A Jura Journal

Waking Up in San Francisco

2008-02-27T07:46:00.004Z

I was just falling asleep last night when I was woken up with a jolt. It felt like someone pushing the bed really hard, or something falling, but with no sound. An inaudible thud. Then all the coathangers in the wardrobe started to rattle along with the bottles on the dressing table. Then stopped. Extremely weird sensation. The cat leapt into the air and off the bed (an audible thud this time). I got up and crept about, having visions of REALLY LARGE burglars, before accepting the reality that I had just experienced an earthquake. In rural England. Waited a while for aftershock and opening credits of full disaster movie, and then climbed back into bed. Not under it. Did consider sleeping in the wardrobe just in case, but realized it would not be particularly good protection against a whole upper floor of falling bricks. Cat hid somewhere. Traitor. I have just checked on the news, and apparently it was a 5.2 with an epicentre in Lincolnshire (about 50 miles away). How exciting, and also a reminder that stuff can come from anywhere at any time.
And that God will never let me down.
'God is our strength and refuge, our help in trouble, so we will not fear, even if the earth shakes..
Slept like a log. Now for strong tea. I am off to test drive a new (to me) car later this morning. Will post picture.
Note to British readers, I have a secret yen to be 'Stigette' on Top Gear. Except for the tight fitting white leathers.
Pink is more my style.

Textile Tuesday

2008-02-26T10:27:00.002Z

When I looked at the counter map yesterday, I realised that people have been visiting even though I have not been blogging. I need to be more disciplined about writing as well as reading blogs! And I thought that a forum / challenge might be quite fun. And it is Tuesday. And I love textiles. And alliteration. So TEXTILE TUESDAY is born. For today, post your favourite Textile Tip. In future I will ask you for museum, technique and so on. Feel free to suggest other categories for this challenge. Welcome to Textile Tuesday

Paris Photos

2008-02-26T09:27:00.007Z

I probably should warn you that I do not photograph the things that normal people do on the whole. This is a small belvedere on a bluff in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, a scenic park created from an old quarry. It was rather chilly, but the view took in Sacre Coeur to the south. The railings and such looked like rustic wood, but were made from sculpted concrete.

This is a well gargoyle in the courtyard of the Musee de Cluny, where the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries are displayed.
and this is a detail from another mediaeval tapestry, the folds of a gown.
And finally, for now at least, a beautiful piece of abstract art:

Actually it is part of the wall at George V station on the metro. I saw it from the train as I went through, and got off on the return journey to take photos. Strange looks from people on platform, but I am getting used to it.

I Love Paris in the Springtime

2008-02-25T16:40:00.002Z

Oh I do. Have just returned from a five day, textile filled trip. Highlights include the Lacroix exhibition, Gobelins tapestries and the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries at the Cluny Museum. Also to a trade fair. Have sore feet, and swear that am 2 inches shorter than used to be. Boost to ego as was chatted up by Frenchman. Needed the boost I can tell you! Have just realized that cannot post images as they need to be downloaded from camera. Await with bated breath dear reader.

Web Weirdness

2007-11-04T12:04:00.000Z

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Milady the Right Reverend Louise the Potential of New Invention
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

How apposite is this? I need a tiara. One like Cate Blanchett was wearing in 'Elizabeth - The Golden Age' which I saw last night. Interesting film, if a bit LOTR towards the end. And geographically rather off. Loud guffaws from The Man and I as a Scottish castle (Urquart on Loch Ness, I think, with mountains) was captioned as Fotheringhay (which is in England, by a river, nearest mountain 200 miles away!) The joys of artistic licence. Great costumes tho', and Clive Owen can bring me potatoes anytime...

