of dolphins besporting themselves in the water below us. Then we made our way around the ramparts back to the entrance. 
Sadly it was time to say goodbye to Ally and Cat, who were returning to London this evening. James and I dropped them off at the airport and met Jamie, Kerry, Davie and Chanel back at Ullapool where we had pizzas for tea. Later we watched Cal’s documentary about paddle boarding from Lands End to John O’Groats which was very interesting and beautifully filmed. 

Boat trip at Kylescu

We decided to take the ferry to Handa Island this morning but after driving the hour and twenty minutes to Tarbet we found a notice on the ferry kiosk which said “No ferries today, sorry!” This was mildly annoying because this was one of the days that they are supposed to be open, however we are all very adaptable so we had a delicious seafood lunch at the Kylescu Hotel and took the boat trip on Loch a Chàirn Bhàin to see the UK’s highest waterfall, Eas a' Chual Aluinn. We also saw lots of seals with their newborn babies, various seabirds and some dolphins leaping from the water. The sun came and went behind rain clouds but it only drizzled for a short while and we got fantastic views of the waterfall and surrounding hills. James had a very heavy nosebleed earlier, so after our boat trip James, Kevin and I headed back to the cottage while Ally, Cat, Jamie and Kerry stayed in the north to visit Ardvreck Castle among other places. I dropped James and Kevin at the cottage while I went to Tesco but when I arrived home I found that James had inadvertently locked me out. The trouble was I knew that both men had been going to have naps so I didn’t want to disturb them so soon. So I sat outside the cottage on the love seat to read my book, which wasn’t a problem until a very persistent seagull arrived to investigate my shopping bags. I didn’t realise just how bold it was until it jumped forward and pecked a hole right into a packet of venison meatballs! I had to chase it away again and again! 
The young folk arrived home and found me outside; Ally opened the living room window which I hadn’t realised was unlocked and climbed in to open the back door from the inside! 
My dinner of venison meatball casserole (not made with the ones that the seagull had pecked) went down very well; I served it with pasta and garlic bread. Then James and Kevin relaxed while I played Sequence with Ally, Cat, Jamie and Kerry, the board game that Gosia and Mitchell taught us. The young ones took to it like a duck to water and we had a hilarious time. The party was still going strong when I went to bed! 

Cullen Skink

On Saturday morning James and I set off to Ullapool with Ally and Cat, as did Jamie and Kerry with Kevin in their hired car. Davie and Chanel will be joining us on Tuesday after their antenatal class. We met for a very nice lunch at the Route 7 cafe in Aviemore, and stocked up on beer at the Cairngorm brewery before arriving in Ullapool mid afternoon. A trip to the pub was followed by fish suppers and an evening of excellent chat. 

We woke to a beautiful sunny morning on Sunday and walked down to the village for coffee at Tea by the Sea and then lunch at the Seafood Shack. It was sunny and warm sitting outside and Kevin had his first ever Cullen Skink. The seafood there is so fresh and delicious; I had Cullen Skink too because I’m toying with the idea of becoming pescatarian to improve my vegetarian diet. We strolled home and had a relaxing afternoon at the cottage reading and chatting, before having haggis neeps and tatties for dinner. Then at Jamie and Kerry’s suggestion we watched an amazing documentary about an Australian doctor who is an expert cave diver and who was planning a big dive in New Zealand’s unfeasibly deep Pearse Resurgence. I would absolutely never want to do this but the documentary was fascinating. Their adventure was so extreme and technical but also based on trust and friendship. The doctor, Richard “Harry” Harris, is an anaesthetist and, as a cave-diving anaesthetist, he was uniquely qualified to assist in the rescue of twelve schoolboys and their soccer coach when they got caught in flooded caves in Thailand in 2018. Harris anaesthetised the boys so that they wouldn’t panic during the rescue through water-fillled tunnels and they all survived. He’s a proper hero, as is his friend and diving partner Craig Challen who was also part of the Thailand rescue and also in the documentary. 

