Menosonal; Seasons, They Will Change

August and into September spent almost entirely in The Grey on Dunoon's shoreline. I did visit The Hutch for laundry, showers, mail checks, but I just so love being in my van! I have to say that as early as August, there were signs of autumn already encroaching...

... not to mention all the berries that were already abundant. Particularly on the Rowan trees, where they were pretty much all red even before September kicked in. If my grandad were to be believed (and my pal Aitch, for that matter), then snow was on the way! Of course, those leaves turning could be something to do with the incredible heat and much less rain than we're used to getting around here - but those leaves weren't withering from drought; they were properly turning. 

At the end of August, The Cowal Gathering takes place at Dunoon Stadium and town. I tend not to go along to the main events, but I do always enjoy the closing fireworks, and this was the first year in about seven that I can recall when it was actually dry for the display.

That was just a wee taster... took lots and am keeping them for Hogmanay, as I probably won't be at any fireworks gatherings at that time.

As nature would have it, though, the rain promptly arrived about an hour after they'd finished. September, then, has been wet... hey ho. Good weather for hunkering down with the yarn project, some excellent podcasts, a few good viewing binges and generally just keeping myself to myself. 

Menootering No More...

The Menootering Tour ended, as Ducky told you, the first weekend of August when we came over the water to Dunoon. I do quite like being in town during this month as it tends to be buzzing, building up to the final weekend when The Cowal Gathering takes place. That does mean parking is a bit of a b*****r, but I just stay in The Grey and settle into kerb-side life by the shore. This means putting up with constant traffic (it's the main road from the vehicle ferry into town), some of it quite buffeting because, apparently, the suggested speed marker is taken as a minimum rather than a max...

But nothing quite beats opening up in the morning to scenes like this...

To be fair, most of the time it is overcast and probably raining, too, but on the whole, the weather this year has been kinder (although, as we all know, it's also worrying, the tropics arriving this far north...)

I didn't only stay in the main town. For one week, I drove a bit further down the peninsula to Innellan and parked right on the shore in a wee community park. That was rather fabulous and much more peaceful.

There were a lot of photos and links and memories of the trip to sort out, so most days I was working on getting the blog posts working as you have found them. Sadly, I had let the knitting sit unattended for some time, but a couple of weeks ago I did pick it up again... As Saturday Stitches is back and running, you will know by now (as will I) whether the cardigan got finished! 

There were some spectacular sunrises, though sunsets tended to be clouded over... particularly during the eclipse. Very disappointing, because I had a prime viewing spot, had it been clear. Instead, the clouds just got thicker and thicker and thicker... sigh... so yes, the world went dark, but not because of the moon boistering the sun.

I did get up to the Hutch, eventually... 

The Waverley was having a good time with all this not-raining weather, and appeared to have capacity loads each trip out. As it tours the Clyde Estuary, it does stop in at various harbours, including Dunoon, enabling visitors to walk the prom and visit the Castle Gardens... so that is where I 'planted' Ducky 6939, in the hope that one or other visitor will spot her and whisk her off on yet another stage of her great adventure.

Tomorrow, Hettie will bring you lots of lovely nature views from our wee part of Scotland's Secret Coast, but let me end today's post with another etherwobbly whinge. As I typed this today (two weeks before you read it), after a system update last night, I found that at the start of each paragraph, I have to retype my first word because the system is now 'eating' whatever I first put...😶 Not only that, but for reasons it alone can know, in the drafts listing, it has chosen to rename my 'menoizikul' posts and label... What the actual....??!! When I preview the posts, they appear to show correctly, so it will be interesting to see what happens when they go live... I'm pretty sure that this and the late delivery of posts is all part of the ever-creeping influence of the arsehole artificial mental thing... (am I becoming a GOW? [grumpy ol' wummin])

Menooooooooooo....And Breathe

NB: Blogger continues to be very tardy with many of your posts... and then a whole bunch will turn up at one go, with anything from two to four of those missed posts. Beyond frustrating!!! Am I the only one experiencing this, or have any others of you had this happen? I think David mentioned it might be with him. Anyway, for those to whom I regularly comment, know that I have not abandoned you and will get there eventually! For those I only comment occasionally, know that I am still reading all your posts - just not as timely as they could be!!! (moves on with clenched jaw and gnashing of teeth...).

I mentioned last Thursday that Mac1 is over by the Clyde house-sitting and looking after Barney, the Himalayan Terrier. I took a turn at 'watch' last week, and there will be another brief visit this weekend. My sister's friend and her hubby are overseas and were happy for Mac1 to use their place as an artist's retreat... and she certainly spread herself around!

