Chocolate box blip

If, as a friend on Instagram said today, taking photos of sunsets is the china ducks of photography, this view probably counts as a box of chocolates photo. It was, however, as pleasing as a good sunset - and yes, I took some photos of that too - and had the advantage of being a view I don't think I've blipped before. The little cottage lay empty and for sale for quite some time, but now has been bought and renovated and lived in and looks more attractive than ever - real roses round the door stuff. It's on the road over from Toward to Loch Striven, facing south east, and caught my eye today in a way it hasn't previously. I'm going to add as an extra photo the artificial lake at Knockdow House - blipped by me at least twice before, but looking lovely this afternoon. And while I'm here I'll add the third lot of blooms from my elderly rose Josephine Bruce, trying hard despite the attention of, I'm told, thrips ...

Life begins to return to normal - towels washed and dried in the sun; a proper shopping done and stashed away so we won't starve for a bit; photos from the cruise being sorted and uploaded to Flickr; time for a walk in the afternoon sun. Tomorrow I have some work to do and some singing - we have a concert on Saturday night with our quartet.

And tonight I have a bit of a sore throat ...