A Retirement Blog by Caree Risover

On our journey home yesterday we stopped briefly at Crarae Gardens for a morning stroll. It is a Himalayan Glen, originally planted by three generations of the Campbells of Succoth and preserved by the National Trust for Scotland since 2002. Between Loch Fyne to the South and Barr Mor Hill to the North, we walked up and down both sides of Crarae Burn pausing for photographs. There are reputed to be 600 different rhododendrons in the garden and visiting, as we did, in late April the ubiquitous bluebells and the rhododendron blooms provided contrasting colours around the cascading stream. Many of the specimens are from China where the rhododendron is known as the cuckoo flower. Yesterday we learned that hundreds of years ago the King of Sichuan was killed and returned as a cuckoo. Flying round and round, he cried out "cuckoo" so often that his throat began to bleed, dripping to the ground beneath where each drop grew into a rhododendr

  There's just something about Highland Cattle I may not have made a recent blog post about our somewhat overwhelming retirement project but I can confirm that it continues regardless. Indeed we returned today from another trip to Scotland, the aim being to complete the necessary work to get the boat launched off next month. The prospect of denying Mister E a second season's sailing really doesn't feature especially with designated crewman, the eldest, returning from New Zealand for a month. Hence it's been all hands on deck in a desperate attempt to finish. I confess however that on this visit "all hands" for the most part meant just Mister E's as sub ten degree temperatures severely hindered my ability to paint inside lockers although I did manage to complete those in the forward cabin. Hopefully we'll find an opportune week to spend in a marina over the summer to paint and varnish whilst leaving the installation of some of the elec

Isn't the weather glorious this weekend? It is strange how it can almost seem to jump from one season to another overnight. There I was in my last blog post bemoaning the fact that I've been able to do very little in the garden and then suddenly the cold northerly wind shifts direction and is replaced by a southerly airflow and warm sunshine. So warm that I've not only been catching up with those jobs in the garden but wearing shorts to work in. Imagine doing that in those "professional with a desk" days! It is certainly a little freaky just how high the thermometer has reached especially after the cold start to the month. Now I know that climate change and weather aren't the same thing but surely even the most sceptical must be feeling some solidarity with the stance being taken by Rebellion Extinction activists on the streets of London this week. Here in the hinterlands, however, rather than glueing ourselves to trains and pavements we have

Anyone reading some of my recent blog posts may well have appreciated the underlying anger at our current political situation. Anger is a powerful emotion and whilst it can spur us into action, irate reactions aren't generally the most productive. I had hoped by now to be working off my own wrath in the garden amongst the healing power of nature. The flower beds have been springing into life for several weeks, our hedge has turned green but the vegetable patch still needs preparing for the crops that I am going to ask it to nurture over the next few months. Since retiring, March and April have usually been busy months in the garden and I had anticipated that 2019 would be the same. Unfortunately plummeting temperatures, frosty mornings and a cold, biting wind have thwarted my intentions. I have tilled some of the soil and applied fertiliser but, generally speaking, gardening this year has so far been restricted to the raising of seeds in propagators. Hopefully i

Image by Foto-Rabe from Pixabay Brexit and retirement; the two were never meant to be synonymous. In fact when I retired in 2014, difficult as it may be to believe , who had even considered the concept of Brexit or factored it into their retirement plans? Now, entering the final few days before the postponed exit date, it is hard not to be caught up in the turmoil. Will there be another delay or, despite the best efforts of those working tirelessly to try to find a solution, will we actually crash out without a deal on 12th April? Whilst the rest of the world looks on at the UK with incredulity, on the surface, life here continues as normal. Or does it? The press are now reporting that civil servants are being offered counselling, more than 60% of the population feels stressed or anxious and you only have to take a look at a politician to see the effect it is having on them. Throughout this sorry debacle experts have always countered against the cliff edge ending of exi

  Image by Noupload from Pixabay I have mentioned many times on this blog the concept of frugality , not necessarily with the aim of saving funds but rather to live simply, respect the planet and reduce, reuse and recycle . Mister E and I are now facing our first big test in this connection following the breakdown of the washing machine. It is nine years old and it let us down at the weekend when it succeeded in tripping our electricity every time it moved into water heating mode, although it continues to function perfectly when spinning, rinsing or undertaking a cold wash. Our dilemma of course is do we rush out and buy a new machine as, even if capable of repair at a modest price, taking into account its age will we be simply throwing good money after bad? On the other hand, if there is actually yet life to be squeezed out of it, do we squeeze it for the benefit of Planet Earth and at what cost to ourselves? The quandary does not of course even stop there. Pending a

Well today we finally switched electricity suppliers. Yes until now we have been those apathetic people who have never changed, considering the concept a little too tiresome to bother ourselves with. Oh my, don't those utility companies love loyal customers to whom they don't even have to promote themselves to rip them off? So much for brand loyalty; we have probably ended up paying more than we needed to for several years. Of course things were simpler in the days of nationalised suppliers but those days are long since past and Mister E and I have finally found the time in retirement to catch up with the competitive market place. Consequently we have signed up for a fixed term rate at both a lower daily charge and unit rate than previously and even better the supplier claims to reinvest in green energy. What's more, and whilst at some 2,600 kwh a year we apparently use less electricity than the average home (despite a tendency to use both a dishwasher and tumb