Photos from my Mobile

I was emptying my mobile of photos, and thought I'd give y'all a wee taste of my phone gallery.

A surprising number of photos have a Tea theme. Now, I love my tea, and drink numerous cups of tea every day, but I must say that I found the frequency of tea-related photos rather odd. 

The first of my tea-themed-photos was taken in the pick-up, and has a mix of my china mug, the Builder's plastic-from-the-top-of-the-flask cup, and the Builder's arm. Y'all can decide for yourselves which part of the photo is my favourite.

If you want a clue, it doesn't include tea.

*      *      *

Then there was this tea-related photo.

This was taken at a friend's house when I visited with my sister and Catherine and Katie. Our lovely hostess gave herself and the other three beautiful china mugs, but I was given the most delicious Royal Albert cup and saucer.

Oh, she's learning ....


And then, yet another tea photo.

I was in Ness the other day at a funeral. Although the man was not related to me, I found the day difficult for a number of reasons, not least the fact that I'd grown up for twenty years right next door to this man and his family. There were a lot of memories that day, so I truly appreciated my sister-in-law serving me Victoria sponge and tea in this china cup. 

Yes, tea absolutely tastes different when served in this kind of loveliness.

*      *      *

Now, they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and the next couple of photos will tell you all you need to know about my love of tea, and my particular love of tea in china.

A couple of weeks ago, my mum was in hospital for a couple of hours, and before she was ready to leave, a nurse asked if she'd like a cup of tea. Well, can a duck swim? Of course Mum wanted a cuppa. My sister was there too, and she told me that the nurse arrived with the tea while Mum was in the bathroom. When Mum came out, this is what she saw ....

Marina said that when she saw it, she almost passed out, but came to herself enough to say with absolute horror, "Mo chreach mhòr, 's ann a tha sin nas coltaiche ri mias" (Goodness me, that's more like a basin!).

When the nurse saw the shocked horror on Mum's face, she immediately offered to serve her tea in a, erm, more suitable vessel.

This is what arrived....

And so, I realise I truly am becoming my Mum. Catherine, our daughter, realises she's only a few decades behind us. She has come to accept that she is slowly but surely turning into me, and then the progression will mean her becoming Granny.

C'est la vie, I tell her.

*      *      *

You know, I was going to show you more photos because, yes, I promise you, I do snap more than just tea. But I think that's enough for one blog post. I'll post later in the week with the other photos.

Now, go and have a cuppa.

In a Royal Albert cup, if at all possible.

Have some Victoria Sponge too. And if that's not possible, have a chocolate biscuit. Dip it in the tea. And then y'all can pretend I'm right there with you. Wouldn't that be fun .... for me!

(the next lot of photos is a mix, but there are definitely quite a few of a certain fluff ball in her younger days....)

Out-takes of our Photo Taking ...

In the previous post, I showed y'all all the lovely photos that made us seem well-behaved and even - dare I say it - normal.

But to get to the publishable-photo stage, we had to go through bits and bobs of, well, drama.

See, this is the kind of thing that happens when you put two sisters next to each other in a photo line up. 

'Hair all sorted for the photo, right?' 

'Well, I'll soon sort that...'

Meanwhile - take note - my folks and all the boys are completely well behaved and beautifully posed.

It's always the girls that cause the problems. Always the girls. 

You just ask any mum with sons .... in particular, ask my own mum. Isn't that right, Marina?!

Mums and their boys. It's simply the way of the world...

Well, finally we pretty much had order restored and we were able to take some pretty decent photos.

*      *      *

Below is a photo of Mum and Auntie Jessie. 

Here, they are beautifully presented and have their 'for the camera' faces on.

But a short while later, I was able to take a photo that totally and completely and utterly sums the pair of them up ...

This. 

This is them. Everyone who knows Mum and Auntie Jessie can actually hear them as they look at this photo. 

Honestly, it is them, summed up in a few inches of photo!

*      *      *

And then we had Neil and Donna and the boys. Remember the lovely photo of them all yesterday?

Well, shortly before the 'good' photo was taken, we had this. Now, all looks fairly normal, but take a look at Mark's hand ...

