Island Holidays Blog

Keep smiling!

I think I'm going to stop listening to the news!  I used to enjoy "Wake up to Money" at 5.30 a.m. on BBC Radio Five Live but now it just revels in gloom and despondency.   No wonder people are worried - we've been talked in to it.  So I have decided to run a "keep Britain smiling" campaign.  Started off by submitting a nice little entry for our church magazine which is very simple (but also highly relevant as we've just linked with another congregation and are getting a new minister in April).  It goes like this:

I'm all in favour of change.  What I'm dead against is things not staying the same.

I do so agree!   So hopefully that's brought a glimmer of a smile to your eyes.  Let me know if you have any such things you'd like to share through my blog.  Editor's decision is final!

It's a beautiful day today - almost springlike - and I saw the first lambs of the year on the way back from Crieff this morning.  The purpose of the expedition was to get a handbag and shoes for my nephew's wedding next week and success has crowned my efforts.  It's a long time since I wore posh shoes so I'm going to have to practise walking!  Should be a hoot!

Now, having shared all that invaluable information with you, I shall return to fine-tuning our revised programme to Australia.   Already some of our tours for 2010 are ready to go which is good - if I leave it all too late the nervous breakdown at brochure production time is guaranteed!  The other thing needing to be done is the application for space at the British Birdwatching Fair in August.  It will be the 21st anniversary of the Fair and we will have been at all but one of them.  That means I will have spent two full months of my life plus a bit in Marquee 3!!!!

Australia bush fires

There's nothing like personal experience or involvement to bring the news home to you and that, for me,is particularly the case with the Australian bush fires.   I've just heard that James & Verity (James is a first cousin) have had to evacuate and that my other cousins who live in the area - Ali and Sarah - are just 10 km from the nearest fire which isn't far at all in view of the speed in which the fires arrive.

I was staying with Al & Sarah in November and went up to visit James &  Verity for lunch on their wonderful farm.  We talked about bush fires and they told me about all the precautions they take - but it would seem these weren't enough.  I haven't heard from them directly and obviously can't now contact them but the family will doubtless keep me in touch.

Another cousin lives in Zimbabwe and that's not exactly a picnic either.  I remember meeting a Zimbawean girl who was working in a cafe in Jamestown (St Helena) and she was terribly homesick. She had to leave, but she was praying that one day she would be able to return.  

On the subject of St Helena, the group I was supposed to have been leading if the flu hadn't got the better of me are now home and seem to have had a fantastic time.  Me jealous?  Don't be silly!  I'll be going there in October (all going well) - the tour is already fully booked.  I'm also hoping to lead the January tour but have generously given the February trip to someone else!

Now.  Time to get back to work.  We've been very lucky - no snow.  Yes it's cold, but it's not windy so it's actually rather nice.  And I suspect the land will be glad to have had a "proper" winter.  All this warm, wet weather isn't natural!

Back to the future

Can you believe that January has flown past and we're already substantially into February?  Had I gone to St Helena I'd just be due home tomorrow and it had seemed such a long time!   Still, it's been good to have a chance to catch up a bit in the office (notice the qualification of "a bit").   Health is continuing to improve and we've not had to put up with snow.  Seems strange to have all those folk down south grinding to a halt and us sitting here in sunny Scotland wonderring what all the fuss is about!

 

I've got a group going to South Africa this afternoon and gather they've all made it to the airport and it doesn't look like there's going to be any disruption to their schedule which would be good.  I would have loved to have gone on that tour with them but all the accommodation was full.  Probably common sense would have got the better of me as well - there's so much to do here.

No sooner is one tour away than we're thinking about the next.  And so it is that we've already come up with a new date for South Africa - next November.  What a wonderful month to get away from the UK and soak up a bit of sunshine, to say nothing of experience what I think is one of the most wonderful countries in the world.   The birds and wildlife are fantastic, the people lovely and the food and wine ..... well!   It's one of those places from which I get withdrawal symptons if I don't go there often enough. 

You'll notice I've used a penguin photo.  Not everyone associates South Africa with penguins - we assume they stick to colder climes - but there's a terrific colony of African Penguins just outside Cape Town - some live on Robben Island as well.

Now I'd better stop thinking about South Africa and concentrate on the next job!