Alarums and Excursions

2007-10-17T15:53:00.000Z

On my way to Uni this morning, via the shortest possible route through the Crown Court grounds and I came face to face with two armed (to the teeth) policemen. Noticed another five round the corner, lurking furtively (which I suppose is what they are supposed to do!). Quickened my pace because I was pulling my new shopping trolley (Warhol's Marilyn 18 inches diameter on the front) ( or is it the back?) and I did not want to be mistaken for a well-disguised terrorist. Would a terrorist pull a Marolyn Monroe trolley as good cover? Would it carry the weight of semtex? These are the questions that I need Horatio to answer. Was particularly keen not to be searched, as said trolley contained a pair of clogs and a skull. For drawing practice. Called The Man when I arrived in the Gateway Studio and asked him to use his contacts in the underworld / legal profession to find out which trial was being protected so heavily. No sooner had I arrived, than the fire alarm went off. Troop downstairs, wait in cold, troop back upstairs again, thank lucky stars am on second and not seventh floor. Went to CAD class in neighbouring building, two hours later set off back to studio, to find occupants of Gateway strewn all over the road. Second fire alarm, but this time not a drill. Allowed back in, so collected Marilyn, left the skull, and headed back to the station. Only two armed officers visible this time, though did detect some rustling in the bushes. "If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now" may be OK for Led Zep, but these are different times. Decided to be brave and asked one of them what they were guarding so assiduously. He told me the court number, but not the case, and said it would all be in the Leicester Mercury soon enough. I then felt emboldened to ask about his machine gun. A Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle apparently. Scary looking piece of kit. I have never been that close to a 'modern' weapon. Did not ask to take his picture. The Boy has borrowed my camera for his history trip to Germany / Poland. Probably wouldn't have asked anyway!

"She got legs, and she knows how to use 'em"

2007-10-08T08:27:00.001Z

Saturday was truly a frabjous day! England won, and I got my legs. The two events almost coincided, as I was in IKEA when The Man sent the text to tell me the rugby news. I almost wished I had stayed to watch, but had been so sure of an Aussie thrashfest that I did not dare. Oh me of little faith. Had large (and rather loony) grin on face for the remainder of my trip round Swedish designerland, Birmingham. Rather out of kilter with all the other shoppers. And I was travelling counter to the crowds.
And did not care.
Best of all, I put the legs together yesterday afternoon, so have a slanting worktable like a real designer .
So, as promised, dear reader, some photos of my new studio. The only problem is that I no longer have any excuse for not doing some work. I have a list for today:
Oil Monoprint
Ink and Wash drawing
Stitch draw
Photocollage and stitch
Background collage
Make bread (for harvest supper, not project)

Has anyone else noticed that the posting time on blog posts bears no relation to any temporal time zone, Greenwich or otherwise? Either Google time exists in a parallel universe, or all their clocks are wrong.

Knock-Kneed-Kn***ered-Old-Nose-Bags

2007-10-06T11:56:00.000Z

This phrase (from a 70s sit-com) sums me up perfectly! I have just finished the first week back at Uni, and am so tired!! I slept until 11.00 today (after The Man got up and went to Men's breakfast / walk at 7) I wore my funky boots on Tuesday and they gave me blisters, which made me walk strangely for the rest of the week whatever footwear I adopted. I realised, even in my dopey state that the wearing of slippers, although uber-comfy, might cause alarm and despondency among my fellow travellers / students / passers by / CIA satellites. We are going to be so busy this year, my head hurts already. But the new second years seem cool, and the old third years were as pleased to see me as I was to see them. I had become a bit of a recluse in the last months, apart from when good friends dragged me out by the hair, so it will be good to be resocialized. If I can strike a balance between comfort and 'not actually hideous' to quote Antique Mommy. I am one of those too. Although The Boy looks more like The Man than the cute darling he used to be, the one who designed the cartoon above.
The Man has just returned from cooked breakfast and energetic walk, and I am still in my PJs. Shock! Horror! He is getting me more tea. And lunch by the sound of it. He is a star.
It is England v Australia this afternoon. Too stressful. I shall go to IKEA and buy new legs.
Not for me. For the worktable in the studio. So I can work standing up instead of lying down. And then post photos of the finished studio.
It will happen.
I promise.

