Ahhhhh sweet......

After a day or so of worry about the piglets and an emergency trip down to Lochgilphead to get weaners nuts things seems to be settling down. Mummy Pig seemed to have had enough of motherhood after two weeks (some sympathy there...)which led to the strongest two grabbing hold whenever she stood still near them and the other four huddling in the hut. Now they are all out and about,the family is back together. Mr Pig has broken into their field and so they come and go at will and really it is very hard to split them up as they are all so very content together. He rests his head on the girls in total contentment and as I write they are curled up in a big heap with piglets swarming all over the four of them.
The “Then” blog. For details see entry for March 7th 2009. In brief the restoration of Claonairigh House.
Monday 12th October (Peter)
Very dull today but stayed dry. No midges, no mice either
Started on lower flashing on the front of the house and replaced some broken tiles. Shottun’s workmen were clearing the timber from the old cottages all day. Wagons still moving large amounts of mixed timber. Steve called, says he is working near the Castle in Inveraray.
Tuesday October 13th
Dull and dampish. Rain at times sunny. No midges
Finished flashing to lower lead roof, dug out gateway and posthole.

Then..................

The “Then” blog. For details see entry for March 7th 2009. In brief the restoration of Claonairigh House.
Tuesday 6th October
Beautiful day. 4 midges. 2 bit me an 1 bit Dad. 1 gote aten by the bat. L/N (little Nipper mouse trap) 5 Mice O
Sad day to begin with, found a dead bat (probably the coughing bat of Clunary) gave it a Viking burial. G finished north side of lounge roof. P chased out chimney for flashing and patched up bad bit of stonework. G and P tiled 1/3 of south roof. Buzzed by Chinook playing war games most of the day (quite good at getting the leaves to fall quickly).
Weds October 7th
Beautiful day again. No idges L/N 6 Mice 0
Finished tiling South side of lounge roof and ¼ of hip side. Police came round looking for two army persons who were supposed to hide for 36hrs, after 48hrs and a cold night they decided to look for them. The stags were noisy last night.
Thursday 8th Oct
Sunny spells, heavy scotch mists. No midges. L/N 6 Mice 0
Finished tiling the roof, fixed lead flashing round chimney and most of zinc edging. The caravan stinks, the warm weather seems to have activated the water closet so we have shovelled a lot of soil over it and sprayed a lot of air freshener.
Friday Oct 9th
Sunny, lovely day. No Midges L/N 7 Mice -6 shrews -1
Filled in earth closet and dug a new one. G went to inveraray for supplies. Finished zinc edgings and flashing along the wall. Started rendering flashing but broke off to help P pull out old tree trunk that was breaking drains at rear of house did this and decided to check the drains to see if any damage had been done to the drains. None had but I thought that I would just see if the soapy water was going into the cess tank...It wasn’t so we thought we’d have a little check to see why not. 4hrs later we had rodded the drains through to the cess tank, found another large access holes ½ way down the slope in front of the house and my cement had set in the bucket. On a lighter note the frogs or rather a frog found the drains a great laugh as a water shoot as it jumped (or was it pushed?) down the newly found access hole that dad was rodding and emerged down at the cess tank where I was. It then hopped out of the water and started heading back up the hill as if it couldn’t wait for another turn.
Saturday 10th (Peter)
Sunny, good day (no midges)
Working on finishing roof. Flashings. Garret pruned damson tree using tower scaffold. I removed the tree roots remaining at the rear of the house, stated on lower roof. G returned to Leeds late evening. Steve returned from Holiday.
Sunday 11th
Sunny, Good day. No midges
Very keen frost this morning must have been 3 or 4 below. Very cosy when you are warm and dry. Air very clear. Fixed roof flashings to rear lower roof. Re proofed caravan awing, searched out the awful stink in the caravan. The cause was not the dead rat as though but the dead battery which was slowly boiling and giving off gas under Garret’s bed.

Garret's race report.

