The Island - July 2025
Two weeks ago I got over to the island for the weekend. The timing was good as it coincided with a really nice spell of very settled, very warm weather.
There was plenty of coming and going, which is always great, particularly when there are some first-time visitors. I’m always interested in their impression and how they relate to their expectations.
The weather was hot, too hot to work on the roof, but a good chance to get some small indoor jobs done and spend some time on the water.
Milo and I set off on Thursday evening, with a decent load, most notably two boats – a sit-on-top and a kayak – that had been very generously donated to the cause. They saw plenty of use over the weekend and will add another dimension to future visits.
The next morning we got to work on a few indoors tasks, adding a gravity-operated trap door to the loft and making a welly bench for beside the front door. I painted it with green food dye which gave it a nice bright forest green. One bottle wasn’t enough so I will have to finish it next time and will then varnish it to seal the colour in.
Enjoying the late sunlight, the shot on the left was taken at 22.40! And doing some fishing, the bay is alive with fish when there is a rising tide in the evenings. Some day we might even catch one.
Late on Friday evening I spend a good while shuttling another 6 people over to the island. We then had a late BBQ on the beach as the sun set. The heat had taken its toll on me so I was in bed early, but the others made the most of the night.
Saturday was an absolute scorcher, reaching a high of 28C at nearby Shannon. Before it got too hot we got to work wrapping the couch in red cordura fabric. Around lunchtime the heat became unbearable to so we had a beer in the shade and went for a stroll to the beach.
That afternoon, as soon as the tide reached the beach, we got in for a swim.The water, even though it was warmed by the sand as it came in, was very refreshing, if muddy. That evening we had the traditional island meal of ribeye, asparagus and garlic bread.
On our walk to the beach we picked up a nice piece of driftwood that I wanted for a hanging light fixture in the main room. We wrapped the log in a 20m length of 12v LED lights and hung it from the collar ties. I think they worked well enough, but they weren’t bright enough. I have another run of lights which should do the trick.
The main room as we left it. Obviously finishing the roof is still the main priority, but there is plenty of indoor work to be done including replastering the main room, sealing the concrete floor and building a few more storage units – one in the recess left of the fireplace and another beside the back door.
