.....from these parts.

No new puppies (new shrubs, but they don’t have the cuddle factor), no holidays in beautiful places, only a teaspoonful of sunshine in a bucket of rain, so not much to take photos of. On the plus side I ‘ve been getting around thanks to aforementioned (in other entries) friend. I saw a play that is now touring the Highlands called ‘.....from These Parts’. A one act ‘Alien Abduction Comedy that explores the changing population of the Highlands and what it means to be local in a cosmic context.’  To quote the blurb.

The set they created is terrific;  beautifully painted flats with a plethora of detailed bric-a-brac sitting on shelves all so cleverly done we felt we could pick stuff up. Of actual moveables there were only table, chairs, ketchup bottle, tea pot, washing liquid, coffee mugs etc.. to depict a garage workshop and a kitchen all in one. At one point the nose of a fancy sports car is dragged in for repair. It must have been fun doing it.  The piece de resistance was an ‘Intergalactic Communicator’ built in real life by Michael Start, our local automata expert, renowned for his contribution to  ‘Hugo’ and ‘the Woman in Black’ amongst other things. The Communicator was the cause of an impressive  denouement with lots of flashing lights, bits that rotated, whirred and clicked, then from off stage a blast of dry ice carried off the amateur UFO hunter who had supposedly created the communicator to make first contact. He had, reprehensibly, been secretly hoping it would take him away from his life on this planet into something more exciting, whilst at the same time he tried to prevent his daughter from leaving him to go down to London in pursuit of her own dream. His last words, heard from afar, were along the lines of; ‘But there’s a lot of nothing up here! Nothing but space that goes on for ever. What the *@* do you find to do with yourselves?’ More or less what one of the recent English visitors to his garage had said to him. Point well made.

The piece was written by two locals men who have produced and toured with several plays over the last few years though until now I, in my shell, had missed them. They call their company ‘Right Lines’ and it looks as if they usually have an issue to air and expose. I don’t know if they always turn it into comedy but lightness suited this particular topic. Incomers to these parts can cause irritation, or even bitterness, especially if they aren’t sensitive. 

Other than that excitement I have only to report a change of diet - no carbs for a while - that is having an uncomfortable effect on my inner microcosmic system....