主播大秀

It's a catchy title. I was minding my own business (and the hotel's) when the phone rang. I've had the usual enquiries at work; can I book a room, a table for dinner etc. We also double up as a local directory enquiries and tourist info centre, but I've never been asked to spell azalea before. I don't think the person concerned knows what an azalea is, he doesn't do crosswords and if he gave his mum one she would know something was up. Eventually I discovered why he needed to know, and the correct spelling was crucial, and no, I'm not telling any more.
This weekend was the Project summer staffs last before they head back to college so the locals made sure it was a weekend to remember, by drinking so much champagne and cava no-one remembers anything! The bar boys leave next week so there will probably be a repeat performance.
The firemen were far too busy to drink (?) as they had a training weekend. I'd like to say they all looked very smart in their black uniforms, but most of them aren't tall enough for the trousers and twelve people in black marching about look a bit Mafia-like. Lunch was an important part of the day (bonding and all that), and there were 'what if' discussions and they cut up a car and Neil got covered in broken glass and the instructors want to come back so it must have been a success.
And the road? No change. It will be fixed very soon. Honest. It seems the barge that was away for its boat MOT had crew mutiny. Honest, it was in the Press and Journal. And then there was sabotage! Anyway the barge came in with Type 1 gravel and the unloading crane broke. It got fixed and the bob-cat broke. The bob-cat got fixed and then the hydraulic pipes went and all the shear pins, and no, I don't really know what I'm talking about, but the barge went back not completely unloaded. It is back again now so it must be better. The lorries are going by so full there is no chance of all the gravel getting to the taxi area, it is all falling off every time they go over a bump. There are lots of bumps.
Olvin is making mackerel gravadlax. All you need is mackerel, salt, sugar and dill. We don't have dill. It takes 72 hours and tastes delicious. Why did he have to wait until nearly the end of the mackerel season to try it. I wonder if it would work with guga?

There is tar!! On the road from the airport to Foxes, at least that's what I've been told. We tried to go and have a look but the road was blocked. Today,Tuesday, they are laying gravel from Acha to the village. When I finished work at two I met the gang just the wrong side of my house. The bits which have been gravel for ages are being smoothed, rolled and having a layer of gravel put down with the paver. The paver is the bit of kit that also lays tar. I sat up top and watched. The gravel (or tar) is tipped out of the lorry into the front and worm-screwed out the back. It is the exact width of the road (narrow) and makes it very smooth. Then it needs rolling again, and probably no lorries driving over it. The bumpy bits are still being dug about with the digger. Unfortunately we need Paddy back with the barge full of tar and the forecast isn't good. But I don't think Colin will be celebrating his birthday here on October 12.
The Islay boys were minding their own business eating their tea the other night when Beechgrove Gardens came on. We didn't know it was coming from Islay and they got a bit of a shock seeing people they knew. I didn't see much gardening, but I learnt a fair bit about some Islay people.

Paddy the barge driver wisely checked the forecast and decided not to make any tar or gravel deliveries until today. He almost came yesterday but didn't, actually I'm not sure about today. The boys were given a couple of days off so the Mallaig/Dalmally lads went home. Some of the Islay boys decided the trip back was worth doing but the Scousers stayed here. Two of them went out mackerel fishing and creel lifting and got two lobsters, although one of them found the boat's rocking upset his stomach, and probably didn't care about the lobster.
Our bit of road is beautifully smooth now. I got into fourth gear and it felt a bit scary. There isn't any tar yet, just compacted gravel. The tar stops the far side of Acha but smooth road goes almost as far as the road lochs, just two miles of bumps now! Our elected (as opposed to list) MSP came in on Saturday to look at the road, a bit late. I heard his bike got a puncture. There's a surprise! I was going to ask him why he didn't reply to his emails but I couldn'r raise the energy. The only people who think MSPs do anything are MSPs.
The Scousers are booked in for another two weeks, I don't know if that is the minimum time to finish the job, or if includes another weather break.

Not a good week for the tar boys. They quite like Coll, but would also like to finish the job and get home. The tar came in on Sunday and was unloaded so Monday should have seen them back at work, but they only had two small lorries so there was a lot of waiting between loads. There is a new driver and he passed (or failed) the usual initiation test; in spite of being told do NOT, NEVER, NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT, go off the road to let another vehicle past he did and got stuck. There was a short delay in the deliveries of tar. On Tuesday the lorry tipped right over on its side, I鈥檓 trying to get a picture, but the pic I saw on the phone looks as if it would be fine if you turned it through 90 degrees. I gather it took 2 JCBs to do it for real. On Wednesday the paver broke, but only for 40 minutes. But all the tar was laid. I get half a mile of shiny smooth black stuff to drive on and it is sooo quiet! On Thursday they were laying gravel until a hydraulic hose broke on the roller. If the gravel isn鈥檛 compressed the next car over it leaves tramlines, so they had to stop. Today (Friday) the road collapsed under the lorry. I was too late, it was out when I got there so still no picture, but also no gravel laying. I gather they tarred Colonsay in six days, Coll is looking like six weeks. They cheered up when I told them there was roast pork tonight, they are into red meat.
Actually they weren't as happy as I thought. The barge had hit a rock in the Sound of Mull. Rocks and boats don't mix well, and the barge's load capacity is somewhat diminished, meaning Paddy will have to brave the weather more often than was hoped.
Meanwhile the lorry concerned with the collapsing road has been put back together. The loose axle has been tied back on. Not that reassuring but I understand large bolts were also involved.