Smokey

Nasty weather today: horizontal rain and strong gusts. Took the dog for a walk on the local beach this morning in the one pocket of sunshine we had. Still ended up getting soaked - the dog ball ended up in the sea and our *water*dog wouldn't go get it. So I did. It was deeper than I thought. And there were waves.
Went to look inside a restored 'Blackhouse'. The islanders burned peat in an open fire in the main living room. The smoke and smell of it is inescapable - even after several hours standing in a gale the smell is still present in your clothes. It was a hard, hard life. Animals and families lived together, and there was little respite from hard labour to eke a living. I wouldn't survive a week.