A fantastic autumn day

Up early this morning and down to the loch at first light. There was a mist rising from the loch and the fields and wisps of cloud lingering in some of the glens. It was a truly magical morning and the light has been wonderful all day.

The woods are full of spiders that I've never seen but their presence can be felt by the fine filaments that brush against your face as you walk along the path. I imagine them as minute trapeze artists swinging from tree to tree only have their safety harnesses swept away as I walk through. The cold night had produced a touch of frost and heavy dew so there was clearer evidence of the spiders' activities this morning in the delicate webs,

What a difference a day makes

From this -----------------------------------------------------------to this

in less than twenty four hours.

Friday night saw the wind getting up - so much so that one huge gust hit the gable end with such force that it woke us up. Unusually, this wind did not blow itself out in twelve hours but continued throughout Saturday. It was exhilirating walking through the woods and by the loch. Squalls of rain kept blowing over from the West with rainbows arching over the islands. I've seen the loch choppy before but never seen such spectacular waves rolling in. In the distance a fuzzy grey line between the water line and the shore indicated where the spray was being whipped from the tops of the waves. And the roaring of the wind in the treetops meant that it was almost impossible to carry out a conversation.

All along the path there were leaves, twigs and branches that had been blown down. As far as I could see there had been no major casualties but plenty of branches for Rosie to get her teeth into.

Today was much calmer although there were still a few ripples on the water and the occasional white horse. The sky was blue and the birds were singing again - the turmoil of yesterday already forgotten.