Popmaster got drowned out by yelling this morning 🙁 The pressure of over a week in the van with no time out at all started to show with Davies and Scarlett yesterday and they were squabbly. They do it so infrequently my tolerance for it is virtually zero and of course they are totally trapped with each other – sharing a bed, a sofa, a dining table and so on. This morning they were both after my attention and when I started reading a book with Scarlett Davies was getting more and more annoying and I lost my temper with them.
Some discussion about just what should be the result has made for a much better day today – I am very conscious of the Big Ask on their shoulders of this year and although I am utterly confident that the rewards are many I don’t want their memory of this bit to be overshadowed by falling out with each other every five minutes and me shouting at them for it. They were both horrified at my suggestion that we call it a day though and have been the very best of friends again all day today :).
We headed in a giant loop around the coast road overlooking the Summer Isles again, having done it last night looking for somewhere to sleep. First to the Summer Isles Smokehouse which is a fab little purpose built smokehouse complete with viewing windows around three sides of the building so you can see the process going on inside. We looked in at the kilns, watched some men filleting salmon ready to be smoked and then watched the process the other end after they’d been done of trimming, de-boning and slicing before packaging. Then we went inside to have a look at the oak chips (they use old whisky barrels) and see what was on offer for sale. Limited budget or not we decided we really should sample something so chose a small pack of smoked salmon to have for lunch. Pricey but very nice :).
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We left there and went to the Hyrdroponicum which is inbetween it’s old incarnation with the previous centre closed down and it’s planned new visitor centre with the straw bales stacked up ready and waiting. We were a bit underwhelmed with that to be honest, despite the friendliness of the woman who chatted to us. Ady has come across that sort of growing method before a few years ago and was not deeply impressed then. We’re glad we went but mostly because the outside growing area, right next to the sea and simply in soil was thriving and showed it is possible to grow stuff even in such extreme conditions which is reassuring.
By then we were getting pretty hungry so we found a good spot to stop for lunch and parked up. We watched another eagle for a while – our only wildlife spot today – and debated what to do next. Our original plan had been to return to Knockan for an overnight and then head to Corrieshalloch tomorrow, via Ullapool for some petrol. But we’d had a windy night there on Sunday and tonight is also windy, plus we are all a little resistant to stopping in the same place twice if we don’t have to, so we decided to get fuel and head for Corrieshalloch today. This was on the basis we were better driving this afternoon in the rain and having all day in the forecast sunshine to explore tomorrow, plus we’d get to charge stuff up off the cigarette lighter for longer!
So to Ullapool, a quick stop in Tescos for some more fresh fruit as the last lot had already almost gone – kids currently inhale nectarines! a small spend on petrol and then back on a real A road again with white lines, road signs and everything. Ady and I both felt a bit sad leaving the wilderness behind really, although we know it gets beautiful again lower down from our time in Tarbert and we’re really looking forward to Skye. We reminded ourselves that we can come back up again if we want anyway.
We’ve parked just past the Corrieshalloch Gorge in a nice big layby with a view which improved every minute as the mists cleared. We had a lovely dinner of pasta bake with cheese and bacon which came in under £3 and we justified the lack of veg with all the fruit eaten earlier in the day ;). I read a load of Matilda before dinner and a load more afterwards and now despite the wind and rain outside we’re all outside of our sleeping bags tonight as it’s really hot in the van, probably due to the oven being on for the pasta bake!
🙁 to shouting but glad quickly cheery again :-).
We have a hydroponics kit collecting dust. Must try it out.
Comment by michelle — 28 September 2011 @ 12:39 pm