September 10

I got up this morning but we had no coffee maker. We brought coffee with us but that was of little value. This is a serious concern since coffee is my drug of choice in the morning. Tea, the usual drink here, is not the proper vehicle for sufficient delivery of the drug caffeine. So, off I went to forage in downtown Bowmore.

Downtown Bowmore is just down School Street and past the Bowmore distillery from our house. The distance is not measured in minutes but steps and there are not many to get there. There cannot be 25 shops at the crossroads of Main and School Streets, which encompass the total of the business “district”. One thing became apparent immediately: No stores were open at 8:00am. Back I went to have a cuppa (that being tea) at the house.

Alistair took Allan and me to the Machrie Golf Course for a round of true Scottish golf. The Machrie is the most true links course imaginable. On the shore of the sea loch, Lochindaal, it is built amid the sand dunes and sea grasses. There is not a tree for miles to break the wind. This course defines all that is not fair in golf. Blind tee shots on some holes, blind approach shots on others. In fact, some holes have blind tee shots AND blind approach shots. To add to this the wind was blowing at 30-35 mph sustained. I have never played in a wind this strong. The occasional rain was also a nice touch coming down at a 45 degree angle and feeling like sleet as it hit us due to the wind speed.

I hit a 5 iron into the wind, normally a 175 yard shot, and it went only 92 yards and it was hit flush. On the 18th tee I ripped a tee shot straight down the center of the fairway. Before the ball reached its apex, the crosswind caressed my ball. Holding it gently the wind took it slowly at first then more rapidly to the left of the fairway, then across the first cut of rough then into the grass then well into the deep sea grass and ferns. I walked over and shook Alistair’s hand conceding defeat 1 up. Allan played very well in these very non Southern California conditions. He now knows what REAL golf is like.

Dinner was at the Rosses. The oral invitation was “drinks at 6:15 and the conservatory door will be open so you don’t have to come all the way around the house”. Yes, the wind was still howling to such a degree that Alistair didn’t want the “ladies” to have their hair too mussed. What a guy.

Whisky and red wine were served in the lounge before tea (dinner). The red wine was Clancey’s, an Australian Merlot/Cab blend. It was outstanding. A&M gave a bottle of the same wine as he gave Ian and Jane plus some almonds. We gave them assorted, flavored hazel nuts from our Redmond Saturday Market grower/vendor. A 2002 red from Matthews Cellars in Woodinville and a Syrah from the Columbia Valley completed the gifting.

Dinner: a starter of individual smoked haddock, baked with a cheese cream sauce. Entrée was a steak pie, only the best cut of meat, with a perfect flaky crust. Sides were Alistair’s potatoes, broccoli, peas and turnips. Dessert was a rhubarb crumble with ice cream and fruit served with the first French sauterne I had ever tasted. Oh such a delicious, true Scottish meal it was.

After dinner we saw the video of A&J’s 40th anniversary party at the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel. We had had lunch there last week. A nice connection. We heard the toasts, the roast and images of people we had met over the past 28 years. I am sure it was not as heart-warming to A&M as it was for us.