The table by the window, the main dining table, the kitchen table... and many, many bags and boxes between! Friend Annie is, herself, a creator, mainly with fabrics, but a little with paints and other media. Mac1 loves printing in different formats, using whatever she forages from the beaches and woods and streamsides... and streets... Magpies would have trouble keeping up with her! 

Anyway, other than her three-week retreat, the other focus is the pupster... and what can be seen from the wonderful back deck... I'm just going to leave the rest of this post to the photos (in no particular order)...

Menohygging; Comfort of Familiarity

Thank you to all for the birthday greetings. I had a thoroughly lovely few days. Mac1 drove over from Edinburgh on Thursday and, thank goodness, spring had properly arrived and the weather was more than decent for the whole of her stay. We are very comfortable together, and she just makes herself at home, so no standing on ceremony, and lots of easy silences. 

The World Snooker Championship is on this fortnight, so she was happy for me to catch the matches while she listened to her podcasts and worked away at her art diary, or read her books. Then we would eat and natter, drink tea and natter, watch a vid, then natter... 

There was, of course, beachcombing...

Mac1 is an inveterate collector of flotsam and jetsam! I lost count of how many sticks and bits she stuck into her bags. Meanwhile, I found lots of little seaglass bits to add to her supply. There were, as always, plenty of dogs to say hello and give ear chucks to.

My sissy spotted some yarn in my stash that she liked the look of. That was the only signal I needed to pick it out and start a sleeveless jumper (vest) for her. More on that in the Saturday Stitches post. I still have unfinished objects (UFOs), but the lure of doing something that is wanted by another, that has a defined purpose and specific design (albeit another of my own production) takes over. 

Monday arrived, and Mac1 had to get back over to the east of this Bonny Land. It had been a most delightful, relaxing, and entertaining few days.

Menootery; Yes, I'm Abootery

Getting The Grey loaded up took me three days. Remember, I am mid-60s, arthritic and asthmatic, and live up a rather high stair level. It's the stairs that undo me a bit nowadays - particularly if carrying anything over five kilos. I have one of those giant Ikea blue bags into which I loaded as much as could be handled on my left shoulder so that my right arm was free to hold onto the bannister. Day one, Monday, five trips up and down was enough. Tuesday was a write-off due to absolutely foul weather with no breaks between 'showers'. Day two, Wednesday, in between squalls (including one blast that nearly took the back door off The Grey!), another five loads of the blue bag, plus moving the Aferiy power bank... fluke would have it that my neighbour came up the stairs as I was struggling with that 25kg and before I knew it he'd whisked the thing into the van for me. Phew. Day three, Thursday morning, suitcases (two cabin-sized ones), two grocery bags of foodables and the oil heater. I spent the afternoon doing basic housework, so the Hutch is not a total hovel for my return. Then, I had a mega spa session, as it will be a while before I see a full shower again. I am good at the military camp form of abluting, but it will be good when I get to certain spots along the way to make use of any shower on offer!

Anyway, now I have the utility area at the rear and the bedsit at the front of the cargo area. I have draped a few cloths over the silver to make it a little cosier since these first photos. 

Then, a little after ten in the evening, I grabbed the last bag - all the tech gear and other important stuff - and locked up and off we drove for a battery charge. The first one I went to was a dud. The second one I got to was also a dud. Third time lucky, right in the town centre on the Pier Car Park, success. Oh yes, it was bucketing down as usual.

Doesn't he look good, my trusty steed?! On the second visit to this charger, before heading for the ferry, a young fellow and his dog drew in to charge his Kia car, and he was very admiring of The Grey. He had a sneaky peek inside and said he was going away inspired with ideas. He was from my part of Edinburgh and a regular hill walker, often visiting Dunoon. Mostly sleeping in that small car!

Anyway... that first night, it was nearly three in the morning of the 23rd before I got parked up on the parade overlooking the water. I woke again at five-thirty. Thought I'd sleep longer, but traffic and drumming rain might have had something to do with it. I spent that Friday in a bit of a daze and realised that I needed to stay in one place until I had recovered from the three days of carting stuff down those stairs, as well as unpacking and sorting once aboard. As the weather was so dismal, it was no hardship just to do my blogs and puzzles as I would in the Hutch. Friday night, I slept like a log (and again on Saturday night) getting a full eleven hours unbroken both nights!!! Total recovery sleep. Saturday, at least, wasn't raining, and an occasional burst of sunshine, so I invited my Instapal Coby (she of California and original Dunoon USNavy daughter, posted in Holy Loch for some time, attending the high school, and now returned with her British hubby to live here) to come have a proper 'van-warming' with tea and cake. I got to know Coby through the instything a few years back when she and Dave were still in the planning stages of the big shift east. Social media can be a real pain - but it is also a great connector! Anyway, that was a fun hour, and then I settled down to watch the rugby - well done The Blues!

