Sat 22/1/05

Very bright morning with only a few clouds about. Very little wind as well, which makes a change from recent weeks. It only serves to ameliorate the cold. There was a sharp frost last night, judging by the ice on the lochs and the rhime on the grass. A little niggle during the shower made me double-check the Saturday timetables, and yes they have changed. The bus into town now leaves at 11.09, no longer at 11.39. Had to hurry breakfast. At Balallan, we waited for 15 minutes for the Harris bus to materialize. Girl in busshelter was told to hop on, as the Lochs bus was going to take us all the way into town at 11.35. In Stornoway, the library had its internet access restored. After lunch at HS1, baguette tomato & mozerella, went for shopping at the little Co-op, then sat on the bench on Newton Street enjoying the sunshine. The bus to South Lochs was pretty full of luggage. One lady alighting at Balallan nearly forgot 2 out of her 6 bags. The sun is bright, but very low in the sky. You can clearly see the ridges of the run-rigs across the water in Laxay. It’s an absolute picture looking up Loch Erisort to Balallan. Heard that someone in a car saw a sheep flying past his windscreen in last week’s hurricane. The Harris bus that never came to Balallan this morning appeared to have been delayed in the roadworks at Bogha Glas and Maaraig, and the driver had forgotten about the changes in the timetable. Ventured out for an amble down to the little cape behind the hostel. Ground is sodden underfoot but frozen hard. Also went up the hill to get a signal on the mobile. It’s gorgeous weather, if only a bit nippy. The rhime on the grass has not yet thawed, so it’s still freezing. Tomorrow’s maximum +2 and wintry showers, with temperatures set to rise during the week ahead. Heard of a football match, between Fort William and Inverurie ending in a score of 1-13. The sun sets at 4.25, but at 5.10pm it’s not dark by a long shot. The horizon is orange and all cloud has disappeared. Watching the light fade… It’s better than I’ve seen for weeks. And better than they’ve had in SW England and Wales, with snow and what have you. At 5.35, the hills either side of Loch Erisort are black, but the surface of the loch is lit up by the blue and pale yellow of the sky above. The streetlamps in Balallan run in the distance, 5 miles away in the west. It’s perfectly still. With all lights still off, I’m watching night fall. What a transition from the gales and rain of recent weeks. At 6.10, the last light fades from the sky. Interesting TV program about Krakatoa, which erupted in 1883.