The days are darker and shorter which is resulting in us sleeping for longer. We're still dependent upon a table lamp and a set of fairy lights ( 2 at a push) for our light in the evening. We did manage to see well enough to have a game of Scrabble tonight although Rich was also using his phone as a torch. I'm looking forward to being in the cabin as we have overhead lights so will hopefully be able to read in the evening.
The fire is being lit first thing in the morning and then again when we come in from working outside mid afternoon or earlier if it's very wet as it has been this last week. We had an exciting trip across the loch a couple of days ago, we chose the least windy day, unfortunately it was also the coldest. We went at high tide and were only going across so we could empty the car. We'd not managed to on our previous trip as it was quite rough and we'd arrived back to a particularly low tide. We got the boat out and across fine although it was bitterly cold, collected stuff from the car including 2 sacks of flour weighing 25kg and 16kg plus various other food items. I'm trying to stock up so we don't have to go out very often over winter. All was well and we set off back when the engine suddenly cut out and wouldn't restart. The sky was grey and ominous, large waves were rolling underneath the boat and it started to hail. We tried to row back to shore but didn't get anywhere. Luckily on about the fifth try the engine started and we just managed to return to Badlaurach jetty before it cut out again. Luck was on our side though, a very kind neighbour was just returning and offered to tow our boat behind his. This worked really well and we landed back on Scoraig safely, just very cold and wet! We've managed to get water in the fuel again so are thinking of ways to remedy it.
I've planted broad beans in the vegetable patch and am continuing to clear the beds in the polytunnel. We went down to the jetty yesterday to collect seaweed which we used today to make a new bed in the croft for next years potatoes. I've started to dig up and use the Jerusalem artichokes we've grown and the carrots which have done much better than last year.
We've had mice in the byre again. I'd heard scratching noises in the night but Rich thought they were in the roof space. Tabby didn't seem perturbed by it, she was fast asleep at the side of me, on the bed! When I went up to investigate the sleeping loft the following morning I discovered mouse droppings so Rich and I spent the morning getting everything down to try and find the mouse. I'd stored some packets of crackers up there, one packet had been nibbled open and the top half of all the crackers were missing. The noise I'd heard must have been the mice having a midnight feast. We did see a mouse twice but it got away, Rich discovered a small hole had been chewed in the floor through to the barn below. He's nailed a piece of wood over it to block it off and there's been no activity since.
We've also been working on our water supply. We've bought another tank and Rich has been looking at ways of getting a better flow to the cabin, it's a bit of a trickle at the moment.
I've baked extra bread today in the hope it lasts a bit longer. The vegan Christmas cake is cooked and put away, I'm hoping there'll be enough brandy left to give it a weekly feed.
This is our fourth autumn/winter here and it does feel like we're starting to get more organised. We really want to have more time for the garden which hopefully we will once the cabin is complete. There's always so much to do and at this time of year you really have to try and make the most of the daylight.
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