It’s 6.04pm and I’m sitting outside in the garden.
I’ve just had salmon with Korean BBQ seasoning, along with roasted asparagus and broccoli for dinner.
With being away, I forgot to say I got the blood test results before lunchtime the day after, super fast.
Everything was clear apart from raise cholesterol… I’m so glad predictive text picks that up with the chol 😆😆
I have a follow up doc appointment on 23rd.
I feel a million times better than I did.
Within one week of improving my diet, the acid reflux had gone and I suddenly felt like I had woken up.
It’s such a great feeling when you go from feeling rotten to feeling better.
I have bags of energy again. ( she says yawning 😆)
We all know that diet affects us but I had no idea that it was the food I was eating that was making me feel so sluggish and low.
It makes complete sense now.
I’m not being 100% healthy but my meals are regular and healthy, I’m still snacking a bit too much in between.
I will change a little bit at a time to try and make it a sustainable habit.
So Lynsey and I ran at 5.45am this morning and I kept going all the way. It was a good run.
This was my ride for the day.
It’s been so strange driving the van again, with a gearstick and the Beetle is automatic, but I did love it!
I had to leave via the back door this morning, check the wee faces at the window, wanting to come with me!
My favourite Forest Flame is starting to bloom. This plant just makes me so happy.
Work was busy but I got lots cleaned up today. Threw a whole bag of rubbish out this morning. Feels good to clean my workspace…. Now just have the house to deal with.
I feel an “I have oodles of energy blitz” coming on again soon.
I’m looking forward to it.
I’m off to make breakfast and lunch for tomorrow and have a tidy round the house…. As soon as the sun goes down behind the bamboo!
😆😆 Helen’s daughter asking if we were having fun “wreaking havoc in the highlands” and I thought that’s what I have to call the blog tonight. 😆
How lucky were we?
Helen planned this trip 6 months ago and I checked the weather last week and decided we had to make the most of it!
We woke up in The Old Schoolhouse in Arisaig this morning and had a lovely breakfast.
We got croissants, pain au chocolat and toast as well. So lovely. Such a great place to stay. Bookable on Airbnb.
We set up off the coast to the Silver Sands of Morar.
The tide was out so it’s not quite as pretty but still dramatic.
These beaches are like the Caribbean.
This boat is Davy Diver and has been moored here for as long as I can remember.
The sand is soft and feels like icing sugar. It’s so white.
Positively tropical.
We got chatting to a lovely couple in a campervan who know who I was from Tartan Camper’s?!?!? Random!!
We then jumped back in the car and headed to the next stop, Camusdarach Beach. You have a lovely walk through the most stunning yellow gorse bushes.
These are just in bloom and the yellow against the green and blue is just stunning.
And then we get this….
I mean… look at this…..
We’re on a tight time schedule as Helen has to be at Glasgow Airport for 4pm.
We get to Traigh Beach and realise it’s 11.33am already! Panic 😆
Only one photo and we’re back on the road… stopping here on the way down.
Our next stop is the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by Harry Potter. If you zoom in you can just about make it out. We didn’t have time to get any closer.
This is the Glenfinnan Monument at the top of Loch Sheil.
Here’s a better one of the viaduct.
And after about 10-15 minutes we are back on the road again….
This is Ben Nevis taken from the Corpach Basin.
Not many people ever get to see the top of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK! Craig and I have climbed that!
It doesn’t look as big as it is! It’s very difficult to photograph.
We drove back up the road a bit to get some reflections on the loch that we’d seen earlier. It was worth it.
The drive home was so beautiful, not a cloud in the sky at all. It’s a stunning drive at the best of times. Mountains and lochs all the way. Every mountain was fully visible. The colours were stunning.
It’s probably one of the best drives in Scotland.
We’ve driven 525 miles this weekend.
It was worth every single minute of it. If I’d changed anything I’d have come back from Skye earlier yesterday to make more use of the beaches around Morar and Arisaig, but we weren’t to know that.
We’ve had the most amazing trip. You know when you are making lifetime memories and this was one of them.
Scotland is the most beautiful country at the best of times, but to see it in the pure blue sky and beautiful sunshine, with bright yellow gorse blooming everywhere, it’s very special. Helen has also been the best travel buddy and co-pilot and I look forward to our next adventures in August.
I’m sure I’ll share more of these photos as there are hundreds more (as usual!)
It’s situated in Camus Cross, Isleoronsay on Skye.
Were in the little Bothy above the shed.
This is the beautiful house right on the beach and the Bothy is right behind it.