Random Treasure

2007-09-24T07:13:00.000Z

You must watch this all through!

Thanks Linds!

Line Out, Run and Scrum Down!

2007-09-23T14:56:00.000Z

Some pictures from the match. It was a really good one, and ended in a 7:7 draw. a try and a conversion each. The Boy was in white shorts, having lost his blue ones. The Man remarked on the cleanliness of his boots, and we realized that clean=new that morning. I did not shriek on the touchline (unlike some!!!) and we all went for hot choc afterwards. Good Day.

Huge Mouthfuls

2007-09-21T10:14:00.000Z

I was going to post a photo of the most delicious doughnut ever, but, alas gentle reader, I ate it. You do not need to see a photo of the empty bag, it might incite terrible feelings of jealousy and rage. My dear friend introduced me to Krispy Kreme yesterday; actually it was the first time for both of us, she was acting on information received from her daughter. Daughter was not wrong! It was an Apple Crumble Dessert Donut, and it was heaven in a bag. I meant to only eat half, and donate the second half to The Man, but I ate it all, and I AM NOT ASHAMED. He did have one of his own; and a bag of fudge; and a banana. At least I only had one donut. I have been up and down the ladder 10 times already as penance. And will only eat yoghurt today.
We are going to see The Boy play rugby at Rugby tomorrow. On 'The Close' where the game began. ' "Oh frabjous day, calloo, callay" she chortled in her joy'. About seeing The Boy, not the rugby!!!

Big Mouthfuls

2007-09-19T17:28:00.000Z

Despite mega help from friend and son-of-friend, S2B still seems a long way from finished. I fear that I have bitten off more than I can chew in the time available. Disappointment on the work table front because I*** had the table top but not the legs (and the ones I hoped would do instead WON'T, snarl), so I won't have a table to work at until next week at the earliest. And there are boxes everywhere. I have a shameful amount of stuff. I have made about forty trips up and down the ladder, more or less laden, so my thigh muscles (adductors, abductors?) are sore. Will I become Miss Universe in time? The upshot is that there is a long way to go, and I feel very bad about the times I spent watching CSI instead of wielding a screwdriver to assemble drawers, or painting, or stitching, or drawing. College starts back on Oct 1st and THERE IS STILL NO SKETCHBOOK.
So I have posted a cheering picture. Because one thing I have learnt in the last turbulent year is that worrying about little things is simply too much effort, not to mention utterly pointless. What is important is to raise ones eyes from the problem and look at the good things that surround one. Like freesias. And sunsets. And lovely pebbles. And doughnuts. Only to look at of course!

Words from my Father

2007-09-14T13:18:00.000Z

Discumknockerpooperated = tired
Discumknockershatterpooperated = extremely tired
I am somewhere between the two after marathon paint session. Now have to remove paint from hands before heading to a manicure. Am I bonkers? This made me laugh....

It's Friday and the Studio is still not finished

2007-09-14T09:04:00.000Z

The picture is an early evening shot across the bay. You do not want to see another photo of S2B. As a shortcut, just look at the earlier pictures of S2B and mentally move everything a foot to the left. And add white to the locker. This is as far as I have got. I do not know where the time goes! I start back on Oct 1st, and I should have an A3 sketchbook full of work (a pristine empty one will not cut it). I cannot concentrate on that sort of work while everything in the workspace is umptydoodleum (one of my Dad's fantastic made up words). I have now acquired a laundry hamper to store fabrics in (which entailed drive to Essex, so that's one day accounted for) and some new paints and yummy papers. I am determined not to use the kitchen any more (scrubbing acrylic paint off Corian worktops is a stinker) so today is the day I finish painting the furniture and tomorrow we move stuff. The Man has promised to assist between rugby matches. If he is not in the depths of grief. England play South Africa tonight. Oh dear. They may hold the championship but they are not playing well. I do not know much, but I am told so. I only watch bits of matches since the time I had to be physically restrained from getting on a plane to give the team 'what for' after a spectacularly bad performance. It is too stressful and brings out the worst in me. I may get the chance to see The Boy in action soon as he has been in trials for one of the school teams, he scored a try, so may be selected for U16 squad. He is not the sportiest of individuals so is a real achievement. His school is where the game was invented, but they do not always win. Which is healthy. What a long post, and about a subject that was not where I started. I shall go and paint (white) but chant the names of lovely paints for inspiration. Quinacridone Crimson; Nickel Azo Gold; Interference Red; Transparent Iron Oxide; Burnt Umber. And my very favourite. Viridian. Viridian. Viridian.
Go for it Green Girl.

