Winter wonderland

01/18/2005

A grey dawn with a strange light effect, yes, lots of snow. My Glasgow trip for supplies and a night at the club, is off. Lachie and I attack much overdue maintenance on the main staircase. Lachie is a man who understands wood, but is no joiner. I am a hopeless amateur. I often reflect on how much more sensible it would have been to study plumbing or accountancy rather than waste those years as an RN subbie. I phone round the glens to discover that Dearest Dotty is already at Arichastlich for coffee having Langlauffed through the long glen at first light with two of her Collie/Lab crosses for company. Dotty’s family “finished” her in Norway rather than the then fashionable Switzerland and as a result she has the finest grip on winter survival of anyone I know. Indeed if truth be known I fell for her hook, line and sinker the first time I saw her single pole, Telemark turn executed in Glen Coe. Whilst on the phone I hear that John has almost reached the “Phial of Virtue” for his new product, but research is on-going. The weather brings westerly gusts and wintery showers and a bit of a thaw, but as the day wears on some blue patchs appear, and a good sight of a half moon comes later. I take the dogs for a trudge up beside the Alt an Tighe in deep snow. Dogs love to fool about in snow almost more than children, and its a delight to watch their frolics. Wonderful views of the cairn high on the cliffs overlooking Corrie Damph with wind blown snow surging round it, 2000 feet above us. We come upon four thin stags, they are moving closer to Dotty’s garden. Our limited supply of Lion dung will need to be deployed if they get much closer. No delivery of the post today. I remember Willie the postman, who for fifty years without fail breasted snowdrifts pushing his red PO bike up the six miles to the tower, cap tied on with a thick woollen scarf. Now the buggers won’t budge if the CD player is not working in their van. Why must the working man be home in time to watch “Neighbours”? I feel an Ardbeg momment coming on to calm the nerves. Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.