I couldn’t recommend this place more. I loved the shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, hand wash, towels, bedding, the lot. The welcome you receive is wonderful and you feel really at home. The only negative as that you don’t spend a lot of time enjoying the room as there is so much of Skye to explore.
This morning we went for a walk from Camus Cross through Isleoransay.
I swear this sheep is smiling. No wonder… it’s because the sun is shining.
We walked to the local hotel for lunch. Hotel Eilean Iarmain.
Cheers first drink of the day! Diet Coke… obvs…
We had lunch in Bar am Praban.
I had Tattie Scone pulled pork nachos.
We walked back to the Bothy, where we’d left the car and drove down towards Armadale.
Helen did some arty shots.
Love this very faint Scotland 🏴 flag in the sky.
One of the people on the end of the pier, pointed out some dolphins on their way down the sound!
We were sailing on the Loch Brusdha from Armadale to Mallaig. The water is a mill pond. There’s not a breath.
If you know me, you will not be surprised to learn we were first in the queue!!
What a stunning sailing.
The colours in this are an amazing advert for Caledonian MacBrayne ferries.
Mallaig!
Arriving in Mallaig, first on, first off!
This is our home for the night, the Old School House in Arisaig
It’s a beautiful location.
As soon as we checked in, we headed off to chase sunset….. with a picnic!!!
This time we found sunset. One of the best sunsets ever….
It’s 8pm and I am wearing a vest top in the west of Scotland! Helen who is Scottish, has lived in Devon for 24 years, is wrapped up in a cosy hoodie!
Wow!
A much calmer day than yesterday with walks and relaxation.
I slept like a log…. No wonder after such an epic day.
We had a lazy morning and left our beautiful Airbnb and set off for Portree…. There were many oohs and ahhhhs and moments of wonder along the way. Of course we stopped several times for photo opperchancities….. my gran used to say that!!! 😆😆😆 (actually maybe she never, sometimes I give her credit for lots of words and then wonder if she did)😆
We took a 2 hour boat trip with Stardust from Portree.
Portree
Back on dry land!!
We drove out from Portree up to the Old Man of Storr. For the purposes of doubt the tall monolith (check me) is the Old Man of Storr.
We decided to take the very well appointed path up to it. It’s a hike. Said 40 minutes but it took us about an hour as we stopped for so many photos.
The views were out of this world…. Then there were selfies!!
This looked like a diamond shaped lake!
I should say that this is the Pinnacle.
We drove from there to the Fairy Pools… now this has changed a lot since I was last here. A new path has been laid and the car park is massive compared to what it was. A real sign that they have had to cater for the amount of tourists they get.
We drove chasing the sunset but never really got it.
Helen took this amazing photo from a passing place!
It’s 21.55 and we are just back at our lovely Airbnb and we are shattered!!!
We have had the most amazing day but I am so exhausted I can hardly think straight let alone revisit my whole day. I’ll share a couple of photos tonight then promise I’ll do a day 1822 part 2 and issue it tomorrow morning!!
Wall to wall sunshine…… ☀️ pure blue sky all day, not a cloud in the sky.
I woke at 4.50am. I have a sore head and tension in my jaw. Not sure why…. Must drink more water!
I’m working at 7am this morning as I have to leave at 2pm to head to Lochwinnoch, to the doctors for bloods.
It is a beautiful morning!! 🌅 I stop on the way to work and take this… there is only a short period of time where I drive straight into this sun…. It was massive in the sky and the photo doesn’t do it justice!
It was so peaceful, it really took my breath away.
A bench with a lovely view.
So work was really busy today. To be fair I’ve only been in 3 days this week and I left at 2pm so the day went fast.
I’m off on holiday on Monday as my friend Helen is coming up from Exmouth. More about that in a minute…
So mad panic to finish up at work before 2pm and had to get to Lochwinnoch by 2.45pm.
I have to negotiate a right hand turn onto the A737 which I am scared of… I drove towards it saying I’m going to get right through, I’m going to get right through and guess what….. Road clear, drove straight up and turned right straight onto the main road. So easy.
I spoke to the receptionist at the Doctors, sat down, messaged Helen and the nurse called my name!
She took 4 vials of blood today and took my height and weight. Seems I’ve lost 4cms since January, I’m not sure I’m massively happy about that…. Height that is, not around my waist 😆😆
The bloods covered everything including kidney and liver function so it will be good to get the results… a bit like an MOT!
Straight back home to start tidying the house, despite the beeeeeeeauuuuuutiful sunshine.
Then I had counselling at 4pm with Better Help therapy.
I’ve paused my subscription now as I don’t think that I need it right now. It feels more impersonal than any therapy I’ve had and I struggle with the very, very, very tight time schedule. 45 minutes is over in a flash.
