Thankful Thursday

This week I've had Viv, a friend from France, staying.  Viv has not been to the Outer Hebrides before so, of course, we've been doing touristy things; that is going to all the touristy places.  However, in addition to having a biologist's interest in flora and fauna, Viv is also an artist.  So to some extent I've been seeing some of the things that I take for granted in a new light.  I've also been wandering off the beaten track and have discovered a few roads and places I didn't know existed and have re-discovered places which I have not visited for over 30 years: places that I went to when I was first exploring the Island but have rarely or not been to since. 

Rather coincidentally Viv had links via acquaintanceship and art to Willie Fulton, a well-known Harris artist and campaigner.  I like his art but have not always sen eye to eye with his views.  Viv decided to call upon him and his wife, Moira.  I tagged along.  Interestingly Willie and I managed to see eye to eye on things upon which I had judged him ill.

The weather, which was wonderfully warm and sunny for a couple of weeks before Viv came, has been rather cold and very showery except for the day we went to Harris when the sun had the majority vote and the rain was banished to the sidelines.  This does not, however, seem to have dimmed Viv's enthusiasm.

So today I am thankful for personal indifference laid to rest and for a re-awakening of my vision of the Island upon which I have lived for coming up to 40 years and which I love so much.

A Party

Friend Who Knows Too Much is on the Island for a few days.  Last evening she brought some friends to Eagleton for dinner.  Two of the friends are from Australia.  It was a very convivial evening with a great deal of serious discussion on esoteric subjects.  And if you believe that you will believe anything.  The company was absolutely brilliant and the very diverse personalities and backgrounds and experience and ages made for an evening filled with so much laughter that at the end of it my face and lung muscles had stretched beyond repair.  

It has long been tradition in my house that FWKTM and her children, when leaving the house, fill in where they think that they are on Pip's Tree.  Yesterday she had no children with her so, as the friends were leaving, we all filled in 'our' position on the Tree.

Sarah, who was taking the pic, is laughing too.  Believe me.

Ness Harbour

That's one way of dredging a harbour! Wait for low tide.  Get a digger and then dump it back over the harbour wall.  Makes sure that you've got a job for life anyway.

An Unusual Sky

As regular followers of this Blog will know the sky around Lewis changes from moment to moment.  After a Monday spent in Harris and which promised heavy rain around midday but which delivered mainly good, sunny weather, we were quite surprised when we arrived home to find the following sky facing us.  I am told that the colours are due to ice crystals in the clouds.