When the rain stops ...

After the torrential rain of yesterday - did it rain on Friday too? I lose count - it is no exaggeration to say that the world appeared a different place today. The news is no better - there are still more new Covid infections, with care homes once more joining the statistics, the Westminster government is still brazening out their latest law-breaking treaty-busting behaviour, a new landslip has completely closed the Rest and Be Thankful road within days of its reopening. But church was lovely, I sang one of my favourite post-communion hymns, people seemed happy, we met two new chaps who are going to be with us but whom I've only encountered at zoom services so far. 

The hotel we're going to contacted me about meal reservations - we have to book actual time slots for dinner and for breakfast so that they can keep proper distancing in the restaurant - so I feel we're making progress in actually getting away. Dealing with this, however, meant another late walk, and it was 6 pm before we turned to walk back to the car. I took this photo then, just after a smallish skein of Canada Geese had flown overhead and I filmed them till they landed on the wet sand at the mouth of the Ardyne Burn. The afternoon was windy but extraordinarily mild, and the clearing sky brought delicate dove's wing colours.

Blipping the newly-landed geese, with the island of Bute appearing very near, somehow, and beyond it the blue hills of Arran where with luck I should be before this week's out.

But when I hear the ten o'clock news, I feel that I live in a parallel universe ...