Well, the Carradale Canter went without a hitch - no fatalities as they say. Loads of medals doled out and some very exhausted looking people panting past our kitchen window - did they realise that this wasn't actually the route?

Church Sale of Work last night. The art is to go early and place your hand on your favourite chocolate cake so that when the opening speech is over you've already bagged it. Lots of people attending as ever - it really is an  evening that's in the regular visitors diary. So cakes in the workshop this afternoon!

Weather continues to be pretty awful - one day shine and the next rain. Midges aren't too bad this year although I met a visitor the other afternoon on a lovely sunny day, not a midge in sight, with her midge hat and veil on. Clearly this had been the instruction in her travel guide, though how she could actually see to walk down the hill I'm not quite clear. Secret as ever is lots of Jungle Juice, cover up well, and get the chimera puffing away if you're sitting outside.

Next on the agenda is the Golf Club Dance which was great fun last year. A good old ceilidh dance in the Village Hall. At the April Dance we were at I ended up being hurled across the floor in the Dashing White Sergeant so better be a bit more careful this time. After a generation of youngsters who couldn't dance a step, they are all now well into the familiar dances again and thoroughly enjoy Stripping the Willow with the best of them.

After a very disrupted start to the season the Ardrossan- Campbeltown crossing has got going again and is a nice alternative to the road over the Rest. Saves driving but not much else. Give it a shot - details on Calmac's excellent web site.