Ganseys. Kapitein, Danger Mouse and Gavalus Gavalar...

Goodness me!! Where to begin!!
Poor Kapitein has been a wee bit neglected of late. I have been so busy here at the Homestead, I think I saw him the other day, well, I think it was him busying away in the inner sanctum. His beard and other things are nearly down to his knees it's been so long... 
I decided to check out the sheep shearing equipment, ahead of this years annual clip,  so I dragged him out and set about the task of shearing Kapitein, with very good results apart from the nose hair which is very very difficult given the size of the comb on the shearer. Kapitein isn't like a Hebridean sheep (which fights to it's last breath) he is more compliant, though not entirely. Despite the look of terror in his eyes, a couple of elastoplasts later and the nose hair had been successfully trimmed to an acceptable length, this allows him to appear in public again without frightening any of the tourists that have now descended on the island.

Kapitein has also resumed scraping 'barnacles' off his bottom - it is amazing what he is inspired to do when the sun shines! He needed industrial machinery this time as tentative scratching at his bottom had little effect.  He did change his appearance somewhat whilst he worked, sporting a nice shade of royal blue on his bonce! - this was just in case anyone recognised him, as it isn't every day you see folk scraping their bottom with a sander now is it!! Then to my amazement, he started polishing his sides, buffing so furiously his arms ached, I've never seen someone buff with such vigour. I tempted him in for some sustenance - after his complexion became a deep red, then had the onerous task of encouraging him to remove his hair dye, it took more than a little gentle persuasion, I can tell you as I think he quite liked it. But with the offer of tripping the light fantastic at the Ceilidh later in the evening, thank goodness, he gave in. Kapitein did do some dancing at the Ceilidh.
The Ceilidh raised in excess of £400.00 for the Marie Curie Cancer Care fund. Well done to Hollie for organising things.    

I have been off island to catch up with all things 'mainland'  but, latterly  when I go off, the ferry seems to be cancelled when I am due to return- the occasional high winds of over 50 knots does hamper berthing here on Colonsay. (No! I'm not the jinx - honest!) However, my last trip, I had to make alternative arrangements to get back home - namely flying back on the Saturday morning Scholar flight. I did bring with me a very special person. She informed me she was a nervous flyer, and with winds of over 30 knots, I was a little apprehensive to say the least as to how she would cope with the wee bumps you can experience whilst flying. However, all of her fears - and mine, were allayed as Hebridean Air Services pilot, Alan - the veteran boy racer of the flying world, brought us safely to Colonsay unfettered. A fantastic flying experience, especially as we flew over Balnahard and Kiloran Bay, before a flawless landing. It never ceases to amaze me how our wonderful pilots, Julie, Sebastian and Alan make one feel so safe. Its well worth coming to Colonsay, just to fly here.

Anyway, I digress.
Pretty Miranda came to knit the Colonsay Gansey. And knit she did... She also is just as enthralled with our wonderful wee island as we are, including meeting the sheep (who did the honours of allowing her up close and personal on several occasions) The Big Fella, was extremely taken with Pretty Miranda, I think we could have spent hours preening and stroking the sheep. But, we had knitting to do. 
Pretty Miranda was also introduced to 'May's Sugary Wonders and Gavalus Gavalar's fine coffee - with a wee spot of lunch too. The Pantry is a wonderful place where everyone makes visitors to our island feel SO welcome.
It was a pleasure teaching Pretty Miranda - we mused over tales of 'Call the Midwife' amongst all things 5 needles and motifs. And we munched our way through a veritable profusion of goodies.
Her journey home, to Cumbria was better than expected, as she travelled through tunnels of snow to arrive home safe and well...  We look forward to seeing completed, her traditionally knitted Colonsay Gansey in the near future (no pressure there then!) 

