On the whole, the visitors staying with me at Colonsay are more than doing their bit. Things like washing curtains (and windows), getting the dog muddy, doing the dishes etc…. But there was a tad much enthusiasm from one of the party this week. I happened to mention that a bonfire would be a good idea, to clear out some old wood from a nearby “shed”, and I carefully pointed out the shed in question. Later in the day, the helper was spotted, newspaper and firelighters under his arm, proceeding towards the wrong shed. It was the boat shed – and may well have been harbouring someone's wooden dinghy.
Much yelling across the foreshore saved the dinghy from extinction. Still – once the mistake had been rectified the helper got to work enthusiastically and produced a large and effective bonfire. The only worrying thing was that come darkness, an awful lot of boats seemed to converge on Minister's Bay.