As you know, if you have been reading this blog, my garden is 'a little' overgrown to say the least. What's more, it isn't going to get any better if I don't work hard at it. So in recent days, I have set about finding the best methods of clearing a veg-plot-to-be. It is surprising just how little information there is out there about how to do that! Looking for books on the subject yielded titles about how to make a beautiful garden out of a not so beautiful garden, but nothing at all about how to turn a neglected and derelict plot of land into a productive vegetable garden. Internet searches only revealed gardens that had some special aspect to them, such as the Abbey Gardens near the DLR in London, but not HOW they did it, just what they had to do to get permission to do it!
What I did find however was that Autumn is the best time to start (and finish) clearing the weeds, hence the title of this post. It isnt usual that we consider Autumn the season of new beginnings, but when it comes to the garden (and schools) it really is the start of the year.
There are three basic methods:
1. Douse the lot with weed killer - this is a nonstarter for me, because I want to grow my veggies as chemical free as possible. Having neglected the garden for years, I know for sure that there are no chemicals on the land, so it would not be the best start to reverse that and pour noxious chemicals all over it right at the beginning, not to mention the potential damage to the environment.
2. Cover with a weed suppressant, like thick dark polythene, old carpet, or cardboard and leave for a year. That would mean not growing anything till 2013, which in turn means no veggies next year.
3. A combination of weed suppressant and hard work. Now much as I tend to shy away from hard work, it looks like this is going to be the method to use.
I have already dug over some of the plot earlier in the summer and to my surprise the weeds haven't returned as much as I expected they would, which I suppose means I did a pretty thorough job of getting them and, more importantly, their roots out the first time round. The parts where I just cut back the weeds though will need cutting back again.
So the plan is looking like this:
1. Cut down the existing weeds as near to ground level as possible (again - already done this twice this year!).
2. Cover those parts that cannot be dug immediately.
3. Make the frames for the first deep bed (I have some long planks of wood that I intend to re-use for this purpose. The only thing I have had to buy is some wood for the stakes to support the frame.)
4. Put the first frame in place, dig the soil within it, mix in some compost. Remove as much of the weed roots as possible as each spadeful is dug.
5. If not planting immediately, cover with a weed suppressing material - and I have just the thing - copious quantities of cardboard from when we had some wardrobes fitted earlier in the year! Must remember to weight them down, or they will be blowing all over the neighbours' gardens instead.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for the other beds as they are needed or whenever the winter weather allows. Simples!
Benefits:
1. I will undoubtedly get fitter as I dig away, though the aches and pains at first probably wont feel like it! I am under no illusions about how hard it is going to be!
2. Some land will be ready for use immediately and the rest can be brought into cultivation bit by bit as needed.
3. The weeds in the undug areas will have trouble growing next Spring, so there should be fewer of them to bother with.
4. I can (eventually) eat the produce without worrying about the effect of any chemicals on either the environment or me!
Right, better get to it while the sun is shining!
Friday, 7 October 2011
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Trip to Keswick
It has been unseasonably warm of late and feels more like summer than summer did! So today, rather than doing all the jobs I had planned, we decided to down tools and visit the Lake District.
Setting off about 11am, we drove through Barnard Castle, which was a bit dull, weatherwise, and out the other side into great sunshine. The weather was lovely in Keswick, with bright sun and really warm. It was t-shirt weather, which we havent really had all summer. In fact, it was probably warmer than anywhere we have been except our first day in Athens in April!
One thing I really love about Keswick is there are several book shops, both new and second hand, including an Oxfam shop. So after a really nice (and reasonably priced) lunch of tomato and basil soup with warm bread, we headed off to find them and browse. To get there, we had to walk through the market, which was thriving and bustling with many stalls full of crafts, homemade meat products (like sausages), cheeses, and two photography stalls, selling beautiful pictures of scenery in the Lake District. I really need to try harder with my own photos and really get to grips with the techniques. I did take some photos, but I doubt they are anything like as good as those we saw at the market.
Finally we got through the bookshops and I managed to buy one which will be a Christmas present. So I'm not posting the name of it, because it might spoil the surprise!
After that, we went down to the Lake and that's where I took the photos. The water was sparkling in the sunshine and the boats were all lined up along the edge. I will post them tomorrow, when they have been downloaded onto the computer.