re: No. 8 on the gratitude list

2007-09-12T08:58:00.000Z

You’re my servant, serving on my side.
I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.
Don’t panic. I’m with you.
There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

Isaiah 41:9-10 The Message
(The painting '41910' is one of mine. Please do not copy without permission.)

Gratitude

2007-09-11T09:01:00.000Z

My dear friend Linds has alerted me to the Morning Glory / Lei / Woman to Woman 'challenge' to find 11 reasons for gratitude, so here goes.
1. Salvation - God loves me, Jesus died for me, the Holy Spirit lives in me. Woohoo!
2. I am alive and well.
3. September 11th is primarily my mum's birthday.
4. I have a gorgeous and wonderful son: 'the best boy in the world'.
5. The sun is shining.
6. I have a home and enough to eat.
7. I have some fiercely loyal and wonderful friends.
8. I am safe in God's hands
9. I am loved.
10. There is always hope.
11. I am learning to enjoy being me.

The Foolishness of God

2007-09-10T08:47:00.000Z

Just a quick post to share this fantastic song with you. Saw it on Songs of Praise last night. Sung in front of the Graham Sutherland tapestry in Coventry Cathedral. Then found this video interpretation on youtube. Hope the link works. The song is 'A Crucified Man' by Graham Kendrick. Goosebumps. And the urge to dance. Not in public. Yet.

A Dyeing Fall

2007-09-06T12:08:00.000Z

Sorry for the dreadful pun. Some lovely new yarn arrived yesterday. Really fine (28/2) worsted and 20/2 cotton / linen mix. About 3000 metres of each. Joy and jubilation. Now I can dye and make my own colour blends of multiple strands. Should be able to get some lovely effects that way. I tidied up the dyeing room (aka The Scullery) yesterday too, so I KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS. Have a bid in on ebay for a yummy laundry hamper, so am about to tie my head up in a duster like Miss Moppet in the Beatrix Potter book and go paint that table. And the window frame. And the old Police locker which you can just see on the RHS of the photo of S2B. No supper for The Man tonight. Took some work to an exhibition last night. Hoping for sales and good feedback. And The Boy is fine. So am I.

O Me Miserum

2007-09-04T12:13:00.000Z

The Boy goes back to school today (not by camel), so we are sewing name labels. We? I mean me! We (and I do mean we) made a chocolate cake for his tuck box, to go with the pile of sweeties.... He is sorting stuff to take back. We usually manage to fill the LandRover. Last summer break up we had three of us and all his stuff in Mum's little car. Tight Fit!!! I shall miss him like crazy.

TANFA's Log Supplemental

2007-09-03T09:21:00.000Z

Does this happen to you too? I was in church yesterday, listening to the bible reading, and an idea for a whole piece just dropped in to my head. Before that, I had some moments of complete clarity as to how to overcome blockages on another couple of ideas. Whoo! Perhaps I need to start taking a sketchbook to worship. Perhaps God is trying to tell me something about future direction? If you don't know about TANFA, look at my website annlouisemorris.com

S2B (or not 2B)

