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Tomorrow it’s back to New York. Really? …

The week on the Isle of Skye was sheer delight: perfect weather, great hikes, great company, outdoor dining and wining, music making of all sorts, sleeping in front of a giant picture window looking north out to sea, the beach only feet away… heaven… My favourite? Probably my solo hike to Rubha Hunish, the northern point of Skye, where you literally walk to the end of the world (after climbing down a 300′ cliff, just to make sure you merit it…) Skinning dipping in the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle was a close 2nd – the best creek dipping I’ve ever had, I think… And feasting outside every evening at the great stone table on the edge of the beach – with sun and no midges – scotland in july?? is it possible?? yes, once in a blue moon…

It was, of course, merely postponing the inevitable, but for a whole week I barely thought of life’s complications – De Queen of Denial, that’s me, now that mum’s gone… and of course I’ve paid for it this past week in cotherstone, dealing with overdue bills, back taxes, lawyers etc etc… Sam has reappeared, which is wonderful, but a truly mixed blessing – I’m sooo happy to see him (and vice versa) but since I can’t take him back just yet, I was kinda hoping he’d found another home… what to do, what to do? let’s see where we’re at mid-september – I’ll come back and get him if necessary…

sweet aunt liz has been in hospital for the past 5 weeks – not doing so good… but she’s finally back in Barnard Castle at least, so she won’t be so far away – she’s been in Durham all this time – mum’s old haunt… who knows if she’ll ever come home… time, the grim reaper…

and what’s waiting for me back in nyc? again, who knows? one foot in front of the other, take it as it comes, cherish the joy, make light of the sorrow… I wrote a new tune at the Boathouse in Skye… big city, here I come – well, briefly, before heading upstate to work on Gertrude Stein with Colombari…

Hard to believe my 2 months in menorca are over – got back here late last night, and leave early tomorrow morning for Scotland – the grand reunion on the Isle of Skye – from one gorgeous island to another – how can I complain? the bad news is that Sam has taken off – I was afraid this might happen, but he’s a fully integrated outdoor cat now, and who am I to try and take him back to the US and stick him in the confines of an apartment again? god speed, que vaya bien, gatito…

I left menorca with great regret, but in good hands… the party was a great success, altho’ highly emotional and quite exhausting in some ways… all the old folks from the early days, menorquins, catalans, english, french – a wonderfully mixed group, and all there to raise a glass to the Non-Pareils of Biniparrell… we did a wee concert out by the pool towards the end for the die-hards, which was a fitting tribute – all M&P’s favourite songs, and then some… it reminded me of that lovely scene in Talk To Her, the Almadovar film, when Caetano sings for folks after dinner… and in fact the next day Sebastian said “estaba el cine…”

We’ve had real summer for weeks – glorious…. except for my encounter with the large medusa – damn those things are nasty… but so beautiful…

Westbeth has offered me another apartment, naturally, which I can’t see – I seem fated… and I arrived back here to find a stack of mail that all demands my attention but I’m afraid it will have to wait for another week, until I get back from skye… it’s waited this long…. I can only do so much and I will NOT get stressed out by it all… a whole bunch of stuff didn’t sell at Tennants’ auction… and the saga continues… but I’m going over the sea to skye….

only a few days left, and then it’s on to the next chapter… but for now alles gut… sis has arrived – in a million pieces, but miraculously recovered within a few days, to be able to go to a dinner with old friends/neighbours, and sing until 2 a.m. yes…

as I said to her, just get here….and she did. Today we did Business – bank, lawyer etc… and we have cleared the coach house, with two midnight runs to the dump, highly illegal but necessary… I had a nasty encounter with one of the big purple medusas a week ago, truly horrible, but things are better now, altho’ I am gun shy of the water, which is a real bore…

Italy was a Good Thing… slightly strange, but really lovely people, and a gorgeous old palazzo to live and work in – what’s not to like? The production is slated for this time next year… meanwhile, while I was in Italy Karen and Olive were here in menorca, having a fabulous week without me (I postponed my departure a couple of days so I could overlap for 24 hours and give them the whirlwind tour). doug showed up before they left, and was waiting or me upon my return. they drained the cisterna accidentally, huge drama which sebastian duly rectified, only for doug to find himself without water completely the day they left and before I returned… s. eventually drained the cisterna on purpose, removing giant beards of tree roots, and replaced the “press control”of the cisterna pump – we have yet to see the bill… but doug and I had a lovely couple of days before sis arrived, and his being here for her arrival was all to the good… now he’s back in the u.s.of a. and she and I are sorting through the layers of “stuff to be done together” – unpacking the rest of the boxes from saltoun, bank, lawyers etc etc…

we have decided to go ahead with giving a party for mum (and dad) before I go… kind of insane, given the time constraint, but next year just won’t do… so wednesday it is… federico and maria arrive tomorrow, mirabile dictu, as do Mark and Katy, and Jean, so it will be last minute and très informal…

Summer is here, at last… for how long, who knows, things seem muy variable this year, but for now the sun is hot, the sky is deep blue, there is a faint breeze – perfect. This morning I had my inaugural early morning swim in the Big Blue Bathtub – com’ un espejo, and narry a medusa in sight… heaven (after the initial shock – the water is still very cold), and entirely to myself… yes…

I have been gathering cactus and succulent cuttings from friends far and wide, intent on turning this into a less water-dependent finca. Looking good – the only problem is the tortugas – they LOVE them and have been feasting on pretty much everything I’ve planted – it’s going to be war soon… they are great to have around the place but NOT when they eat my garden! Talking of diminishing plants, Sebastian hired a truck with a grua and we pruned the pine by the road one morning (with Madji’s help – he’s here fixing his boat) – a bit like a haircut, first one side was too short, then the other, so now there is LOTS of early morning sun coming in – the bougainvillea against the garage wall is already showing its appreciation, and I have planted a few colourful things along the path of the early morning sun… of course the tortugas like them too…

Very disappointing news from Bonhams – neither painting sold. So now we owe THEM money – not at all what I had in mind… And the price of Saltoun got lowered by a chunk as a result of the 60 page surveyor’s report… so much for thinking I’d got it all sorted…. best laid plans… plus Diana is not at all well and may not make it out here next week… and if she does, she will be a basket case. hey ho… I am still headed for Italy at the end of the month, for a week’s rehearsal on Orfeo, in spite of missing musicians and unfinished charts… soldiering on… I’m going for another swim…

Days of heavy rain, with intermittent intense sunshine and warmth… many hours of glorious sleep, with Ratonera to keep me company (she showed up the night I arrived, as always) – I feel her weight on the bed and think of Sam, hoping he’s enjoying his liberty in the garden and the studio, with angela to feed him… he finally figured out the cat flap, so now he can come and go as he pleases, with the studio as his sanctuary, and the garden and the rest of cotherstone as his playground – how bad can it be? The ‘phone here is still blissfully on the blink, I do the odd bit of gardening between bouts of slumber, making war on the plumbago roots that have taken over everywhere…

Sunday the sun finally came out, blazing in a clear blue sky, so I hung everything out to dry, bedding, clothes, shoes, the works, and went off to have sunday lunch of grilled rabbit at La Rueda – on the Moby, no less, which is running like a champ, Begonia must have fixed it along with the car, bless her – only to find when I returned that it had rained heavily and everything was soaked – and I mean everything… oh well… managed to get the bedding dry enough to sleep in – thank heavens for the long hours of daylight, and thank you Julia for the loan of an electric blanket – and the rest can wait… sleep is all I care for… but so saying, aside from the occasional gardening I have taken a couple of lovely walks, one by the sea, one through the fields around and about… by god, I love this island…