One ice cream later (complete with flake, of course) we set off to return home. Lovely day and lovely surprise, as we didnt expect to be going out at all. The plan had been laundry and gardening. I guess that will have to wait for another day....
Setting off about 11am, we drove through Barnard Castle, which was a bit dull, weatherwise, and out the other side into great sunshine. The weather was lovely in Keswick, with bright sun and really warm. It was t-shirt weather, which we havent really had all summer. In fact, it was probably warmer than anywhere we have been except our first day in Athens in April!
One thing I really love about Keswick is there are several book shops, both new and second hand, including an Oxfam shop. So after a really nice (and reasonably priced) lunch of tomato and basil soup with warm bread, we headed off to find them and browse. To get there, we had to walk through the market, which was thriving and bustling with many stalls full of crafts, homemade meat products (like sausages), cheeses, and two photography stalls, selling beautiful pictures of scenery in the Lake District. I really need to try harder with my own photos and really get to grips with the techniques. I did take some photos, but I doubt they are anything like as good as those we saw at the market.
Finally we got through the bookshops and I managed to buy one which will be a Christmas present. So I'm not posting the name of it, because it might spoil the surprise!
After that, we went down to the Lake and that's where I took the photos. The water was sparkling in the sunshine and the boats were all lined up along the edge. I will post them tomorrow, when they have been downloaded onto the computer.
One ice cream later (complete with flake, of course) we set off to return home. Lovely day and lovely surprise, as we didnt expect to be going out at all. The plan had been laundry and gardening. I guess that will have to wait for another day....
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Sunday 11th September
Our church has been in the papers for all the wrong reasons! A man who had been attending arrived at the church during the week, having been beaten up. After he had calmed down, he went home, fell into a coma, was taken to hospital and later died. The police, of course, are treating it as murder.
After church, it was such a lovely day OH and I decided we would go hiking for the afternoon. We drove up to Beamish Open Air Museum, parked just outside and walked round towards Causey Arch and back through the woods.
The path wasn't too clear at some points and we missed a turn, but it didnt matter as the path we eventually found ourselves on was parallel to the one we should have been on and joined the next section just a little higher up the track.
The terrain was varied for such a short walk. There were some country lanes, then woodland paths and field tracks and paths.
We sat down for lunch in an open field, surrounded by trees. There we saw two red kites. They were really close, so close in fact we could clearly see the markings and the red of their tails. I didnt get any photos sadly as it took too long to change the lens on the camera. However, after lunch and two fields further over we saw what we thought was another red kite. It came closer and was in fact a buzzard. Got photos this time and will add them to this page once I have downloaded them from the camera.
Down through the woods, the path was less than helpful, but we soon came to a wide track and followed that down by the stream. Part way along, there was a bit of a clearing and we could see the wall of a nearby stately home. Squirrels were running along the top of it. Unfortunately they were the grey ones, rather than the red. Then we noticed one hanging from a tree close to the path. Because the land fell away at the edge of the path, the squirrel was about level with us, but the ground below it was several feet further down. It was hanging by its front paws by a thin twig and appeared to be injured.
We dont know if it had fallen or perhaps escaped from the buzzard, but it wasnt behaving normally at all. It seemed as though it couldnt move its legs, but was just hanging on for dear life by its front ones. There was nothing we could do, as we couldnt possibly reach it. Eventually it fell out of the tree, landed on the bracken below and vanished into the undergrowth.
Somewhere in the woods, we came across an interesting seat:
And passed a lake where we saw a huge heron. It didn't stay around long enough for a photo, but I took a picture of the lake:
Not quite sure what the signpost in the middle of the water is meant to be doing though!
As we approached the lane back to the car, we came across two female pheasants. They didn't seem afraid of us at all, so I was able to take some closer shots than normal:
All in all we walked about 4 or 5 miles around the outskirts of the Museum. We could hear the steam train and the fairground music as we walked. We could also hear other steam trains at the Tanfield Railway which was having a special event and we could see and smell the smoke. One of the paths we walked along was the bed of a long gone railway track and the fence that separated the path from the stream (Beamish Burn) was made from old railway track.
Haven't done a proper hike for ages and discovered that I am really unfit and out of condition. Note to self: must do something about that!
After church, it was such a lovely day OH and I decided we would go hiking for the afternoon. We drove up to Beamish Open Air Museum, parked just outside and walked round towards Causey Arch and back through the woods.