Kapitein and I have been in regular contact with Danger Mouse the Lonely Shepherd, who is currently on a major mission in Kintyre, tending to sheep, cows and all things agricultural. With the recent snow storms, he reported that the drifts were in excess of 60ft! He was without power for 5 days and informed us he was heating his remaining tin of beans on the dying embers of his last log, washed down with the last dregs of his home brew.
As the snow fell, the following morning, Danger Mouse opened his back door to find a huge drift! Not a good sign, and with 420 sheep out on the hill this was a worrying time.
The last we heard, only 71 sheep had been found alive and with lambing due to start, this will have a major impact for the foreseeable future. 
Like everyone else in Kintyre, Arran and the surrounding area, the snow brought havoc to their daily lives. Local stores and even Tesco had run out of food! 
So we do hope that Danger Mouse will be ok. We will keep you posted...


The Pantry had a very, very special, high speed delivery this week.
Gavalus Gavalar has been inspired, and started the 'Fresh Fish Wednesday'. With delightful hand cut chips. But oh dear, there was a misshap!
The fresh fish was delivered to the courier, but someone, somewhere, forgot to put it on the boat! With 36 hungry mouths to feed, what was to do! Well, the courier decided to charter a rib from Coastal Connection and the fresh fish was duly delivered to the Pantry and Gavalus Gavalar was able to deliver his much sought after fresh fish on time. Now that's what I call service. 
Gavalus Gavalar has also 'refined' his menu.  Kapitein and I decided to have a take-away. I was offered battered local Langoustine rather than scampi. I couldn't stop salivating, before, during and after this wonderful meal - topped off with hand cut chips and wonderful home made coleslaw... Mmnn, delicious. Well done Gavalus, this is a 'must have' for all those discerning diners currently here on Colonsay.

And there’s more...

We have had another busy week, but not without its ups and downs...

It was the Regatta last Saturday. Splendid weather, just perfect for messing about on the water. Kapitein was raring to go... until... Where were the boat keys? We retraced our steps from our last outing, searched washing machines, the drying green, cars and even considered filleting the dogs but all to no avail... they had just disappeared into thin air. Kapitein had been asked to provide one of the safety boats for the sailing race, so had to go aboard another vessel whilst I continued to turn the house upside-down. Nothing and no sign of the keys anywhere. Kapitein returned, forlorn and pet-lipped!

We returned to the harbour later in the afternoon, via the Pantry to sample one of Gavalus Gavalar’s famous burgers, mmnnn... delicious, miles better than Maccy Dee’s anyday.

The harbour was full of little people (children) and women dressed as men, with beards and moustaches!!  Pirate’s flags and bunting abounded as we watched the teams participate in kayaking and swimming races. The piece de resistance was the long awaited raft race. It never ceases to amaze me how innovative people can be when constructing something that, if truth be known, will never float for very long. Two islanders won a prize for most promising craft and a well deserved accolade I am sure.

On our return to the Homestead, Kapitein decided to set about investigating new keys for the boat. We had long surpassed ‘hot wiring’ as an option, since he duly noted that it would start but may not stop when we most needed it. He finally sourced a firm of chandlers in Norfolk who could probably help. We would have to wait until Monday at 08:30 am to confirm they had spare keys. Sure enough, after several dissections of throttle cables, etc. to get the info, the chandlers had the correct keys and they were dispatched to Connel Airport in Oban that day in order to catch the flight to Colonsay on Tuesday afternoon, along with a meat order for an island customer from Jackson’s the Butcher in Oban as well as our special treat, namely 1kg of prime fillet steak. Fresh meat isn’t often available on our wee island, unless it’s our own lamb, so it was a real delight, especially as Kapitein’s culinary skills are just superb...

So, what to do with ourselves that evening? The Ceilidh of course. Just what was needed to lift our spirits. This particular Ceilidh was in aid of the Village Hall and the RNLI and also as a celebration of two Golden wedding anniversaries, two sisters who had married two brothers, so that’s 100 years of wedded bliss between them. Many, many congratulations to both couples.

There is a particular dance that is performed as couples, at a very, very quick tempo. ‘The Bullet’, otherwise known as Twinkle Toes when he’s on the dance floor is a brilliant dancer, and I for one get great pleasure in watching him. He’s is so light on his feet. Accomplished female dancers know they are in for the dance of their lives if he chooses them. It was also interesting to note that he has finally managed to get girlfriend Twin Peaks onto the dance floor and she is now learning the intricacies of this dance... We can’t wait to see them in action.  The rest of us need the assistance of our very own dance expert the Dancing Queen just to refresh our memories from those childhood dancing lessons. So please Dancing Queen, help us trip the light fandango before the winter sets in!!

