Sun 23/1/05

Day starts disappointing, as the showers are back. Nice rainbow, and not a lot of wind. In between the showers there is good sunshine. Set out for a moorland walk at 1.20pm. It’s cold and breezy outside. Head due south for the waterbutt, then southeast towards Loch nan Eilean. Misjudged a jump in the bogs and sank in up to my knee. And needed quite a bit of force to extricate myself. Scary. Cut across country to the Garyvard peatroad. The ground is waterlogged but partially frozen, and there is ice on some of the lochs. The ice makes a strange noise when it is disturbed by wave action. Meet a lady on the peatroad and stop for a chat. That buswreck on the peatroad has lost its superstructure, and only the chassis is now left. Must have gone in the hurricane. Meet another lady with her young son on the main road and chat to her as well. Seems half the district is out walking. It’s one of the better days. Showers to the north reach South Lochs at 3.30, half an hour after my return to Ravenspoint. Had to wash the moor out of my socks and trousers before washing them in the machine. Using red onions instead of white ones makes a surprise change to my standby of rice & onions