Out shopping

Often when I have family staying, I feel I’m settling for easy options when it comes to meals - the “something I cooked earlier” kind of thing. This time I felt like showing off a bit - a proper dinner cooked from scratch with a favourite ingredient. Before we went to Italy we ordered some venison fillet, and today, before the rain arrived, we all went to collect it.

I love the craziness of this. Venison safely - and expensively - in the boot of our car, we headed off up the Glen for a walk, past the mini- hydro scheme and up the rough track into the hills. Suddenly we were able to see the hills above Gourock, then the Firth below them, and yet we felt miles from everything.

The afternoon was more random. Some of the family went out; older granddaughter stayed in and made the most of having her grandfather to hear her go through her trombone repertoire (yes - she brought it with her); I prepared a mountain of vegetables.

Dinner was pleasingly good. There is some left for us another day - it’s delicious cold. And the lunatic government appears to be imploding. I’m looking forward to watching the ten o’clock news. And then? Then I really need my bed …