Serendipity

Although I'm not an avid follower, once in a while I'll see a title of one of the Coast series which interests me. I recorded one this afternoon which featured the Crinan and Caledonian Canals. I grabbed a bowl of soup and decided to play it back whilst eating. The program is short and the proportion dedicated to the Crinan Canal finished immediately after this screen shot but I had to stop it in it's tracks and blip it.

My father had been very ill, his mobility was very poor, and it was clear that his sailing days were done. His boat was taken into the Crinan Basin where a family friend helped him prepare her for sale.

The yacht can be seen in this image, with it's green awnings, in the exact place it was the last time I accompanied Dad on board. We spent a pleasant day down below, whilst David worked on the deck, checking charts, the inventory, removing some of the things that were not going with the boat and taking photographs for prospective buyers.

This serendipitous image brought back wonderful memories of that short visit only a couple of years ago, when Dad, although in pain, was able to walk a little further without a wheelchair. The climate was unusually warm for the time of year. Taking advantage, we shared precious moments together, driving out to places Dad loved where, whilst he watched from the car, I could soak up the scenery and wildlife, taking photos galore. We spent a few days cooking curries together from scratch, delving into old books and listening to classical music.

Sadly, after those days, Dad health steadily declined and he didn't enjoy leaving the house unless necessary. He loved to cook and ultimately struggled to stand for long enough to indulge in his passion but still insisted on trying to set the roof on fire as he flambéed his steaks.

My thanks to the BBC for this blip! Who would have thought they'd have filmed Tarka Mhor!