KENT PHOTOS!

I had a week in Ashford recently and managed to pack in SO many things - all wonderful despite the obligatory visit to the Dentist for no less than two fillings in an hour!  A couple of friends, Marina and Jenny, came round for supper one evening too. 

We all had GREAT fun trying to set the shutter for a timed photograph and Jenny got quite good at throwing herself across the coffee table to get to the settee in two seconds!

We didn't manage it though!  The best we could do was three people and one rather confused dog - the lovely Bonnie!  Below my Mum relaxes with Marina and Jenny after a strenuous photoshoot!

Dot and Linda also came to visit for lunch on the Sunday. ....... they stayed for Bonnie's afternoon hike and then for tea afterwards!  A great day!

... and it was lovely to see Emma at home with her two gorgeous daughters, Maddie and Francesca, who had no difficulty posing for the camera!

.... and then there was the night out with Lou and Michelle with lots of laughter, fine food and flowing vino .... Michelle!!!!

Phew, - what a week!  Can't wait for the next one!

Who are you calling 'Pond Life'..???

The ponds at the Barn are full of croaking frogs at the moment - loads of spawn too. We will do our best to look after the tadpoles, but apparently each female can lay 4000 eggs, so I think we might have at least 50,000 babies to care for... I'm not changing all those nappies...!!

SPRING!

We have frogs in the pond, the daffs in the garden are getting taller, and green shoots are opening on some bushes in Dungvegan Woods... Spring is on the way!

I believe this plant is called salmon berry

Bookings

I took a booking for Rowan Cottage today from a couple from the Isle of Man - they have never been to Skye before. 

Very different islands - I hope I get to meet them!

Bookings for the season coming in  really well - more UK people having holidays at home, Europeans cashing in on the pound/euro rate, and Americans, Canadians and Australians coming for The Homecoming.  http://www.homecomingscotland.com/default.html

Life here is good!

Sue in Kent

Sue's taking her regular bi-monthly trip to Kent this week to see her Mum and catch up with a few friends. She's left me with a list of jobs to do...

We have a couple staying in the apartment here at The Barn - On Friday, they made an impulse decision to have a break on Skye, on Saturday they were here! They asked for B&B, but I'm not doing that without Sue being here, so we've stocked their fridge with sausages, bacon, eggs, etc. etc, and they are 'doing it themselves'! Unfortunately, the weather is the mistiest and gloomiest I've known since we've lived here, but they are being cheerful about it!

Scotster

I think I have mentioned this before, but I didn't have a logo to post - so here it is - 

Scotster is a social communication and photo-sharing website for people with a connection with or interest in Scotland. Since you are reading this, and I am writing it in Scotland - you qualify for membership! Take a look!  www.scotster.com

Snow Pictures..

We didn't really get much of the white stuff after all, but we still took some photos...

Here are a couple of mine...

A path above Dunvegan specially for Basil and me...!

Greshornish plantation, with the Ben Aketil windfarm in the background.

...and here are two of mine - yes, Sue here!!!   

Above is a photograph of our front garden whilst the snow falls heavily!  

Brrrr..... it makes me feel cold just looking at it!

Earlier in the day, Basil and I went out for our morning walk and I took this shot looking towards one of MacLeod's Tables across Pool Roag.

A NEW BATHROOM!

Further to recent comments from the Scottish Tourist Board about our bathroom upstairs in the apartment, we decided to give it a complete 'face lift' before any of our guests arrive!  A new bath, new wash hand basin and loo appeared whilst Richard repainted the tongue and groove panelling - so its now cream and not a similar shade to the window frame in this first photograph of two, illustrating the bathroom in a 'work in progress' state! 

Look at it now though!  A vast improvement on the original. Our heartfelt thanks also go to a good friend and neighbour who installed the bathroom suite for us ......!  OK Visit Scotland - we're ready for you now.....!

Snow!

I've been slightly jealous that the South has been getting snow, and we haven't, so I was delighted when opening the curtains this morning to see this ... 

(View from our garden over 'our' field)


Basil had his usual walkies...

Then this happened... So there may be more pics to follow! (View of our garden from the front door - I wasn't going out in that)!

WALKIES!

Basil and I decided to take a trip round some of the very many local beauty spots up here.  We were spoilt for choice and were out for hours!   Our tour included the hill road from Struan to Portree and the Ullinish and Harlosh 'loops'.  The weather was amazing - not a cloud in the sky all day and it was bright and sunny.  Hurrah!   I managed to get Basil, shown below, to pose for the camera although at the very last minute he glanced the other way...!   Typical eh?

Below a view of the township of Roag through a couple of the many 'windbent' trees! 

Lichen flourishes here on Skye because of the purity of the air.  Several types are attached to this group of rocks we passed during our walk just off the hill road.

I love this photograph of the Cuillin basking in the late afternoon sun.  It was taken from my car window whilst traversing the Harlosh loop.

These are only four of the many that were taken - in total there were 50 that day alone! 

Thank God for digital cameras...... :)

We've bought an acre of Skye!

The building in the picture is Roskhill Barn - our home.

The field between the photographer and the Barn has been for sale for a year or so with permission for two houses to be built on it. As you could imagine, we weren't too keen to have houses instead of our lovely view.

Now, land values have dropped low enough for us to be able to afford to make an offer to buy the plots ourselves - and we've DONE IT!!

So - here's our garden (nearest camera) OUR FIELD and our view - from upstairs at the Barn!

(Pictures taken today  2.2.09 - the day England was buried in snow...!!!)