Wednesday 03/05/06

Very windy day today, gusting to force 9 all day. The seas crash over the causeway and at 11 o'clock I go to the Coastguard Station for pictures and a video. The Americans leave at 9.30 for an all Lewis day, in the pouring rain. They don't mind. At home, they only get blue skies and sunny days, and they're here for a bit of weather. Rick has to go back to work on Tuesday, but Catherine has another week in Scotland. Employers, don't you love them. Mrs B's nephew calls in again to collect the shopping he forgot to take home yesterday. After lunch I go to the library to scan in some pics that the SHS Secretary left there for me. At 5.40 pm, I notice our good old freight ferry coming back from refit in Liverpool. The weather is unkind to the poor old tub. It's so windy that she can't dock, so the skipper takes her out into the Minches, where she's going round in circles for a few hours. The tanker, the Border Heather, also hovers outside port until the wind dies down by about 8.30 pm. The wind also gets the better of a wee sparrow. A strong draft carries the poor creature nearly into a pedestrian and slaps it onto the roadsurface. It sits there, stunned, for a few moments, then bravely flies off again. My pictures reappear on the Island Blog. Another Island Blogger, Mad Lamb, was apparently interviewed on the Radio Cafe on Radio Scotland yesterday afternoon. I don't listen to that program. Once the ferry is in, the Border Heather and the Muirneag both follow. Rick and Catherine return from their trip to the West Side, Ness as well as Uig. Tomorrow they're going out to Lochboisdale on the bus, an 8 hour trip.