The Show.

We have had a really busy week,and i have been flopping into bed at absurdly early hours, trying to keep pace with this hectic lifestyle we seem to be leading (who said the pace of life here was slow?).  We did have our day out at the Carloway Show on Wednesday and really enjoyed ourselves, despite the lack of sunshine and rosettes.  Still, the Lewis folk really know how to turn on the style despite the rain - how cool are these wellies?

There were plenty of sheep to be admired.  

The sheep shearing competition was a pretty fierce event.  They make it look so easy, don't they?

Not sure what this chap thinks about it though.

The home industries section was another hotly contested area.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of teenagers taking part in this - especially the cake making.  By the time i got close enough to take this picture, though, some of the entries had already gone home.

I was very interested in seeing the vegetable section, however.  Many people imagine that Lewis is a barren treeless peat bog of an island.  It most definitely is not.  The table was covered in various baskets of the most wonderful produce - a lot of it grown outside too.  No excuses for me then.

The winning fruit basket was just sublime.  We visited this man's amazing garden today, as he is quite nearby, and he was incredibly  helpful with his advice on growing conditions here.  It was a really useful visit, but I think it may be a few years before he needs to worry about any competition from here :)  Mind you, I didn't get round to entering my lettuces, and, although I say it myself, I might have had a wee chance.
Faint heart, though...

And finally - the heavy events.  Here is the eventual champion of the day (Ranald Fraser) as he prepares to toss the caber (the a sound as in apple).  The caber is an 18 foot tree trunk , which weighs up to 175pounds.  The competitor has to hold the caber upright, by the thin end, and throw it so that it lands on its heavy end and flips over.  Distance is not the object here; the caber must fall directly in front of the thrower - at 12 o'clock if you like.

Looks good to me.

And here he is again, throwing the 28lb weight over the high bar.

Great stuff!  And a great day out. We even met quite a few people we knew, which gave it more of a community feel for us.
It seems so long ago since my last melancholic post, and yet I can't believe how quickly the time is going past. Another busy week is ahead already and a few days of summer have been promised. Life goes on. x