Author Archives: nickjtj

Standing at the kitchen sink a swift movement caught my eye. I stepped back, turning just in time to glimpse a grey bird a foot above the ground disappearing at speed up the drive. A male merlin is my best guess. A couple of weeks ago I saw similar as I drove up our sharedContinue reading “Home alone”

The space under the stairs has been a handy repository for many things as the build as progressed. It still has eighteen part-used tins and tubs of paint, as well as the tall freezer; it’s meant to be a larder. Larder: At midday on Monday I collected David from the ferry and, with the temperatureContinue reading “Under the stairs”

Family and friends: I was in High Wycombe the week before last, helping my son and his partner with the kitchen of their house refurbishment. Good fun. Frequently I heard a sound reminiscent of a shepherd whistling his dogs and looked up to see one of the area’s ever-present red kites – great flyers andContinue reading “Forth and back”

I’m writing this from High Wycombe where, for a few days, I’m returning the favour, helping my son and his partner with the space that will soon be their kitchen. Every now and then I hear something that’s reminiscent of a shepherd whistling his dog, but is actually the call of one of the manyContinue reading “Dash slap”

Work: I’m aware that I frequently write “I finally realised…” or words to that effect, because I do. A lot of realising. Eventually I understand something, often tiny; the penny drops; the light comes on; road to Damascus. And it’s still going on. The most recent dawning was that the skirting board mitres I’d cutContinue reading “Four coats on everything”

Weekend: Making the most of an unexpectedly calm and sunny Saturday, we drove across Kintyre to scavenge for driftwood on the east-facing beach at Skipness. Arran, all peaks and shadows, lies about six kilometres south across the water, while to the west is Bute, less dramatic and maybe fifteen kilometres off. High up the shingleContinue reading “Driftwood in the air”

David and the warped door: In my last blog I forgot to mention a small but significant piece of work that David did here. Using the upstairs bathroom, struggling with the warped sliding door and always curious, he took a closer look and spotted a slim packing piece just inside the pocket that seemed toContinue reading “A door opens…”

I guess we were both pretty exhausted. This past three years our holidays have been very limited and this year’s summer break was postponed in an effort to finish the house before the (already extended) building warrant ran out. We didn’t finish the house and, having just moved in, took a break anyway – aContinue reading “Back in the saddle… or does that make me a cowboy?”

The kids’ visit was a great excuse not to work. They were all keen to do some foraging and we were happy to show them what we could. No guarantees… but as it turned out none were needed. Poppy and I did a local circuit and the chanterelles came up trumps. Several patches of wonderfulContinue reading “Where’s the…?”

It’s been more than a week since I last posted. I had a five day trip to London for the memorial, so work time here seems to have been a bit short, but then Chris and Steve came to help. It feels as though we did a month’s work in just a few days andContinue reading “Operation sanity”