And all it took was a tractor, trailer, horse box and a few Calmac containers….
The Persabus Hebridean broadcasting blog is back on the airwaves. It was a rocky one. Away on the mainland we hit technical glitches in internet land.
Happily though we managed to accompany youngest as she headed for the bright lights of university living. We followed in her wake with tractor, trailer and horse box, and a few Calmac containers to get her everyday essentials over to the mainland, or at least it felt that way by the time we had packed and unpacked everything. I would have been very happy for the cats to accompany her too, but unfortunately these mainland halls seem to have a ‘no pets’ policy. We got the privilege of some Hebridean sheep, a couple of horses and some Highland cows to look after when eldest left. Alongside the farm animals the menagerie of ‘pets’ just keeps growing. While the younger members of the clan are away partying hard and enjoying life, I mean studying and building careers, we are at home with a long list of instructions of feeding and pampering duties. These animals are all very spoilt and truly trained in the art of nagging, I mean ‘meowing and whining’, if everything is not quite as perfect as it is when their young owners are home. This is usually sorted with copious amount of food, however with Archieina ‘booming’ in all directions, her huge ‘tank’ as the Happy Farmer describes it, demands smaller portions and less feeds. She is not happy and has been voicing her concerns about this on an hourly basis.
It was a very hairy flight home to Islay on Monday night. Heavy rain and poor visibility led to several landing attempts, and then the pilot swooped low over the sea and suddenly we were home. The farmhouse was strangely quiet with the whole family away, but as guests began to arrive the ‘Persabus buzz’ returned. Thankfully ‘team Persabus’ did an amazing job of changeovers and everything went smoothly in our absence. The all-important ‘menagerie’ was well cared for and waiting for my arrival home, with Ruby dog leading the welcoming party, closely followed by Bramble and the two kittens. Doughball, our old cat, wisely waited for the rain to stop before she put in her appearance.
In the pottery this week I have had a chance to work on some new creative designs. My head is bursting with ideas and plans, and as the crazy business of the summer months has morphed into a steady trickle of visitors calling by for gifts, cake and sandwiches, I am getting more time to dip my paint brushes onto the clay and begin to create new designs. With the vibrant colours of the autumn months the island is bursting with creative inspiration. Even in the pouring rain it is indeed a beautiful island….
Until next time…
