Thursday 22/06/06

Got up for breakfast at 9.20. It's a dry and cloudy morning, yet fairly bright. There was a possibility of a tropical depression forming out in the Pacific, but the chance of that happening has receded. Whatever you do, don't buy canned spicy parsnip soup. It's spicy, but otherwise tasteless. After lunch, I go for a walk. Go down Inaclete Road, where they are replacing kerbstones. They have lowered them in front of the piece of wall that is going to be pulled down. Up Lewis Street all the way to Bayhead. The riverlevel has gone up with all the recent rains. Walk into the Castle Grounds to Cuddy Point. The clock in the Town Hall strikes 3pm. At Cuddy Point, new gates have been erected. Rhodondendrons line the route further south to the Creed River. A new seat has been erected at the mouth of the river. When I pass Sober Island, a training yacht can be seen manoeuvring alongside Muirneag. At the Lookout Point, a new, rough-hewn wooden bench has been erected, saving people from having to climb up the wee hill. After the usual twists and turns, I finally come out at the mouth of the Creed River. Big blobs of foam float in the water. The fountain by the bridge is in full flow too, but the water has this horrible sulphurous taste. It's getting increasingly muggy as I return towards town. When I pass the Woodlands Centre, the Town Hall clock strikes 4pm. Return to Somerfields via Kenneth Street. Notice the chairman of the Health Board standing on the pavement at James Street, waiting for a lift. I'm glad to be out of Somerfields, it was warm and close in there. Back at mrs B's, I take a shower and a change of clothes. Feel knackered. Read in the local press about yet another misdeed by the local Health Board management - they held a secret meeting over in Barvas, excluding several critical members. Although staff issues were being discussed, the personnel director was not there. Anyone who says it was anything else but an innocuous meeting between individual Board members can expect action to be taken - read: be taken to court for defamation. This includes the Stornoway Gazette. The Lighthouse Blog too has had an anonymous threat to that effect. Supper was currie. I go to bed at 10 o'clock, was too knackered. We have 3 guests in: a lawyer and two workers from a Glasgow company. The latter return from an evening out at 12.30, much the worst for wear, sticking their heads down the toilet.

Note about the pictures: You may find some of the pictures hazy. The light conditions this afternoon were very difficult. The sky was very bright, but because there was no direct sunlight it was relatively dark under the trees.