Tuesday – I slept badly as I was convinced we would oversleep so every time I stirred I woke enough to check what time it was on my phone. At least three times. The room was stuffy and I woke from a really vivid dream about discovering a house underground on the croft. It was so clear that I can still remember it now and for a while I lay there seriously considering ringing Ady to tell him exactly where to start digging to find it.
We got up and headed to the radio station which is on an industrial estate just outside the town. We struggled to park so had to walk a short way to it. I had emailed the studio manager thinking he would be the best person to arrange a behind the scenes tour but had not realised that in a station so tiny no one is employed like that and infact he was there presenting the breakfast show. The station is largely music and ads with a minimal amount of talking between tracks really so he was able to chat to us loads with just three instances of turning the mike and the red light on and broadcasting while we stood there.
Davies did a good job of leading it, having thought about some questions to ask and with fairly minimal prompting from me. David LOVED him, really liked the idea of a Small Isles station or show, told Davies he was really interesting, liked the whole Home Ed thing, loved our story and lifestyle, offered help with all sorts of things from a Young Presenters course to a SVQ in broadcasting, to come and help set stuff up, assist with finding funding and so on. He was ridiculously effusive but if even half the things he said he could help with actually happen then he will be a massively useful contact.
We left there and headed to the secret charity shops (a local precinct of about 10 shops just outside the town where there are two charity shops), then back to the Premier Inn where we left the car and walked into the town. I needed stuff like Christmas cards, wrapping paper, Superdrug shopping while the kids wanted to look for presents for me, so we looked at the charity shops together and then split up for half an hour or so before meeting back up and going back to the room for lunch and telly.
Scarlett and I went round to the dentist, getting there about 15 minutes early on the off chance as Gregor is always so efficient he never seems to have a backlog of waiting patients. Sure enough we were in, Scarlett was seen, had some elastic bands between top and bottom jaw fitted and we were back in the hotel room before her appointment time! It meant we were there for Ady arriving as he had got a lift with Sean and Ali rather than catching the train so was nearly an hour earlier than expected too.
Ady and I went along to Poundstretcher and the supermarket for various bits and pieces and picnic tea to eat in the room. Baths all round and then sleeping.
Another bad nights sleep for me, it was so hot and I had opened the window but Davies (who was sleeping in the bed closest to the window) had shut it again. It was 25 degrees in the room, at this time of year our bedroom is regularly around the 8 degrees mark so very different.
Wednesday – zoo day! We were up and out by 830am on our way to the Highland Wildlife Park, Scarlett’s belated birthday treat. It’s a small zoo by normal UK zoo standards but important for having the only UK female polar bear and the first polar bear the kids had seen in real life. There could only have been about 20 people in the whole zoo and the keeper talks were pretty limited – Japanese snow monkeys, polar bears, Scottish wildcats and Amur tigers. But we went to all of them, drove round the safari reserve bit twice, saw the snow leopards and the wolves and had a really good day. Scarlett loved it 🙂
We debated heading on to Inverness for dinner and food shopping but decided to go back to FW instead. We had a discussion about the best place to get dinner and in the end decided to go for picnic food again with fish and chips for Davies. So Ady and I did the Morrisons christmas food shopping, Ady dashed along to the chip shop and we were back for food and baths. We mostly packed up ready for another early start.
Thursday – home day! All packed up and on the road just after 830am again. I drove back to Mallaig as the kids secretly prefer my driving plus I was feeling pretty ropey travelling in the back the day before. We arrived, Ady dashed across to the Coop for some milk to bring home, I reversed onto the ferry and we were on our way home. The crossing was pretty choppy but we managed. Home, collected Bonnie, gathered up the Jeep, bunged stuff in the freezer and then came back to the croft with wheelbarrows. The day disappeared in a haze of unpacking and putting away and a lovely venison steak dinner by Ady. Good to be home.
Friday – Ady worked in the morning. I made mince pies, the kids slept in. In the evening Ady and I went down to Debs for a pre Christmas meal with Debs, Fliss and Jed. It was a really nice, if slightly strange evening. We were home just before midnight.
Today – I spent the morning almost finishing the puzzle and listening to the radio, Ady spent it doing loo maintenance. In the afternoon Scarlett actually finished the puzzle while Ady and I walked down to the village to get stuff from the freezer and collect the post. Pizza for dinner delayed from last night.