The path wasn't too clear at some points and we missed a turn, but it didnt matter as the path we eventually found ourselves on was parallel to the one we should have been on and joined the next section just a little higher up the track.
The terrain was varied for such a short walk. There were some country lanes, then woodland paths and field tracks and paths.
We sat down for lunch in an open field, surrounded by trees. There we saw two red kites. They were really close, so close in fact we could clearly see the markings and the red of their tails. I didnt get any photos sadly as it took too long to change the lens on the camera. However, after lunch and two fields further over we saw what we thought was another red kite. It came closer and was in fact a buzzard. Got photos this time and will add them to this page once I have downloaded them from the camera.
Down through the woods, the path was less than helpful, but we soon came to a wide track and followed that down by the stream. Part way along, there was a bit of a clearing and we could see the wall of a nearby stately home. Squirrels were running along the top of it. Unfortunately they were the grey ones, rather than the red. Then we noticed one hanging from a tree close to the path. Because the land fell away at the edge of the path, the squirrel was about level with us, but the ground below it was several feet further down. It was hanging by its front paws by a thin twig and appeared to be injured.
We dont know if it had fallen or perhaps escaped from the buzzard, but it wasnt behaving normally at all. It seemed as though it couldnt move its legs, but was just hanging on for dear life by its front ones. There was nothing we could do, as we couldnt possibly reach it. Eventually it fell out of the tree, landed on the bracken below and vanished into the undergrowth.
Somewhere in the woods, we came across an interesting seat:
And passed a lake where we saw a huge heron. It didn't stay around long enough for a photo, but I took a picture of the lake:
Not quite sure what the signpost in the middle of the water is meant to be doing though!
As we approached the lane back to the car, we came across two female pheasants. They didn't seem afraid of us at all, so I was able to take some closer shots than normal:
All in all we walked about 4 or 5 miles around the outskirts of the Museum. We could hear the steam train and the fairground music as we walked. We could also hear other steam trains at the Tanfield Railway which was having a special event and we could see and smell the smoke. One of the paths we walked along was the bed of a long gone railway track and the fence that separated the path from the stream (Beamish Burn) was made from old railway track.
Haven't done a proper hike for ages and discovered that I am really unfit and out of condition. Note to self: must do something about that!
Monday, 5 September 2011
Birthday parties and other things
Saturday:
Next Wednesday (7th September) is my father's wife's 80th birthday. To make it easy for everyone, they had a party at the weekend, so we travelled down to Sussex to attend. My brother came from Cornwall, with his girlfriend (haven't seen him for 18 months, though we do speak on the phone from time to time, and never met her before) and my aunt came from Norfolk. It was good to see everyone. Flo spent the entire evening on her feet and as far as I saw, didnt eat anything or drink either. Her daughters organised the party, so she didn't actually have to do anything, but there are some people who cant help being up and doing all the time, whether it's necessary or not.
We camped overnight at Mitchelswood Farm. It's a new camping venture, but they have been around some time as an equestrian centre. When we arrived, there was no-one at reception, so we had to call someone on the phone and they said just to pitch the tent 'anywhere' as long as it was on the campsite. It's a C&CC registered site which usually means no facilities at all. This one was a stage better than nothing at all - they had installed a portable loo and shower.
We got back to the tent at about 11pm (party wasnt too late and had started at 6pm). The site was slightly sloping, so in the middle of the night I had to turn round 180deg as my head was lower than my feet. It wasn't by much, but I couldn't sleep and was getting heartburn! That was when I realised just how noisy everything was. First there were owls - two or three different types, screeching or hooting about the woods (not a problem - I like owls); then the horses harumphing in the field next to the tents (I quite like horses too); then there was the party at the pub, with the heavy thump thump thump of the music - just far enough away so you couldn't actually make out any tunes! After that was the nearby A272 - cars were still running up and down and they could be heard quite clearly. And after that was the wonderful sound of being under the flight path to and from Gatwick. Not the most comfortable night we have ever spent!
Sunday:
I went to see my mother's grave this morning. Still no headstone - something her husband was sorting out. Will have to contact him and see what exactly he is doing or intends to do. It is after all 18 months and her grave looks very lonely being surrounded by headstones while hers is still bare.
