Sweet memories

A promising day today - my friend Tim came down from Skye yesterday, but got held up at Connel Bridge which was closed due to a 'Police incident'. Apparently there was a helicopter there, a coastguard van and a flare set off over the water, but no information as to what had happened. Maybe somebody jumped into the loch. It was eventually opened and he arrived rather later than planned!
 
We three set off today for a 100 mile round trip to the woodland garden at Crarae, on Loch Fyne. It's a huge place and to my mind one of the best woodland gardens anywhere, with the Crarae Burn tumbling down through the garden in a series of waterfalls and major collections of rhododendrons and trees of all sorts.
 
I'd not been for some time, but stood in as Head Gardener in the early 2,000s for a couple of years while the NTS tried to find somebody. It was a bit tricky, running it as well as Arduaine - I spent three days a week there and it was a 60 mile journey each day. I was glad when my friend Nigel Price stepped in and took over until his sadly early death.
 
While I was there I donated three firs which I'd grown from seed which I'd collected in Nepal in 1990. They were Abies spectabilis PGG 219 and I suppose they were some 2-3 ft high when I planted them up at the top of the garden; I was wondering if they were still there and rather worried in case somebody had cut them down. I was pleased to see that they were still there and a lot larger than I remember. Thanks to Mrs for taking the picture.

My extra is of a young woman in rather odd clothing who allowed me to take her picture! 

I must go back in a few weeks when there will be a lot more in flower.