Slate, sea and sky...

Playlist
Various – Jazz Jukebox on Shuffleplay
Eliza Gilkyson – Land of Milk and Honey
Eliza Gilkyson – Hard Times in Babylon
Neil Young - Decade
Laura Pausini – Primavera in Anticipo
Girls Aloud – Out of Control
Pet Shop Boys - Yes
Various – US Hit Singles 1970-75

Up around 8 and had a coffee while I waited for the rest of the crew to emerge...

Entertained by the jazz jukebox on shuffleplay and Friday’s papers...

A slow, lazy breakfast followed, at which we were joined by Brigit and Norrie...







By the time we finished, we were into the long lunchtime period without any ferries running and so we would have to wait until 3pm..

We took the opportunity to take a wee walk around Cullipool...





First to Birgit’s cottage to watch as Ophelia the Corn Snake was fed her every-ten-day meal of a defrosted dead rat...

She is quite cute...





The attack on the rat was swift and final, even although it was already dead...

Then, out into the garden to admire Birgit’s ongoing self sufficiency in fruit and vegetables...







And a wee reminder of a time when her home town in Germany was close to the Iron Curtain...



Down to the shore to admire the views...



Norrie’s book “Slate, Sea and Sky” was well illustrated by the vista...



Along to the site where, if funding can be secured, the proposed “Centre for the Atlantic Islands” will be built. Both Norrie and Birgit are on the Trust Fund committee which is seeking to bring this to the island....



It’s hoped that by 2012, this will be a modern gallery, museum, concert hall and café/restaurant/bar...



Luing certainly needs it as, at present, there’s nothing here but 200 people, some animals and the scenery...



We took a slice of slate home with us...



Back to Norrie’s to view his garden – again self sufficiency is the watchword...

This unfortunate beastie guards the back door...



And so time to leave, Norrie autographed a copy of his book for Count Brodski...



...and we were off to the ferry, from where the islanders bade us a fond farewell...



We stopped off at the Wee Butt and Ben in Callander for tea and would have been home to Meg the Black Cat a bit more quickly if I hadn’t missed the offramp for Edinburgh on the way down the M9 and sent us towards Glasgow...

So, through Falkirk and home, where “Match of the Day 2” made us feel like we’d never been away...

Highlight of the Day : Last few hours on Luing