When we got back to the campsite, we packed up the tent and again the reception area was unmanned. So we rang the number we had. A young girl answered but didn't know what to say to me, so kept me waiting 5 minutes while she got someone else to speak to me. The second person said that I needed to speak to someone else, but she would call him on his mobile and get him to come down. 10 full minutes later he finally arrived. We had been packed up for ages by then and were just waiting to leave. Had he been any longer, we were tempted just to drive off and pay later. I mean he was friendly enough, but you expect a certain level of service and we weren't getting it.
After that, we went to see Dad and see how he was coping with the morning after the night before. We arrived about 11.30, just as they were finishing breakfast! He had taken delivery of a compost bin for me, so we collected that and then were on our way back to the frozen north. We had been warned that it was getting cold overnight, but the temperatures were higher there at night than they have been here most of the day! Well, they dont call it the frozen north for nothing!
In the evening, I joined in an online party with some internet friends, which was novel but fun.
Monday:
This morning I was expecting an estate agent to visit at 11am. We have decided that we want to sell part of our garden as a building plot, but we also want to discuss whether it is worth renovating the house, or selling that as part of the building plot too. Basically we want to maximise the income from the property as we really want to move, for several reasons, not least being Hubby now works 70 miles from home which, while it is a pleasant journey which he doesn't mind, is very costly and time consuming.
By 12, the estate agent still hadn't turned up. So I rang the office. The receptionist told me it was in the diary for 2pm. Funny, she told me 11 when we discussed it the other day! I was not impressed. I was less impressed when she said the diary can sometimes automatically change times and dates all by itself - it shouldnt, but it does, she explained. Hmmm! She asked if I was still available at 2pm, which I am, but that's hardly the point is it!? When I repeated the conversation from the other day, she accepted that the appointment had been booked at 11am but the agent who is coming apparently always had it down as 2pm.
This is their second error and we haven't even asked them to market the place yet! I wonder what service their actual clients get? The first mistake was when I rang up to ask a question, which the receptionist couldn't answer. She told me someone would ring me the next day (the Friday) or the following Tuesday (after the Bank Holiday Monday). When neither happened, I rang them again and she was very apologetic. Apparently the estate agent had given her a message in response to my question, but she hadn't called me to pass it on. Retraining perhaps? Or just sacking?
When we do sell then, it is unlikely that we will be selling through this particular agent.
Meanwhile, I await 2pm with bated breath!
Next Wednesday (7th September) is my father's wife's 80th birthday. To make it easy for everyone, they had a party at the weekend, so we travelled down to Sussex to attend. My brother came from Cornwall, with his girlfriend (haven't seen him for 18 months, though we do speak on the phone from time to time, and never met her before) and my aunt came from Norfolk. It was good to see everyone. Flo spent the entire evening on her feet and as far as I saw, didnt eat anything or drink either. Her daughters organised the party, so she didn't actually have to do anything, but there are some people who cant help being up and doing all the time, whether it's necessary or not.
We camped overnight at Mitchelswood Farm. It's a new camping venture, but they have been around some time as an equestrian centre. When we arrived, there was no-one at reception, so we had to call someone on the phone and they said just to pitch the tent 'anywhere' as long as it was on the campsite. It's a C&CC registered site which usually means no facilities at all. This one was a stage better than nothing at all - they had installed a portable loo and shower.
We got back to the tent at about 11pm (party wasnt too late and had started at 6pm). The site was slightly sloping, so in the middle of the night I had to turn round 180deg as my head was lower than my feet. It wasn't by much, but I couldn't sleep and was getting heartburn! That was when I realised just how noisy everything was. First there were owls - two or three different types, screeching or hooting about the woods (not a problem - I like owls); then the horses harumphing in the field next to the tents (I quite like horses too); then there was the party at the pub, with the heavy thump thump thump of the music - just far enough away so you couldn't actually make out any tunes! After that was the nearby A272 - cars were still running up and down and they could be heard quite clearly. And after that was the wonderful sound of being under the flight path to and from Gatwick. Not the most comfortable night we have ever spent!
Sunday:
I went to see my mother's grave this morning. Still no headstone - something her husband was sorting out. Will have to contact him and see what exactly he is doing or intends to do. It is after all 18 months and her grave looks very lonely being surrounded by headstones while hers is still bare.
When we got back to the campsite, we packed up the tent and again the reception area was unmanned. So we rang the number we had. A young girl answered but didn't know what to say to me, so kept me waiting 5 minutes while she got someone else to speak to me. The second person said that I needed to speak to someone else, but she would call him on his mobile and get him to come down. 10 full minutes later he finally arrived. We had been packed up for ages by then and were just waiting to leave. Had he been any longer, we were tempted just to drive off and pay later. I mean he was friendly enough, but you expect a certain level of service and we weren't getting it.
