I am sitting in my Study this morning looking out over a glass-calm Minch to the Scottish mainland with not as much as a whisper of air so that I can hear nothing but the gentle lap of the sea on the shore in the bay below the house.  It is hard to realise that a few days ago this was the scene as the ferry, MV Isle of Lewis, came North up the Minch past the house.  If she does that then it's rough out there and she is sailing into the sea before sailing South across the sea with the running sea on her stern.  This reduces the length of time that those on board have to endure the obvious discomfort.