Friday 10/11/06

Mrs B's guest departs in pouring rain and a howling gale. Her son's partner arrives with her 8-year old daughter in tow from the plane at 8.30. The weather is very poor, with this force 8 gale and heavy rain. Mind you, on North Rona, the wind howls at 64 knots (72 mph), gusting up to 78 knots (88 mph). The rain ceases after a particularly ferocious squall at 12 noon. The sun comes out, and the wind drops right down to force 3. The ferry did not sail early this morning now leaves for Ullapool at 1pm. Other ferries are suspended pending improvements in the weather. My AOL blog has been awarded a VIVI Award for Best Political blog. Yay! A Norwegian boat, the Froyhavn, comes into port. I later find this ship tied up along Esplanade Quay, opposite Cuddy Point. As I walked through town, I could not help but think of the hurricane a year ago, and my arrival in the Outer Hebrides 2 years ago to the day. On Colonsay, an island situated between Mull and Islay, a visiting workman stole £60 from a pensioner. He was suspected and apprehended by the local special constable. Unfortunately, the next ferry wasn't due for another 2 days so the people of Colonsay had to put up with a suspected thief in their midst. He was taken off the island today. This was the first crime in that island since 2004. In Colonsay, people do not lock doors or cars. Doorlocks are sometimes rusted shut through lack of use. Over in Benbecula, a seal had hauled out onto the airport runway, causing delays to flights as airport staff removed the creature and returned it to the sea.
At 5pm, Muirneag came into port, as shown on the video in one of yesterday's entries. Her cargo of trailers may come just in time to replenish stocks in the local supermarkets. Dinner is chilli con carne with sliced peaches. Watch an agreeable movie, Trains, Planes and Automobiles, featuring one of my favourite actors, John Candy. He always portrayed the amiable, bumbling, tragicomic fat chap. Mrs B lights a nice fire with a new batch of coal and logs. A hailshower passes at 10pm. Temperature has now sunk to 6C.