After that, we went to see Dad and see how he was coping with the morning after the night before. We arrived about 11.30, just as they were finishing breakfast! He had taken delivery of a compost bin for me, so we collected that and then were on our way back to the frozen north. We had been warned that it was getting cold overnight, but the temperatures were higher there at night than they have been here most of the day! Well, they dont call it the frozen north for nothing!
In the evening, I joined in an online party with some internet friends, which was novel but fun.
Monday:
This morning I was expecting an estate agent to visit at 11am. We have decided that we want to sell part of our garden as a building plot, but we also want to discuss whether it is worth renovating the house, or selling that as part of the building plot too. Basically we want to maximise the income from the property as we really want to move, for several reasons, not least being Hubby now works 70 miles from home which, while it is a pleasant journey which he doesn't mind, is very costly and time consuming.
By 12, the estate agent still hadn't turned up. So I rang the office. The receptionist told me it was in the diary for 2pm. Funny, she told me 11 when we discussed it the other day! I was not impressed. I was less impressed when she said the diary can sometimes automatically change times and dates all by itself - it shouldnt, but it does, she explained. Hmmm! She asked if I was still available at 2pm, which I am, but that's hardly the point is it!? When I repeated the conversation from the other day, she accepted that the appointment had been booked at 11am but the agent who is coming apparently always had it down as 2pm.
This is their second error and we haven't even asked them to market the place yet! I wonder what service their actual clients get? The first mistake was when I rang up to ask a question, which the receptionist couldn't answer. She told me someone would ring me the next day (the Friday) or the following Tuesday (after the Bank Holiday Monday). When neither happened, I rang them again and she was very apologetic. Apparently the estate agent had given her a message in response to my question, but she hadn't called me to pass it on. Retraining perhaps? Or just sacking?
When we do sell then, it is unlikely that we will be selling through this particular agent.
Meanwhile, I await 2pm with bated breath!
Monday, 29 August 2011
High days and Holidays
Over the last 6 weeks, we seem to have been away from home an awful lot. First we went to France for a week, then after we got home, we went to Scotland for around three weeks. As always, Scotland was amazing! The holiday was split in two by a dental appointment. As these are so hard to get, we decided to come home for it, rather than try to change it, which meant the first part of the holiday ran from Wednesday to Sunday.
We drove straight up to Poolewe, as there is a ceilidh on there on Wednesday nights. We had booked to stay as a campsite just 5 minutes' walk from the hall, so we put the tent up
then went straight to the dance. It was a group called Jigginaboot' who werent bad. Loads of tourists and locals piled into the hall (all the proceeds go to local charities) and there was very little space for actual dancing. The Orcadian Strip the Willow was out the door!
Lovely sunset over the loch too:
Now Poolewe is on the west of Scotland and anyone in the know, knows that that means midges! Consequently we got up early, had breakfast and set off for the east asap, before the midges got up to torment us. But not before getting a picture of a heron on the edge of the loch - and having to deal with some unexpected work issues that arose overnight!
When we got to the east, we went straight to the Black Isle show. Oddly enough and much to OH's amusement, I found the sheep shearing competition the most exciting! In fact, I was so excited that I forgot to get the camera out; or was that because it poured all day? I did get a few pics of the cattle on show:
Thursday is Nairn - we always go there on a Thursday, as there is another ceilidh at the British legion hall. It is the only place we go that ends with Auld Lang Syne, followed by the Queen. What the foreign tourists must think is anyone's guess! But it works and it was good to meet up again with some old friends that we have made over the years. We are so accepted as part of the furniture there that they dont even introduce us as visitors any more! It is a differnt sort of ceilidh; they dont just have dancing, though therre is plenty of that. They also have recitations of Scots dialect poetry (very funny)
singers
and Highland dancing
Sometimes that also have the Gallic Choir, but they werent about this year, though a couple of them were there and entertained us with some singing. Which reminds me, I'd like to find the song they did, 'Follow the Heron Home'.
Friday was the ceilidh at Fort Augustus.
The guy on the left is Hubby! [Blurr is deliberate, showing movement].
By now you might have gathered that we go for the 'season' - ceildh after ceilidh! We also go for the walking (didnt really do any this year) and the wild life - buzzards, herons, red kites and dolphins.
