91热爆

My goodness what happened to the midges here? They've become even more ferocious since the last time they were about. I swear they wait round the side of the house and wait till we go out for a walk then pounce on us in their swarms! Needless to say the walks have been a bit shorter over the last wee while. Even in the wind the wee blighters manage to come out. What is the point of them? Why were the ever invented? Horrible little creatures!
Life has been pretty hectic over the last while with one thing and another. My wee girl has reached another milestone. No more nappies!! I honestly thought for a while there she was never going to get out of nappies. Then one morning she got up and said 'I don't like nappies anymore' and she hasn't looked back since. Kids really are pretty amazing eh? And she's started recognising numbers when their written. She just seems to have grown up so much over the holidays!
The wee man is even more boisterous than before. I didn't think that was possible!! He's still being stingy with his teeth but it doesn't stop him munching through anything and everything. He looks like he's got some kind of exotic disease just now with all the red spots he's got from midge bites. I think he dislikes them more than I do! He's had a growth spurt over the summer so has needed a whole new wardrobe more or less. Soon he'll be looking down on me!!
We had the police at the door last week as there's been some vandalism in the last while. Some cars and vans have been scratched while they've been parked by some unknown(s). So they wanted to know if we'd seen anything etc etc, since we knew one of the persons involved. What do people get out of doing that? But the police were also saying that tourists cars have been getting damaged, and that the new 'thing' they have just now is throwing bottles full of stones at passing cars. Why? Who knows! Also the community hall was broken into and a local shop. I hadn't heard anything about any of it so just goes to show you don't always hear about everything in Harris! (Although I did eventully - och you know what I mean!)
We had some vandalism done at the front of the house - some distateful etchings - is probably about all I can say without being too graphic. But to be honest we're not sure if it was done before or after we moved in as we only noticed it a few weeks ago. I just don't understand the point in it.
There's also a lot of broken glass all over the place. The amount of times that we've taken the kids out and spent most of the time picking up broken glass is unreal. Just because these people don't care surely they can spare a thought for kiddies that might be playing about and might fall on the glass left behind. Especially since some of the places that we've found the glass is in designated areas for playing. The other day we picked up about twenty beer bottles down by the pier. Only a couple of them were broken but thats not the point. Why should others have to pick up other peoples rubbish, especially broken glass? Needless to say all the glass is empty booze bottles of one sort or another. But I suppose the flip side of it is people will keep doing it because others pick up after them. But I for one can't walk past stuff like that and just leave it. It's pretty pathetic when even a three year old knows better and has even picked up some unknowns rubbish and put it in the bin. Just madness!
Apart from all that life is pretty much the same madness! The weather isn't as great today but it looks like its trying to clear up. Some normality should be back next week because the schools go back. And also there doesn't seem to be quite as many tourists about. I think everyone coming here should get a 'lecture' first about single track roads and what passing places are for. Mind you some of the locals could do with that too...

Isn't it good when you get something unexpected? A lady came to the door today with a bunch of flowers for me just because I went to see if she was ok.

You see her dog was out barking and whining in the wee hours of the morning and I got concerned that maybe something had happened to the dog or maybe even her owner. She lives alone and kind of keeps herself to herself. Not being that confident I was pretty nervous sneaking out of the house in the wee hours of the morning, so as not to wake the whole house, and went to see if I could find the dog. After finding the dog fine and well the house was in complete blackness so my mind went into overdrive. What if the owner was lying unconsious somewhere or worse? I didn't know what to do. So I took a deep breath and walked up to the door and knocked. Nobody answered so I opened the door but couldn't hear a sound, except my heart thumping! Then the dogs owner appeared - sleepy eyed but thankfully fine. I apologised for waking her but said that I had been worried that maybe something had happened to her. She apologised for the dog making a noise - she had run off and she couldn't find her. So after a bit of awkwardness I said goodnight and left to come back home.

All day yesterday I wondered if I had done the right thing. Worried that maybe the lady just thought I was being nosy and interfering. But then this morning there was a gentle knock on the door and there was the dogs owner with a beautiful bunch of flowers. Just to say thank you! I felt so sorry for the lady though as she said 'its not like people to worry about me' and she had tears in her eyes. I told her not to be silly and that she was welcome to come and visit anytime.

It definately goes to show just how much human nature can vary. Although from now on she needn't worry that nobody cares because I do. And I'll make sure I make the extra effort now to speak to her etc, and not just walk on by just because she doesn't speak. I might even find out her name...