Visit from Cragievar

I am re-reading Acacia, having read part of the ms, and enjoying it even more than the first time. In fact I am having difficulty putting it down ... definitely up there with Lord of the Rings. So, sitting late last night in our new room reading and getting up every now and again to watch the sunset, I was taken by the light on Ronas Hill ... I thought 'the Outer Isles at sunset or Vumu at sunrise'?

Sorley, Wendy and Ben were here for ten days, just leaving a couple of days ago ... oh, and Ella of course, a fine wee dog who, thankfully ignored the sheep and gratefully, caught a wee rabbit in the garden. A second one disappeared and later in the day Ella bcame very excited around the fridge in the porch ... yes, it was in behind and in the works. Managed to get it out. For those of a tender, rabbit-loving nature, I won't say what I did with them ... but they had been eating my precious lupins! Discovered I'm a real Mr MacGregor.

Ben seemed to enjoy himself and did a bit of cycling practise ...

strange, but lovely, to see him cycling where Sorley cycled 30 years ago at the same age!

We also went swimming at the Walls pool where Mum and I go weekly (weakly) in the winter ... Ben under the water, Mum out early.

Sorley also gave me a lot of help with the 'quarry', turning it into a paved yard. Here he's building the retaining wall againt the bank. We managed too to shift some very large stones and bury them in the bank on the north side of the house. And while Wendy was in the house I was able to get on with the wall.

Just before he left, Ben printed out a note which I have sealed in a bottle and buried in the wall.

The (music) cabinet under the TV houses all the hardware for the TV including the projector. Sorley did a fantastic job connecting everything. Now we can watch films on the screen from video, DVD or the TV ... and, more importantly, Match of the Day!!

As you can see, the new room is very comfortable ...

It was great for us to eat (and drink!) with some company and to have someone else cook too. Most nights we ate out in the porch, but on cooler nights we ate in the kitchen.

I think it was this evening that Mum came home from the Walls centre with two pieces of Pavlova she had made. So we had a competition for who would get them. The question was (going back to an interview with David that I had listened to) ... what, who, or where, was Gilgamesh? Ben won (by a good guess). Mum was second by default as while the competition was going on she had been quietly eating the second piece anyway!!

It was a great ten days and we finished off by discussing with Richard where we might erect a cabin/chalet ... exciting times lie ahead.