local disturbance

Joy, Dougie and Emma came to see me on Friday night for a weekend of eating, drinking and sweating (I'll explain later). The fact that my housekeeping skills would horrify my mother meant that I had to spend over 3 hours cleaning and dusting on Thursday night. In addition, another hour or two was spent on Friday evening cleaning the toilet so that it was suitable for female use.

We enjoyed a tea consisting of Wark Farm organic mince with tomato etc and pasta. Dougie had told me to make squirrel and lamb pie but I knew what Joy and Emma would have said. The meal was finished off with Apple Crumble with Cream.

Now to explain the sweating. The stove was on from the back of 6 pm and by 9 pm it was about 25 degrees. I suggested stripping off for a sauna but there were no takers ...

Saturday started with me making a Victoria Sponge for the evening meal and then we went to the Farmers' Market where I was hoping to buy chutney by Huntly Herbs but they had no stall this month. I made do with carrots and beetroot for pickling.

Then it was off to Stonehaven for a walk which started in the town and looped through woods to Dunnottar Castle and back along the cliffs. The strong north wind kept the clouds moving and the sun was shining by the time we enjoyed a beer outside the Marine Hotel (where Dougie got a terrible pint of Dunnottar Ale) and I had a lovely raspberry beer. Dougie felt cheated so we walked 20 yards and had another drink in the Ship Inn where the welcome was much warmer, and Dougie's pint much better (despite the fact that it was McEwan's Export).

We all piled into the car and headed for the chip shop on the front near the swimming pool and had brilliant fish and chips sitting on the bench. Emma complained that she was freezing but this was preferable in my eyes to greasy fingers all over my car. She disagreed!

We were all stuffed so it was pizza and victoria sponge for tea and more refreshments. Dougie complained of being bagged up so the alcohol intake slowed dramatically.

Sunday morning was a lazy affair and lunch was bacon and sausage rolls with the remains of the victoria sponge. Joy, Dougie and Emma left about 2 pm, but not before Dougie (a true blue) had seen the start of Rangers beating Aberdeen. He left a happy boy. Joy took a very young Japanese Rowan plant that I had grown from a berry and hopefully it will survive in her garden.

A quick tidy up and my house once again looks like a bachelor pad ie Sky football on the tv and only my rubbish and dirt lying around. A great weekend!