Every Cloud

Throughout the summer months various of our family members succumb to the horrible effects of the pollen. Personally I can feel very bad with sneezing and itchy eyes June July time but Mrs SJR has had the symptoms this last few days, almost certainly associated with the broad leaf foliage going full size. It has been driech today but she commented upon feeling much better setting off on another new walk today. Maybe it was the tablet kicking in but I think more likely the purifying effect that overnight drizzle has had in purging the horrible particles from the atmosphere we breath in.
The new walk was on a forest track to the north of Loch Arkaig. We gave ourselves a circuit by returning to the car on the very quiet loch side bitmac road. Caley got quite mucky and this afforded him several bathing opportunities. We took his ball and flinger of course and on one of his retrievals, on the track, saw some very strange behaviour as he put his mouth down to pick up the ball. He recoiled, nosed down again then quickly jumped back. We approached and an adder seemed to have staked temporary claim to the ball and Caley had wisely decided to respect this.
I blipped an Adder last month but this one disappeared too quickly for a quick photo but both Mrs SJR and I got a good look at it before it made off. I picked up Caley’s ball with the safety margin of the long handle of the flinger.
Almost back at the car I took this picture of a dilapidated little jetty. What looks like a scum around the cobbles and timber stanchions is a film of pollen on the surface.