Your inner Scarecrow wants to join the carnival, star in a musical or run away to the circus. set him free during the arts festival. Prizes will be awarded to the best scarecrows and to the best piece of garden art. To get on the Trail map please call Clare on 500 242 before May 25th. Our blog is craignishscarecrow.blogspot.co.uk
Rules—build a scarecrow or a piece of art, try to use natural or recycled material then stick it in your garden 2-11 August

The winners!

The overall winner was the one at Craobh road end, Other categories were: Most Olympian - Kath MacDonald's; Most likely to scare crows - Harry the Hydra at the shop; Most generous - the Queen of Tarts by Chris; Most Green - Kat Robertson's; Just the Beezness - Mandy's Queen bee.

Congratulations team GB!

Pegasus or Arion?

Shiver me timbers

Yo ho , ye scurvy dogs. May ye always be slashing and broad-sidin' an' sluggin' grog at the pirate parade this day. Womanizin' , weighin' anchor' and plunderin' - that be how we sail.

Luck be a lady tonight

Judging time draws nearer for the scarecrow competition. Simon and Namaste have a hard but fun task ahead of them choosing the fittest, the finest, the funniest and the first prize. Rumour has it they are awarding a prize for best bribe but that rumour might have been put about by themselves in an attempt to restock their whisky shelf. Good luck to every one and a very special thankyou to Alison Campbell at Aird farm Holiday Cottages http://www.craignishholidays.co.uk/ who has donated bottles of wine for the prizes this year ( some chocs there for the kids too )

Queen of the scarecrows

Has anyone else noticed?

Florence and Fred, much loved scarecrows of the Bartons, arrived late this year no-one is quite sure why.  Possibly they felt that they weren't Greek gods or similar but they are scarecrows and so decided to put in an appearance.  Having fallen in love with them last year I am very glad to see them in position outside the shop

 

I do, however have a question.  Has anyone else noticed the similarity between Florence and Fred, and Turkish, the scarecrow on Finners boat?   Do you suppose they might have been up to something that made them late?  I wouldn't be at all surprised.  Turkish does look very like Florence.  Maybe I'm maligning them but ---- 

Hmmm - Who's the Daddy?

or

It's a family affa-ai-r, it's a family affai-air

Hydra

Some faces are prettier than others

Bobbing along, bobbing along

He's here or there or somewhere.  Could be somewhere on the oggin bobbing along in the middle of West Highland Week.  Finners (alias Findlay Clark) has tied his scarecrow securely to the railings of his wonderful little red yacht.  Red October is racing with Findlay looking after her and hoping to win lots of stages.

The scarecrow is called "Turkish", Findlay is hoping that most boats will slow down behind him to have a look when they are racing so that he can win by default.

Good luck Finners and Big Red, enjoy your sail.  Look after them Turkish and make sure they get the odd trophy or two. I don't know why it is called Turkish maybe because it's not Greek?  Meanwhile

Bobbing along, bobbing along on the beautiful briny sea (de dum, de dum, de dum)

With a royal flush, they raised the stakes

Could the prize for scarecrow go to the Richardsons for a second year? If I was a gambling man I certainly would have some of my money on this favourite

MISSING PERSON!!!!

Some nice soul has taken the Kintraw scarecrow.  I hope it is a joke and not something done out of badness.  The whole point about having all the scarecrows is to make a humourous event out people's efforts.  Each of the scarecrows is made lovingly by an individual to provide entertainment for us all.

Now, if someone is taking him on a road trip and sending back photos from his journeys along with blog stories we could maybe forgive them.  If they are going to ransom him we could maybe forgive them but please don't just have taken him to destroy or hide.

There won't be a reward for his return, but wouldn't it be wonderful if he just appeared back at the gate to Kintraw.

BRING HIM BACK WE MISS HIM!!

Crafty Kitchen Wisdom

God syndrome quote # 1
from Jeremy Clarkson

“I don’t understand bus lanes. Why do poor people have to get to places quicker than I do?"

