Spring Forward.

Here in the North Argyll Glens we seldom enjoy a spring and this year has proved the point as we have moved seamlessly from a long, cold winter straight into high summer complete with ticks, midges and many other biting fiends; the cuckoo's constant performance close to the Tower of Glen Trollaigh is becoming a tad irritating, however calling male Grasshopper Warblers provide an unexpected bonus. Another obvious feature of this year has been a great lack of water, no serious rain has fallen here for six months and our rivers are as low as anyone can remember. Having mentioned the absence of the wet stuff the heavens will doubtless now open for 40 days and 40 nights.

When the midges permit us we are spending most of our time in the garden and of course the Great Polytunnel of Trollaigh where we have been propagating a wonderful array of weeds amongst our beds of veg, this explosion of growth is supported by constant irrigation from a new water supply commissioned for the purpose. We have tried to stick to organic principles although we have come pretty close to the edge when competing with slugs for our food. In the wider landscape I fear we are not quite so pure; having polished off our organic yogurt and fruit breakfast one must struggle into a knapsack sprayer of Roundup and spend an hour or so battling with our acres of Dockens. Bracken is also being tackled this year by simply chopping it down in test areas, certainly where we have done this early heather and lots of regenerating saplings are attracting zillions of buzzing insects, but whether or not we can keep the bally stuff at bay I know not.

Whilst fishermen shun us because of low water, a train derailment and subsequent indefinite trunk road closure has effectively cut us off and rendered our sleepy backwater even sleepier than normal and I fear for the prosperity of our delicately balanced rural economy. Needless to say a lack of leadership amongst the quangos has not lead to any resolution of our transport problems, rather all "the stakeholders" have formed a steering group. I feel duty bound to warn this group of "managers" that although you may feel free to ignore the rednecks, when Mr Tesco twigs that his takings in Oban are slipping you will all be out levering and pushing that damned train back onto the track by hand, in double quick time! Yours aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.