Erraid
Gardens – Monday 28 January 2008
Quite a good day – don\’t think we had rain. Got into the garden and weeded out old carrot patch and grass. We collected a trailer load of seaweed in the afternoon from the beach in front of the Croft ( farm house) about 150yds away from the houses. We were Sylke and Maren, both residents (that is they live here permanently and are part of the community), David and me. Debbie, resident, was still weeding the garden this afternoon so we could throw the weed on it. The weed is feet thick on the beach, this is the time of year when the winds and tides bring it in, and we just fork it onto the trailer and then load it into wheelbarrows and throw it over the weeded gardens – it is extremely beneficial to the gardens and is an annual chore for the community.
What else happened here in the community today –
Debbie and Paul took Josh over in the small boat to Mull about 8.40a to go to school. This is of course the regular way for him to get to school at Bunessan about 20kms away on Mull. They got the boat to the other side and found that with the wind, weed and high tide they would not be able to bring the boat back and expected to go there this afternoon and trailer it back. A local school bus picks Josh up a half mile from where the boat lands. Then Debbie and Paul had to walk about 2 miles around the bay, which was very very wet, and when their walk was interrupted by a swamp and a river, they headed to a made road and walked to KnockVologan, a croft up on the hill where the residents are allowed to park their cars, and where the community van is kept when it is too windy or dark to use the boat (as happened this morning on the school run!). From KnockVologan they walked back to Erraid and through a little water over The Narrows (between Mull and Erraid) as the tide was still going out. Took them a couple of hours. One is kept fit on this Isle. This afternoon 3 of them walked around and found they were able to float the boat and bring it back here.
One resident, Maren, cut and split wood, a regular and necessary job as all the cottages burn wood in their stoves to heat the water and cottage; Sylke did a bit of housekeeping, washing the tea towels etc etc; Debbie fresh from her bay walk, prepared both the morning tea and lunch of soup and salad-yummy too, all food from the garden; Paul, not sure what he did after his walk; Heather looked after the cows and chickens and did some computer work for the community; I did the garden and seaweed and David, guest, the same. That\’s today\’s story. Richard and Hilary are away visiting grandchildren and will be back on Wednesday.
The day was quite mild and as I said it didn\’t rain. Will continue soon.