Saturday morning dawned bright enough and so we went to the Strathpeffer Highland Games. Warm and sunny all day; lovely show, with pipers, pipe bands, caber tossing, hammer throwing, highland dancing and cycle racing (on grass). It was a really good day.
The weather however was not to last. We had planned to go to church on the Sunday morning, but the forecast was really bad. Many people who dont unsderstand that Scotland and rain are synonymous terms, had already packed up and moved on. We always go prepared for rain, as it wouldnt be Scotland without it. However, Saturday night is absolutely threw it down all night (remember we were in a tent!) Anyweay, the forecast was weather warnings for flash floods etc, so instead of church, we packed up a dripping wet tent and drove home. Of course we chose the 'sensible' route (not) - the A82 down the side of Loch Ness, over Glencoe and Rannoch Moor. There was water everywhere - pouring onto the roads, but we didnt get flooded anywhere thankfully. It only took us 10 hours to get home!
Water pouring onto the A82 on the side of Loch Ness:
After the dental appointment we stayed home until the Wednesday then again drove to Poolewe. This time it was Alastair McCulloch with a small band. Now he was fantastic. He's a fiddle player and he's brilliant. The dancing was good as always too.
The next morning, I got a load of pics of a heron in flight, but although they looked fine on the camera, once on the computer they were clearly all blurred!
Before leaving Poolewe on the Thursday morning, we went to a small farmers' market in the church hall. There we met a woman from the Scoraig peninsula - no electricity, no mains water, no road - she had to get to the market by boat, with her eggs and veggies to sell! She told us about a man who also lives there who has built his own wind and solar energy sources. He is on a website which I still need to check out.
During the rest of the two weeks, we saw dolphins (kind of). We had spent a nice sunny day at Kessock, watching the firth for about 4 hours. I commented that I reckoned all the dolphins were playing down at Channonry Point, as we saw one swim past on the far side and that was it. Apparently there had been 9 at Channonry, including three calves and they had put on quite a show! Just our luck! The following day, we went to Channonry. It was like November - cold, windy, wet, grey. The sea was really choppy and although the dolphins came, they didnt do much, so all I photographed was a few fins. There were about 5 altogether. If you look carefully, this one has a calf swimming next to it:
The one walk we managed was with some friends from Fort Augustus. They regularly walk on a Monday morning, so we were invited to join them. Again it rained, but the rain was interspersed with sunny moments. Walked through some forest tracks and some woodland and down a really quiet country lane. After wondering why it was soooo quiet, we finally saw a sign that said traffic was prohibited down there at that time as there were road works! So that explained it really!
We visited Ullapool and saw a red deer by the side of the road. It wasnt scared at all, so I got my big lens and walked so I was level with it but on the other side of the road. It stayed for ages, so I have a few decent-ish shots.
We also went to Fort George. They were doing a re-enactment day, of Fort George through the ages. It was rather disconcerting to see a Roman soldier having a conversation with a WW1 soldier!
They did a re-enactment of a battle in WW1 with gas masks and all sorts. Of course, they were a Highland regiment and so they were all in kilts. At one point the announcer mentioned that now we could be sure that there were some 'real Highlanders' amongst the soldiers. You will have to guess what I mean, but the incident caused much hilarity amongst some of the crowd and served to show some of the more unexpected perils of wearing a kilt in battle!
In the middle of the afternoon, they did a re-enactment of a dog fight between a messerschmit and a spitfire. It was on for about 20 minutes and was really spectacular. Well done those pilots; their skill was amazing.
All in all, we managed 12 ceilidhs in 18 nights (three weeks minus the going home for the dentist): three times at Nairn (plus dancing one Thursday afternoon, also at Nairn); three at Fort Augustus, one at Invermoriston, one at Beauly, one at Lhanbryde, three at Poolewe. By the time I got home, I was in need of a rest!
We drove straight up to Poolewe, as there is a ceilidh on there on Wednesday nights. We had booked to stay as a campsite just 5 minutes' walk from the hall, so we put the tent up
then went straight to the dance. It was a group called Jigginaboot' who werent bad. Loads of tourists and locals piled into the hall (all the proceeds go to local charities) and there was very little space for actual dancing. The Orcadian Strip the Willow was out the door!
