Sitting at the side of another frozen loch last weekend, wrapped in layers of thermals, we were joined by a robin. My sister and I had been dunking ourselves into icy water again, and this was our post-ice-bath treat, a flask of hot chocolate, spiked with a shot of coffee for added flavour, and a… Read more »
Posts By: Nicky Marr
Finding Solace
I know, I’m a shameless over-sharer on social media. Friends on Facebook will – unless they have blocked me – know that in the past few days I’ve dunked myself into several icy lochs, and walked, well wrapped up against the chill of the wind, to drink a flask of coffee at the shore of… Read more »
Swim!
I’m just back from a swim with my sister. In all honesty, even though I can hardly yet feel my legs from just below the knee, this is the most alive I have felt in months. But while we might class today’s early morning adventure as swimming, we barely swam a stroke. What we did… Read more »
Time to toughen restrictions?
There is no doubt about it; during spring and early summer my neck grew six inches. I was trying really hard to stick to all the rules about staying at home, washing my hands, wearing a mask and social distancing, but became convinced everyone else was flouting them. I looked for rule-breakers everywhere. Finding them… Read more »
Silver linings
Well, hello you – it’s been a while. It’s been ten months, give or take, but it’s good to be back. The last time this column was published was in March, just as the first lockdown began. There’s a certain symmetry in returning in the week that tougher restrictions have again been imposed. I wanted… Read more »
The stopped clock: a symptom of life slowing down
The kitchen clock has stopped at quarter to nine. It’s been like that for about three days now (or is it four? Can anyone remember?). It’s only since it stopped that I’ve noticed how often I look at that clock. But of course, these days, time is stretching and has less meaning than ever. Which… Read more »
Is everything in the lockdown garden rosy?
I have never been more grateful to have a garden. Right now, I’m sitting in the conservatory of our house in Inverness with the doors flung wide open. It’s raining and the sound has taken me back to childhood camping holidays on the West Coast. The only thing missing is the repeated warning from Dad;… Read more »
Cooking, baking, gardening and counting blessings
This week I have mainly cooked, baked and eaten. There is cake in almost every tin, and the tally of tubs of home-made soups in the freezer has risen to eleven. There’s nothing guaranteed to give me more satisfaction than producing a meal – or a cake, tray of scones or fresh-baked loaf – for… Read more »
Is it wrong to enjoy these strange times?
Is it wrong to be enjoying these strange times? I know. Many of us are or have been ill, many are at risk and already too many have died. Lots of people are extremely worried about their own health and the health of the people they care about. Despite the measures put in place to… Read more »
Strange days, indeed
Intro: What a week it has been! I wrote this piece for the Highland News and Media Group papers on Monday – and so much has changed since then, for all of us. I hope the measures implemented keep more of us safe and healthy, and I hope our small businesses will recover after it’s… Read more »