bEAching ~ taking the high road

It is 8 o’clock in the evening and I feel like I am in heaven – I am sitting here in the caravan with a piece of Walter Burnett’s famed Kirriemuir gingerbread (only to be found over the border) and a cup of tea, the tide is in but the sea is quite calm and has faded to a beautiful silvery grey colour and there is a general hush outside – not even a little twitter.   It is so still  even the feather light plumes on the Pampas grass, which are usually dancing about on the sea breeze, are still and the only movement is the odd cow in the field to the side of us that cannot decide where the best grazing is…..and of course Rag, Tag and Bobtail hopping around on the hillside.  The only thing that could make this moment any better would be if I were sitting in our cottage, but that still seems like a distant dream.

As the weather man is forecasting rain here tomorrow we thought we would make the best of the warm sunshine this afternoon; so after lunch we downed our garden tools to take a stroll into the village along the beach, as the tide was well out, and returning by the high road………..stopping at the local store for frozen peas and a Magnum each as a treat.

A visit to the village is often the first thing we do when we come up to the cottage – I like to see if there have been any obvious changes.  Sometimes after only three-weeks between visits things have changed and not always for the better.There is plenty to see along the beach, gulls flying in, gulls flying off…mysterious footprints in the sand and part buried objects and I spend some time searching our pieces of sea glass. I love this rusty sheet of metal it is quite a work of art.

We left the beach by the hidden path to the cottages on Shore Street – one of my favourite places – there is always a seat or two along here for passing the time of day beneath a Palm tree.  The carpet of daisies is like a light covering of snow. At the far end of Shore Street is the Harbour master’s office in this little cottage.  I have a feeling it is no longer used as there used to be a sign on the door.From Shore Street and the harbour we have to climb up the hill into the centre of the village.I just love this ladies garden (I admire it every time we pass) and in particular her clever use of the Japanese Quince edging the full length of her whitewashed wall.  I might just have to pinch this idea for myself though I don’t have any painted walls and without the contrast with the white it would not have the same impact.

Once we had bought our ice creams and read the notice board of What’s On in and around the village we took the high road back home.You may think that I have come away on a Mediterranean holiday with the Palm trees and blue skies but I assure you this really is down on the Mull of Galloway today and the photos have not been enhanced in any way.The high road looks over the beach and harbour – such a beautiful view from up here.

The hedgerows are full of bluebells.Just as you leave the main stretch of houses and before the doctor’s house that stands alone at the junction of the low road (which is now only a path and closed to traffic) is the Community Garden kept neat and tidy by volunteers.  The scarecrow was part of the village Scarecrow Competition last summer but was so well liked it has remained in the garden since.  Once past the doctor’s house we are nearly at our cottage – we are the last house in the village, the secret cottage hidden by the wood – I hope you will keep that quiet.

It is now 9.15pm and just going dark enough to need a light on and late enough for cocoa – then time for bed and a long read.  What bliss – surely this is retirement at last!