Dipper

A few days away at a Boathouse on Loch Tay (http://www.lochtay.co.uk). What a tremendous location. You leave your car at the top of the drive and borrow a 4x4 to get down to lochside.

Just before 7pm and the light is fading fast. I can still see the outline of some branches as I look eastward up the loch to the lights at Kenmore. The waves are lapping below us and behind me the gentle but insistent hoot of an owl. Warned of the generator's limitations, we have candles lit and the wood burning stove for warmth. On the dining table, the white tulips are illuminated from below and cast gentle shadows on the walls.

By7.07pm the outside world is gone. The huge corner windows reflect back the dancing flames of the candles and even the sounds are muted. Maybe the wind has dropped or maybe the deprivation of vision has also dulled my ability to hear external sounds. Internally, the clicks and hisses from the stove provide a gentle accompaniment to the sounds of breath.