Wednesday, 27 August 2008

Mending Wall

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. (Mending Walls, Robert Frost)

What would I do on a nice day if there were not a wall to mend?
The yard wall by the cattlegrid was falling down, the inner side completely collapsed. The problem was that it consisted on the inside only of stones taken off to clear the ground in the yard. There were very few small stones, no heart.

Sorley kindly wheelbarrowed part of the excavations from the extension so that I could fill in the centre. I forgot to take the first picture inside before I had done some of it.But here it is finished and all Sorley's spoil within it.

The outside consisted of large round stones, some very large that I did not want to take out ... knowing that I might have a little difficulty getting them back! This time it was Peter who helped, when he was here in June, who barrowed some large flatter stones down from where I was demolishing another wall. With these I could tie the wall together better. This is the outside finished.
It should all stay up a little longer. Thanks Sorley and Peter for leaving me the pleasurable part. But as you can see beyond ... there is plenty more wall to repair. As Robert Frost said to the stones in the wall he was repairing with his neighbour 'Stay where you are until our backs are turned!'

Thursday, 14 August 2008

sons and grandson

Sons and grandson at Snarraness.
Just to prove that Sorley was in Paris too!

It was lovely if a little hot. Went to some great restaurants with Colette (literally) ... she was her usual generous (and immovable) self. It was all very enjoyable.


Jamie came up with Sorley and Ben on the boat (all the rest of the pictures are his) for one night. Sorley and Ben are here until Saturday. We went to Snarraness to walk to the point and to take some pictures of Bousta. The house (Snarraness) ginger cat decided to come with us. But he/she and Ben didn't always see things the same way.

I looked for purple saxifrage (long past flowering) but couldn't find it. But I did find some sea spleenwort that was not recorded (at least in the book) for there ...
then me and the cat had a rest ...
Sorley tried out his new binnoculars ...
and, reluctantly, we all went home ...
after Jamie took some pictures with his big zoom lens.
We watched some films (when we could drag Ben from his book(s), bed or the laptop), including Monsieur Hulot, Kes and Highlander, yow how the last has aged! We have also partaken in a little whisky. All in all a great week for me.