Wednesday 13/09/06

Fairly bright start to the day, but a drop of rain falls at 10 am. Can see Skye above the Arnish hills, which means visibility greater than 45 miles. The cruiseliner Clipper Adventurer has come in this morning; two Lorient (France) fishing vessels hare in and out for a crew change. It's a partly cloudy day with the sun shining through a lot of high-level cloud. The Clipper Adventurer leaves at 12.30. After lunch, I walk across town to the butcher shop near the Co-op on Macaulay Road to buy black puddings for mrs B. Walk up Lewis Street on the way in and end up on Bayhead, where the YM is being demolished. An old pussycat is rolling along the pavement, playing with a gull's feather. As I am snapping the cat, she sits bolt upright, making a passing elderly lady laugh. "She's posing for you", the lady said. Got the papers at the Trading Post, next to the butchers'. On return to Newton, mrs B's sister has come to call. Although the afternoon was nice and warm (up to 19C / 66F), a heavy squall passes just before 6. This announces a very windy evening. It blows so hard that a shirt on the clothesline tried to climb up the adjacent tree!