It takes all sorts.

Aikey Brae Stone Circle. Ten minutes away from Greenbrae.
Our two guests, ladies, from Germany, are into stone circles and all things pagan. "Ve have too many buildings in Germany - all covered over the things ancient."
Well, we have plenty of stone circles, burial mounds around here to please them. Tho they have actually gone miles away from this one and all the others that are within spitting distance of Greenbrae. I give in.
They originally enquired about 'half board'. This is Dinner bed and breakfast, to which I replied, we didnt do evening meals. But they still booked with us, for five days.
On arrival they presented Mike with a carrier bag full of quiches, pies and salad. He was to warm up the quiches and pies and set the table. Had I been well enough I would have told them if I did - this was a one off. Mike being Mike just got on and did it, delaying his own evening meal so to do. Making his day a very long one, as at the moment he is having to do more than his fair share of the work due to me being not well.
They also said, "Breakfast at 9a.m. just continental." 9a.m. is pushing it....
So this morning they appear at 8.30, before Mike has finished putting everything out, and just whipping up the smoothie and putting out the warm mufffins. They have muesli, scrambled eggs, toast, cheese, yoghurts, muffins,and whats left on the sideboard they also remove. Like all the muffins and the odd yoghurt. So - continental and cooked. And I have given them 10% off for booking for 5 days. Aaaaaargh.
Our request to guests is that they vacate their room by 10 ish so we can clean the room. At 10.45 they departed.
On entering their room to sort it I am met with this sitting on the dressing table.

Well, similar. Bit smaller.

Right, health report.
Yesterday I had bloods taken for all manner of tests. Everything apart from whether or not my brain is functioning. One arm wouldnt release any blood and is now useless. And bruised. The other is also useless and bruised but did provide the necessary.
This morning I receive a telephone call from the surgery, one of the tests has shown an abnormality. "Which one?"
"I am not qualified to give that information. You need to see the doctor. First appointment is tomorrow."
"So you are leaving me to panic for 24 hours?"
"I am not qualified to answer that."
This conversation went on for some time . Til I realised I was probably speaking to someone who wasnt qualified to even pick up a telephone. Probably the cleaner.
I did manage to get some garbled letters of the test as I was so persistent, swiftly followed by, "But I am not qualified to tell you this." So I googled the letters.
Well I could have anything from Cancer to rheumatoid arthritis.
So I am having a glass of wine. Could be my last.

I think he likes them!

Could do with some new PJs myself.
Our guests from France departed this morning. We have two ladies from Germany arriving tomorrow for five days, no idea what they are doing.
Managed to sort their room this morning, and made a start on the one just vacated.
I am considering moving my sleeping bag into the doctors. Was there today. Tomorrow I have blood tests being taken. Next Tuesday, back for results and then flu jab in the afternoon.
Just hope we get some result from all this and they know how to sort me out.
Damn, forgot to make an appointment for the blood pressure clinic......

The Kilmarnock Arms.

Cruden Bay. This is where Bram Stoker stayed in 18 something or other, and on seeing Slains Castle, just up the coast, the inspiration for Count Dracula was born. (Not Whitby.)
We had a really lovely meal here last night for Mikes birthday. Service and food were all first class. Just a pity that I could not do it full justice as not very well. But managed the wine alright!
Guests with us tonight, from France, visited us here many times to see their family. New granchildren in all directions apparently.
Youngest daughter cooked the evening meal for us tonight and I sampled some of the scrummy cheeses from the shop she manages in Edinburgh.

The Sinset has moved.

Autumnal equinox? Its about 45 degrees to the left of where it set about a month ago and still confuses me, after nearly nine years of living here.
Gradually feeling better, health wise. The enormous pill a day didnt turn out to be that enormous once out of the blister pack! This is supposed to sort me feeling full after two bites. I manage breakfast and lunch okay, but an evening meal becomes a struggle. Which may be a problem tonight as we are out for a meal as it's Mike's birthday. I do not have any problem with the accompanying red wine of course.
Our youngest daughter is with us for a few days. She is now really into walking. I think she did the Lake District, including hills, in a week. Yesterday she and Mike did part of the Formartine and Buchan Way. This was the railway line, now removed, and one can walk or cycle it. They walked from our village to Maud, not sure how many miles this is. The plan was that I would pick them up around 11a.m. But then I got a phone call saying it would be 1p.m. and eventually picked them up after 2p.m. Although they had had their lunch at Maud in the time.
Today they have gone to the Loch of Strathbeg, our local bird reserve. I do not have to collect them this time so have tootled around changing beds, and ironing and loading washing machine and had plenty rest.
We had a couple in last night from New Zealand. I think they considered they were slumming it. We get the odd ones. They are the ones who leave the bedding in the most unbelievable state, most of it on the floor and have usually walked over it as well. Towels ditto. The bedding has been soaking in bleach since they left. I was really tempted to put on the disposable gloves to strip the bed and am still unsure exactly what was on the bedding and from which part of the body it came. One of the few downsides of doing this job, and thankfully, a very rare occurrence.
Well, on the up side, all our leaks seem to have been sorted. The insurance will be paying for most of the flat roof replacement and Charlie came and did the front tiles. Just waiting for a real deluge to check it all out. And of course the decorative damage to be sorted. The hall ceiling looks as if it is about to descend, but hopefully, it's just the paper rather than the plaster. Can't look til its well dried out.
The youngest daughter has also connected me to Skype(?) I have what appears to be an eyeball looking at me as I type and can now be seen and spoken to should I wish to inflict that on anyone. Have yet to find anyone other than youngest daughter who can reciprocate and you can have too much of a good thing can't you.

