Tuesday, August 16, 2011

the blue shack



One of the regular activities which took place on our holiday was running. Five of the group are in training of the Bristol Half Marathon, and being on holiday didn't mean a break from running. 

When we had moored at Loch Oich, Tim, John & I went for a run on a track alongside the Loch. After darting here & there, jumping over the tree roots that were sprawled across the path, we came across a little blue shack. We wondered aloud whether anyone lived there, although it looked pretty shabby & like it had been a long time since it had been loved. Tim poked his head round the door & spotted a sleeping bag with some empty beer cans, and the smell of wood smoke greeted him, before he withdrew to tell us what he had seen. 

When you were a child, did you ever see old, derelict & deserted buildings & wonder what it would be like to venture inside? I remember that feeling of avid curiousity - was there anyone living in there, and if so, would they eat me alive or shout at me for trespassing?

The feeling of nervous excitement & caution coursed through our veins as we toyed with the idea of venturing inside, wondering who or what we might find. Our intrigue overruled caution and we ventured in. Although there wasn't anybody in there, I still felt the need to creep around on tiptoes, holding my breath as I went, as though the emptiness of this little house commanded an unspoken reverence for its history.

Here's what we found...


 paper thin floors
 I wonder when this little oven was last used

 I loved the fabric of this blanket, despite the dirt

a teeny tiny bedroom that I could only just stand up in

One of the curious things about this little shack is that there was a kitchen, bedrooms, living rooms, but no bathroom. We pondered why this might be, then as we emerged back into the sunlight outdoors, I heard the sound of a rushing waterfall behind me and looked at the Loch in front of me. This shack was surrounded by water. Who needs a shower when you have a waterfall?

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