主播大秀

Monday 13
I went for a wander today, as I had the day off. I still can't get used to the weather here, or rather, the lack of weather. No wind! Half a dozen people must have told me I needed a coat or boots or both on the west coast. I might agree with the boots, but not the coat. I must be getting old and boring because I packed before I went out. Woolly fluffy fleece and sandwiches went in my backpack and off I went. Then I had to go back to get the map; I only wanted to take three things and managed to forget one. I wish I had forgotten the coat; I lugged it all the way round and it completely filled the backpack and I never got close to wanting to put it on. I ate the sandwiches though, and used getting the map out as an excuse to keep putting the backpack down. There is no way a coat should be as heavy as it was. I also had to stop for some photo opportunities. Mostly trees, I can't believe how exotic I am finding them. There were some wonderful Arthur Rackham-like roots (probably rhododendrum) growing by a waterfall gushing down some mossy rocks. The camera decided it needed to flash so I'm not expecting a dark moody pic, but you never know. (I don't have the bit of wire that lets the camera talk to the laptop so I can't check them out yet. In fact, I don't seem to be able to get the computer to talk to the internet either, but by the time you read this it will have been sorted!) And a huge Gunnera. I walked round it several times and photoed it and then discovered lots more along the next 50 yards of path. My favourite was still the first one I saw though.
At the end of the road was the village. A lot of the houses looked fairly new, some still sported their red building paper; they contrasted with the caravans I had passed, most of them gently blending into the background. One new house had a fabulous treehouse-like structure. There was no tree but a little round house had been built on a post and it had a wonderful conical turf roof. The number of houses was completely dwarfed by the number of boats in the marina. There were lots tied to the pontoons, lots more on moorings (they always look so odd on moorings, because they all face the same way) and a lot on dry land, propped up on fence stobs and wedged firm. Question! Is the boat put on dry land and the frame built round it, or is it the other way round? I finished off the touristy stuff by buying a mug in the chandlery. I've been feeling guilty because I have been using everybody else's, and there don't seem to be many. I don't think I've ever been in a chandlery before, I wish now I had spent more time looking at ropes and pulleys and stuff.
I walked back through what should have been a forest, but they have been busy felling so there was more view and fewer trees. The old boys and their dogs I passed felt the re-planting was happening too soon. By the time I got back I was knackered. I am definitely falling apart from the bottom up; my feet, shins and knees were aching, but it is amazing what a few pints of Pipers Gold can do. The only black cloud being the stupid laptop not wanting to join the rest of the online world!