Of weather, walks and untypical pursuits

The weather is definitely changing - it's hard to think that yesterday I was worrying about the ice and tonight, after 11pm, it's 8ºC outside and blowing up a hoolie so that I have pessimistic thoughts about vulnerable gas flues and roof slates. This morning, however, it was merely gloomy and I allowed myself to loiter in bed until it seemed to be as light as it was going to be. During the short morning I didn't achieve much at all, though I did fiddle around with the disposition of the lines in a poem I'm brooding over. And then at noon we gave up everything to watch ... a football match. On the telly. We even put together a smoked salmon sandwich at half time, and cheered loudly and spontaneously at a sudden, brilliant goal. Why? Because Spartans (our current family allegiance, with two grandsons playing for the youth sides and their parents well involved with the club) were playing Hearts in the Scottish Cup, in one of the famous David/Goliath matches that this particular competition throws up - and for 45 heart-stopping moments it looked as if our lot were going to push the visitors into extra time before a fatal goal in injury time. It was alarmingly exciting - I couldn't believe myself.

That over, we felt impelled to go out into the increasingly threatening weather for a walk after an almost completely sedentary day yesterday. To avoid the rising wind, we walked along west Loch Eck side as far as the water works and noted that it was still light at 4.30pm despite the cloud cover. The photo above is taken looking over the Stratheck holiday park, several of whose vans were swept away down the river Eachaig in the October storm. 

The day ended with the rather delightful discovery that a pair of blippers, on a short visit to Dunoon, have found their way to Chatters for dinner this evening after seeing my blip about it yesterday. Today Sparse Runner visited two of our fave walks. Strange feeling, and rather fine.

Isn't Blip amazing?