No let up on the sunshine but L tells me tonight that it is going to rain and after another ‘scorcher’ it is thickening greying clouds. It is also flat calm so I’ll stay in and blog rather than fight with the midgies.

Here is ‘Rona’ Ian off Yacht Eynhallow, she wouldn’t stay still so a bit fuzzy. She is the replacement for his last dog who passed away after her visit here in June, this one is very much alive.

Rona the Dog

They were here on the 9th, that seems an age ago. We had been busy stalking and taking advantage of the dry weather, which allowed us to get a bit more done with the track behind the holiday cottages. We were given permission by our visitors to work the digger but it was in the forest so hopefully it wasn’t too noisy, anyway Mike came and helped when we bogged the JCB. Even with the driest spell forever the ground would not support the digger, so this happened.

Looks Like The Somme

In the middle of that stramash one of the tyres on the trailer loaded with winter firewood burst, but I quickly repaired it and Mike again helped out unloading it, he didn’t need to wait until the midges were out though!!! I don’t know if the sheep were impressed but their trough makes a good tester for  air  leaks.

Testing for Bubbles

Midday our Danish visitors arrived on the Spindrift, Mike and Lorraine arrived over with some goodies they had brought so a place was made and Cullen Skink was served. The ‘crack’ was good but back to work for some. George was over at Dry Harbour and almost finished the job at the track, a few loads in the morning and that would be that. (after he strummed for 1 and a half hours).

Almost There

On Friday the sun shone, George went to Dry Harbour, I messed about. I got some of the summer house done and caught up with jobs, the Danish lads mucked in and we did the decking. Later in the day we went out and fished the creels but just as we were starting a pod of dolphins arrived on the scene and were treated to a fantastic show. I think there would have been a few hundred photos.

Spotting Dolphins

It was so hot and earlier in the day the chill for the deer had set off an overheating alarm. We finally realised the rain cover I fitted was restricting the flow of air and the fan/compressor could not cope, so a quick removal cured the problem but it had been up to 25 degrees around that time maybe more so around the unit it must have been pretty high.

Zanotti chill unit exposed

In the middle of all of that the water well at Dry Harbour gave up the ghost, I had been back and forth all week bleeding the pipe every time it air locked which was twice a day but now I decided to roll out plan B!! The new tank with water from here would be pressed into shape. I have to say I did enjoy going over because the view from above the well is pretty spectacular especially with a day like Friday.

The View From The Well DH

At the end of the day, ace engineer ‘Calum Macaskill’ arrived with crew quickly tied up and chilled out, later that evening after a few ‘lemonades’ Irene and Calum gave our Danish friends an exhibition of Scottish Country Dancing.

All Tied Up

Take The Floor

Saturday dawned bright and very warm, it promised a good day but first of all a Major changeover.

Invasion

George and the Danish party were leaving with the Saturday ferry, Murray my son and his partner Stacey had come over for a week. Mayhem but only one bag left behind and it was wells, no use to us!!!!

Calum offerred to look at the mooring so he went for a dip and all seemed fine, five years it has been down I was happy to see that it was still quite fresh.

Irene Having A Rubber Moment

MV Rona Chained to the seafloor

 

Plan B for water was ongoing when all of these activities were taking place, the tank had been filling so off we set to DH with the first load, a few hiccups later we transferred the load using the brand new road to gain height . It worked well but it is very time consuming.

Chief Engineer Organising the Operation

A quick dinner was followed by a trip out on the boat, Murray and Stacey came along with us but no dolphins this time just creels!! We got a lobster though and put him in the keep until later. To finish off a few malts were consumed on the ‘Kestrel’ Calum’s boat, discussing the Scottish Dance Music scene.

To-day, it dawned yet again hot and sunny, not the best day to butcher up a stag but it was getting near that time. 3 hours later I called a halt when the mercury reached 25 inside the process room, too hot for meat, way too hot.

The Larder turning into a Sauna

Calum and Irene left mid morning and spotted the Basking Shark that has been circling all the boats lucky enough to see it, 25 feet long they say, pictures please Kevin!! Maybe I’ll have a pic tomorrow. It is a beauty they tell me but we have not seen it yet.

Later on myself and L went over to DH with more water and picked a few very dry chantrelle mushrooms, delicious with the pizza tonight.

The drought is still an issue but hopefully we’ll have a shower or two soon, at least we can transport the water from the rain fed supply here.

As for firefighting, that was Calum’s description of living and working on Rona this summer, the heat and dryness has nothing to do with it!!!!!!!