Right now.

Sunset in Huishinish, Isle of Harris, back in April

Well, right now, it's 8.04pm. The small people are settling down (silent is as good as asleep) and I'm just stealing a few minutes with a cup of tea before I sort the house out a bit and get packing. We're headed for a little escape to the Harris hills this weekend. Some much, much needed time together, as a family and hopefully this will include a bit of sun (I'm optimistic), some exploring, some resting and not a lot else. We're actually staying in a very little and quite dated caravan and I'm not the least bit embarrassed to say how excited I am about it. So, I hope to whoever may be reading this, that you have a little sun, exploring and rest in your future, this weekend, too. Bye!

autumn bright

I was reminded again why autumn is my favourite time of year. It's been bright and crisp and all that it should and while I feel as though I probably haven't made the most of it, (I always think this though, of most things) It has been one to remember. Especially with our mini escape to Harris with our lovely Granny and Grampy. Next autumn, my little favourites will be another year older, (I know, 'cos that's how time works, almost all of the time...) and It'll be even more fun and we'll have even more adventures, fo sho. Winter is here now, the air has certainly changed in the last week or two and the early morning ground is getting a frosty crunch. There's plenty afoot to make it a good season for us, too. Enough to stave off the winter crazies... hopefully.

chasing the sunset

On the second of our two nights in Harris, Tom's parents offered to put the children to bed so that we could have a little drive out together. Off to the Leverburgh shop we went for a couple of essentials (ahem, gin plus tonic water) and on the way back, as we drove through the dusky light of the beginning of sunset I really wished we had the camera with us. Queue some pretty zoomy driving along some very tiny wiggly roads to fetch it, we could see the sun quickly sinking as we passed by hills. Then driving back along tiny wiggly roads and trying to find a good place to stop had us doing a few impressive turns and skidders (and amusing/confusing some onlooking cyclists) but we managed to catch it just before it was over. One of the loveliest sunsets I've ever seen, I think.

little things

1. Coins old and coins new, left by visitors at St. Clement's Church in Harris.
2. Spectacular sunset across the hills and shore.
3. Welcome...
4. Stories with Grampy.
5. By the water.
6. Going home.

These six photos are from our couple of days in Harris. Oh it was so lovely. And now we're home, it felt like we were away for far longer than just two nights. Harris is very beautiful, indeed - Only an hour away... We'll be back soon.

Joining with Emily and her Stills.

garden green and tasty (...and swampy and weedy too)

Our lovely scruffy garden is definitely a work in progress but the children couldn't care less. Knee high weeds are a jungle to them and I'm certain they preferred it when I hadn't yet planted up the veg patch, they had a mud garden to squelch about in. It's a joy to pull the odd gnarley treat from the ground, though. I'm day dreaming of having a croft and a few animals one day. A donkey and a goat, top of the list. Donkeys are my favourite.

halfway to Harris.

Slow Sunday morning exploring, all of us. Grassy moors peppered with yellows and violets and stretching into high up hills. Muddy shores sit beside dark churning lochs. Wind whipped grasses, rusty rocks and tumbling grey-blue skies.

summer wanderings: lews castle grounds

Summer days are sweet but few, here. They could be snatched away before long, so a wandering we go whenever chance shows itself. 20 minutes stroll to 'The Grounds' (with my luggage laden phil & teds) turned into almost an hour with my lady small who must converse with every passing bug and speck of fluff... No hurry. We spent a lovely few hours taking summer in... Peeking through pretty gates, paddling in the shallows of the slipway, watching the ferry get smaller and smaller as it sails away, climbing dusty hills (barefoot, of course) and shouting really loudly from the top. Ice cream from The Woodlands Centre and we even almost made it home in time to avoid any no-nap-for-George-meltdowns, almost. Not a bad way to spend a beautiful day.