First fall…

Opened the bedroom blinds this morning to be greeted by the first proper fall of snow on the Crieff hills. So beautiful but it put paid to our plan to travel to Keltneyburn via Glen Quaich. It’s a stunning route but the road isn’t gritted in winter so treacherous in these conditions. Actually it was probably closed anyway.

Also woke up to the devastation that Storm Arwen had caused. We certainly missed the worst of it with the wind all but gone by 7pm but others were not so lucky.

I was just wondering if all was well at our holiday lodge when my phone rang and it was Sam the owner to say they’d lost power for a while last night, so the underfloor heating in the lodge had gone off and they hadn’t been able to get it back on again. It’s controlled by WiFi and the 4G signal was down. She said she would keep in touch.

Got the last of the packing done and headed to Delivino at 2pm to meet Agnes and Adrian for lunch, which was delicious as ever (toasted focaccia with whipped feta and pine nuts, followed by loin of venison, fondant potatoes, kale, roasted carrots and a red wine jus, finished off with salted caramel soufflé.) Three courses as it was to be our main meal of the day and a celebratory start to the holiday. There were further celebrations when Sam called me to say the underfloor heating at the Lodge was now working. Woo hoo!

We popped back to the house after lunch to pick up Lola who was hyper as she thought we’d gone without her. Said goodbye to Alan who I think is pleased to be rid of us for the week :-)))

Got to Karelia Lodge just after 6pm. It is fabulous! So cosy with everything we could possibly need. Sam met us on arrival. She’s lovely and was very taken with Lola. She and her family live close by and have three dogs. Lola will no doubt meet them.

Once inside we unpacked enough to get us get us sorted (food snd drink :-) ) and settled down to watch Strictly.

Cheeseboard for supper then we all went to bed shattered but not before noticing how amazing the night sky looked. No light pollution here. I would attempt to photograph it if A. I knew how and B. I wouldn’t freeze to death in the process!!