What day is it?

My blog postings are all to pot. I'd like to blame the inability to schedule but that is really only a small part of it. I just cannot get my brain into gear. I am terribly behind with my Hebridean blog and have some lovely days of walks to post about. My books blog is a few books behind. I even still have a couple of posts to do from when I was down in Devon in early May.

So here are a few odd bits to catch up:-

On 20th July Partner-who-loves-tea is coming up to the island to join me for a week and to take me back home. I'm really looking forward to it and my only concern is that she is a midge magnet. That's not too much of a problem at the moment because the midges are generally behaving themselves but I suspect she may also be a cleg magnet and they are really bad this last couple of weeks.


So while I was in Stornoway yesterday I stocked up on half a dozen different repellents and bite cures. That's added £25 to the cost of the holiday but will be well worth it if they do the trick. One thing that Boots didn't have was Avon Skin-so-soft which is supposed to be a good repellent. I went on the web and found a site which said:- "This is an exceptionally good insect and 'mozzy' repellent. It has become infamous through word of mouth. We personally sell in excess of 100 bottles a week." Infamous??? Why infamous? Why not famous? I do wish people would learn to write English on their adverts.


"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man pick up the iron for his friends." (John 15:3 CJE's version) GB has done a lot of ironing for me these last few weeks so it was only fair that I iron the small amount of washing he left this week. But ironing (ugh!) a pink (double ugh!!) polo shirt was a definite demonstration of my love for my brother.





In Stornoway on Monday there was an old Riley (I shall let GB add a comment about the model!). I love old cars and seeing them in use on the road is a real bonus. it is one aspect of New Zealand that I would thoroughly enjoy.



Boats in the harbour on Monday.



At the Woodlands Centre there are a couple of giant chess pieces representing a king and queen from the Lewis Chess set. Originally discovered on the Isle of Lewis, they date from around 1170 and are of Scandinavian origin and form the earliest known European chess set. The originals were carved from ivory and walrus tusk and are now on display in the British Museum. These six foot high models are carved from single blocks of wood.


I preferred them as they were three years ago before they had this coating of wood preservative.

That's today's little ramble over. Have a good day - whatever day it is...