While I was away and since my return...

Whilst I was away, Kapitein looked after all things ‘Homestead’. Although I do have a sneaking suspicion he quite likes the peace and tranquillity my mainland visits afford him. He does assure me that I am quite a quiet soul... I know, all of you out there who know me will be belly laughing right now... Quiet, I don’t think so, I hear you say...

A frantic call had come into the Homestead from GG, which was duly answered by Kapitein. The Pantry had been exceptionally busy with visitors from Islay, not just satisfied with May’s Sugary Wonders, but also gorging themselves on chips. Consequently GG had run out of chips and because no potatoes are grown commercially on the island (nor any other crops due to an unfortunate change in farming practices) he had no choice but to request an urgent shipment to be flown in which consisted of 3 boxes of frozen chips, each containing 8 bags of which just 24 hours later only one and a half bags were remaining.

The Homestead is being spruced up by decorator extraordinaire Basil The Brush, who also goes under the name of Fireman Sam depending on whether he has a brush or a hose in his hand at the time, however, other names have been suggested, as apparently on occasions he does have other implements in his hands – a true multi-tasker.. Unfortunately for Basil, the weather has been very good in recent days; the sunshine has been playing havoc with his exposed areas. He has been forced to wear a pair of Gucci sunglasses and a charming beanie hat as he proceeds along the eves and soffits.

Kapitein has been looking after the vegetable patch and weeding the flower beds and had Sampster and Wolfie on long walks whilst I dealt with the trials and tribulations on the mainland.

Unfortunately for Kapitein the horseflies that had been affecting old Ziggy, in the field over the fence, had decided to launch several attacks on the Kapitein whilst he was gardening. Because Kapitein had omitted to lubricate himself in Skin so Soft, he had little chance in fighting off the onslaught. Consequently, upon my return, I discovered a somewhat swollen and hot Kapitein – and not for the reasons I had expected.

Kapitein was not particularly happy as a result of this. The day after I returned, which was a particularly hot and humid day, we decided to walk the dogs, with Kapitein sweating under his zipped up fleece to keep the beasties at bay. Unfortunately for him another horsefly decided to bite him on the only exposed part of his body, the end of his finger, resulting in an even worse reaction and forcing him the day after, to sit with raised arm and icepack in order to bring down his extremely swollen right hand. Ho Hum, this could have had a major impact on all things ‘male’ however all now seems to be on the mend. Kapitein does so prefer to be out on the high seas on such days, rather that fighting off the world-amous Colonsay beasties.

Another shipment has gone off via air freight, consisting of several cones of wool and a set of sheep shears – which broke down after shearing forty five and a half sheep, however we were able to save the situation with a little help from Danger Mouse, the lonely shepherd.

We have also heard rumours of yet another exodus from one of Clearance House establishments, namely the ‘un local’ Hotel. This time it was the chef, closely following on the heels of D’Arlene who has decided to try life on the mainland after 4 years here.  Prior to her leaving, her bubbly effervescence had been tested to the full, with a leaving party that commenced on the Wednesday and only ended, seemingly, though not confirmed, as she boarded the Sunday evening ferry bound for Oban.

It would appear there is difficulty in retaining good staff for some reason, however we wish them all well...

We had the privilege of watching 72 participants in the Fun Run in aid of the Colonsay Medical fund the other day and they still had energy left to attend the Ceilidh. The fund has surpassed its target... Well done to all who participated. It appears we may soon be able to adopt the examination position in comfort down at the surgery once the new device arrives.  

Gavalus Gavalar has been very busy at the Pantry. He organised a Colonsay Food Night, with offerings such as Colonsay Lamb stew (with our very own Hebridean lamb), Oysters, Colonsay Beef and freshly caught Mackerel plus many more delights. What a resounding success and a big hope that he will repeat this regularly in the very near future.  

