The Claonairigh Animals

Just a reminder of who actually runs Claonairigh... the animals with their hard and fast feeding times and routines. Actually they are fairly flexible re breakfast but any delay in supper time and the accompanying lock in for poultry can lead to a significant reduction in feathered fowl.... Poppy the goat holds her own against unruly and cheeky upstart piglets maintaining her dignity which comes naturally to anyone with large curly horns which she is not afraid to use. Holly the pup is growing up but still tolerates a cuddle between pig bothering duties and the new ducks I suppose will eventually leave the hut and enter the whole wide world of the back field.... maybe.

A bird in the hand....

... Is worth a photo. Not too sure why this chap was so tame and hope that it wasn't an indication of ill health. He was re-located from the rather risky position mid drive to a nearby banking. The fine month-long weather has slightly broken with warm wet May days our lot at present... Good growing weather so the beans are poking up through the poly tunnel soil and the peas are in the "straggly in the seedling pots yet too small for the great outdoors" inbetweeny phase. I have nasturtium seedlings EVERYWHERE, legacy from last years plants that swarmed all over the place. Salad plants were starting to burst free from their primary leaves until a nocturnal slug took a midnight snack so more have been sown protected this time by crushed egg shells and left over coffee grounds.

Cosies for your breakfast eggs.

How lovely it is to be on the receiving end of an unexpected and thoughtful piece of kindness. Under the usual flyers suggesting that we a) sell our house b) insure it (again) or c) vote for whoever hasn't already showered us with unsolicited pieces of paper (note to prospective candidates in the upcoming local elections- we prefer non shiny paper for our mail shots as they are far superior as fire lighters) was a yellow box about the size of a book with a variety of pretty and, if the present prices here are a guide, expensive German stamps. Inside were the two egg cosies pictured sent by a recidivist guest. He was party to an ongoing manic search a few years ago and these will add wonderfully to my collection. Thank you very much Rainer!! X

Saturday stuff

A beautiful weekend in Argyll and a great saturday morning watching Freya and others doing a mini aquathlon. The enthusiasm was highly infectious and it was most definitely won and lost in transition and the tricky business of trainer application onto wet feet. Stars of the future every one of them.
Taxi duties occasionally, just occasionally have a silver lining. Holly and I had a wonderful walk around Loch Collie Bharre, about 45 minutes drive from Claonairigh,almost in the gloaming and totally alone on Saturday night whilst Toby wined and dined nearby. We saw no beavers ( released here a few years ago) nor other people. A perfect backdrop to walk and think. The decision made not to stress so much was taken and lasted almost as long as the walk, ah well.. My spots are far too deep to change now. Back at the car we moved to a suitable waiting place which has to have the following criteria when awaiting uppity teenager
1. Phone/ text reception
2. Discreet enough not to be spied by anyone at all connected with said teen.
3. Discreet enough not to attract attention cuddled up on the rear seat with dog watching a film on the Ipad.
4. Close enough to collect offspring at 30s notice but obviously taking into account point 2.
The night got even better when just as Johnny Depp was batting his Kohl laden eyelids the summoning text arrived and we were homeward bound.

Best sleepy face award....

....goes to the as yet un-named pup belonging to friends. Quick stop to say hello, welcome and " ahhhhhh".

Exam Fever

Battening down the hatches here with exam time descending again. Rosie went off white faced and anxious to her first Standard Grade...English this morning...the things we have to go through. Does anyone realise just how tough this is for the parents? If I have to listen to Garret telling her just one more time to "read the question" I may explode...useful advice though it is. I have filled the anxious moments until I collect her with ironing,preparing tea, baking biscuits for guests arriving this afternoon and my favourite, pottering in the poly tunnel. The seeds are just starting to poke through, sadly showing my haphazard approach to sowing. We have plans, big plans to have a large vegetable plot in half the back field which unfortunately still has pigs running a round in it so well manured but not conducive to seedling and indeed plants of any kind. We could say that this is a very long term plan indeed especially as Mummy pig is looking rather portly, we are hoping that the boars did not leave us several presents before they "went away".

Glencoe but not as I know it.

Skiing in April but not for me. Delivered Freya, Toby and friend Angus to the chair lift and conditions described as for good intermediate and advanced skiers and took off on foot. Glencoe is about an hour from Claonairigh and very worth a visit if only to drive through the lowering mountains and brooding Rannoch Moor. The latter is about 50 square miles of peat moorland scooped and shaped by one of the last ice fields to retreat. You can almost hear the Claymores clashing and the clans howling. Plus there is a good coffee shop at the Mountain resort... Excellent soup.....