Inside outside barbecue

When we woke up this morning we were surprised to find that it was strangely dark outside! At least it seemed dark compared to our recent unremitting sunshine. There had been thunder, lightning and heavy rain during the night, and it was still very overcast. It was still very warm and humid though. We had a meeting in Glasgow in the morning and enjoyed a lovely coffee afterwards, sitting outside a wee Italian café. In the afternoon I prepared the salads for our evening barbecue. There were eleven of us in total, the core eight of our family (plus Chanel’s baby bump of course!) and Kevin, Heather and Ewan. Everyone gathered from different places; from Liverpool, London, Uddingston and Lenzie! I wouldn’t call it my finest culinary evening; the weather forecast was too rainy to count on having a full barbecue so I had cooked chicken and beef in the oven while Jamie barbecued sausages and mushrooms outside. We sat outside before dinner but came inside for the buffet style meal, during which time the rain started again. So I felt that the meal was an uneasy mix of indoors and outdoors, neither one thing nor the other. However there was plenty of food and everyone socialised and chatted. I realised that everyone who was there tonight will be at Jamie and Kerry’s wedding next January, and it was the first time that Heather and Ewan have met Kerry and Kevin, and the first time that Kevin has met Ally, Cat, Davie and Chanel. It was like a pre wedding meet up! 

Late night Ice Bath

Well who would have thought that today would be the warmest day yet! It was at least 29 degrees and the heat was fierce. We had every door and window in the house open to try to create a through draft. The cats were just sprawled on the tiled floor of the back room to try to keep cool. I did some prep for my first Children’s Hearing in July and some housework, but I spent a lot of time reading in my hammock and in my ice bath. I hadn’t switched on the cooling unit in the morning so the water was tepid rather than cold but it was still refreshing. I switched it on in the afternoon and by the evening the temperature had dropped to about 10 degrees which cooled me down nicely before bedtime. It was fun to be in my ice bath in the dark; unsurprisingly Tom and Flora came outside to keep me company - not in the water of course but sitting on the slabs nearby. 

Secret Victory

Another hot, sunny, beautiful summer day! In the morning I had coffee at Hilary’s; we sat outside in the shade in her lovely garden and had an excellent chat. And from there I went straight over to House for an Art Lover where I had lunch with Philippa. Although there are outside tables we actually chose to sit inside because it was cooler! We had a good catch up, it will be really nice when she and Steven move back permanently to Scotland. Back home I jumped into my ice bath to cool down; Tom did the most ridiculous double take when he came round the corner of the house and saw me in it! Flora and Tom are enjoying the warm weather and they love the French windows being open so that they can stroll in and out of the house without using the cat flap. They also love us spending so much time in the garden and keep us company. 

Jamie arrived home from his conference and we met Davie and Chanel at the Rowantree Inn where we had pies and chips before the quiz. Lee wasn’t there so there was a substitute quizmaster who was nice but not as personable as Lee. There were some tricky questions but we still managed to come second equal. Or so we thought - when Chanel added up our answer sheet we actually had two more points than had been counted so we were the rightful winners! However we decided not to challenge the result because we didn’t want to make a fuss, so we enjoyed our victory privately! 

Hot Weather

I’m in my hammock and the temperature is a balmy 25 degrees. This does not compare to the 43 degrees that Jennifer has been experiencing in Lot et Garonne! I’m in the shade of a tree and there is the tiniest of breezes to stir the air; it’s just perfect. I’m reading the latest Dordogne mystery “Murder in Springtime” - not the most challenging read but very pleasant. Will Bruno the town policeman ever find the right woman? 
Jamie is at his Paediatric conference and Kerry is on the train to Liverpool to see her 94 year old Gran and her Dad Kevin who is also in the UK. Kevin visits his Mum every summer, and sadly one of his brothers died last week. 
Yesterday, when Jamie was at his conference, Kerry and I drove over to the Burrell Collection in the morning. We had a stroll around and looked at some of the art and miscellaneous artefacts and then had coffee and cheese scones in the cafe and chatted. Kerry liked the building and its leafy surroundings, and I was telling her about the controversy over cost when it was built over forty years ago. Then we continued into town where I discovered that Kerry is an expert shopper; she knew exactly which clothes shops she wanted to visit and made a few purchases. We had a light and tasty lunch in Brown’s in George Square, and when Jamie had finished his day at the conference I headed home and they stayed on in town for a drink. In the evening Marjory, Forrest and Jenny came round to see Kerry and Jamie; Davie and Chanel came to join us and we spent a very pleasant evening sitting outside on the patio and chatting. 
I must get back to my book and then I’m going to get into my ice bath to cool down! 