2007-09-03T09:06:00.000Z

Two views of the studio to be. You will observe, gentle reader, that there is much to be moved out (or down, as it is a loft space). Drum kit (Boy's, not mine - he is going to have my former sewing room as a drum space), assorted crates (Church stuff), sailing stuff and redundant games items. The floor and ceiling are good (thanks Dad) and Dad is also going to build a 'companionway' ladder to replace the metal loft one. He is a star. But I will have to move stuff to other places and into the new studio in time. First I have to clear the lower garage as a staging post. All this explains the 'not to be' of the title because I need to do some 'real' work (i.e. design stuff for uni / commissions / projects) and ought not to be distracted by rooms for too long. Plus, you should see the cobwebs that are hanging round the house.... There was a HUGE spider in the utility sink yesterday. I could see it was so, EVEN WITHOUT MY GLASSES. I think the Pterodactyl must have sent it. Maybe I will go and make a mug of tea....

The Road to Emmaus

2007-09-01T13:31:00.000Z

Having decided (sorry Linds!) to go for the eclectic white look and lain awake until 2.30 thinking about where to start, the Man and I went to 'Emmaus' to look for stuff (and to take some excess stuff too, oh Good Girl). It is a great source of vintage stuff and I remembered seeing a formica topped 50's table when I visited last. And they do great cake. No 50's table but did find a solid wood one (see pic) and some vintage rose fabric (see other pic). The table is really sturdy and will do for 'messy play' in the short term, and (when painted) as a sewing machine table. I think I need to take some photos of the S2B (studio to be) so that you, gentle reader, can spur me on in my efforts....

A Dilemma or Three

2007-08-31T12:42:00.000Z

The picture is of 'Teasels' a small Tapestry / Embroidery hanging which is going in to the show next weekend
1. Having started this up again, I realise that A Jura Journal is not coming from Jura! Should I start a new 'Barton Blog' and swap between the two?
2. Having made the decision to convert the garage loft into a proper studio raises more decisions. Go retro / reclaimed and paint everything white? Have proper custom shelves etc? Other people's studios ( I have a fab book) look great all retro, but mine might look a hotch-potch... Is it too anal to want things to match and to have a place custom made for everything? Free standing stuff is more flexible and better if we do move to the island within the next few years...
3. How much stuff should I get rid of? I am a terrible hoarder on the principle that 'It might be useful/ I might need it again one day. Should I be ruthless? all the dressmaking stuff could go, but what if.....
All this is just putting off some real design work..... And making an anniversary card for Man..... And doing post-holiday washing

Promised Photos 3

2007-08-31T12:32:00.000Z

Boy paddling across Lowlandman's Bay; Boy and Man idling on a tropical beach!

Promised Photos 2

2007-08-31T12:26:00.001Z

Two more from the stash; 'our' lighthouse (Skervuile) and me in the canoe last summer having moored the rib after the first voyage.

Promised Photos 1

2007-08-31T08:22:00.000Z

These show The Man creating a Pterodactyl trap, and the intrepid canoe "Better Drowned" whose name is not macabre if you have read Swallows and Amazons....
The third is of Boy and Man trying to fix the boat steering.

Trains and Boats and Planes

2007-08-30T16:40:00.000Z

Shockingly long time since last blog - apologies to those of you who have gone purple with bated breath! Returned yesterday from a very short summer visit to Jura. Frustratingly so, because there was so much that we wanted to achieve and failed to. Intention was to fix the '3Bs' - Boat, Broadband and Boiler. We succeeded on the Boiler (or at least the lovely plumber from Islay did) so had heating again by the end of the week. And an unblocked chimney. To see two men skipping up the crow step gables three storeys up was quite something. Found a pterodactyl nest blocking the chimney, making the boiler go out. Looked big enough for a pterodactyl anyway! Failed on the Broadband (apparently you have to capture a BT engineer and hold him to ransom until the office in India agree to send him(?!) and then they twiggle some wires and hey presto. Ha! I say again HA! We need broadband so that James can work up there and therefore be there more. But until we are there more we cannot capture Broadband Bill. Talk about Catch 22. Perhaps we should tame the pterodactyl? Dial up also beastly slow (ironically I think because so many people have got broadband now, the dial up line has slowed to a crawl) Could paint pictures faster than can download 'em. The Boat is the biggest worry 'cos the steering has seized completely. We have had to leave it with Colin to lift the engine off and free the bar. No use from the boat this year. Mega Chiz. Although we did canoe to Cow Pat bay on a blazing day. The photos are positively tropical (and will be posted, I promise, I just need to do the next post from the lap top where most of the photos live) Enough for now; must get back in the blog habit. Has been a very weird year, largely unbloggable.

