Time for a positive report from our Scottish trip to balance the previous two somewhat negative ones. For the last three days we’ve been based at a little place called Laide. You can see from the photo right, I hope, that we’ve got quite an exceptional pitch overlooking Gruinard Bay (left in photo) which in turn leads to the Atlantic Ocean would it be? Yes, it can feel a trifle exposed when the wind blows which it is doing at the time I’m writing this blog. Well not so much blowing as trying to rip the caravan roof off but, at the time of writing, we are as one with nature and the caravan still on its supports.
We’ve had two pretty good days weather-wise and everything else wise. Number one daughter and husband have joined us for the weekend (they flew up to Inverness from Manchester and hired a car to get here, young people today, what are they like?) which has meant a certain amount of indulgence vis a vis eating (and drinking) out in the evenings. We had a nice family walk on a beach which, according to our children’s B and B landlady, was proclaimed by The Guardian, no less, as in the top 5 beaches in the UK. This is Mellon Udrigle beach and it is lovely particularly when not driven back to the shelter of one’s vehicle as we were the last time we were here. Maybe not top 5 but then this is a positive blog so I’ll let it go. Look for those positives. We all came back to the caravan, so they could see how much fun we were having, and had tea and cake, the latter provided by the same landlady. The simple pleasures. So that was a nice moment.
And in a similar vein, the day before again with the good weather, we’d been out for a walk with the doggies on another beach – Gruniard Bay and we got back to the caravan and one of those small but perfectly formed moments happened. We had our mugs of tea (I suppose we should be drinking whiskey but then neither of us like whiskey so tea it is), a Kit Kat, Radio 4 (a retirement goal never realised thus far was to listen to Radio 4), our books (a brand new Bernie Gunther if that means anything), the dogs at rest and a stunning view out the caravan window. Just perfect, well near enough for us.
And while we are in the positive column, where I intend to stay come what may, I am hopeful that we’ve found a wifi spot and that therefore I’ll be able to attach a few photos of the marvellous scenery, which is why we’ve come here I guess. We did and I have. Oh, and for the absence of people me being a bit on the anti-social side hence it being September. This could be an excuse for the weather except that my understanding is that September is usually a good month weather-wise.
In order to maintain the positive theme I’m going to need to employ a little lateral thinking. This is along the lines of, this trip was always going to be a challenge and so far it has been but the point is that we met the challenge, so far at least, not to tempt fate. We have gone some way to proving our resilience and capability of four of us living in a tin can on wheels in less than clement weather. Isn’t this the kind of challenge retired people should be rising to while they are able? Or should we be staying at home with our pipe and slippers. The pipe being purely metaphorical of course and actually the slippers as well as I don’t own any actual slippers.
Anyway the answer is definitely not. In a funny way the adversity of this trip and the realisation that (so far without tempting fate, touch wood although nothing with legs, etc.) we can cope, has, to some small extent, increased the likelihood of us doing the big one, that is the trip across America probably in a campervan. True, we’ve got to find a way of getting the puppies there but with the kind of pioneering spirit shown so far on this trip, the world, as Del said, is our lobster.
It also slightly increases my motivation to modestly modify our van although this is, of course, even smaller than this caravan. You will remember from previous blogs that I had this idea about converting our old gardening business van. It’s passed its MOT with only some money spent on it and now, thanks to Mrs Summerhouse’s initiative, we’re members of the caravan club. Who’d ever have thought it? Strange times as I bloody hate caravans and so far our £51 joining fee has saved us £8. There may be a couple more Caravan Club sites in this part of Scotland for us to ‘save money’ on but if we’re really ever going to get our money back (as the phrase goes) we need to stay on more sites which brings me back to the van conversion. I have certainly been paying more attention to campervans on this trip particularly the converted ones. I’ve even engaged people I don’t know in conversation about their vans. Not like me at all. Maybe I’m becoming sociable in my old age? No, you’re right, that’s not going to happen.
The other aspect of this trip that would be a big positive for many people is the wild life and no I don’t mean Scottish men in kilts with claymores. I mean the furry sort, no not beards. Between us we’ve seen deer, otters, seals, oyster catchers (pretty much the only bird I can recognise), all that kind of thing. I would be lying if I tried to pretend that I have any interest in Scottish nature but, in an effort to make my 1000 positive words, I’m going to throw it in, just for the heck of it. I need to stop this now. I’m going too far with the positive bit. It will end in tears. I’m pretty sure I will be posting a Friday blog probably back to my usual miserable self, technology permitting, of course.
