Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
A Proper Bloke
by admin - 18:14 on 29 September 2013
House guest Richard left this morning after a few relaxing days away from the stress and strain of southern England. Whether he'll be allowed back if Scotland votes for independence next year remains to be seen...
Being a proper bloke, who knows blokey things like engines and plumbing, he enjoyed a bit of a busman's holiday by examining Kawasaki San – immobile for more than a year – and the Heath Robinson hot water system that serves The Rural Retreat.
His report was promising: we should be back on two wheels in 2014 after he's returned with a bagful of spanners, replacement brake pistons and a vat of WD40. Better still, a few cuts and some logical re-routing of copper pipes will keep our water hot for longer and provide more of it. We might even have enough to make the bath a practical proposition rather than an objet d'art. Happy days.
In return for his expertise we drank his wine and beer, introduced him to the autumnal glories of Glen Affric (above), fed him Sutor Creek pizza and Storehouse breakfast, and Matchgirl escorted him through the delights of the Black Isle Gathering where I found myself well away from the main hall, invisible in a crowd-free corner. Even Matchgirl didn't see me the first time she passed, so it's no surprise that my takings for the day were a tad disappointing. Such is life.
Marten Update: 2013 proved to be an unexpectedly poor year for marten sightings. I still blame the Mystery Moggies. But martens remain regular visitors after dark. Three cheers for the Bushnell. (Yes, it's a montage. Three cheers for Photoshop too.)
Running Update: Matchgirl proved that she's shaken off her pre-marathon injuries by completing today's Loch Ness 10K in sixty-three minutes and without drama. What a star. In two weeks' time she repeats the effort in Culloden when she's certain to finish in under an hour. The Bermuda Marathon can't be far away.
Add your comment
© Russell Turner 2008-2024