Monday, June 21, 2021

 

The longest day. It's all downhill from here.


I continue to improve, or at any rate not to get any worse. Helen came this morning and we got part-way around the garden. It’s a start.

 

And I knit a bit more. I’m not far now from the first heel of those Kaffe Fassett socks – and the leg is quite a long one.

 

Fruity Knitting is back, with an episode about Bohus Stickning. I first heard of it in Sheila McGregor’s “Traditional Scandinavian Knitting”, and haven’t made much progress with it since. Andrew’s absence is a dreadful lack, both in the sense that Andrea’s pain is terrible to behold and that his cheerful contribution is irreplaceable.

 

Cruise:

 

My final report:

 “Sunshine again. Tobermory in the morning. I've been there once, didn't attempt it, didn't regret it. Castle Duart this afternoon. Again, I didn't attempt it. Far too much up-hill-ery. But this one I was slightly sorry about.

 

Alan the bird man saw his golden eagle. He didn't get a photograph, alas”

 

He did, in the morning, point out to me where his parents met: adjacent terrace houses in Tobermory. One of them was his mother’s family house. His father, a young schoolmaster, boarded in the other.

 

He (Alan) was a thoroughly expert bird man, and I soon abandoned my book. I have at least, thanks to him, seen a bonxie, Shandy. He took a brilliant photograph of one coming in to land on the water. I watched one – perhaps that very bird – bobbing about while gulls tried to torment it. The bonxie knew it was boss. And I learned – or, at least, was told – never to say “seagull”. There are half a dozen different gulls, of which the “common gull” is far from the most common.


C.'s photographs illustrate our day rather well:


Tobermory:



And Castle Duart. Our skipper said he has been calling rhere for 20 years and has never seen it without scaffolding:








4 comments:

  1. So glad you have more energy today. I also miss Andrew of Fruity Knitting. Andrea's sorrow almost brought me to tears when I watched the episode where she and Madeleine talked about his last few months and the aftermath of his death. What a loss for them and all of us.
    I have actually knit a Bohus Stickning cardigan: Green Meadow. It was a delightful knit and a beautiful result.
    I continue to enjoy your travel diary.

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  2. Hooray, you get to Kirkmichael soon. And it sounds like your companion and bird guide was a bonus on the trip!

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  3. I have knit the green apple and a pink and grey sweater both bohus stickning. I thought I was going to find it hard but it was quite easy once I had sorted all the little balls.
    I hope you are still improving!

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  4. =Tamar2:57 PM

    Castle Duart appears to have been kept up well.
    I wonder why Saki chose Tobermory as the name of the cat in the story. The town looks all right.
    Congratulations on getting outdoors!

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