As I said, that night was another long slumber, and when I awoke on Sunday morning, it was bright and clear and definitely more like travelling weather; although very cold, it was still and pleasant enough to have the door open whilst I had a brunch of scrumble** and fruit. and listening to the lapping waves, the gulls and sparrows. THIS, this, my friends, is what van life is about!

**Scrumble is a cross between scrambled eggs with toast
and eggy bread; butter the bread, chop up, and saute until a little
browned and crispy, then add the egg, whisked with a little milk
and seasoning, letting sit until egg mostly set, then flip over to ensure
full cook of the egg. It has occurred to me just now that sprinkling sugar
would make it a French Toast cheat as well!

After that, I packed everything up, and it was time to hit the ferry. I headed down to New Lanark (where I began my "Firsts Trip") and spent a couple of nights in nature. More on the anon... but here are two shots for comparison between the standard night shot on the Gopika and then switching on 'night sight'... Full Moon Over The Firth...

Menootanaboot; Beachery

There were two very bright days while Mac1 was here. The other days tended to the more usual xx shades of grey, with the occasional dash of liquid. This did not prevent outings. Mainly to the beach. When I say beach, you must not think in terms of palm trees and acres of golden sand. The shoreline here, as you will be by now familiar, is mostly of pebbles and rocks. Add in some seaweed, driftwood, sea glass and the occasional bit of china or plastic**, and it is one of those strands that invite beachcombers. Mac1 is rather a serious devotee to beachery. 

One can always be assured of interesting light effects along the Clyde. Especially when there is a storm lingering on the fringes.

Amazingly, the temperatures were more than kind. If the wind rose, it had a bite but sheltered from that; it was borderline balmy. Not a problem at all for me to sit and watch. Not that I am averse to a wee bit of beachery myself - but my spine won't cope with more than fifteen or twenty minutes of it. So I sit for the ninety or so that keeps my sister happy! 

On the day this first little set of silhouette images was made, Mac1 found some proper little treasures. A shard of crockery with a pretty blue pattern; several bits of sea glass; pebbles with interesting colour and texture; and the piece de resistance - a little rusted metal tag. A simple inch-and-a-half long by half an inch wide by 1/8th thick sliver of metal punched with a hole for attachment. Perfectly rusted. All such things go into her arsenal of print-making materials and fabric-dying goods.

On another day by the shore, we were entertained watching this fellow...

He was very close to shore, little more than 50 meters (55 yards), and I admit I was a wee tad concerned as there are some rocks not far beneath the surface along there. However, he clearly knew the water well, puttering along to the mouth of Blagaidh burn as it enters the firth and threw down his anchor, raised a tented shade and proceeded to eat lunch. As Mac1 beacheried, I kept a weather eye on the lone yachtsman as he then dropped the shade, raised the anchor and motored out to mid-channel. There, he cut the engine, raised sail and off he went, back in the direction from which he had arrived. You can't really tell from this, but it was rather a fine boat. Fully wood construction, painted blue and red on the exterior hull, and red sails. I watched and remembered fondly my twilight sailing days on Sydney Harbour...

Anyhoo, Mac1 was protected from any breeze by the water due to my fulfilling a request for a headband. One of the YAMster multi-yarn specials. I obliged while we watched Vera and Great Pottery Throwdown...

** Given the amount of shipping that passes this way, and the number of non-resident visitors, we actually do rather well in not having much plastic on our shores. At least, not here by Dunoon. As the tidal current comes right up against the West Bay area, it would make a natural 'catch pot', but somehow we fare better than other shores for such detritus. That said, it is also a fact that the waters of the firth are far from 'quality'... but that's a whole other discussion.

Menootanaboot; Sisterly Saunters

Before I begin... am adding this 'stop press'...  This is the British government donation site - I will research others, and there will be a full post on Monday.

Mac1 offered to come to stay for a week, and I did not object. While I always enjoy her short visits, an entire eight days was extra special! I don't know when last we spent that much time, just the two of us together. Decades, possibly. 

We were not going to let the winter weather stop us from exploring - but as it turned out, we had a few rather wonderful, almost springlike days. Even the days that were 'situation normal' were not cold, and things were managed between the showers. We only required one full pyjama day. 

Photo Ⓒ ACMoar

When the first morning dawned bright and shiny (yes, those are sunglasses on my phizog!), we carpe'd and diem'd and off to the promenade and Victorian Pier for fresh air and sticky beak. (That's Aussie for poking one's nose in...)

