Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Wednesday 15 December 2010


Saturday brought a hard frost, with clear skies, the sun hanging low in the sky. The happy farmer finally got his ridging finished on the roof of the extension, finally the roof is on, slates in place, it will hopefully last for many years to come.

The BT boys arrived in the afternoon and joined the happy farmer as he got to work with a post hole borer in the horses field. Months of relentless nagging from eldest daughter, and the constant promises that the minute the extension roof was finished, finally saw the happy farmer making progress with the beginnings of a horse shelter.

Son arrived home from football training in a blaze of glory. Last night, at the annual presentation evening of the Boys Football Team, he was awarded the trophy for runner up as the under 14s most improved player. A curry bubbling away on the Rayburn I managed to persuade him and youngest to join me on a stroll to the woods in the late afternoon. The skies glazed over with a purple pink hue we made our way through the fields and across the road to the track that leads to Lily Loch, son kicking a football along the way. Disaster struck when the ball went flying off the track and down the waterfall of the burn that feeds the sewage plant. It was mother who saw herself, kitted out inappropriately in tights and skirt, scrambling down the bramble laden steep slope to the pool where the ball had managed to lodge itself, followed by son, who hung onto my jacket for dear life as I reached out across the burn to grab a long stick with which to free the ball as it dislodged and made its way further downstream. The huge grin that met me when I handed over the rescued ball made it all worth while, and thankfully those tights escaped relatively unscathed.

The Loch was frozen solid so as the sun set in the sky. We skimmed pebbles across its surface, son’s pebble winning the distance competition by far. It was a challenge to see who could throw a heavy stone hard enough to shatter the ice. Finally we headed home in the dusk along the track and back to the warm glow of the farmhouse where the happy farmer and the BT boys were sampling this year’s sloe gin. It takes many days of sampling you understand to get the flavour just right.

Until next time…..

8 comments:

Molly said...

Posie, I love reading your blog! Scrambling down a bramble laden perilous incline wearing tights and a skirt to rescue son's football calls for a "Medal of Distinction for Conduct beyond the Call of Duty!" No wonder he thinks his Mum is the Tops :0)

potterjotter said...

Glad the sloe gin sampling was after the post-hole-boring and not before! Just found your blog - its delightful.

Tattieweasle said...

So glad the tights were unscathed as Molly said a medal for that! And yes sloe gin does requrie many samplings to ensure when it is eventuially opened it will be perfect!

Frances said...

Posie, I am making up for my negligence. What a pleasure to make a visit here, get some fresh air and see some wide sky.

And to see that style conquers ... what it needs to conquer, when paired with a sense of the occasion.

Best wishes for a very Happy Christmas! xo

bayou said...

Love that festive cat and the dog on top of the snowy bike! Great insides as always. Happy Christmas and happy sloe gin tasting to you and your family!

Posie said...

Molly...thank you...think I deserve a medal too lol!
Potterjotter - thank you for calling by and for the lovely comment.
Tattie...so long as he leaves some sloe gin for me....
Frances, it is soooo lovely to see you here again
Bayou...happy Christmas to you and yours too, best wishes Posie

Annie said...

What a lovely post.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas and hoping 2011 brings you all you wish yourselves.
Hugs,
A x

Exmoorjane said...

Beyond the call of duty, my girl! I'd have left it to rot!!
Hurrah for sloe gin....and may you all have a Very Merry Christmas indeed....
Janexxxx