Lovely sunset over the loch too:
When we got to the east, we went straight to the Black Isle show. Oddly enough and much to OH's amusement, I found the sheep shearing competition the most exciting! In fact, I was so excited that I forgot to get the camera out; or was that because it poured all day? I did get a few pics of the cattle on show:
Thursday is Nairn - we always go there on a Thursday, as there is another ceilidh at the British legion hall. It is the only place we go that ends with Auld Lang Syne, followed by the Queen. What the foreign tourists must think is anyone's guess! But it works and it was good to meet up again with some old friends that we have made over the years. We are so accepted as part of the furniture there that they dont even introduce us as visitors any more! It is a differnt sort of ceilidh; they dont just have dancing, though therre is plenty of that. They also have recitations of Scots dialect poetry (very funny)
singers
and Highland dancing
Sometimes that also have the Gallic Choir, but they werent about this year, though a couple of them were there and entertained us with some singing. Which reminds me, I'd like to find the song they did, 'Follow the Heron Home'.
Friday was the ceilidh at Fort Augustus.
By now you might have gathered that we go for the 'season' - ceildh after ceilidh! We also go for the walking (didnt really do any this year) and the wild life - buzzards, herons, red kites and dolphins.
Saturday morning dawned bright enough and so we went to the Strathpeffer Highland Games. Warm and sunny all day; lovely show, with pipers, pipe bands, caber tossing, hammer throwing, highland dancing and cycle racing (on grass). It was a really good day.
The weather however was not to last. We had planned to go to church on the Sunday morning, but the forecast was really bad. Many people who dont unsderstand that Scotland and rain are synonymous terms, had already packed up and moved on. We always go prepared for rain, as it wouldnt be Scotland without it. However, Saturday night is absolutely threw it down all night (remember we were in a tent!) Anyweay, the forecast was weather warnings for flash floods etc, so instead of church, we packed up a dripping wet tent and drove home. Of course we chose the 'sensible' route (not) - the A82 down the side of Loch Ness, over Glencoe and Rannoch Moor. There was water everywhere - pouring onto the roads, but we didnt get flooded anywhere thankfully. It only took us 10 hours to get home!
Water pouring onto the A82 on the side of Loch Ness:
After the dental appointment we stayed home until the Wednesday then again drove to Poolewe. This time it was Alastair McCulloch with a small band. Now he was fantastic. He's a fiddle player and he's brilliant. The dancing was good as always too.
The next morning, I got a load of pics of a heron in flight, but although they looked fine on the camera, once on the computer they were clearly all blurred!
Before leaving Poolewe on the Thursday morning, we went to a small farmers' market in the church hall. There we met a woman from the Scoraig peninsula - no electricity, no mains water, no road - she had to get to the market by boat, with her eggs and veggies to sell! She told us about a man who also lives there who has built his own wind and solar energy sources. He is on a website which I still need to check out.
During the rest of the two weeks, we saw dolphins (kind of). We had spent a nice sunny day at Kessock, watching the firth for about 4 hours. I commented that I reckoned all the dolphins were playing down at Channonry Point, as we saw one swim past on the far side and that was it. Apparently there had been 9 at Channonry, including three calves and they had put on quite a show! Just our luck! The following day, we went to Channonry. It was like November - cold, windy, wet, grey. The sea was really choppy and although the dolphins came, they didnt do much, so all I photographed was a few fins. There were about 5 altogether. If you look carefully, this one has a calf swimming next to it:
The one walk we managed was with some friends from Fort Augustus. They regularly walk on a Monday morning, so we were invited to join them. Again it rained, but the rain was interspersed with sunny moments. Walked through some forest tracks and some woodland and down a really quiet country lane. After wondering why it was soooo quiet, we finally saw a sign that said traffic was prohibited down there at that time as there were road works! So that explained it really!
We visited Ullapool and saw a red deer by the side of the road. It wasnt scared at all, so I got my big lens and walked so I was level with it but on the other side of the road. It stayed for ages, so I have a few decent-ish shots.
We also went to Fort George. They were doing a re-enactment day, of Fort George through the ages. It was rather disconcerting to see a Roman soldier having a conversation with a WW1 soldier!
They did a re-enactment of a battle in WW1 with gas masks and all sorts. Of course, they were a Highland regiment and so they were all in kilts. At one point the announcer mentioned that now we could be sure that there were some 'real Highlanders' amongst the soldiers. You will have to guess what I mean, but the incident caused much hilarity amongst some of the crowd and served to show some of the more unexpected perils of wearing a kilt in battle!