Oban ½ 4th October
Fiona mentioned there was a ½ marathon this weekend and not wanting to waste the training session I did the weekend before I thought what the hell, I only worked to 01.30 in the morning so I got an early night, then remembered emptying a plastic bag out of my pocket and into a bin last night. Unfortunately it had £55 in it, so up early to hopefully retrieve it before it was nicked or thrown out! Two bacon rolls, one roll with honey and two bottles of water into the car and away after one quick detour to restack some 5m long roofing sheets that had moved in the wind. Arrived at Oban and registered, quick change and a tin of red bull to drink (Bad idea). A warm up and a quick walk to the start. Then off down the main street and through the town. At the one mile mark I checked my watch, 6.5mins, not good, (I need Fiona with me to stop my natural impetuousness). I chill and try to ease my pace, I had been learning my 7 times and 8 times tables so I could check my splits, I didn’t know my 6.5 times tables so I would have to slow, (my legs would also blow up at 5 miles). 2 miles 14mins (better). I carry on up my 7 tables to 5 miles and then start to settle for anything between 7 and 8. Ho, the red bull ...bad idea, I got a small mouth full of it again at around 3 miles, note to self, drink it at least an hour before I start to run, it then let me know there was still some undigested at 5 and 7 miles. I carried on quite well with the normal twinges in my calves, then behind my right knee, then my left buttock all of which came and went to be finally extinguished when I developed a blister on my left arch at 9 miles, proper pain to think about. This eased as my mind started thinking how the relatively flat run on the 6.5miles out and back to Gallanachmore and the 3 miles along to Ganavan Bay had suddenly changed to be quite hilly as we climbed the new cycle track towards Dunstaffnage. As my calves were quite tight by now I went on to the balls of my feet and tried to spring my way up, it didn’t make me any faster but I got up the hills and eased my calves. By the time I had run this (the 10 mile mark being the turning point) and checked my watch at 11miles I was now nearing 8 min pace 1hr 22min. I had really psyched myself to a less than 1hr 40mins time so I tried to increase my pace, the blister now appearing on my right arch lifted me slightly so with the pleasant thought of the run up the hill to Atlantis to finish I battled on. The lovely sunny weather had changed to a light drizzle which was nice and as I turned to drop back down to Atlantis the sound of someone behind me obviously desperate to drop my position by one by the sounds he was making was all the encouragement I needed to keep my speed up for the next few hundred metres bringing me home in 1hr 39mins ish I hope!

The “Then” blog. For details see entry for March 7th 2009. In brief the restoration of Claonairigh House.
Monday 5th
Beautiful day....no midges. Caught one mouse in the house and one in the awning.
Finished fitting sarking board to lounge roof. Tiles ¾ north side working with shirt off in the sunshine.

Autumn beach Fire..perfect......

Whilst we were performing miracles by rubbing two pieces of wood together on the shore Garret was running the Oban 1/2 marathon in 1hr 39!! No wife to hold him back.

The “Then” blog. For details see entry for March 7th 2009. In brief the restoration of Claonairigh House.
Sunday 4th Oct
Beautiful day No Midges
Cut sarking board and fitted to lounge roof, finished north side. Finished hip side.

Nowt much to report....

The “Then” blog. For details see entry for March 7th 2009. In brief the restoration of Claonairigh House.
Saturday 3rd October
Light rain am nice pm No midges
Cut bottom section of stair supports away and built a breeze wall to support instead. Dug hole under the stairs about 2” deep to give a more useful space.

NB a useful space indeed! Used to be an overflow storage space for nappies bought in bulk...now has the wine store...how times change.

Should have left well alone.

Weather pretty much the same then as now but have not noticed any mice yet. Feeling fresh and good this morning and so set off enthusiastically for a run round the 4 and a bit mile circuit then spent the rest of the day crippled with back pain.....Eased quite a bit by a brief swim with Liz but back with a vengeance now. A friend called round and advised stretching therapy which I tried on our exerciser but just hurt my feet and caused a rush of blood to my brain which is just not used to it!
The “Then” blog. For details see entry for March 7th 2009. In brief the restoration of Claonairigh House.
October 1st 1992 (Peter)
Clear,dry sunny periods. No midges
Fix roof tiles and unload materials from Harcross. Collect papers from inveraray.
Friday 2nd October (Garret)
Rainy, no midges....a few mice!!
G arrived 9am. Stripped dining room ceiling and cleaned up.2 tons of timber from Harcross. Sarking boards and 6”x2” £568.50. So far caught three mice in house....evidence of mouse in awning too.