Feeling Much Better

05/28/2005

Saturday morning in a wet and wind glen. The forecast delivered by “Gale” McGrane and the ghastly new BBC weather graphics is more or less correct, fronts moving from the SW, strong Northerly winds with showers, a brief mid day rest then the breeze veers SW, rises to galeforce and brings heavy rain. The clouds are down to 1200 feet and even the tourists are staying away this holiday weekend, not a camper in sight! Despite all this crap weather, I feel in very good form, a bachelor for a few days in my lonely mountain “Keep”, I have given Mhairi my new wishes and a firm slap on her rump, to which she responded with a wink and a friendly giggle. I have entertained Lachie to a large Saturday dram and a long chat about our excellent lambs followed by a brisk walk with all the dogs to inspect the stock. That most excellent of chaps, the Dalmally Golf Course green keeper, hearing of our catastrophic weekend has turned up with a tractor on grass tyres and a huge heavy roller, at last after his expert treatment dearest Dottie’s scared lawn looks firm and level. We also follow the green keeper’s advice and apply a liberal dressing of Blood, Fish and Bone, smells abominable but one can see the grass sprouting before one’s eyes. I have decreed that we shall all eat together in the kitchen to-night and Mhairi must choose the wine while I cook a simple dinner for myself, Mhairi and Lachie. Later I am moving back to the Great Bed of Trollaigh and I thumb my nose at “instructions” from Highbury. Finally, after almost a week of guilty pressure, I feel wholesome, relaxed and clean, or at least I will when I indulge in a shot of Dottie’s recently installed new multi-head steam shower thing, to which I will take a pre-prandial Hendricks and Tonic. Bottoms Up! Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.