And now take a look at Mark's face ... He's up to something.

And NOW, see Neil's face! 

That 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' nephew of mine had had great fun - very much at his dad's expense.

Dontcha just love kids!

Order almost restored ... but a re-writing of the will may be on the way.

Ross is smiling. And well he might.

John and Catherine's Engagement Photos

John and Catherine had some official engagement photos taken recently. They were taken by Graham, of Graham Braid Photography, at Nairn beach, and I reckoned I'd be as well showing them off before the actual wedding photos are taken. Nothing like being on time and organised, eh?

I love the natural-ness of these photos, and how relaxed the two of them are together. Considering that Catherine isn't overly comfortable in front of a camera, I reckon some credit must go to Graham for making for a relaxed photo shoot.

Apart from a couple of photos on which I wish to comment (you'll see my comments when you reach the photos), I'll simply leave you to enjoy the photos.

Even though the photos weren't taken on one of our Ness beaches, it would seem that the urge to jump dunes is never too far away from Catherine...

It is, however, rather clear that only one person in this pair grew up dune-jumping!

2014's Calender Photos

** Anna V, please contact me to give me your 

details so I can send you the calender you won!**

Davene, from Spilled ... because my Cup Overflows, asked me to show the photos I'd chosen for the 2014 calender. And so, here they are ...

The cover of the calender has this photo:

It shows some of the wild flowers that grow on our machair during the summer, and in the distance you can see our house. For a certain number of weeks each summer, the machair is cleared of all livestock and this gives these flowers the opportunity to grow and delight both our sense of sight and our sense of smell.

Ahhhhh ..... summer.

*      *      *   

 January's photo is of the Gearannan, on the West Side of the island.

This thatched village has been restored and some of the houses are now available for holiday lets. One of the homes is used as a museum which shows what island life was like in times past. The last of these homes were actually still home to folks right up until the 1970s. When the final few older residents moved to modern homes - homes without thatch, and all the additional work that entailed - the houses were given 'conservation status'.

The houses seem to us to belong to another world, and yet ... thick stone walls, their low profile, and the insulating thatch ... all these features make them ideal for the weather conditions here in Lewis. 

And the materials are all to be found locally. I can see Green Grants being issued for the building of this type of home in the future - yep, sounds like a plan, Mr government-green-grants Adviser.

Y'all heard it here first, folks ;)

*      *      *

February's photo needs no explanation.

Well, okay, I ought to explain that he doesn't always look like this. 

This dirty? No.

This cute? Yep.

*     *      *

March could be nothing else but the lambs.

Here are some of Big Brothers' gorgeous lambs. Between March and April, he spends practically all his wakened hours in the Maternity Ward. So far, he's never felt it necessary to call for my help.

Strange that ...

*      *      *    

We had a gorgeous spell of weather in April, and I nipped out one morning to take a walk along the beach.

This was the same morning DR's run of Fire Service call-outs for moor fires began, but while I walked in these dunes, moor fires were the furthest thing from my mind. Early morning, I think, is the best time to wander down to the beach.

*      *      *

Occasionally, Calum and I take a wee wander over to town, and on this lovely May day, we chucked a flask into the car with some sandwiches, a couple of books, and of course, his sword and additional weaponry.

The castle grounds are so lovely, and worth having a day off school to go visit.

*      *      *

June: the Callanish Stones.

My Dad joined Katie, Calum and I the day we took a spin around the West Side and visited the Broch and the Callanish Stones. It would seem that these stones have been around for around 4000 years. Yes, that's four thousand...

*      *      *

July's photo is of the Wee Guy, aka Calum Stewart, helping in the taking home of the peats.

The tractor is a Massey Ferguson 35, and has been in the Builder's family since way before we were married. It's been responsible for taking many loads of peats home.

*      *      *

The photo I chose for August is from our friend, Calum's, trip to St Kilda. Our three St Kilda blog posts, Part I, Part II, and Part III, were amongst the most popular posts of 2013.

This is looking down on the Village Bay, Bàgh a' Bhaile, on a stunningly beautiful summer's day.

