Sales and sails, chicks and cruises

At the weekend the village hall (Dervaig) hosted its 9th Seafood Extravaganza. Two long tables and one small one. Huge sails hang and successfully drop the height of the ceiling. All day the hall has been filled with busy people preparing, laying tables, opening bottles, prepping in the kitchen, shucking oysters by the hundred, plating up the amazing Platters and plates. And over at Croig shellfish was cooked in huge quantities. Towers of plates. Hundreds of plates. Countless glasses - actually I did count them - vaguely. 80 settings, with wine glass, water glass, whisky glass and I think even a second wine glass - makes for alot of washing up.

80 guests ate canapes, oysters, crab and Mull cheese tart and salad (above), tomato fish soup,

the Platter (above - lobster, crab claws, prawns, salmon) followed by meringues and cream with Treshnish blackcurrant coulis, followed by coffee or tea with Island Bakery shortbread and Michelle's tablet, accompanied by Isle of Mull whisky.

Iain Thomson Band played on and off during the evening and they were great. All in all it was a fantastic evening, whether as guest or volunteer waitress like me. And a really good advert for delicious local food.

Farmer has been out gathering in the sheep today. Thunder and lightning was forecast and did perform along with high winds. It didn't rain on them, and the new dog Jan was out on a hill gather for the first time. The lambs will be taken off their mothers on Monday and given their EID tag with its unique number - and off to market on Tuesday. The end of another lambing season.

And the one that got away. This little hen appeared yesterday with 6 pretty little chicks. Now you don't see them.

Now you do see them.

Tomorrow Farmer and family are off to The Scottish Thistle Awards 2010 Finalists celebratory 'champagne and canape' Reception on board a boat for an evening cruise on Loch Ness. This is not the night they announce the winners but a chance to meet the other finalists and celebrate the achievement of getting this far. Will report all about it once we get home.