Fun with Kathryn

Kathryn's slightly delayed visit finally arrived in March, having been cancelled due to the big storm in January. It was actually a good thing as the weather this week turned out to be truly stunning. We had a lovely time and I really enjoyed getting out a bit and doing some new things, and more of the things that most people won't even entertain!

We spent a good amount of time doing art work. We took a walk round the glen and found a spot by the fisherman's hut and sketched the scenery. We also experimented with hair chalks and water - turns out they work quite well as an art medium. | also created a new lino print and then we collected leaves and printed those too.

We went wild swimming in three different locations, including meeting a new group for the first time, and finding a perfectly beautiful spot where we could swim in perfect water, in tranquil surroundings with an amazing flyby by an oyster catcher - low over the water in a close slingshot manoeuvre around us.

We also experienced the Screen Machine for the first time. This is a lorry which visits all the small west coast islands showing the latest films where there often isn't any other opportunity to see them. Before the film they showed a promo of the lorry visiting all the different locations. Tighnabruaich was almost last and when it came on the screen the whole audience cheered!. We saw the latest Bridgit Jones film. I am definitley an outsider on this one. The film was pretty good, but I find Bridgit incredibly annoying as a character. Sorry!

We had a lovely dinner out at Tide & Thyme - the Korean chicken burger with salt and chilli fries and sticky toffee pudding for desert was incredible. And we joined the badminton club for a few games on Tuesday morning. Kathryn had never played before but picked it up quickly and really enjoyed it. And we also had an amazing dinner at my colleague Sai's house. Sai is vegan and runs a business called Planted by Sai, teaching vegan cooking and catering for stalls at various craft fairs. She makes amazing cinnamon buns...

Big events of the week were a hike up the hill above the glen to find ancient ruins, a day out on Bute and a bioluminescence woodland night walk, which I will write about over the next few weeks.