Sunshine, Rain, Rainbows, and Love.
I love September. You often feel it coming late in August, with crisp light and cool air.
Hearts were heavy in August when 3 local young lads lost their lives in a car accident and Ì couldn’t find it in myself to write a wee story. In September each of those lads was laid to rest one day after the other. So many lives affected and changed forever, it’s hard to get your head around
The season relentlessly continued with its business of changing to autumn, nevertheless.
The first thing that has to happen is The Ben Nevis hill race. The most iconic hill race in the land on the first Saturday in September. It is Running Girls happy place. This year she completed her 23rd Ben Race and came over the finish line where her precious, tiny grandson, Eddie, had a sign saying “Ì love you”.
Lochaber can take on an exotic look.
As long as the sun keeps shining.
We left Lochaber for the more northern reaches of the west coast as Spook and his broken leg needed driven over the Bealach na Ba to help out at an event in Applecross he’d promised to support - as long as he could do so sitting down. For a wee while the sun stopped shining but there’s always drama up there….
I gripped the wheel and kept going.
Feeling a little tension in the van, Courr had taken shelter lower down…
Once over the top, the sunshine came back, the tension eased, and the dog had a lovely wee holiday.
We stayed in a grand house and even met Our Meg’s uni pal, Kirsten.
Back in Lochaber, Aunti Al needed some help catching goats to get their hooves trimmed. They are very friendly until needing caught…...
Crocs are not the best nor grippiest footwear for keeping hold of them once finally ensnared.
Jane the sausage dog is nervous of anything bigger than her, which is most things. She’s found ways to look bigger and knows how to use social media to her advantage.
She can also use it to pull the wool over the eyes of others….
She instinctively knows what colours suit her best. And she understands the benefits of working as a team. She and Courr will often work together to break down Billy Munro’s dogged determination to not like dogs.
By out-staring him at the breakfast table.
Meanwhile Aunti Al is trying to find ways of out-staring preditors with an unhealthy interest in her hens and quails, without having to sit up all night.
We can only hope this continues to work as Spook and Courr have become used to very nice breakfasts. Trump wasn’t the only one being served quails eggs in September.
And our lovely neighbours who work with Spook at Nevis Range were worried he’d fade away and dropped off some of their delicious foccacia bread to build up his strength.
I’m slightly worried about this extended time at home as he seems to be morphing into my sister’s dog, Scamp.
Scamps mother, Billie, lives in Ireland with Meg and Darragh. They may look different but the familial familiarities are in the amount of love they give and receive.
I have been giving out as much love and support to Spook with his injured wing as I can muster. But without question, I am a woman with limitations and he’s wise to remember this…..
I could easily feature on a well-known set of cards.
His old (young) buddies from Nevis Range got married over on the east, south of Edinburgh and we were chuffed to be invited to go and help celebrate. They knew how to have a party and look after their friends at an amazing venue with fantastic food and generous gallons of drink and a brilliant band - The Jacobites - who knew how to get everyone dancing. All I could see on the dance floor were laughing faces.
Thankyou so much, DJ and Abbie, for a fantastic day (or 3 days for those with the stamina).
Getting to party with your children’s friends who are now your friends, is one of life’s sweet developments.
Amy was on her 3rd wedding of the week. The day before she’d been with our Meg at their pal Siobhan’s wedding on the other side of the country.
Well played, Amy.
The bonus of going somewhere so different for a wedding is getting to explore. I abandoned Spook in our accommodation and went scrambling over rocks to find Seacliff harbour. The smallest in the UK. With Tantallon Castle in the background, it had a Game of Thrones kinda feel to it.
The stags have begun roaring at night as we head into October. Each year they get closer.
Which means they get louder!
I love October.