Sorry it's been so long.

So long since I have written anything (you know how it is: - once there is something that you know you should really get on with and do and don’t then it gets put off again and again until it becomes a really big deal and any old excuse will do) and life is bursting out all over the place. The swallows and house martins have arrived in Mid Argyll..Ours a little later than some other places but on Saturday we saw the former swooping in and out of the mill and the latter beginning their customary abstract decoration of the outside wall of the porch. Another seasonal resident has arrived too, also a little later than usual but not so eagerly watched for…THE MIDGE…Yup, the little blighter is back for the summer and we have the midge magnets up and running to deal with the fresh supply of beasties. I was feeling a bit down at their re-appearance until I paused to reflect that although they can sometimes be a pain, they do not actually pass on diseases liable to rob you of your grip on life or maim by giving you blood poisoning (not unless you really scratch) so we are not too badly off. I was reading a Australian travel guide (an alternative one I admit) and am now feeling actually quite smug that at least we do not have huge reptiles waiting around every corner panting, nay salivating at the thought of ripping off an available limb or two, plus I understand that they have some pretty heavy weight flies and insects (don’t get me started on spiders) themselves. I consider that the lack of flora and fauna that can render one partner left in a position of being able to claim the price of the return ticket home back and stowing the other member of the relationship in the aeroplane’s hold along with the not yet lost luggage to be a very big tick, a very real plus in the box regarding the choice of holiday destinations. The idea of returning from one's holiday with all four limbs (attached that is, rather than one of them on ice)is a very appealing one. So, now I have offended every antipodean visitor let me pause to say that it is mostly jealously and given half a chance I would be off on a world tour of my own to all those wonderfully named places and beaches…just might not go swimming tho’ cos I have heard about these sharks…… I know you can all take it. Australians are amongst some of our nicest guests so keep on coming! Okay, about the pictures, we had a sausage sizzle on Sunday down on the shore. The first of the season and it was a good un. The sausages were burnt to a tee, the exact requisite covering of black, the eggs were hot enough to sear the skin on the roof of your mouth, coupled with beans so thick you could stand the spoon up in them…Perfect!!!! Of course, as you can tell some of us were too engrossed to help cook.

Ps It’s Freya