Shadows on a Summer's Day

The family visitors made good an early escape this morning for their drive to the west coast.
With no television and no internet access at their destination, granddaughter Robynn was looking slightly underwhelmed at the thought of the forthcoming week. How is a cosmopolitan teenage girl expected to exist without Facebook at her fingertips? Well she has her baby cousin Nina to help look after and with the latter's indefatigable energy, that should stop her being bored.

With the beds stripped and the bedclothes washed and out on the line, I took off for town and a little bit of retail therapy.

The city was at bursting point with tourists no doubt marvelling at the Scottish summer with its blue skies, puffy white cotton wool clouds and heat. Perhaps they think it is always like this in July and who am I to correct them.

Most noticeable amongst the tourists were the crowds of language students moving in swarms like buzzing hives of bees, settling at particular sightseeing spots, slowly taking off again in ones and twos and threes to regroup at the next corner all the while clamouring in foreign tongues and looking very continental. I could almost imagine to be abroad instead of a mile from the castle.

I'm afraid blipping took second place today encumbered by shopping as I was, so this railing shadow blip was taken at the end of the road, but sums up for me a hot summer's day in a street that I've lived in for the better part of 40 years.
It is a memory that will never be lost.

Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Andy...... can we dare to hope?