Full sun the forecast said ...

Full sun it was not. (I feel I should be launching into a wee poem here - but it's time for bed.) Today began promisingly, with sunshine and a brisk wind that actually dried three loads of washing for me out on the line, including the bath towels, and while we were in Pilates the sun was shining into the hall (the chilly hall: the heating wouldn't work.) Perhaps it was because of the chill in the air that we worked so hard in class this morning - my legs are telling me now how much balance work we did, and my back has been complaining already. 

After a swift coffee and change out of the fireburst leggings that are fine for Pilates but not the thing for an old lady to go to the shops in, I had to collect prescriptions, peppers and lemons (not all in the one shop) that I had mysteriously not thought to add to the weekly shop. We had smoked salmon and home made seeded bread for lunch, followed by the last of the birthday cake, and then felt the need of exercising it off. (It's like being on a treadmill, really.)

Just as we were stirring ourselves to go out, I had the thought that the rains are returning and the back grass was decidedly shaggy, so Himself did a quick charge round it with the trimmer while I tackled the suddenly noisome peelie bin. By this time the sky had grown decidedly grey, though the forecast on the BBC app was still assuring us of blue skies and non-stop sunshine, with 0% chance of rain. Thus assured, we went to walk along the Ardyne shore and found a snell onshore wind and truly threatening clouds with rain visibly falling from them over the far side of Bute. The photo today shows the end of the walk, where the gate across the road stops the unauthorised from entering the site where once oil drilling platforms were made and which now contains a fish farming business. I actually rather liked the colours of the sad, end-of-season plants in the foreground.

The current students of Italian on Duolingo Diamond League are a horribly determined bunch and I am already dropping down towards the relegation zone after only one day. I shall need to set some time aside ...