Ripples in the sky

There have been some lovely clouds recently (as well as plenty of very unlovely dark grey featureless ones!), and these rippled cirrus are a favourite. The view down the Firth of Clyde from the Cowal coast at Toward is also a favourite; in this photo you can see Bute on the right, with the hills of Arran paler grey behind, and on the left the island of Great Cumbrae. The sea is calm, so that the only waves are in the sky.

In contrast I'm posting an extra of the berberis in our garden, which has at last begun to change colour. We prune it so savagely every year that it has a hard time reaching autumn; we usually seem to destroy any chance of berries and the leaves remain resolutely green when the rest of the garden has gone bare. This destruction is to prevent our being torn to bits every time we go down the path; when I first planted it I had no idea how vicious it would be or I'd have chosen a better place for it.

This is my apology to it ...