How often we get a dry May - over the years I can think of trundling buckets of tadpoles from the forest pool down to the burn by the house. Far too late for that this year. Apart from one heavy shower it has been dry for weeks, so it's out with the hose and 'thank goodness we moved to mains water'. Yes, you lucky cottage visitors no longer need to arrive with a trailer full of bottled water because you're scared of pine needles!
Just back from a trip to Ireland - they say Scotland's beautiful but you should see the Wicklow Mountains. But horses for courses and we were happy to be back in our own little patch (despite the fact that no-one had watered my new border). Came by the Ardrossan - Campbeltown ferry . It was delightful to be back on an old Cal-Mac boat - we were familiar with Isle of Arran from past visits to Colonsay. The P&O European Causeway - she who nearly capsized last winter - was sparkling and clinical , but give me Cal-mac where we could eat chips and drink brandy on the top deck watching the sunset over the wee toon. A great and inexpensive alternative if you are coming up from the south.
Next task is to replace the flower tubs down on the pier which have rather fallen apart. We have bought some very snazzy ones which appear to have come from Holland (tulips all the year round?) and once they are set up our good friends from Drumfearne will plant them up. They have already planted billions of bulbs around the urban motorway (new path to the hall) which looked glorious.
Having had no swallows last year they are in abundance this year - even coorieing doon in our porch. When we rebuilt our original collapsing byre we had to leave a hole for the two families that nested in what is now our bedroom. We have also acquired wagtails in the wood pile. (no racist jokes please). I am reading a fascinating book on how birds and insects navigate and clearly it's a doddle for them to pop over to Carradale from Africa. The eyes have it.
Which has to bring us to Brexit. Or not. The Irish felt very sorry for us!
