Waiting...

Today's media is full of reports on how close we are to being able to get back to normal life after the extraordinary coronavirus-plagued year we have all endured. Not long to wait then... (Not forgetting those parts of the world which are still enduring dreadful outbreaks of the disease, and my heart goes out to all those affected).

Of course, normal life never stopped going on for everything on the planet apart from human activity. We have had the best display of daffodils here for several years, and are now eagerly awaiting the emergence of the bluebells.

The allotment is similarly in limbo. The seed beds are all planted, but for now show no sign of anything growing. Pots in the cold frame contain the teeniest of brussels sprout and kale plants and we wait patiently for them to grow big enough to be planted out.

We are no longer waiting for the first cuckoo. We have been blessed with their 'song' for a week or two now. One bird amuses us, as it hasn't quite learned the tune correctly and frequently gives us a three-note cuck-cuck-coo. 

Over in Strathpeffer, we have continued to make progress with the small garden of The Old Bakery, and now feel we are finally getting on top of the profusion of weeds that had invaded the ground. The OB now awaits its first holiday visitors, who will be staying there at the end of this month.

We have opened our cottages on Skye as well, and Loch View is looking to be pretty-well full all season, with the first visitors there right now. Summer Cott will be a little less busy though. In previous years, the vast majority of our visitors at Summer have come from overseas, so we have to wait for international travel to recommence before we will see their return.

For now, Skye remains mostly quiet, though I don't think we will have to wait for long before we see a convoy of camper vans lumbering by.

The waiting is nearly over.

Slightly past their best - but more flowers than we've had in years!

Waiting to play...

Playing...!