Ice bath and Barbecue

It was an absolutely glorious day today and we spent almost all of it outside. 
James plugged in my ice bath and I filled it using the garden hose; it was such a pleasure to sit up to my neck in cold water. It was about 15 degrees straight from the tap, but the refrigeration unit had lowered the temperature to about 5 degrees by the evening. The minimum is 3 deg C. It’s really great how effectively it cools you down, something that I find difficult to achieve in hot weather. As a result I felt nice and refreshed after my dip, and although I warmed up again I felt invigorated.
Jamie and Kerry shopped for and prepared a barbecue and Chris and Dave came round to join us. What pleasant and interesting young men they are; Chris was talking about his three wee children and life on the farm, and Dave was telling us about his life and plans. The barbecue was a great success with delicious salads to accompany the meat; Kerry’s potato salad is the best in the world. After dinner James and I excused ourselves so that the young folk could chat amongst themselves. 

The Kiwis have landed!

Kerry and Jamie have arrived on their visit from New Zealand and it is truly delightful to see them. We made them a nice dinner on Friday using Ullapool hot smoked salmon with hasselback potatoes and stir-fried mixed greens, and we sat and chatted all evening. It was so exciting to see them and yet in a way it felt as if we had seen them yesterday, probably because we are in close touch with them by phone and message. 

A few days ago I got a phone call from Lanarkshire vaccination Centre to invite James and myself for a Hep A booster. When we got our Hep A vaccinations last year I think that a booster was mentioned, but I had forgotten. The lady on the phone told me that if we got the booster we would be covered for the next 25 years. So I made an appointment and on Friday morning and after breakfast with Kerry and Jamie, who were going to spend a day in the west end, James and I set off to Muirhead health centre where we quickly got our (surprisingly painful) injections. 

It was a lovely morning so we then headed to nearby Drumpellier Park for a stroll around and a coffee in the little visitor centre. The weekly Park Run had just finished and there were lots of people walking around the park. On the water there were lots of ducks and ducklings and a few swans standing on the banks of the pond. As we walked past the swans, James suddenly stopped and turned round to have a stern word with one of them, who had just taken a sneaky peck at him, although it hadn’t made contact. The swan seemed a bit taken aback at the confrontation but showed no remorse. It reminded me of Tom, who occasionally likes to stick a clawed paw out when you walk past him, just to show that he could scratch you if he wanted to! 

In the evening Davie and Chanel came round with a curry and we sat indoors to eat it but with the French windows wide open. It was a convivial and very happy evening. 

Lots of Pickleball

Yesterday I went over to Scotstoun Sports Centre to play Pickleball. James headed up to Ullapool to climb a Corbett so I took the train to Scotstounhill and then walked fifteen minutes. It’s a while since I have taken the train so far along this route so I enjoyed seeing all the stations like Hyndland Jordanhill. The sports centre is about fifteen minutes walk from the station and I arrived in good time. I got very very hot during the session, but enjoyed it. When I got home I sat out in the garden with the cats. Jennifer is experiencing 34 degrees heat in the Dordogne and it’s only about 20 degrees here but it still felt lovely and warm. 

Today I played more Pickleball in Cambuslang. It was warm at the tennis courts but lovely to be in the fresh air. There were only four of us today and we had a great time. Marjory really is a very good player, she can reach all sorts of shots and return them to the right place. Back home u had lunch and then set off to Queen Street station where I caught the 15.07 to Inverness. I had upgraded myself to 1st Class because it was only £8 more, and the carriage was almost empty. It was a very relaxing three and a half hour journey, with complimentary coffee and biscuits. James had been climbing yet another Corbett (he now has only 28 to go) and he met me at the station. We had a quick meal at a nearby Wetherspoons before I drove back to Ullapool because James was feeling dehydrated and headachy after his hill-walking. It was nice to be back in the cottage but we both missed the cats. 

Beethoven and Sparks

We went to a couple of very contrasting concerts this weekend. I. Saturday evening we went to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the Royal Concert Hall; it was the RSNO’s season finale. It was excellent, such great music and so full of energy. I saw that Fiona was singing with the RSNO choir, it’s great that she is back singing because she loves it so much. 
And last night we went to see Sparks at Kelvingrove Bandstand. We were so lucky with the weather, it was so warm and sunny that I had to take off both my jacket and my fleece, which I was wearing in case it got chilly. Sparks got a rapturous reception from the crowd which was well deserved because they gave us a great show. I think that they were a bit puzzled that it was still daylight after 10 p.m. because they asked the crowd “Does it ever get dark here?” 

Scotland scores in the World Cup

We did not stay up last night to watch Scotland’s first game in the football World Cup because it didn’t start until 2 a.m. and we didn’t fancy a 4 a.m. bedtime. Lots of people did watch it though, including our dear son Davie, who was very tired today! Scotland won against Haiti 1-0 which was a good start. There were Scotland flags everywhere today; on house windows, cars and lamp posts. James and I went to Troon for a sunny walk along the beach and brunch at the Venice Cafe. 

