“2012 Argyll” series of articles

2012

2012 Aug

Aug 07 Tue

The three most note-worthy events of this day were the excursion with Uncle in the Boat (that’s his dinghy thingy), the photographing of swallows by me and one of the Cottage’s windows, and the dinner at the West Loch.

The Boat excursion involved sighting seals and greater black-backed gulls, followed by several small and green-veined whites that live in reed-ridden wetland, and tortoise-shells that live in thistly rocky scrub.

The swallows have a more comfortable abode, in a corner of the roof above the window in the living-room. They share their nest with chicks that I haven’t seen yet, but I have heard cheeping, and I’ve seen the parents taking insects to them to swallow. A surprised swallow some-times darts off when the window’s opened.

Not that we often open windows. There are too many flies around to keep it practical. The swallows would disagree though.

My dinner (at the West Loch) excluded flies and included a crème brûlée, the best this year. I can’t remember the main course.

Aug 08 Wed

Today’s was the annual séjour to Gigha. There aren’t many attractions on that island, and not many people - you meet every holiday-maker on the island either on the ferry or on the beach, usually both.

At the beach, we met several holiday-makers, due to the Dog, who was alternatingly adoring and annoying. Usually both at the same time, actually. It’s not “cute” when she pilfers others’ lunch, sisters.

Our own lunch was at the Gigha Hotel. The only option save the Boat House. Both Dad and I had the Ploughman’s, which was apparently served with croûtons instead of bread. Mum complained. When Mum complains at a restaurant, I can be embarrassed or pleased, usually both.

At another beach (really just an extension of the first, on the other side of the bay) I attempted some underwater photography thanks to a transparent camera-case. Sous-marin, under the waves, I recorded some shrimps and crabs, occasionally both. Above the waves, my photos featured the Dog and various children, usually both.

Across the waves, back in Kintyre, I played my best Scrabble game this week. Dad performed best in Round 1, Mum was winning in Round 2, and Mum achieved a slight lead in Round 5, but apart from that, I was always on top. Thus the game wasn’t too exciting; no bingo-bonuses were awarded.

I won, 534 points to 512 to 332. With every game this month I’ve surpassed an opponent, usually both.

Aug 09 Thu

Dad’s still impressed by and obsessed with the idea of underwater photography. The number of times I’ve heard him crooning “Under The Sea” from “The Little Mermaid” is increasing by the hour.

Dad’s not the only one imitating an unusually-ruddy lobster. Sister 2 has spent so much time outside that her face is now bright pink (or maybe she’s just embarrassed by getting mentioned in her brother’s blog in this way). Her fringe is also increasing by the hour, so she’s pushed the offending hairs backwards over her scalp, so they now resemble crustacean antennae.

Mum meanwhile is still crabby about having not won Scrabble at all this year: she hasn’t managed yet to claw her way back up the rankings. (What did you expect? Lobsters aren’t very good at Scrabble.)

You may think my family will be offended by my comparing them to lobsters, but I’m sure they can take it. They have tough shells. Picture of a redpoll, anyone?

Note: This article really isn’t meant to be taken seriously. Sebastian is a crab, for starters. Yum yum, crab for starters.

Aug 14 Tue

The walk was along Machrihanish Beach, followed by our excited dog and a lasagne lunch in Campbeltown. Not the most exciting of days. No Scrabble today. The dog’s scrabbling in the sand for a cow’s putrid and putrifying mandible doesn’t count.

The dog enjoyed herself today (until I removed the mandible from her mandibles and chucked it into the Sound of Jura). My parents also enjoyed themselves at an entertaining consultation session regarding parochial plans to privatise some paths; they had a chitchat with land-owners, holiday-makers, horse-riders, dog-walkers, etc.

By “chitchat” I don’t mean a heated argument. I also don’t mean a bird superficially similar to a chiffchaff but more closely related to the winchat.

Aug 15 Wed

Scrabble today. I had both an S and a blank in my rack. BOTHI[E]S/BUYS got me 75 points, without making use of any double- or triple- word-scores.

In the next round, Round 5, I also found an S and a blank in my rack, enabling me to play BLE[N]DERS with the B of BOTHIES, onto a double-word-score; I got 72 points for that.

Round 5 was also quite a good round for Mum, who played her second-best play of the game so far - her 30-pointer RASH. Round 5 was an even better round for Dad, who got all seven tiles out with a rack containing two blanks, 3 Ns, an E, and an A: [P]ENNAN[T]/[T]RASH, for 75 points (the [P]ENNAN[T] was on a triple-word-score, making it worth 18).

For end-of-game scores I had 528, my second-best score this year; Mum had 457, her second-best score this year; and Dad had 445, his very best score this year.