Pas d'elle yeux Rhone que nous!

2006-06-20T10:32:00.000Z

Last Thursday Bill the Diver called to say that he would be round to see to the mooring that we need fixing for the RIB - we had one for Lily (I still haven't told you about her have I?) but it has disappeared, along with two creel marker buoys. I decided to take the canoe ( 'Better Drowned') out and see if I could find any mortal remains - the water is so clear in the bay. Could not find the mooring chain (obliterated by weed it later transpired) but did find one of the buoys, so hauled it aboard the canoe (wet, weedy and heavy, being weighted by an ancient creel) and brought it ashore. Paddling round the bay is great; you can get really close to the seals on the rocks, and they come and gather round the canoe as you move along. Bill, Liz and Colin arrived later to inspect the old mooring, and then came up to the house for tea...

On Friday I went down to the jetty to bring the canoe up to the house; the water was so still, and the cloud so low, that there was an eerie beauty about the bay. Went for a paddle (without a buoyancy aid, oh sinner) and got within ten feet of the seals on the rocks - they then gave me an escort back to the jetty. Used the trolley thing to bring canoe back to the house, so much easier than on the shoulders, which I can do on my own, but I swear it shortens my stature by amounts I cannot afford to lose.

Saturday, had to head back to the mainland, but compensation in seeing three otters on the way to Feolin. All the time I spent lurking by the jetty in the drizzle on Friday and not a sighting.... Really sad to leave the Isle this time, but will be back in a few weeks, with a nice list of dinghy repairing and quilt making jobs to be getting along with. Plus, we will have the RIB to go exploring in. Corrywreckan, here I come............

Inverlussa and the Faithful Hound

2006-06-15T12:04:00.000Z

We drove up to the 'end of the road' to show Mum the whole of the island, and then went to Inverlussa to picnic. The pics show Mum and Dad on the beach (note the sea serpent attacking Mum from the rear!!), Dad looking south towards An Dunan, and the Faithful Hound who 'dogged' our footsteps and was a miasma of midges.

Harness the Sledge Dogs, Amundsen!

2006-06-15T11:53:00.000Z

i am my mother's daughter, and the lure of a bit of beachcombing was too much to resist. We went down to the jetty and pottered about, finding a lurid pink buoy for Mum and Dad's new boat ("Flo", as in "Go with the...") and other small things. We then went down to the flats at An Dunan, where the winter storms had washed up some fantastic driftwood - we limited ourselves to looking for attractive pieces, utility for burning waits for a later trip. One piece was so wonderful to look at that we had to have it for the garden, but it was too heavy and awkward for us to carry. Mum then found a good length of rope washed up on the rocks, so we made a harness and I dragged the log up the hill, carrying two long thin pieces (destined for quilt hangers) under my arm, with a twisted root bit sat on my hip. Mum dragged an Ikea bag full of other (equally heavy)bits. As I was dressed in a desert storm camouflage shirt (£2.50 at Land Rover show) I must have looked a bit like Burnham Wood coming to Dunsinane. Dad had hysterics as we trolled in through the bottom gate with our booty....

The Latest Journey (and Before)

2006-06-15T11:21:00.000Z

James and Peter were up here on a Boys Own holiday the week before last. I could not come because I had to be available to see examiners and what not. We could not get a car place on the ferry, so they left the LR Disco on Jura, travelled as foot passengers and stayed the night in Glasgow with friends (planned to use hostel, but hostel booked them for the wrong night - when they arrived the place was heaving with a wedding party). Mega Thanks to Ros and Martyn for rescuing them from the A82, feeding and watering them, giving them beds AND taking them to Glasgow Central on the Sunday...

