We Just Can't Help Ourselves! 25th Jan

We had a leisurely sleep in after working hard at Neist Point yesterday, and as the weather was rain, rain and more rain, with a large dose of wind, wind and more wind - we planned to have an "Off Day" ie no photography. Especially since it is Australia Day back home! A public holiday and day of fun.

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. It is the day to reflect on what it means to be Australian, to celebrate contemporary Australia and to acknowledge our Australian history.

On Australia Day we celebrate all the things we love about Australia: the land, our sense of fair go, lifestyle, democracy, the freedoms we enjoy but particularly our people.

Vince did some catching up on downloading his photos and I just toddled about doing not very much at all until around 9.30am when we planned to go into Portree for our weekly food shopping at the Co-op - where young Cameron and Carol are our go to check-out operators and make us feel like we are becoming locals.

As we were about to leave I asked Vince if I should bring my camera - "just in case" - you know when for that prize winning shot that just appears in front of you and will suddenly plummet your name into a house hold word as a famous go-to photographic genius! He said of course bring it if you want. In trying to decide which lenses I should bring for that "just in case" shot I ended up bringing them all - "just in case", but fully prepared I was unlikely to open the camera bag at all.

We drove down the East Coast road and all the local sites were totally shrouded in cloud, rain and misery - that still didn't stop the tourists at the Old Man of Storr - there where cars parked everywhere and we saw several "Rabbles Tour Buses at Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock!

We arrived in Portree and went to see a photographic gallery - but it was closed. So we went to two of the local charity shops and bought some more videos - as there is bad weather and even snow forecast for the next few days!

We had breakfast - the usual - coffee for Vince, Diet Coke for me and 2 bacon and egg rolls. We stopped in at the local bookstore as I wanted a couple of sketchpads to start working on the design of two children's books I've decided to have a bash at!

Then it was off to the Co-op for our shopping - including a roast pork for tomorrow's Sunday Lunch - to which we will invite Alan, the crofter.

Feeling well please with ourselves as we a getting much better at finding things and doing our shopping in a more organised way, we were back in the car and on our way home when I pointed out to Vince that some of the fence near the Storr Loch was underwater and I liked the look of it. To which he said do you want me to turn back - in an instant I said "YES!".

There was nowhere to stop so he dropped me off and I got to it knowing I had only a short time before he went and turned around and came back. As the same time the howling wind and drizzle didn't really make for wanting to spend a long time in any case.

Back in the car we went a bit further and I noticed Bridal Veil Falls (Bride's Vale Falls) was really flowing. We has seen it a week or so ago and the sun was reflecting on it but it didn't have a lot of water in it so we didn't bother stopping. I mentioned it to Vince and again came the question about stopping - before we knew it we were both out of the car grabbing our gear and trekking poles (it's pretty steep and boggy). Last time we stopped here Vince shot from the right side of the falls and I ended up going back to the car as it was too boggy for me and my leg was playing up. So this time we decided to try a different vantage point.

I wanted to get to the left side so I could view the falls pretty much straight on, but that meant having to cross the river. I looked for where I thought it was narrowest but it was still really deep (well over my Wellies) and the rocks were very slippery underneath the water. Given my vertically challenged legs (short) I knew it was a big ask but I was determined. With help from Vince - passing my gear over and encouraging me on, I managed to get across, but not without having to shimmy down on my bum across some of the rocks - without my waterproof overpants on it was a case of wet trousers and wet knickers - oh well! You Get That!

I had to use my trekking pole to get up the hill as it was very boggy and slippery - but I got there and was rewarded with some great views of the falls. I tried out a few different spots and was well happy with my efforts. The constant drizzle meant I had to wipe my lens before each shot and after spending about 45min there I was well soaked all over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdN31QNNaLU

That didn't stop Vince doing a YaYa Vlog though - so I look like a drowned rat - and he was using a wide angle lens - I KNOW I'm NOT thin - but I'm NOT THAT FAT!

Back down was just as boggy, slippery and steep and of course I still had the river to cross - so I was well wet and my trousers and knickers were well wet through again - just in case they thought they had any hope of a being a bit drier to get into the car!

Back home, after unpacking, I took a hot shower and washed my hair only to find a flooded bathroom. The drain in the shower has not been great since we moved in, but lately it has been not working well and you end up standing in an inch or so of water, but today it flooded out onto the bathroom floor and I had to use all the towels and a mop to stop it damaging the floor.

I have to keep cleaning the mould in the bathroom daily and today I thought I needed to let Lorraine know about my bathroom problems as I wasn't sure how to stay on top of things and they seem to be getting out of hand. She is lovely, she came over straight away and you can imagine my embarrassment when she undid the drain - there is a trap underneath which was FULL of hair and crap! HOW EMBARASSING! I'd didn't even know it came apart! Anyway one problem solved. I talked to her about the mould situation, we are still waiting on the electrician to fix the extractor fan - but even with the window open the mould is crazy. She said they had not had the problem before but it must just be the current conditions - basically the weather here has been wet and damp every day. The roof is still leaking - but the bucket I have put under it is collecting it well. Anyway - at least we have solved the mystery of the shower drain!

Vince made Butter Chicken for dinner (it's his week to cook) and I did the rice and dished out. Not much of a "Burns Night Supper" I know but we couldn't find anything on in Uig (our closest type of civilisation) and we don't like driving on those single track roads at night - so not interested in going into Portree. People celebrate the evening in their homes or in restaurants with traditional Scottish fare, folk music and renditions of Burns’s poetry. For the uninitiated Burn Night usually involves washing down forkfulls of peppery haggis with wee drams of single malt scotch whiskey in honour of the life and poetry of Robert (Rabbie) Burns. He wrote more than 550 poems and songs before his death in 1796The Burns Supper was first organised by his close friends and family as a memorial dinner but it then spread across the country as an event celebrating Scotlands culture and heritage.

We just settled in for a DVD, “Defiance” and early bed.