Appendix Surgery, Colonsay and Plockton Pub Adventures

So it is now almost halfway through my summer season on Ru'a Fiola now! Summer is going by really rather fast and although we have had the odd few days of sun, it has felt like summer took a long time in getting here. Work is as brilliant as ever, great kids and loads of island enthusiasm, energy and the usual shenanigans that have us gossiping for weeks.

I have been coming and going to and from Mull quite a bit and Dad is doing brilliantly at his new hotel. Baby labrador Fin is getting bigger and bigger and happier and happier every time I see him! Dad is almost constantly full, has had the BBC come and stay and is about to take on a starring role (extra) in a new film with Damian Lewis. I couldn't be happier for him! I am open to ideas for a 60th Birthday Bonanza next summer... anyone??

A standard view out of the ferry on the way over to Mull. We ALWAYS get good weather.

One minor inconvenience this summer was a sudden pain in my tummy whilst on expedition, which resulted in having a ruptured ovarian cyst and appendicitis! Off to hospital for 2 nights and an operation for me.... I must have taken this photo right after I woke up because I have absolutely no memory of taking it. Perhaps my morphine-full mind was in more control than the rest of me. It has meant that adventures of late have been rather more tame than normal but now, three weeks later, I am mostly back to normal (with the odd ibuprofen hit once in a while!)

One AWESOME course break was spent going to Colonsay which from Ru'a Fiola seems to be right out in the wild Atlantic but actually has a thriving and very friendly population and we went girly to the max with flowers in our hair, gallery viewing, tea shops, skinny dipping at the beach and the Titanic. Matt came with us too and very gallantly put up with our girl talk.

Susie's new flower fact. This is "Bog Pimpernel"

Ailsa, the flower fairy we found in the woods.

Kiloran Bay. Here we played and ran and dug holes and watched the sunset and skinny dipped.

 Susie, Ailsa, Laura and Matt

 Can you imagine a better beach Laura?

Taking a walk in the Colonsay jungle. We do actually get quite excited seeing so much green big plants and trees after living on our tiny wild and windswept island.

The latest adventure was a trip up to a bothy owned by old Ru'a Fiola friends Magnus and Helen. We have the key on loan and the bothy is in a superb place for climbing, yomping, beaches, waterfalls and good access to Torridon, Skye, the pub in Plockton and all sorts. The bothy is rather foosty but we set to with brooms and scrubbing brushes and Ali and I have all sorts of plans to come back over the winter and help with any kind of restoration that needs doing. Over the few days we were here, the Cioch Nose of Sgurr a Chaorachainn was climbed, a team walked out to Uags bothy and I scrambled right up the Allt a Mhuillin to a loch at the top for a wee skinny dip and a yomp in the rain.

 A view through my phone from the top of the Allt a Mhuillin on a very dreich day.

 A fine situation for a skinny dip. A very quick skinny dip in the cold rain and wind...

 Laura turning housekeeper even on her days off

 Coats hanging up everywhere after a wet day out in the hills.

A little home for Ali, Ruaridh, Laura, Adrian, Adam, Matt, Susie and I for a weekend, thanks to Magnus and Helen.

Now starting the second half of our summer season and hopefully all the dramas are behind us and my tummy will heal back to normal. I am looking forward already to climbing again. Though I have rediscovered embroidery threads, wool and needles again...all good healing activities!

Sunset on Ru'a Fiola across the cottongrass. My home for the summer. Happy Hannah.