I collected them from Rugby station and took Peter straight back to school, where my car was broken into by varmints!!!!! ( Not from the school!!!!) Lost wallet and phone (all numbers, photos etc). They got away with precisely nothing really, since the phone and cards were immediately blocked, and there was only 20p in the wallet. The wallet had been a present from Mum and Dad, and the thought that it would just have been thrown away makes me SO MAD. Prayed hard for the stinkers. In Jura you could leave a car unlocked with the crown jewels on the back seat and they would still be there when you got back.

All this preamble leads to the fact that I travelled up here on Monday with Mum and Dad, and that we came by train from MK, with a cunning plan to catch the bus to Kennacraig, travel on the big and little ferries as foot passengers, pick up the Disco at Feolin and drive to the house. Ha! All went well as far as Crewe - first class seats, breakfast, free paper - where we were unceremoniously bunged from the train because of 'flooding at Warrington'. Five train loads of people were being put on buses. It was complete chaos, but the Virgin staff were helpful, calm and polite throughout. Fell off bus at Preston and caught next train north. (Incidentally, train was full of Punky Goths on the way to a music festival, they looked terrifying, but were letting others on the buses first and helped us with our luggage at the other end. Stars!) The upshot was that we missed our bus connection by 90 mins because we were so late. Virgin agreed to fund a taxi to Kennacraig, so we fair sped along the road, catching up with the bus just before the ferry port and being there in time after all. Much relief (except to Virgin with a £148 taxi bill) Good for them I say. I cannot fault their service - the thunder storms were hardly their fault. We finally got to the house at 9.30 pm as planned, drank hot chocolate (although I forgot the vast supply of marshmallows that we have here) and collapsed into bed.

Cuckoo Count and That Thrilling Rescue!

2006-05-23T20:07:00.000Z

On Saturday I heard a total of four cuckoos (presuming it was not the same one following me about Scotland!)
First at Rowardennan, then Loch Chon (site of the thrilling bog rescue, which I will come to soon), Strone Hill (A85 near Dalmally), and finally in the woods by Ardmenish burn (see pic) on Jura. If you have any idea of the geography you will see from this what a circuitous route I took from Loch Lomond to Jura! Worth it to see such gorgeous landscapes. Short stop at tea shop (The Wee Blether) at Kinlochard where I had my first taste of clootie dumpling. Yum.

And so to the thrilling bog rescue. Am I in danger of overstating things? Never! I set off from the YH on saturday am without looking at the map (unusual for me), but knowing I needed to turn left at Aberfoyle. Did so, but realised after some miles that I might have taken the wrong left turn. Decided to stop and consult map, so drove into a car park at Loch Chon (Chan?). As I was rummaging in the glove compartment (which necessitated the removal of the electric cool box, cat litter tray and spare seats for Molly the Jura landrover) a lad came running out of the woods shouting "Have you got a tow rope?". He had driven his car into a bog trying to reach the tents where he and three friends were staying. I did not have a tow rope, and would have struggled to get one out of such a laden car anyway. How frustrating, to have the power to pull someone out, but no way of connecting! [With my lay preacher hat on I can feel a sermon illustration coming on] I said that I would go and try to find a tow rope and come back - bear in mind that we are 15 miles from a town here. I toddled off and found a fisherman a mile or so away. He did not seem remotely surprised to have a pink haired woman leap from a landrover and ask for a rope! What is more, he had one, AND was willing to lend it to me. I returned to the lads (who had seen another car flee from the car park when they approached - "Maybe they thought we were going to kill them" they said) We attached the rope, engaged low range and heave ho, one Honda Civic out of bog and back on the track. Yippee!! I had never done this before and was SO proud of success. I love our landy! Mental note to acquire own tow rope having returned (slightly muddy) one to owner.
Thinks, my 'wrong' turning meant that I was in the right (isolated) place to help someone, and found someone willing to lend a rope to a stranger. God is very good!

