On going home by another road

As I sit, far too late as usual, in my study overlooking the town and the Firth of Clyde, I notice that all three National Lampoon houses have taken down their flashing lights after a month and three days. It's quite a relief - but why did they choose today? (I even saw one of the inmates, in shorts, unwinding them from the fence.) I mean, the Episcopal church to which I belong celebrated the Epiphany today as being the nearest Sunday to the 6th, but that can't be it. It's all very odd. My tree, lights and all, will be up till Wednesday night - and then we have to face the trauma of removing it without more hernia threats ...

Church was actually brilliant today. I don't feel that with very much intensity these days, because the masks and the lack of singing and the distancing and the no-wine rule and the noise of the sanitisers (to say nothing of the taste of the stuff) all conspire to detract from the experience. But today's sermon was really telling - the thought that, like the Magi, we might choose to return to "normality" by another road was compelling in both its simplicity and its attractiveness. And then there was Mr PB's camel music* at the end - slightly different every year, and very much anticipated.

Later, a walk along the shore road at Toward in a biting NE wind. I had intended using various church images for my blip today, as I had my hands firmly in my pockets and intended keeping them there, but when I saw the snow-clad mountains of Arran glooming mysteriously from beyond Bute and from below a dark shroud of cloud, I couldn't resist. And then I realised it might be fun to add the photo I took this morning as I drank tea in my bed and read TopsyTurvy's journal - so my extra is the view I see without even getting up. This was at about 8am today.

I managed to avoid seeing BJ on Marr this morning, but the 10 o'clock News presented us with the unlovely sight of him trying to look serious about the virus. I've seen generations of hapless teenagers do it better. And then he opined that a Scottish Independence Referendum wouldn't be "jolly". 

No; the old road will not serve us well.

*A particularly evocative version of We Three Kings which changes slightly every year and is much anticipated.