Glorious weekend...

What a wonderful weekend off!
Yes, Kapitein finally came out of the inner sanctum and we have had some well deserved time off.
Friday evening was lovely and still,  so we decided to head to Balnahard to have a BBQ supper. Kapitein set out the chairs and lit the BBQ when to our surprise we were joined by several million uninvited guests - Midgies! 
Avon Skin-so-Soft worked for a few moments, but to no avail. Kapitein found the best plan of action was to sit over the smoking BBQ as our sausages and meat cooked to keep the little darlings away! It worked! 
We watched as the Friday evening ferry - LOTI - sailed in and out of Scalasaig Harbour and mused about the 'holidays' beginning and ending with this wonderful journey for folk arriving to and departing from our wonderful island - thankful that we don't need to make these journeys. 

LOTI coming into Scalasaig

LOTI leaving Scalasaig

View towards something called the mainland!

We endured our uninvited 'guests' for a couple of hours but even Sampster and Wolfie were tired of the wee blighters trying to nest in their eyeballs!
Reports on Saturday morning were that the whole island was awash with Midgies, even the Old Waiting Room, at Scalasaig was engulfed with plumes of hungry Midgies.

Saturday was a 'domestics' day, catching up on jobs around the house.

Sunday morning, we were up early, packed some nice things to eat and off we headed to Oransay. What a glorious day. Light winds (and no midgies)  
We crossed the Strand and headed for the East side of Oransay through Poll Gorm towards Rubha Bàn. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

We continued towards Port Dhūn a' Gharaidh as a visiting Yacht arrived.

We were very aware of the tides so we headed off inland beside the Mesolithic Shell Mound to rejoin the track at Eilean Fhionnalaidh.
By this time Sampster and Wolfie were beginning to get a bit tired! A wee rest was in order to eat our snacks and enjoy the views, on second glance, Sampster had fallen asleep!!! Ah bless him...

We arrived back at the car, after a thoroughly enjoyable few hours.

On our way back to the Homestead on the Colonsay ring road, we passed Colonsay International Airport. There appeared to be some activity, unusual for a Sunday. We found out later that the Coast Guard were on exercise. The Coast Guard helicopter was picking up personnel, circling around the Homestead then winching them back down to the Airstrip. What a treat that would have been. I did later suggest if they ever needed a 'victim' (casualty) I would be happy to oblige! Not wanting to tempt fate though, I don't want a real injury!!

If you would like to sample our island delights, come and see us sometime! Especially as our Bed & Breakfast is open all the year round! During the winter months, the Calmac ferry timetable changes, but with the introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) it is reported that there will be a 35% reduction in fares from October. But, you mustn't forget, you can always make a flying visit with Hebridean Air Services, a must for any discerning traveller.
Hope to see you very soon...

What a difference a day makes...

What a difference a day makes...

Yesterday was one of those fun packed days... Let’s see just how much we can do in 24 hours. 

Kapitein was up early as usual and busy in the inner sanctum. The weather was good so he said that if I was a good girl he would take me on the high seas to do a spot of fishing and give me a chance to test the new boat rod he got for my birthday - just what every girl wants...

Sandwiches prepared and off down to the harbour, via Mike's Megastore  to get some provisions for the weekend and get petrol too, which on this wee island is just under £1.70 a litre.

A few nautical adjustments here and there and we set off. The conditions were good, bright sunshine and a wee bit of a wind. Kapitein was at the helm and with me as his first mate, perched in the bow and awestruck as usual with the view of the Paps on Jura in the distance, we set a course for a good fishing mark just off Oransay and cruised south at a steady 20 knots.

Two minutes after arriving at Kapitein’s secret mark Kapitein landed a Saithe, then another, then another and yet another... I dropped my line into the water, nipping my knees around the pole, just in case it slipped my grasp and hey ho, I caught a 2lb Saithe too. The Mackerel eluded us on this trip but the joys of being at sea are fantastic. The seaways were very busy today, including the boat from Clearance House with a convoy of smaller boats in tow - a veritable flotilla. The thought did pass my mind that they may have GG on board and be setting a course for Nova Scotia or thereabouts but a quick check of the boat’s load line revealed no excess ballast on board. So that was a relief.
Time was pressing on and I had an appointment to keep with Eskie at the Village Hall. A high speed return to the Capital and Kapitein dropped me at the slip. I made it just in time.

Eskie was sitting with GG and the ‘Lovely Ladies’ enjoying a cuppa and some homemade cakes. Stalls with produce, second hand books and novelty gifts were set out.

We were rather distracted by an ingenious product, a definite purchase for us. See below modelled by Eskie. GG was also pictured wearing one but unfortunately the picture won't upload - you lucky readers!Technology knows no bounds here on Colonsay, surely a must for everyone. Not quite user friendly but can be used to make any mobile device hands-free, even a Laptop I suspect...

Kapitein joined us a wee while later as others came and sat with us. The conversation led to a discussion about our new island air freight service. There is great interest in this facility; medical provisions can be flown in and out. And what a bonus, inbound Chinese and Indian food for all of us with a hankering for all things normal, the same as our friends on the mainland.

Back to the homestead, with aching sides from all the frivolities. We took Sampster and Wolfie out for a walk and then it was back to the knitting up the new design of Wrist Warmers. (I must watch out for Freudian slips with this). This is the first of many products in readiness for selling. If I must say, they are rather perfect, yet they don’t quite resemble Willy Warmers just yet, something I must work on to satiate the needs of Kapitein.

As the evening progressed Kapitein decided we should attend the Ceilidh in aid of the CCDC – the community development company.

And what a night that was... Lots of dancing and even Kapitein was up strutting his stuff in the Orkadian Strip the Willow. GG is a true mover and shaker in the St. Bernard’s Waltz and Danger Mouse, the lonely shepherd, was really shaking his booty in the Dashing White Sergeant with Kapitein and I.  The music was absolutely wonderful as usual, with songs from Caitlin, Seamus and many others, including a great tune and song by a man from Sweden holidaying here.

Strange but true, Diogenes kept going in and out of the hall, apparently needing lots of fresh air!! I wonder what exactly he was doing whilst alone in the dark. I do hope he wasn’t true to the name...

Duck Man didn’t waver under pressure for a dance, but he will keep till another night when I WILL have a dance with him...

Kapitein was attracting attention tonight. His rugged good looks were under scrutiny from a rather well rounded woman but to her dismay he didn’t take the bait... After all, he already has a First Mate and there's only room for one to stoke his boiler...

Today, Sunday, was a day for getting up late (after going to bed very, very late). It was a peaceful day, including a lovely walk along The Strand with Sampster and Wolfie. Then back for a late lunch, a few domestics and packing in preparation for my journey to the mainland and into the unknown.

As already reported, I will be saying goodbye to a very dear friend ttomorrow and the day after that the Doctors have recalled me for an anomaly in my precious boobs, of which, I have to say, the Kapitein is rather fond. They say I have to make myself available for a full week, just in case. That week in the unknown is standing before me as I now make my way down to the ferry to depart these beautiful shores.

Kapitein has undertaken a thorough investigation and has been unable to ascertain any anomalies, however, if the worst does come to the worst, he said he would leave the island - the first time in over a year - and visit me and the doctors because he reckons he has some very good re-design ideas. He's such a wonderful Kapitein.

Shall keep you posted...