The View from Here

2006-05-22T13:28:00.000Z

This is a view of the Paps of Jura 'over the garden wall'. As you can see it is a fine day, despite the howling wind. I was trying to use this as my profile photo, but, despite being small enough, and a jpeg, the system keeps telling me it is not ( a jpeg that is). Computers, don't you love 'em? The cat is sunning herself on the windowsill and the seals have all taken to the water. The cows have hoofed off to the other side of the bay. It was oh so different this time yesterday...

I had opened the big gate to put the landrover in the drive so as to minimize the homicidal (what is the latin for woman? Femina? feminacidal?) tendencies of the aforementioned mattress. I fought the mattress, and I WON! I then left the gate open with only a 12 inch gap between the post and the car and went off to sew a jacket, talk to mother on phone, drink tea etc. Looked out of window to see garden full of cows. Big black cows. With babies. (Cows, like bears, are very protective). How did they fit through such a small gap? Can they dislocate their ribs like pythons do their jaws? Sinister behaviour of cows. I tried to shoo (or 'shu' as they say on the islands) them out but they like our overlong lush grass too much. Eventually I opened the bottom gate, and took to banging the ground with my Leki pole and shouting "shu!". It took twenty minutes, but they all left eventually. Breathed a sigh of relief until I saw that they were circling the walls and mooing balefully at me. First malevolent mattresses and now psychopathic ruminants. I swear that one of them stood still for ten minutes just looking through the kitchen window at me. I suspect that the pantomime might have been watched (through bins) by the farmer. They would have come to save me eventually. I hope. Decided that bringing the mattress upstairs was a job too far, so went and drank wine instead.

Flying the Flag

2006-05-22T12:20:00.000Z

This is a copy of the flag of the Northern Lighthouse Board, who originally built this house as a shore station for the light at Skervuile. We have the original flag, but it is rather tattered - as anything would be strung up a pole in all weathers! Peter and I made a new flagpole for the old site, using the mast from Lily. As I write this , I realise that there is a lot of history to fill in. Who is Peter? Who was Lily, and why can we scavenge her mast? What was the Beathach Dhiura? Why did I think my husband was trying to kill me? Who are the Crones of Jura? Maybe, dear reader, I will tell you one day...

The Journey

2006-05-22T12:00:00.000Z

As I sit here, gazing across the bay to the south, the wind is howling and making something on the roof rattle. The sun is shining, I can see the Paps (that is how we measure the weather in the morning; "How much of the Paps can you see?" is the daily cry) and I have counted six seals on the rocks. This is my first blog, and may be a bit of a stream of consciousness as I muse over the last couple of days...

I left the midlands on Friday morning, in a Landrover full to the gunwhales (or the roofline!) with stuff, as usual. Loading the car is a story in itself, as James and I heaved a double mattress through a GAPWHICHISNOTWIDEENOUGH at ten at night. Thankfully our neighbours are used to our strange behaviour by now. Preying on my thoughts was the issue that I was going to have to unload everything ON MY OWN. I was once trapped against a wall by a rogue mattress for an hour, waiting for someone to come home and rescue me, so am deeply traumatized on the subject.

The drive north was uneventful, apart from the matter of having to backtrack nine miles in order to fill up with diesel. I stayed the night at Rowardennan youth hostel (YH are great places to stay; fab locations, interesting people, yha.org.uk) on the east side of Loch Lomond, beautiful. Shared a room with two girls who are walking the West Highland Way (we hope to do this next year, so I listened to all the tips!) As I had the whole of Saturday to kill, I decided to go the long way round to Kennacraig to catch the six p.m ferry to Islay.

The next instalments: A Thrilling Bog Rescue, Cuckoo Count, Herding Cows