Not well.

Been unwell for about a week. But you can't go to the doctors with a "I dont feel well." can you.
Else some of us would be there everyday.
Over the weekend (of course, one never gets proper poorly in the week...) something more concrete. So this morning I went to see the doctor.
I have pleurisy - antibiotics.
And something he isnt really sure about, so a pill a day, as big as a gob stopper, apparently you can suck it if you cant swallow it, and see if it works....
If not I will be off to hospital and it wont be half as much fun as if I was being met by the above, I'll bet.

One night stands.

God. they are so hard work. On the bed is a fitted sheet, four pillowcases, flat sheet and quilt cover, all super king size and all to be washed and ironed and replaced on bed. In the bathroom are two bath sheets, two bath towels, two hand towels, two face cloths, all to be washed and dried. Bed stripped and remade.
We, of course, clean the bed and bathroom daily, but the change-over is a killer.
When you have a run of one nighters you suddenly realise the bedding you have ironed and the towels on the shelves are running out. This is always the morning when as your guests leave, correctly at 10a.m. ish. The next lot appear. I wish I had a photo of my face to show you when this happens.
"We just thought we would drop everything off, have a shower, get changed and then be out of your hair!"
You think you are doing me a favour???????????????
There are two replies to this one. One I would love to say, "Buggar Off, unless you are paying for two nights? And do you really want a shower in a dirty one and the beds are still warm from the last lot."
Or, "Just give me ten minutes."
As they depart, to be 'out of my hair' an hour later I know that I will be at it well into the afternoon. Just in time for them to return at 4p.m.
"We just noticed we should check in after four."

A jaunt.

This is Huntly. Takes about an hour and a half to get there. Our Best of Banffshire and Buchan Bed and Breakfasts had their autumnal jaunt to visit Deans of Huntly who make shortbread. Absolutely fabulous weather, all day, shame about today, the day after. We had a very nice lunch and went up to the viewing platform, but all you could see were some very bored people, with hairnets on, packing. The actual manufacture was out of sight, which was a bit concerning. So we can recommend to our guests the restaurant, but not much exciting otherwise, there is also a shop (of course) and guess what you can buy there.

It was lovely to meet up after the summer, we dont have meetings in the summer as we are all so busy. So its very much a catch up time. And our fellow b&b providers pass on to me their daft tales (for the book I intend to write - when I retire! If ever)

Mary had a corker. Guest booked in by phone, "Have you got off road parking?" Affirmative. Mary is also in the middle of nowhere with a fantastic view of the Moray coast. Guest turns up with a brand new hearse. Delivering it to the nearest funeral parlour.

Their local farmer tootling along in his tractor espyed this hearse in their drive and suddenly Mary heard the tractor rev up and in her words, "I've never seen a tractor drive so fast.'

By the time she got down to the village the whole village was expecting either her or her partner to be in the hearse, in a coffin.

Another of our members had experience of one of the many scams we b&b providers frequently get. This was an email purportedly from an Internationally known charity booking in a member of staff for two weeks. Two weeks in a b&b is rare in itself. Subsequently after quoting around £600 for the stay he received a bankers draft for over £3000. The message then came through for him to cash the bankers draft and then refund them the balance. Oh yeah! Of course what would happen is that the bankers draft would bounce and not only would the scammers get some profit out of it, well a lot of profit out of it, they would also have the bank details. Fortunately we are not daft. It's usually six newly qualified Greek priests, or three honeymoon couples from Japan. Whatever, the end result is they are after your money.

Back to the weather. 70mph winds today and rain, so every leak, bar one, in our roof is dripping away like mad. We got one bit mended today before the man nearly got blown off his ladder. Hoping the front roof gets done over the weekend and the main leakage from the flat roof has to wait for a run of good weather......Our guests dont seem to mind, they dont get to see much rain in Australia.