Tuesday 22/11/05

Bright and sunny morning, with the sun rising behind the Coastguard Station at 8.30. Sunset will be at 15.55 this afternoon, which means that we're only 1h05 above the daylight quotum for the shortest day. Sunrise on December 21st will be at 9.15, sunset at 15.35. At lunchtime, Mrs B and myself are taken to the carpark halfway down the Braighe, the causeway to Point. From there, we'll walk back to Mealabost and pick up a bus to Newton. It's a breezy afternoon, and visibility is not as good as a few days ago. Can barely see Kebock Head, 12 miles away. The views northeast and northwest up Broad Bay are very good. Cellar Head is just about idscernable above Back. In Point, I can see Aignish, Garrabost and Sulishader. Plenty of birdlife along the shoreline, such as shags, cormorants, grebes and gulls.

It's a very pleasant 1 km stroll to Mealabost, where a small picnic area awaits the weary and hungry. A few head of highland cattle browse in an adjacent field. Four jegfighters come past before circling to land at the airport, just over the hill. The bus comes at 1.35 and returns us to Newton some 15 minutes later. When I go to Somerfields, I encounter Sally (from Balallan) who I have not seen for several months. Her daughter had to leave Lewis due to bullying, but will be returning to continue her education at a university. Cloud increases as the evening progresses, and it comes on to rain at 10pm.