Holding On

Original Cin’s comment about finding a crab in her bed once. Pretty adventurous for a crabby creature... If this one was “planted” then all sympathy for both parties unwittingly part-taking for the cause of a naughty smirk...

The Scottish villages Ardfern and Croabh Haven are surrounded by islands known as the Inner-Hebrides. The beauty of these catches in one’s throat as it is being watched on a bright day after the rains have gone.

My friends once invited me to join them on the island “Shuna”, situated between the island Luing and Craignish. Gorgeous names. Places not yet spoilt by tourists either.



We stayed in The Hunt Lodge which stands out like a rock and alone with its windows overlooking isles and miles of sea. We had a massive primitive braai (I think all the visitors add more stones), washing line, swinging line in the woods, no modern equipment wotsoever and a vast range of books left behind by previous visitors.



The Lodge had a little secluded bay next to the rocky patch where the little boat was anchored. We trampled down to our private bay often clothed with bathing gear and wearing wellies as we tip-tap-toed over slippery stones, wild thyme and primroses. I have a lovely picture taken from the water towards the beach where my gumboots waited patiently for my return...

We swam, ate, watched cloudless skies or cotton clouds, dreamed, drift on our backs, talked and laughed, loved life, discussed things like skinny dipping etc. It was all simple but heavenly bliss.

One day, I waded elegantly out of the water, feeling like a goddess all cleansed up and revived. The next instant a claw firmly pinched one of my toes and sent this unsuspecting idiot into little water aerobics. I emerged eventually from below the water and with a delicate shriek pointed towards my foot which I held above the surface. Inspecting me was the beady eyes of a little crab. It clang to my poor little toe for dear life as we eyed each other up. I tried keeping afloat with one leg kicking randomly at any prospective attracts from yet more beasties.

My friends told me through snorts of laughter that I had a hermit crab dangling on my toe, which by then seemed to be stuck in the air... A WHAT?



Good thing when one can still make others laugh.

As for swimming naked ... One of the five explorers eventually dared the whole part of our previous discussion. On a warm midge-crazy summer afternoon when the others had gone for a hike. Incidentally at the same time the neighbours from the opposite side of the island decided to throw anchor in our little bay. They appeared without warning out of thin blue layers of air-sky and miles of sea and there was nothing to hold on to...