For a brief moment I was most alarmed when we arrived at the Torridon cottage last week. It appeared that squatters had taken up residence.
While Gail hastily intervened as I was about to lift a half eaten bar of chocolate from a bag left on the floor, the front door opened and in walked the 'intruders'.
Happily it turned out that it was our dear friends M and J, using the cottage for a short break away from Aberdeen. I greeted M with a level enthusiasm appropriate to a known bearer of dog treats, while J kept a safe distance.
It is always possible, when guests are present, that they have not been told those tedious 'house rules' about not feeding the dog from the table. I waited patiently, but in vain, next morning as our friends enjoyed their breakfast.
And then to help Gail dig holes and plant out the azaleas she'd purchased from Cottage Garden Nursery* near Poolewe.
*Gail says: This delightful place sells a huge range of plants, specialising in varieties resilient to weather conditions in the NW of Scotland. Whether the plants are also resilient to being pulled out of the soil after planting and dragged across the lawn by a very NAUGHTY fox terrier before being put back in place, remains to be seen...
