Hanging on ...

Another early assembling of wits and clothes, another breakfast over just in case ... and then the phone call: the new washing machine was in the area but all the men were out. Apparently there was a crisis in Strachur and an emergency in Rothesay ... anyway, there was no-one in Dunoon to install a washing machine and the poor woman who had to tell us this felt like deserting her post. So I still have a hall full of the contents of the kitchen cupboards - and I realised why the kitchen felt so cold: the access panels through to the pipes behind the cupboards are all off and the cupboards themselves, with no gubbins to insulate, are merely draughts with doors.

There. That's off my chest. Cathartic, this writing it all down, huh? I did Italian (almost fell asleep doing it, woke myself with strong coffee) then spent some time organising my toilet bag to go away for a week rather than a day or two. I even got out the ironing board to rescue a t-shirt that got smushed in the drawer. Meanwhile Himself was batch-cooking chickpea curry downstairs, so I had space to lay stuff out and make a mess. 

We got out for a proper walk when the rain stopped - though we had a super bright rainbow in the morning - and headed to Toward partly because so many of our favourite places in the other direction and still covered in fallen trees. I noticed some big gaps in the unkempt forest in the grounds of Toward Castle, and one giant with only its head off and dangling suspended onto a neighbour tree ... but the photo I chose for tonight is of the corner at the gatehouse of the castle, now a bit purposeless, I think - people lived in it before the current owner took over. Across the road is Toward Sailing Club, with all the boats closely-packed on their legs and apparently none the worse of the storm. There was even a camper van on the grass just round the corner beyond the second tree. I've included an extra of the sinking sun because I loved the light on the water and gleaming on the rocks beneath me - that's at the start of the Ardyne beach, which is the coastal strip beyond the trees in the main photo.

There. You'll all feel perfectly at home now if you ever visit - Blipper Munroist did a few years back, though I was away at the time.

Our day ended with dinner and Compline - I was almost late because my computer insisted on updating the Zoom app before it would let me join the meeting. Some excuse, eh? 

Crossed fingers for tomorrow or it'll be the friend along the road doing my holiday laundry ...