Weekend

What a storm we had on Saturday, thunder and lightening lighting up the skies and roaring around the cottage.  Almighty claps of thunder followed by explosive light across the sky.  Taking out the power for a few seconds several times.   It certainly cleared the air which had been quite humid for a few hours earlier.  Once the storm passed it became quite misty and the glorious red started to emerge over the outbuilding.  Not a great photo but it was a glorious sight.

Saturday, we had a walk around the village chatting over the fences for awhile with our neighbours and a couple of friends stopping to chat a while.  We were glad to get out before once again the rain started.  Back to the kitchen to put together a fruit cake, using up some dried fruit that was almost out of date.  A Delia Smith recipe used that has been a faithful recipe for many years producing a moist cake that gets better the longer it stands.

Intermittent rain stopped any further adventures outside so an exploration of the craft room began.  Now much tidier and organised making it easier to find and indeed replenish things as required.   I began to experiment decorating clothes pegs and what fun I had.

 I thought these may be an ideal addition to the top of some Christmas gifts and a fun way to attach the label to a gift.  They don't take long to make either so I don't need to get started with them too early.  I can enjoy the season.  I then went on to make a tassel for my poetry journal made from ribbon, lace, jute and beads.  Another very quick but fun project that would make a wonderful addition to a gift package.  I enjoyed the process and also managed to sort out beads and charms that have been languishing for awhile.

The chives are the best I have ever seen them at the moment so I intend to go out and pick some ready to make some chive vinegar ready for salads.  I also wanted to share with you the size of this egg, it was enormous...ooch!

All ready boxed to take over to my neighbour who regularly bakes us scones a great exchange.  There was a collection for the food bank at Church this week, I feel saddened that so many people are in need at this time through no fault of their own.  It as a great excuse to sort out the kitchen cupboards and storage and give them a good clean in the process.  This epidemic has been so far reaching I ponder these days what 'normal' is and what the future indeed looks like...

Hope all is well with you.  Take care and stay safe.

See you soon.

Port Stoth

As promised a little trip to our favourite cove called Port Stoth but known locally and pronounced Stow.  It is one of our favourite places to be and on a sunny day with the sun reflecting and glistening on the water you could imagine yourself anywhere in the world.  It is a sheltered cove so the wind is not as strong so you do need to be careful of the dreaded midges.  The wind keeps them at bay.

 The grass is ablaze with colour, wild daisy, buttercups and clover to name but a few of the delights.  There is a track which leads down to a slipway which then in turn leads to a sandy beach.  It is only about 400 yds away from the lighthouse at the butt.  This port was used to bring in the supplies for the construction of the lighthouse.

You do need good footwear to be able to get up and down this slip way but rest assured it is worth the walk.  The surrounding beauty is just as good with a babbling brook coming down the cliff.

The tide was in so not a lot of the beach to be seen but so nice to sit awhile and take in all its beauty.  The different colours of the sea with its aqua tinge daring and teasing you to think you were in warmer climes.  Once again lots of sea birds to be seen, their antics watched from afar.

All to soon time to climb back up the rugged path back to the car.  Hard work but worth every second to sit amongst the beauty of this hidden gem.  I hope you enjoyed this little tour.

The clouds here have darkened but they are moving quickly so hopefully the rain will soon pass over so that we can venture out for another stroll.  In the meantime to the kitchen to replenish the cake tin ready for the weekend.  More bread needs making and I have already been out to the garden and picked a couple of bunches of mint ready to be tied up for drying.

The pattern I use for the Harris Tweed bags that I make is in the book Sweet and Simple Handmade by Melissa Wastney that I got from The Works, hope that helps Christina.  It is a very versatile pattern that suggests it be used as a bag for a new mum but personally I think it ould need more separation or pockets.

Take care and stay safe.

See you soon.

Butt Of Lewis

Here in Scotland those shielding are finally allowed out for a walk.  We have had a walk around the neighbourhood and enjoyed every step, indeed every moment out of the garden and cottage.  After what seems like an eternity we ventured further afield yesterday.  So grab your cameras and sunglasses, a quick 2 minute drive will bring us to the Butt of Lewis and the very famous lighthouse.  How I have missed the glory of these beautiful views.  Each time I visit a different view of an ever changing seascape can be seen.

The foreboding cloud mass a warning on how quickly the weather can change here on our little Island paradise.

Only a few metres away from the edge of a cliff, a board showing the delights of what can be spotted at times in the surrounding area.

It was such a delight to see so many birds nesting in the nooks and crannies of the cliff face.  We stood well back so as not to disturb them, there screeching warning us to keep away.  No binoculars with us sadly but tomorrow is another day...

The little inlets allowing the sea to ebb and flow and crash with great gusto against the rocks.  Each wave reaching its crescendo as it nears land.  The very strength of the water causing froth in some areas as it whirls around below us.

 The sun causing a dappled image against the dark grey cliff, a shadowy mass so striking against the white of the crashing waves.  A stark contrast but highlighting the strength of the water.  It was a joy to sit awhile and take it all in, enjoying the sea air and the beauty that we were surrounded by.  Hope you too enjoyed our little tour.  I will share a little whistle stop tour of our favourite cove in the next post.

As always I do thank you for your visit and your warm and welcoming comments from previous posts.  Take care and stay safe in these very strange times.

See you soon.

This And That

I have taken to doing a little crochet in the evening once again.  There is nothing that I want or need to really concentrate on the TV, if we bother having it on at all.  So it is nice to have a crochet project on the go once again.  I am making some wash cloths for the gift drawer.  They are such a wonderful token gift partnered with some homemade soap.  I will be making a small batch soon to top off what I have.

I have added a couple of project bags to the gift cupboard, all ready for friends that enjoy crafting when I need a little gift.

I love the fabric and the addition of lace, made with love and perfect to hold a knitting/sewing/crochet project together.  Work also continues on adding to the Christmas drawer this time I have made a few lavender bags to use as gift toppers.

Once again made with love and smelling beautiful.  Finally another Harris tweed bag completed all ready to be gifted.  I intend to use it as a gift bag filled with treats for my parents.  I can share that as I know that they don't read this blog.  They are both doing well, my niece is doing a great job looking after them along with a care team.  Some of you may remember that they were going to move up to the Island along with us and changed their mind at the last moment.  It was heart breaking but too late for us to change our minds, all the contracts and such had been signed.

We have woken to a day of better weather so I am hopeful that we will make it down to the beach today.  I am so looking forward to it.  It seems like an age since we were last there.  I will of course take the camera along with me so I can share our little adventure with you.

Hope all is well with you.  Take care and stay safe in these very strange times.  As always I thank you for your visit here and your uplifting comments.  Yes, I do make the lemon meringue pie from scratch Teresa I like to have a good bake at least once a week.  I like to have goodies in the tin for visitors, although at the moment we are not having any.  Hopefully, this will change as we are emerging out of shielding as time goes by.  Another 12 masks added to the pile as they are now compulsory on public transport which includes Ferries.  They are opening again soon on a Winter timetable.  I am sure this will make a big difference to a lot of business's as normal freight will resume instead of the lifeline services we have had since March.

See you soon.