The best place to be ...

It felt odd today, enjoying bright sunshine from breakfast-time while hearing dire reports of flooding in the east and weather warnings for England - especially as we reckon we're living in the rain capital of these islands. But it didn't rain a drop all day, and though the air was chillier again the sun still has some heat in it, and I dried my swimming towels and costume outside when I finally surfaced to face the day.

I actually accomplished very little all day beyond a Sudoku - maybe it was reaction from yesterday's activities. However, we agreed early on that we shouldn't waste the sunshine, so we took ourselves to the road along Loch Striven for the kind of walk we prefer to leave for good days which will make the extra wee drive worth while. The colours were glorious - I'll add an example as an extra - and the air clear in that way that makes you feel you can see for ever. There was a ship, the RFA Tideforce, moored to the POL depot pier - it's been here several times before and is quite strikingly large. You can see it towards the left of the main photo, which I love particularly for the clarity with which the Arran hills stand out in the distance - Cir Mhor is unmistakable, and you don't often see the detail of its profile. By the time we got back to the car we'd walked about four miles and the sun was low and the air decidedly chilly. And to complete the afternoon we saw a seal balanced on a rock which was just below the surface, to wonderfully comic effect. We were in the car driving home by then, so no photo, sadly.

My thought for tonight about the News: when did we last have an update, or at the least a reminder, that there is still a deadly war going in in Ukraine? And - an extra thought! - are we witnessing the beginning of the end of western supremacy in world affairs? 

Am thoroughly enjoying the new series of Das Boot, by the way ...