In the middle of the afternoon, they did a re-enactment of a dog fight between a messerschmit and a spitfire. It was on for about 20 minutes and was really spectacular. Well done those pilots; their skill was amazing.
All in all, we managed 12 ceilidhs in 18 nights (three weeks minus the going home for the dentist): three times at Nairn (plus dancing one Thursday afternoon, also at Nairn); three at Fort Augustus, one at Invermoriston, one at Beauly, one at Lhanbryde, three at Poolewe. By the time I got home, I was in need of a rest!
Monday, 4 July 2011
New Life in the garden
I just love my garden...
So I have planted some herbs in a flowerbed near the front door, where I can get at them easily and thus filling up a space that would otherwise grow weeds. I have planted six altogether, but here is just a sample:
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On the steps I have dwarf beans, tomatoes, strawberries, a couple of vines and some other fruit bushes. All in pots of course, otherwise they would be digging their roots into the steps (duh!)
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Along the side of the house, Hubby fixed a string climbing frame, so I have some climbing French beans growing in troughs there. Not sure how they are doing to be honest, as when they were planted out, the first thing they did was to shed all their leaves! Some are growing new leaves, but I think I might have to add some more seeds to ensure they grow all right.
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So I have planted some herbs in a flowerbed near the front door, where I can get at them easily and thus filling up a space that would otherwise grow weeds. I have planted six altogether, but here is just a sample:
On the steps I have dwarf beans, tomatoes, strawberries, a couple of vines and some other fruit bushes. All in pots of course, otherwise they would be digging their roots into the steps (duh!)
Along the side of the house, Hubby fixed a string climbing frame, so I have some climbing French beans growing in troughs there. Not sure how they are doing to be honest, as when they were planted out, the first thing they did was to shed all their leaves! Some are growing new leaves, but I think I might have to add some more seeds to ensure they grow all right.
Old School Reunion
Yesterday OH and I travelled to Bedford for the 129th anniversary of The Dame Alice Harpur School, where I attended from 1968 to 1973 (it would have been longer - till 1975 - but my parents decided to move house).
Half the school photgraph from 1970
It was a day of nostalgia and fun, tinged with sadness. Four years ago we celebrated the 125th anniversary; next year we will be celebrating the 1st anniversary of the new school. In September this year, Dame Alice will be amalgamating with the High School, to become Bedford Girls' School. The bonus as far as I am concerned is that the new school is on our site, using our buildings and the new Head is our Head! That makes it Dame Alice with added High School girls!
We left home at around 7am to make the 200 mile journey, arriving at the school at 10.45am. After parking at the back, we walked round the front to enter the building by the front door - something that was forbidden to all but teachers and prefects in the 6th Form. I not-so-fondly remember one evening leaving school at around 5pm and using the front door. Being a shy child, I didnt want to be noticed at all, but of course the inevitable happened and Miss Broadway (history teacher, now sadly long dead), caught me and gave me a right old telling off. Needless to say, I never used that door again! Until I was an adult that is.
Coffee was served in the assembly hall - we were never allowed to take food or drink that there when I was a pupil!
A welcome speech or two - the Chair of the Old Girls' Association and the new Head. Then down to Room E (where I used to eat my daily packed lunch) where we were served champagne - didnt have that when I was there either.
On into the dining hall, which had been beautifully laid out for the reunion participants.
Dinner was a buffet, where we were sent table by table to collect our food (now that was more like I remember things!)
After dinner, we were free to wander round the school - not much has changed to be honest, though they have moved the entrance to the swimming pool and there are one or two building additions, not to mention Room 9 has disappeared!
Anyway, met up with a couple of old friends - twins, Sylvia and Elizabeth - and made some new ones! And met some old teachers - most of them were old when I was there! And one previous Headmistress (I had two, the first one is now dead)
Miss Lawson-Brown
Miss Morse
Meeting my old chemistry teacher was a laugh. We reminisced about a chemistry lesson at the evry end of term one year. I was slow on the uptake, so she set the class some work to do, then called me to the front. Very patiently she went through the work several times. The penny finally dropped just as the bell rang for the end of the lesson. It was the last lesson of the day; the last lesson of the term; the last lesson of the year. And my last ever chemistry lesson!!
Whatever people might think about private education, I feel privileged to have been to this school and will be eternally grateful to my parents for making it possible.
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