Flower power...

Up extra early this morning as had my MOT at the health centre at 8.30am.

Beautiful sunny morning and I left my appointment happy as BP is great and I've lost 6 kgs (almost a stone!) since my last visit 6 months ago :-)

Home in time to have breakfast before logging on to Celia Henderson's Online workshop at 10am on Photoshop Selection Tools.

Alan, David and Vicki had gone to Dundee to the wheelchair clinic for a review of his manual wheelchair.  David was back in time for lunch and Alan and Vicki headed to Ikea.

Only Tommy here working on the roof today as they rest of his team had been called out to an emergency insurance job where a woman's husband attempted to fit a roof light and cut through the roof trusses and part of the roof collapsed!  Sometimes I am very grateful that David is not into DIY!

Got a lovely email from Erica, the woman whose family's house I photographed on Lewis.  She loves the shots I sent her (phew!) and told me, "I've just had a quick look at the photos, thank you so much for emailing me them, I cant decide which I like best as they are all beautiful but I shall definitely have one framed for myself and I might give one or two to family members if that is okay with you? 

Your photo opened up some conversations with some of the older relations and I learned the house was built by my great grandfather's cousin, his family inherited the home but emigrated to the US in the hope of a better life. My grandparents bought the house and my aunts and uncles grew up there, life could be harsh living on the 'edge of the world' but they all agree they always felt safe, happy and wanted for nothing as they felt they had everything. 

As children my sister, brother and cousins all spent all our holidays there with granny & grandad. Roaming the hills spending hours on the beach we felt the world was ours! Such a special place and very different to the world we live in today, for years and years before the internet the place was our secret solace. Now when I see images on social media I feel such a deep sense of pride that others can see the beauty of what was once ours! Your photos really do capture the beauty of our 'home' and will rekindle many happy memories, thank you so much for emailing me them. Hopefully you will have the opportunity to revisit the island again in the near future. '"

I am so touched by her words and delighted she happened to see my random photo on the Lewis FB page.  I wonder about all the people who once lived in the houses I see up there so I am thrilled to find out about the history of one of them.  And it's so funny that Erica only lives about 20 minutes from me! 

The sun shone all day but by the time I got myself organised to head out to check the flowers in the planters, the rain had come on.  Waited for a gap in the rain and managed 20 mins in the side garden.  The tubs have all survived us being away (thanks to frequent rain showers and being watered by the team in between showers) 

The Phlox in the side border looks amazing this year and my bluebell patch is in full bloom at the back but didn't have time to get to it before the rain came back on.  Maybe tomorrow :-)

Normal Service

Meccano