Come on Summer

There have been a couple of days where it’s just been so sunny and warm I can’t help but get excited for summer. Winter was so long and dark and cold that I am aching for a warm(ish), dry(ish) British summer. I’ve a couple of ideas for things that I would love for us to do, because although we aren’t going abroad I really don’t want us to spend our time at home only doing chores and boring things. I can’t think of anything more demoralising or more likely to make me run out and spend all the money I can to make up for such a dreary existence.

I’ve never been to a Highland Games in this country and every year we do speak with increasing enthusiasm about the Lonach Gathering. I haven’t been berry picking in so long, and I have only fond memories of heading away with a punnet full of fruit and picnicking by the seaside after a day of gathering. We might go camping at Ballater which is a really beautiful village with a nice campsite with good amenities. We have quite a good tent, although Daisy Dog does detest it - and I don’t know if I can spend another night of her throwing herself against the tent and howling for the king-size bed she normally sleeps on.

I also hope we can have jaunts to all the pretty little villages and hamlets around us we would normally drive on through. I can picture a warm sunny day and an impromptu stop at an independent shop, tea room or vintage stall by the side of the road. Whether this happens or TH and I drive past the turnoff, get stuck up a country lane and Daisy gets poorly just as the heavens opens is another story, but I guess we won’t know until it happens.

We live by Bennachie and there are so many routes up that hill network that we have plenty of ways of getting up or parks for stopping for picnics along the way. There are also lots and lots of parks that allow Barbequing, and hopefully the village butcher will be back up and running so we can get our delicious ‘party packs’ again.

I want to take full advantage of our new home and our (hopefully) last summer in it. If everything goes to plan TH will have a new job in a far off country meaning a brand new adventure for us both, and if not we will still have saved enough for a deposit so we’ll be viewing properties. The move in December and all of the stress associated with the freezing cold house and terrible snow really took a lot out of us, and certainly sent us on a negative spiral. Although I have it in my mind that this is in no way the forever home we thought it was, it is a big place in a lovely part of the world near to a beautiful little village. It would therefore be beyond ridiculous to not appreciate that, and appreciate this gorgeous glorious country is what we’ll be doing this year.