Closed

Well, well, well, did it not come to pass that my Calvinistic pessimism triumphed and we paid in full measure for the glorious weather yesterday when the fury of the elements was unleashed on Scotland overnight and earlier this morning.

With the traffic news on the radio saying that the bridges were closed and no trains were running north of the border, it was time to look out of the window, to discover police and tape closing off the Meadows' paths because of the danger of falling trees and branches.

Nothing daunted, I went out with my camera and sweet talked my way through a barricade to take some photos of the carnage of uprooted and broken trees littering the paths. I was careful to walk in the centre of the grass, well away from danger. There must have been some rain during the night to completely saturate the ground and turn it into a squelchy bog.

Sweet talking didn't work at the barricades on the way home and I had a detour to negotiate to meet His Lordship for a hot drink in our deserted bookshop.

However now at midday, the wind has dropped and a watery sun is appearing rather timidly from behind the clouds and even managing to trail some blue sky behind it.
The tape and the police have gone leaving the park to pedestrians and tree surgeons.

The storm has passed.