Even a God's fig leaf can get a little small

I went to have a conversation with Clare's naked runner.  He's so clever.  Arrived in the village in time to view Katie running with torch and see the others going to the hall.

What a wonderful fun evening that was.  Even though it felt as if we were standing around for ages, everyone was chatting the sun shining and few midges biting.  It was a brilliantly organised occasion.  Well done Bruce, Chris and Val (Not forgetting all the runners, canoeists and bold sailors)

However there he stood at the entrance to the Anchorage, tired but exultant.  His Laurel crown on his head and fig leaf in place.  I was a little concerned about his fig leaf, it was beginning to look a little brown and shrunken but he didn't mind, seemed happy enough with the situation.  If you look closely at this photo you can find it, just.

A rather shrunken fig leaf, but, hey, who cares?

Maintaining watch over the yacht centre and the road into the village.

He was too tired to talk but as I stood beside him I could clearly see how many cars were coming in to the village, hopefully to attend all the festivities and go to the gallery in the church.

As well as music every night in the Galley there is also the celebrations for the start of West Highland Week this weekend.  Music, barbecue and hog roast as well as ordinary food over  at the Lord of the Isles.

And talking of music the greatest queen and god in history apart from Alexandra the great probably, is standing in the Catterwell garden - Freddie Mercury, God of Rock.

Maybe not Greek but then the poster said Greek gods and queens. 

Friday at the Olympic Opening Ceremony

As people all over Craignish switch on their tellies to watch the Olympic extravaganza, Queeny gets her spot in the mosh pit staked out along with one of her pets. " come on Team GB " she yells losing her cool momentarily

By the pricking of my thumbs-----

I have had a busy few days, for those of you that know him Daniel is back and so I've been busy catching up, with grand-daughters and family visiting to say Hi.

But now I have a little more to say on the subject of the scare crows.  They are all brilliant aren't they! One of the best is the two little dogs outside one of the cottages which has a sign saying 'they did say Greek Dogs didn't they?'.  Suits my sense of humour.

There is a wonderful scarecrow of Cerberus (three legged) outside the Anchorage.  There is a long story attached to this one - the heads exploded apparently but I wasn't allowed to see them before they were fixed.  Certainly not allowed to photograph them.  I will now.  Actually, no I won't.  I went along to photograph them today and they were all broken.  So, sorry, no photo here.  I will ask Axle and Taryn what has happened and I will see if they have a photo.

The Hydra is fantastic, many heads and monstrous shape, it bears little resemblance to the original wooden structure.  I love the fact that the faces of those who work in the shop are represented on each of the heads.  I also love the fact that the twins thought it really funny that Grandad's picture was on the monster.

So we have a hydra, a cerberus, further round in Craobh other creatures of the deep and the little surfer at Craobh Watersports.

Scary creatures coming from human imagination - not forgetting Rory's Lady of the Lagoon (which I find really scary ) -

 by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes!

At The Charcoal Yurt

No trip to the Craignish festival is complete without visiting the Charcoal Yurt. At. No 30 on the scarecrow trail at Moine Ruadh. This is not so much an exhibition as a happening, giving a glimpse into how life and art could be if we only let go a bit. Join the Artist to make your own charcoal drawing or if your very lucky buy one of the beautiful ones around you. And the scarecrow? To coin a phrase from will.I.am:

He's dope. To get to the yurt turn off the main road at Craobh Haven and take the third track to the left.

Ps you can Follow the charcoal yurts through festival on Facebook

Lady of the Lagoon

lurking at position 37 on the torch relay, the 'Lady of the Lagoon'

one for the ladies

Bachus

Craignish Castle has always been a synonym for temperance and austerity. Hopefully this fine intoxicated specimen chilling by the entrance on this sunny Tuesday morning will sort that out. The quality of the empties (best French wine) and the chic little flip-flops can mean only one thing -Sarah Brown is back in town.