Meanwhile Jamie and Kerry have arrived in the UK for their three week visit, and are spending the weekend with Ally and Cat In London, before heading to Ireland to visit Louise and then Ayrshire to visit Chris and Stacey and their three wee children. We will see them when they arrive in Glasgow next Friday.

On Wednesday we had lunch at Christine and Gerry’s in Dunlop. It was a sunny day and after our tasty lunch we sat in their gorgeous conservatory to have coffee. It was really nice to catch up with them. Then in the evening we met up with Davie and Chanel at the Rowantree Inn for pies and the quiz night. They were both looking well and were full of the joys. We came a respectable third in the quiz. 

Calton Hill and Kraftwerk

We had a lovely day in Edinburgh on Tuesday. We had tickets for Kraftwerk at Edinburgh Playhouse in the evening. We set off by train to Edinburgh after lunch and walked from Waverley station in a straight line all the way down to Leith, pausing for coffee at the Brunton Bookshop cafe. It was a fine day for a walk and stayed dry even though it kept threatening to rain.  We then took the tram back up to the Playhouse and walked up several sets of steep steps to the top of Calton Hill. Neither of us have been up there before. 
The reason for our visit started when Marjory sent me some photos that she took from the cafe there last year and I was very taken with them and asked where they were taken from. And then very thoughtfully Marjory and Forrest gave me vouchers for Cafe Calton for my birthday! 
As its name suggests Cafe Calton is at the top of Calton Hill, wth amazing views all around Edinburgh and over Leith to the Firth of Forth. It’s very smart and the food (a selection of small plates) was absolutely delicious. It was only ten minutes walk back down the hill to the Playhouse to see Kraftwerk. We have seen them once before in Dublin in June 2017, almost exactly nine years ago. Again they were brilliant, and I thought that the graphics were even better than last time. It’s such a visual show; the visuals are hypnotic. It was a fantastic concert. 

Long Days

I love this time of year for several reasons. First of all is the warmer temperature. I don’t like strenuous walking in warm weather, but I love sitting outside in the garden, where I am invariably joined by both cats. They love us being outdoors! Yesterday I had breakfast sitting on the love-seat, and Flora came and sat on the other half of it which was very endearing. Tom wasn’t far away, strolling around on the grass behind us. I also love the longer days, waking in the daylight instead of the dark. It’s great to play Pickleball outside at the tennis courts, so much milder than the chilly weather of a few weeks ago. And the back room is so warm that we often open the French windows and enjoy the fresh air while having lunch or reading or just chatting. It’s all very pleasant. 

A doggie visitor

Three of my cousins, Janie, Julie and Abigail came round for lunch today. Abigail brought her wee Westie, Rowan, and we were lucky to have lovely weather which meant that we could sit out in the garden. It was a delightful afternoon full of chat and laughter, and Rowan enjoyed getting lots of attention from all of us as she hunted bumble bees. Luckily she didn’t catch any!

Flora was upstairs in our bedroom when our visitors arrived and wisely stayed there; I’m sure she knew that Rowan was there because she appeared just after they left. However Tom was outside patrolling his territory when our guests arrived, and although he did not put in an appearance at all during the afternoon I suspect that he was watching us and our doggie companion from a distance the whole time. 

After Janie, Julie, Abigail and Rowan left, Tom came into the kitchen and gave James a hard stare before leaving again. James interpreted this as Tom being in a “furious mood” which I thought was very funny. He did give us a wide berth until the evening by which time he accepted some cat treats and appears to have put the incident behind him. 

Playboy of the Western World

This evening I went to see National Theatre Live’s production of Playboy of the Western World. I didn’t know what to expect and I was certainly surprised by the strange tragi-comic and downright absurd plot. The actors were all very good and performed in thick Irish dialect which took Gordon and I a while to get used to. The play was first performed in 1907 and offended Irish Nationalists so much that there was rioting in the streets! They thought that it was vulgar and mocking Irish culture, but I think it was actually mocking all human behaviour. 
I have been to see National Theatre Live several times before, and it is very nearly as good as seeing a play live on stage. This is probably because you are in fact seeing it live on stage, with zoom in shots and different camera angles, albeit recorded. It was a fun evening. 
Postscript - one of the actresses had a familiar Cusack look for me, and when I looked her up later I was pleased with myself for correctly identifying Megan, one of the younger members of the Irish Cusack acting dynasty!