In residence ....


13th December 2018 (Thursday) ... 09.30   Iain and I were back at Ivy
Hmmmmm .... it's damp.    Arran yesterday morning.
about 22.40 last night after an uneventful journey.    At times during the day it looked like the ferry might be delayed due to adverse weather conditions ... it was windy in the afternoon.   However the wind moderated and we sailed from Brodick bang on time.   The journey both ways was smooth.                                                      
I have loads of photographs to sort out later.    Right now I have a washing to hang out ....  there’s brisk south-easterly breeze, and rain isn’t mentioned in the weather forecast.


20.30    The temperature dropped noticeably, just before midday, and the air has been really cold ever since.    I know that it’s been cold ever since because I went down to the harbour after the ‘Drop in cafe’... and .... I’ve just put the bucket out on to the pavement.

Brodick Castle.
We celebrated Isobel’s (Lady Cater) birthday at the ‘Drop in Cafe’ today;  with chocolate cake, and ....  the ‘Happy Birthday’ song.   It may have been cold outside but there was a happy buzz in the ‘cafe’.   And it was cold outside, which is why I didn’t take many photographs at the harbour.

Arran is a magical place:  no matter what the weather is, there are photo opportunities everywhere.   The only problem I had yesterday was keeping the camera dry.    Luckily the rain was light most of the time: and I managed to capture over one hundred atmospheric photographs.    I was a happy bunny, albeit a slightly damp one at the beginning of the day. 
   
Hazel is working at Brodick Castle with the National Trust, as an apprentice gardener, and is loving it.   It wasn’t weather for walking round much of the gardens yesterday;  but I can imagine you could spend an interesting day (or two) exploring on a dry day.   
In the afternoon we drove round the bottom half of the island, and you could see why
Out ferry boat - "Eileanan Chaleconia".
people fall in love with Arran;  it’s Scotland on a small scale with a bit of New Zealand thrown into the mix.    Absolutely fantastic place ... and that was  on a dull day:  imagine what it must be like on a sunny day.

 Exciting 'news' .... as in proper exciting 'news:  Iain has just told me that Catriona  (Jackie and Iain's daughter - Hazel's sister) has got an 'unconditional acceptance' for Glasgow University.    She has yet to hear from Edinburgh or St Andrews.

I’m tired after all the excitement of the past couple of days so will be having an early night in bed, with my book.   The weather forecast for the weekend is not very exciting;  snow having been mentioned for the Central belt.... even ‘The Royal Burgh’ was covered with the blob of white stuff on the weather map.   It could be a hibernating kind of weekend.  

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