Well it has been extremely busy, we are in the new house, enjoying it very much and here we are almost in September. There’s been a lot happening this year, catching up mainly and we are back catching up with the blog. Here are a selection of pictures of what has been going on this summer.

Early on we had a very good spring but lately it has been very strange weather, all of August has been a bit of a trial, but it is good to remember the sunny days.

And there were quite a few.

With lovely sunsets and a promise of a good year ahead.

This is the boat going into the water way back in March only for us to find out that the hull was porous. New engines on as well which was a bit of a disaster.

But it was good to be in the new house and bring it together.

Windmill woes this year but not bad after 17 years service, we had strengthened it before but this was a major issue and thankfully Calum and Irene had chanced to look up at the windmill and found this.

Our visitors arrived early this year and it has been a busy year especially for day trippers. Never a dull moment and this ewe got bogged, happens every year despite fences put around the deep bogs, they are short of grass and searching for a bite.

The woes kept coming I repaired the JCB exhaust only for the side to blow out of it, another few hundred pounds.

The windmill was easily repaired once we cleared the cracked concrete away and stregtheners were fitted, fingers crossed now

Chasing sheep in the forest by the house one of our regulars succumbed to the long winter, she was not in bad condition and not that old.

A Department visit loomed so tags had to be checked and the single lamb dealt with.

With able assistance from Clive who was not impressed with my castration technique!!! Needless to say the lamb escaped that indignity!!! He’s now heading to be a Ram.

Julie never gives up she has taken to stealing the hens food.

The weather continued early in the year with some dramatic skies and sooooo blue.

With the new Mariners fitted to the boat and the boat ‘eventually’  temporarily repaired it was now time to reconsider the three old Yamahas for sale. As it happens the new Mariners are maybe going onto something else and the old Yams MAY go back onto the Voe boat just for local work, watch this space.

We started the path from the pontoon, there is no end to maintenance, improving the facilities, paths and general infrastruce before the tourists arrive. We ask for £1 pp when they land and less than half bother to pay but they are quite happy to use the facilities. To-day on PBO forums I had the pleasure of reading a few posts posted by Yachties (it is a yachtie forum) slagging me/the pontoon and the charges of £1, more of that later. But I was heartened to hear the positive comments on said forum, thanks for that.

We had our own cliff rescue this spring our second lamb and one of only two this year who was stuck on a ledge. The Tup had disappeared the week before he was due to visit the ladies in November but he did manage to catch two ewes. Sadly shortly after this photo was taken and we put the lamb back with the Mother, in her panic she knocked the lamb off the cliffs, well, not a good year for lambs on Rona.

Sterling work from the Spanish John from Mallaig, The Milligans laid our 4 new moorings and lifted the pontoon chains for replacement. We could have shortened the chains and refitted but we decided on newer shorter heavier chain, not bad for 18 years in the water in fact I’m tempted to use the old chain for some more moorings being as they proved so popular this year. That should please the grumpy old yachties on the PBO forum.

This was a good day, after much persuasion Calum sold us his RIB, I wish I had bought one years ago, so quick to Portree, and I am now looking for a bigger one without engines so that we can put the Mariners on it.

A chance conversation with my agent in Portree Mr Corrigal and the old bar/restaurant furniture made its way over to Rona, one of the Pier Hotels regular customers came with the deal!!!! We had a booking for 20 for dinner in may and were short of seats, so they turned up just in time.

With new folk coming, we were in the house and spent most of the first part of the spring moving fixtures and fittings and getting the house presentable for the new residents.

You have to ask where did it all come from!!!

OMG, major problem with not even half the cupboard space in the new house.

The new RIB arrives, brakes removed, we’ll not need them here.

The new Aprons arrived at the same time, good Christmas gift only £22!!

And that is where I got to all these months ago trying to get a blog done. Hopefully with the nights drawing in I’ll get a chance to catch up and bring the Rona story up to date.