Pat of CalMac

A better day today - sunshine after a cold night. Glad I brought the beans in - it fell to 2 degrees!

Mrs M and I went down to the pier for fish today. We usually go on Saturday, but tomorrow we're off to Mull on the 8.35am boat to meet Daughter No. One and have a walk somewhere on the island. Hope the weather's like today!

While we were on the pier the 'Isle of Mull' came in - here she is nudging up to the jetty. The man on shore standing beside the bollard is my old friend Pat. When I was Head Gardener at Ross Priory we had our Walled Garden wall completely rebuilt, using a team of boys from Community Industry, as it was back in the 1970s, working under the supervision of a stonemason. One of those teenage boys was Pat - we met again a few years ago for the first time since that time and I was surprised to be recognised. Actually I think he saw my name on the boarding list as he was on check-in duty that day!

We're not going outward on the 'Isle of Mull' but on the smaller 'Coruisk' - because of the lockdown we'll have to spend the voyage sitting below decks in the car!

Back to the Walled Garden this afternoon where I transferred the pea fencing to the other bed - beans and peas will be together again!

Quote of the Day

Thomas Campbell - "A chieftain to the Highlands bound cries 'Boatman do not tarry. And I'll give thee a silver pound to row us o'er the ferry'"