Back by the sea

The photo I've chosen to blip today kind of epitomises how I felt as we returned home this afternoon. We can't live the kind of life we've had for the past five days all the time - we'd be dead in no time at all - but when I saw that man standing on the spit of beach just ... looking, I felt the emptiness of the sudden cessation of activity, under the heavy clouds that have not been nearly such a big part of our sojurn in the East. 

We were up horribly early to say goodbye to the family; the boys were going off to a week of training at the Rangers Soccer Academy in Largs - so in fact just down the river from us - and were due to leave at 8am. As they'd only got home yesterday evening they were decidedly subdued as they headed off with their father only slightly later than planned; their mum had already gone off to work and we were left once more - only this time with Po the dog as well as the cats. 

Eventually we too were ready to leave; Po gave us a reproachful look as we went out but then wandered off to sleep. #1 son rang us just as we were about to drive off, on his way back from Largs, and we chatted all the way along the M8 until he passed us on the East-bound side. We cheered, mutually, over the car speaker - it was childishly satisfying. (BTW - I'm loving that screen on our infotainment centre in the car; I can have Waze up to show us directions and warn of speed cameras at the same time as chatting over the speakers, all with my phone safely tucked away in a wee niche in the car ...)

We stopped in Port Glasgow to do some basic shopping in Tesco; means I won't need to dash out in the morning. By the time we reached the ferry the westerly wind had whipped up quite a sea, though as you can see on the Dunoon side it looked calm because it's going away from us. Madly, despite being exhausted, we decided a walk (just a wee one) before dinner would help iron out the stiffness of the car journey and this is why we were pottering along the West Bay when only that solo man was there. 

Mercifully there was a box of home-made chilli in the freezer, so I didn't have to cook - though I have started off a sourdough loaf to bake tomorrow. And now I'm looking forward to a hot bath and bed.

Thinking of American friends as yet another gunman ruins Independence Day for a community. How long?