Most of this month seems to have been spent in the garden so the weather can’t have been too bad. The midges gave me their first “doing” on 14th and there have been plenty of days when conditions allowed them to keep nibbling. I noticed that the mosquito nets brought back from Oz actually let some of the blighters in. Our very old nets with a smaller mesh don’t. Still, like with most things in life, you can usually find ways of adjusting to them.
The shed used timber at an alarming rate and by the end, every scrap of the cedar had been used and few other planks slotted in. It still needs doors and windows but (fingers crossed), this can keep for a wee while. It’s actually quite a nice spot to work in, having a more open aspect than the garage/workshop so it may be a bit more multi-purpose than originally intended. It still smells of the freshly cut cedar which is very nice. I introduced “The Beast” to his new home after some sterling work in the garden and he seemed quite content.
Andrew and Mary Carruthers visited us en route from Alford to Ardnamurchan. Work that one out. They have finished the renovation of the old school building which they’ve owned for many years and seemed very pleased with the outcome. We indulged Andrew by visiting the pre-historic sites in Kilmartin and had a most pleasant meal in the Museum tearoom. Mary is a gardener and it was her idea to work in the veg plot- honest.
The improving weather has seen the new trees flourishing – well most of them. The alder in particular seem very happy but the cherry and elder were being nibbled by caterpillars. The willow maze is struggling so I am determined to weedkill and mulch to give it a chance, but the willow hedge and arch are rampant. I had forgotten about the clematis growing through it as they prefer the sunny side, away from the house, and it was a lovely surprise to find them when I went to trim it! Things are slow in the vegetable plot and greenhouse (except for the vine) and the slugs and doves are not helping.
Along with Val and Ted Finch, we helped to introduce the Kintyre Way Relay to the benefits of electronic timing. It took a lot of time and effort and Ted especially put in a lot of work. The runners and organiser appreciated the “added value” that it brought to the race, but borrowing the amount of kit that is needed is not really an option for the future. This year for once, the weather was generally kind for the race and it was good to see that some additional footpaths are going to be created to keep the runners off some parts of the A83 south of Clachan.
We paddled Loch Sween from Tayvallich to Taynish Island and back which was our first outing for quite some time. The boats needed a good scrubbing to get the remnants of the winter off them but appeared none the worse for their long lay off which was more than could be said for their occupants! After the paddle, we wandered back down the peninsular to look at the recently installed sculptures at the Taynish National Nature Reserve which is a special place, especially on a warm summer’s evening.
The double petalled, Irish broom which Suse planted a couple of years ago was particularly vigorous this year. I should have known that some of its petals would end up in a demi-john. Last year’s vintage was pretty dire but that’s the thing with hedgerow wines – you just don’t know what you are going to get.
Meanwhile John is still giving it laldy on Thursday evenings with the Fynesiders and Suse is kept out of mischief by the Friendship Group, where she teaches Qigong, the Book Group and now the Tarbert Book Festival.