And a good night was had by all...

We had visitors to the homestead this afternoon. Mack-the-finger and Pedie popped in for a chat about our air freight project. It was nice to discuss future plans for the project – especially when we can ship outbound and inbound freight consignments of just about anything. Discussed were some of the possible options such as kegs of beer and Chinese and Indian takeaways, amongst others. Pedie Popped-in began to salivate. All good stuff and hopefully we can work together to make this happen.

This evening Kapitein succumbed to the hunter-gather instinct and ordered our dinner from the Pantry. Unfortunately, Kapitein was disappointed as the 2 baked potatoes he had ordered were mysteriously transformed into chips, between picking them up and getting back to the homestead. He does have a penchant for baked potatoes, after years of eating ships biscuits whilst on the high seas. However, he did report that May’s doughnuts looked good enough to eat... apparently he was tempted but decided against it, safe in the knowledge that he would be having his two baked potatoes when he got back to the homestead. No doubt he will be having words with the proprietor, Gavalus Gavalar, for this unusual lapse in service and quality control. This could be due to GG’s lack of concentration following his secret mission to the mainland last weekend. Whatever happened, it appears to have totally confused GG and has left a lasting impression on the young lad. Incidentally I had seen GG on Monday evening at the tourism meeting, wearing his fireman’s uniform. He certainly looked dapper, despite the buttons being a little stretched but that's because GG is unable to resist nibbling at May’s sugary wonders.

Anyway, back to this evening and Kapitein also returned with the news from GG that Clarence  Clearance House had hired the Pantry marquee for a party, a party fit for a laird and certainly not any of the lesser mortals as can be found in these parts. Unfortunately, upon it being returned – just in time for it to be put up again by GG for the shindig last night, it was found to have been badly damaged. GG and pals had to make some hasty and unexpected repairs to accommodate the crowds attending the night of jazz and blues music at the Pantry that evening. All was ultimately sorted and the evening was a resounding success. Well done GG. A good night was had by all...... but I do hope we will see GG again after his visit to Clearance House to seek recompense and not find out that he has been relocated to Canada. Surely not.

The evening sun is still high and the weather is balmy this night but clouds are gathering beyond the horizon and, alas, departure to the mainland awaits me. This unwelcome storm will arrive on Sunday, when I shall have to leave these shores and take a journey into the unknown and to say Adieu and Tot Ziens to a very dear friend. But tonight is calm and beautiful and that is the most important thing right now.

A lovely sunny morning...

Up, not quite with the starlings this morning. Why is it, we don't go to bed the same day we got up? I think this may be a family trait, or is it because we just don't want to miss a moment on our Island at the Edge?
The sun is shining, with little wind - what a wonderful day...

Was very, very busy last night getting the design work done for some new knitted products, a pair of wrist warmers, the pattern taken from traditional Gansey designs. The Kapitein was intrigued, wondering if he could have a 'single' gauntlet as a willy warmer for Christmas! I did explain I would have to alter the design somewhat to make it slightly smaller, a few nip and tucks here and there - he was not amused. Albeit, it would match his crochet underpants that I have made from course Hebridean wool as a surprise gift.  He even tried his hand at knitting the odd stitch or two, dropping loops, with a willy warmer in mind... I think the Kapitein should stick to all things nautical from now on, but we may have him a knitter soon me thinks, if he can be prised away from the helm. 

Doing some household chores, I came across a painting, produced by Peggy Sue, of a 10 legged and 3 headed sheep, very colourful, but I am not sure if the 'public' are ready to see an exhibition of her art work just yet! So best she is kept a secret, yet, I ask myself, what on earth will she produce on her next visit.

Gavalus Gavalar had live music on at the Pantry last night, will pop down later after taking Sampster and Wolfie out for their morning constitutional, as the need for a Banana Milkshake and home made cake is overwhelming, so will hear all about it no doubt.

The dogs have become very vocal and the Kapitein is champing at the bit to be outside so off for the morning commute before work - listing forward orders of our superb Hebridean Lamb in preparation for the next Islay trip.