A Dawn Journey

Last week Gaz and I went to Inverness on Monday morning and returned on Tuesday evening. On the outward journey across The Minch at dawn the weather was idyllic and I managed the following photos as we sailed into the mouth of Loch Broom towards Ullapool.

Then as we exited Strath Garve by road and  saw the lower slopes leading towards Ben Wyvis the mist and frost gradually got thicker and colder.

Memories of a Lewis Day (so far)

Tomorrow morning I leave for Glasgow and the start of my journey to my Other Home in New Zealand.   Looking at the weather forecast for the rest of today and tomorrow we are promised strong gales and torrential squally showers and rain.  I took these photos within the last half hour but already the skies are lightening as the sun rises but darkening at the same time as the grey rain clouds come across from the west (these photos are taken facing east).  This is one of the reasons I love the Hebrides: the unpredictability of the view from my window.

The three photos were taken in a sequence about 10 minutes from start to finish as the sun rose over the horizon.

Within a couple of hours the wind had risen to gale force and the sea at The Braighe when I went into town was quite rough:

I met Gaz for coffee and lunch at The Woodlands; my favourite watering hole in Stornoway's Lews Castle Grounds.  Believe it or not it was very busy but everyone is behind us.

In the afternoon I popped over to Pat and Dave's for a coffee.  Their eccentric cat Misha wanted first to go out and then to come back in.

This evening a friend is popping in and by the time I get to bed the cases will be shut and I'll be ready to roll in the morning.

Morning Fog

It was hot yesterday and could well be today too so the fog has spread from the far valleys and enveloped us too:

A View To Live For

I know that you must be getting a bit sick of photos of morning views from Tigh na Mara but when the view is like this I can never get tired of looking at it. And looking is not enough. I want - no, I need - to share it.

I Wake

I wake.  It's neither dark nor light, night nor day.  It's nearly six o'clock. I've slept soundly for a whole five hours:  dreams but no nightmares.  Not that I remember anyway.  The smell of fresh bread permeates through to the bedroom.  I love the breadmaker: fresh bread on demand.  I cannot remember when I last rose and had to put the lights on.  I don't like lights in the morning.  It presages winter. It's raining.  It's windy.  I raise the blind and look out of the Study window.  I can only see perhaps a mile out to sea and then there's just rain.

Switch on the kettle.  Switch on the computers.  Visit the smallest room.  Actually the bathroom is not the smallest room in my house: at least two are smaller.  Put in the passwords.  Make Lady Grey. Return to the Study to find out what missives await me.  Two from New Zealand.  Two from CJ.  They are the important ones so far this morning.  Open up the blogs.   Only Rambles from my Chair has anything new.  

Music.  I can't decide what mood I'm in so I can't decide what music to play.  So I sort of decide on Khachaturian's Piano Concerto.  After a few minutes I realise that is a really silly choice for before 0700 on a Saturday morning.  Or any morning at that hour. So I spend five minutes casting around for something to match my mood.  Perhaps I can determine my mood by playing the music.  It doesn't work.   Elgar.  No something quiet.  Ah yes.  Silence.  No music.  That's the mood I'm in.  Should have realised that earlier.

What shall I plan for today?  My television should be returned this morning.  It went away for a small repair ("It'll take 3 or 4 days") five weeks ago.  It's Strictly Come Dancing this evening.  I do not want to be without the television.  Yes, there is a lot to do today.  How lucky I am.

Another Morning On Lewis

Says it all really!

Morning at Maumulon

The view from the back of Maumulon this morning just before sunrise. The peacefulness of the pictures belies the noise of the countryside: cockerels, sheep, birds and what else I know not but could certainly hear it.