For the moment the cows are still outside, but Farmer is beginning to give them a bit more feed as the weather will be taking its toll on them. They will probably come in to the cattle shed before the New Year. The tups have been with the ewes for 5 weeks on Thursday, and so he is planning when he will take the tups out around a trip we have to the mainland before school goes back on the 6th.
Outside
East Cottage has been getting a bit of a makeover, the cobbles appear from underneath the grass that has crept in over the last few years since it was cleared last. It has got a new sofa too, which JUST fitted through the door!
The weather has continued to be stormy and wild! The turbines are still generating (thankfully still in one piece) but once they have got to peak output the blades turn in on themselves as they cannot produce more than their output. I think (unscientifically) that this happens on the Kingspan at about 30mph. We have been having winds for over 60mph at times.
It was sad to see the clump of fir trees at Calgary fall victim to the wind. Farmer took Daughter down to the school bus, in the dark, and met with a mountain of branches and trunks lying across the road. It was cleaned up by lunchtime, and the following day they moved the root-balls out of the way completely.
We had guests in Studio for 2 weeks who left on Friday. We came home one day to a mystery gift on the door handle of some delicious biscuits, and thought it might have been from a neighbour along the road, but on their last day the Studio guests came to say goodbye and brought some more. She said they had had a wonderful winter break here at Treshnish, and would definitely be coming again, they hoped to try a Haunn cottage next time, though it was the sunroom that attracted them to Studio, and in the worst storms, they could sit in there cosy and warm and watch it all. To think I had been worrying about them with all the wild weather!
Regular visitors to Mull will be surprised by the change in the landscape between Penmore and Calgary. The Langamull forest is disappearing. The trees they had left on the woodland edge have been falling over in the winds.
We are finally beginning to feel Christmassy in the Treshnish Farmhouse. Farmer is making the Christmas cake. Yes, a little late, but 'somebody's got to do it', and clearly I wasn't quick enough off the mark! It certainly smells delicious.
The view from the hairpins above Dervaig out to the Isle of Coll.
It has been nice to walk on Calgary beach, it is quite often more sheltered at the moment than walking along our coastline! Lots of flotsam and jetsam on the beach, piles of seaweed and the occasional battered fish box.
