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

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

Friday 26 August 2011

Unattended baggage and the chain saw massacre...

Life has been doing the unthinkable and getting badly in the way of blogging.....maybe that is a positive thing, but I am back. The summer months are flying by and the children are back at school already. Daily routines are being re-established, as we wave goodbye to all of the visitors and  the sun shine dares to disappear behind the cloud and the evenings begin to once more draw in again.

The happy farmer continues his building project and is so near to completion now. Living in the farmhouse resembles a dentist's waiting room, not because it is neat, clean and tidy, far from it, but because my nerves are constantly on edge with the regular grinding of circular saws and drop saw. It reminds me of the chain saw massacre. I wince every time the drill roars to life, listening to the clanging of tools, the shouts of despair when things are not going accordingly, the deep sighs and the general reminder that it is no easy task. The saw has already claimed one finger, luckily not the happy farmer's, and certainly not a recent claim, but the memory of the happy potter feeding his finger to the jaws of that saw remain emblazoned on my mind.
As I drove youngest out of the farmyard and onto the single track road today to make the journey to school I could hardly miss the flattened tin of silver paint that had spewed its contents out across the road, and the discarded rucksack lying abandoned at the side of the road. I tried to get my head round the clues that had been left challenging me on the road ahead as we continued our journey. A walker, leaving the rucksack while he stops to get a perfect photo of the Paps, or to relieve himself behind the hedge. The walker then became a protester, rucksack on back, large can of silver paint in hand, ready to join the march, the words never leave baggage unattended rang out in my ears, as youngest left me at the school gates. On the journey home then my head was filled with thoughts of terrorism, bombs and protesters as I gingerly drove over the paint and past the abandoned ruck sack once more.
Of course the happy farmer had a much simpler explanation, work men heading to the morning ferry, in a rush, back door of van not closed properly and rucksack and paint fell out onto road. A five minute drive to catch the mainland ferry before it left our shores and the happy farmer's suspicions were confirmed. One happy workman grinned as he made his way along the ramp off the ferry boat to retrieve his rucksack out of our jeep, safe in the knowledge that his dirty linen would not be laid out in public but would accompany him home to the mainland.
Until next time.....

16 comments:

Pondside said...

It's great to see you back! I always enjoy your posts and this one is no exception - a slice of real life, so well-written that it puts one right on the scene.

Maggie Christie said...

You're back! Lovely to catch up. I enjoyed the mystery of the silver paint and discarded rucksack. Life's never dull!

Elizabethd said...

Lovely to see you here again, and I did laugh at the tale of the paint!

Molly said...

Posie - so lovely to have you back again. I'm glad the paint and the rucksack had a happy ending,

Rob-bear said...

Fixing the farm house, or "The Hebridean Chainsaw Massacre." Hmmmm.
So very kind and thoughtful of you to reunite a workman with his rucksack. Hope the autumn goes well.

bayou said...

Posie, I need to get your address for to make arrangements for a short break.
Great Rucksack story :-). Good to see that the happy farmer's works move on so well!

mrsnesbitt said...

LOVED THIS! Wonderful to know somebody else is busy with DIY!

Frances said...

Welcome back Posie!

How I do enjoy your posts. When I read them I can imagine faraway places and all that might go on in those places. And then...I hear that screaming saw sound and think...wait a minute, that sounds a bit like New York.

I also loved the mystery of the silver paint.

Best wishes, xo

Posie said...

Ah thank you for all of those lovely words of encouragement, it is good to be back!

jane said...

Posie - it is so lovely to hear from you again - I have missed your blogs so much - so glad you solved the mystery of the discarded rucksack - Take Care Jane

Claire said...

Hey Posie, thanks for dropping by, so lovely to hear from you.........
I don't envy you the reno's and the constant 'dentist' drill. I'm sure it will be worth all the effort when they are finished though.

I think curiosity would've got the better of me and I would have to have a peek in the discarded rucksack.
Glad the workman was happily reunited with his dirty laundry, hehe.........

Love the lambs in your header pic, too cute.

Claire :}

Tattieweasle said...

Loved the mystery story! Don't envy you the saws, had way to many this year here as well. Quite a relief when they stop!

Elizabethd said...

Posie, I've lost my yahoo account so cant write direct to you as all my addresses are there.......
My daughter had to take a shorter visit and flew around. She did manage to see the old family home!

Pipany said...

Hello Posie and thank you for the lovely comment on my blog. It has been a while indeed since I got there! Great to be dipping into your life again too x

Chris Stovell said...

Oh I'm envious! Your work is at the next stage along from ours and there are days when I can't see an end to it. Looking at your photos has given me hope that we will get there!

Fennie said...

Hallo Posie, yes, great to have you back. Glad the work is coming along and the tale of the mysterious rucksack came to a happy conclusion.
You'll be fine for the winter. Now, a confession, I have mislaid your address for the Book of Hebridean songs. Could you email it to me at fensomerville@hotmail.com That would be great.