*      *      *

We return to the Castle Grounds for September's photo.

This photo is taken from close to Cuddy Point, and shows the main part of Stornoway, the island's only town.

*      *      *

We stay in Stornoway for October's photo.

This photo is taken from the town, looking over the inner harbour to the castle from with the Castle Grounds takes their name. 

The castle was built by Sir James Matheson in the mid 19th century. Matheson, who'd made his money from the Chinese opium trade, had bought the island in 1844, and the castle and wonderful grounds are his lasting legacy.

*      *      *

November: an early sunset and a reminder that we will all, one day, die.

I love visiting the cemetery - not for morbid reasons, but because my visits bring reality home to me. My grandparents are buried here, as are the Builder's parents. There are graves belonging to many, many people I knew: some reached old age, and others were called out of this world way before the expected 'three score years and ten'. 

I am sad, yet rejoice, when I read some of the gravestones. They speak of people who are now in heaven, awaiting the resurrection. They are people with whom I will spend eternity, and together we will sing praises to the Lamb in the midst of the Throne.

There are some that make me weep: in the early part of last century, there were so many young children who died as a result of illnesses that are so easily cured now. How blessed we are with the age in which God's providence placed us.

Other graves speak of sons who never returned from the World Wars. That, in turn, speaks of unspeakable heartache and that makes my heart sore for mothers and fathers whose grief was unimaginable.

This also makes me thankful for the time in which I live.

*      *      *

December's photo was also taken by our friend, Calum, when he visited St Kilda. 

When I posted this photo on Homeschool's Facebook page recently, a lady contacted me to say that the closest house in the photo is where her mother was born, and where she lived until the final evacuation of the island in 1930. Wow! 

I find the scenes from St Kilda so poignant. I think any poet, or writer, or composer, or artist, who is struggling with inspiration ought to take a visit to this island.

The stones truly speak, even though the homes are empty and silent.

Butt of Lewis Lighthouse

Some interesting, though possibly useless, facts about our local lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built in 1862 by David Stevenson and his brother, Thomas. David Stevenson was an engineer with the Northern Lighthouse Board.

Thomas Stevenson was the father of the much loved author, Robert Louis Stevenson. 

It stands at almost the same latitude as Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada, and Kristiansand in Norway.

It is officially the windiest spot in the U.K, though tonight it was perfectly calm.

There used to be a foghorn beside it, which sounded until 1995. I have wonderful, comforting childhood memories of its deep, long, low bellow sounding out as I lay snuggled in my bed. 

Sadly, it is heard no more. And I miss it.

The lighthouse was manned when I was growing up. The flashing was caused by a huge lens which revolved around the light. Before it was automated, the lighthouse keeper had to wind up the clockwork motor by hand every half-hour each evening.

Initially, the light was fuelled by fish oil, but between 1869 and 1976 paraffin was used. Since 1976, it has been all electric. 

There are 168 steps to the top of the lighthouse. Sadly, the lighthouse is not open to the public now, so we cannot climb to its top any more. 

Interestingly, the man who was building the spiral stair of steps went on strike for 'an extra penny a day'. Apparently, there were so few experts to do the work that he was given what he'd asked for.

Have a Look at this Sunset, Guys!

Between eight and nine o'clock every evening, this conversation can be heard in our household.

Mum: "Oh guys, come and see the sunset. It's absolutely gorgeous!"

Family Member(s): "Mhmmm...."

Mum: "Oi! Come and see this."

FM (sighing slightly exasperatedly): "Mum...we saw it last night."

Mum: "No, no. It's not the same tonight. Hurry up before it disappears."

One, or maybe two, will feel obliged and arrive at my side. "Isn't it stunning?", I ask.

"Mum, it's lovely. Yep. Lovely. .... just like last night's was"

And so, I'm left to appreciate the beauty before me on my own.

The night before last, it looked like this.

And tonight it looked like this...

See.... never the same. But always beautiful, and so relaxing at the end of a busy day.

And if we keep having sunny days, I may just call all you guys over every evening to have a look at our sunset. Yes, every evening, because it's never the same two nights running. Just ask my kids.