After the first stage of refurbishment completed in 2016 on this Grade A listed pier, little has happened... there is a 'To Let' sign up, owned by the Argyll and Bute council. It could be an asset to the town, but somehow, it keeps getting left... no real 'Forward' movement at all. Which is sad. It's rather a fine building, and we played a little of 'what if...' though the wash created by the ferry soon had us dropping any fantasy!

Photo Ⓒ ACMoar

There is a little refreshments shack on the road beside the pier. We stopped there, had a lovely hot chocolate, and basked - yes, basked! - in that low winter sunlight. We watched as Highland Mary stood in her eternal pose, gazing longingly across the water for a sight of her love, Robert Burns. The ferry unloaded a pile of day visitors, coming 'doon the watter' from other towns of the mighty Clyde to make the most of the mildness and - frankly - unsettling kindness of the climate. Where were the roaring gales, the blattering rain, the biting temperatures? I mean, really, where is winter and what have you done with it?!!

More next week... 

Menootanaboot; Less Discovery, More Recovery

Waking up on that Thursday of her trip to the Hutch, Mac1 and I couldn't quite believe our luck that we had the second day of pretty decent weather. Not quite up to the standard of the previous day, but vary acceptable indeed. One of the main incentives of this visit for my sister was an artist she follows in the instything having a couple of items included in an exhibition by the Scottish Society of Artists at the Dunoon Burgh Hall. We thus determined that, following our usual extended brekky and multi-cup tea session, we'd walk there via the back road and return home via the shore. Mind you, in typical clan fashion, it ended up being after lunch that we actually got moving. We got distracted doing puzzles and debating the ills of the world. As you do. Also, I had to divvy up the fresh paneer and 'vacon' and 'unsausages' that she had brought me and get them into the freezer. She decided this was worth recording. I am less sure of that need, but here it is for posterity anyway!

Having recently had to defrost the freezer after an open-door incident, I had only just restocked the day before she came. This meant puzzling out the best packaging and some shifting around to ensure everything would fit - hence the cry of triumph that makes it look like I am in pain.

Moving on. The afternoon continued its fair weather, and we ambled along Victoria Road before descending into the main street. On the way, we passed a house with a plaque. Plaques are a bit of a thing, don't you find?

Along the way, we admired many pretty gardens with unusual blooms (to be seen on Me-Now-Views and TAKE bloggy). Dropping down by St John's church, we approached the burgh hall from its rear. It had undergone major refurbishment not long after I arrived in the town, but we found that the backside was again under scaffolding. Works were clearly being undertaken on the roof and stonework. I had not visited for quite some time, so it was good to see the old place being loved. I was surprised to discover that the entry had been entirely altered, with a wheelchair ramp included, very pretty garden arrangements and the old lamps completely revamped. Very smart indeed. Inside there had been a bit of a change as well, but the main exhibition room remained as was. In there, we found an exhibition that we both truly enjoyed. We remarked in our review of our day that it had been a long time since either of us observed an exhibition in which we actually liked the majority of the works on show. In the image that Mac1 snuck of me, you see the main item from Alasdair Wallace, which was the prompt for the visit.

We took our time and properly absorbed what we were seeing. It really was impressive, and out of the 50-ish things on display, I can honestly say there was only a handful that had me curling my toes. The rest all had merit to be found. 

Exiting the hall, we cut down to the shoreline road and meandered back in the direction of the Hutch, making full use of the many bench seats provided along the way to enjoy the weather, the views and the occasional chatter with passers-by. We met and engaged with several dogs and, at one point, had a lengthy conversation with a chap whose King Charles Cavalier dog, Oscar, seemed to be on turbo boosters. The man was visiting from Edinburgh, and it turned out his sister lives in one of the big houses that have a gate onto the promenade. Mac1 treated me to a chocolate milkshake, (Oreo biscuit, no less! She had Nutella)  that we both agreed was quite filling, so it was a light tea for us that evening.

That had been two days of quite significant walking for me, and it was not without some relief that we awoke on Friday to find the weather had resorted to situation normal. Cold, wet and windy! Mac1 had anyway arranged to meet up with one of her needlework buddies who happens to live here, so I was quite content to sit and enjoy some recovery time. In the afternoon, we watched some catchup teevee together. Mac1 had to leave on Saturday to go and stay with another needlework friend for a party before getting back to Edinburgh. She's a busy one, my sis! 

It only remains to share the stained glass windows from our church tour with you. I haven't quite decided where or when, but keep your eyes peeled!