My therapist is heading to Rome shortly so I used a good 5 minutes up on that!!! The Scottish arm of the Rome Tourist Board, me. 😆
So Helen lands in Glasgow at 9.25pm and the house is as tidy as it’s going to be. Good chance she’ll be too tired to notice. 😆
If the wind direction stays as it is, she’ll be flying in over our house. It will be dark so she’ll have no idea where she is but I might see her! I know…. I hear myself, these are the things that get me excited!
So from being hardly able to walk the length of myself last weekend to actually booking a mystery trip and going away with Helen this weekend!
I am very excited. I will miss Craig and the dogs obviously but our trip will cover so many lovely places in Scotland, and the forecast is excellent. ☀️☀️☀️
Home to Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Fort William, Eileen Donan Castle, Plockton and the Skye Bridge on the way up, with the CalMac fferry from Armadale to Mallaig on the way back, taking in the silver sands of Morar and Arisaig!
My idea of heaven.
Mostly because it will be very sunny and Scotland is such a beautiful country, and we need to make the most of the sunny days.
Very excited. Just have to get a few things organised first.
I sat outside for my dinner and the sun is just about to head behind the fence so I can get on with packing my bag.
I’m sitting in the garden with a vest top on and I have bare feet…. It’s sore walking in bare feet for the first time, after they’ve all been wrapped up over winter.
It’s actually hot. For Scotland… it’s pretty warm… it’s 18°C apparently. I say apparently… my black jeans are burning my legs.
It was only 2°C when Lynsey, Rachel and I went out running this morning… check me… officially back in action….
It was pretty dark when we started and we never had a headtorch among us. Couldn’t quite see for the first wee bit but it was getting lighter all the time.
I felt good. It was a really good pace for me. I felt light. My stomach still felt a bit off, but not enough to stop running.
That’s me on the left!! First time I’ve been in one of these shots! Thanks Rachel!
The daffies are beautiful!! I had to stop for photos.
So pretty.
This is the first time in a while that I’ve been quite happy taking the selfie and being at the front of the photo. It says a lot about my recent state of mind.
The sun was lovely as I left for work. It was still only 3.5°C.
Ellison and I sat outside at lunchtime again. We didn’t want to go back in.
Our view is not the greatest, but that lovely big ball in the blue sky is so amazing to see. It’s a bit blowy though, hence the windswept look!
I’m home now, sitting out here…. Trying to write this before I go to meet the Crochet Hookers in 15 minutes.
What a difference I feel today. It’s so good to feel a bit better. My head is clear and focussed. I can think straight. What a relief.
I felt the slightest touch of joy this morning.
I was proud of myself for running. It would have been so easy to say that I shouldn’t, because I’ve been unwell. I should take it easy.
I pick the sunniest day of the year to go back to work! Typical.
This was 9pm last night…. Look at that band of light in the sky… soooo lovely.
I planned everything last night.
I had my lunch ready, my work clothes ready, everything to make the morning as easy as possible.
My head had cleared enough that I was able to think straight… that’s half the battle.
I walked into the dining room in bare feet and stepped on the slimiest slug ever… I picked it up with kitchen roll and put it out the back, it was a bright green slime….. 🫣🥴 I then sat down to do Donna Ashworth’s journal and a giant spider jumped out beside me and I had to rescue that too….. I was taking it as a sign…. 🥴😆 And thankfully that was the last encounter of the not so nice kind.
This was the sky as I left for work.
It’s been sunny all day and I’ve actually been in a T-shirt since early on. That’s unheard of for me in our portacabin, I’m usually layered up! The front door was open most of the day.
Ellison and I sat out at lunch and it feels warm. It’s a high of 17°C today…. It’s been a while since we’ve had that and it’s sooooo lovely.
I went in early and stayed back to make up an hour for the Doctors on Thursday afternoon but on a whim decided to wash the car!
The first photo I took showed all the wheelie bins which was not so nice!
So I have to be honest, I’ve not felt 100% all day.
My stomach has been all over the place today. Gurgling a lot, I’ve been hiccuping and burping all day (love me an overshare!)…… a bit more activity than I’ve had even in the last few days. I guess it’s just going to take time for everything to settle down.
It ain’t settled just yet.
But I’m back and I feel a LOT less exhausted than I did before I went off sick.
I think the fresh food is helping clear my head but my stomach is in overwhelm right now.
Gripey… there’s a good word for it.
I have a lovely Salmon Tray Bake on the go for dinner. From Healthy Living James.
It’s not ready yet!
I know, all a bit much for the first day maybe but hey… I’m appreciating the energy!
The Rambling Sloth 🦥 