I had a night away on Iona at the weekend. It was the day that lambing was due to start in earnest, so Farmer stayed at home and Daughter too, school starting again on Monday. The weather forecast was wild, but actually it didn't rain until we are down in the dining room of the St. Columba Hotel enjoying the birthday dinner celebrations, and when we woke in the morning it was windy but sunny, and the ferry ran long enough to get us back across to Mull so no complaints!
The west wall of the Abbey.
The Argyll Hotel wheelbarrows.
The cowrie hunters.
The St Columba gardens on Sunday morning.
Would the ferry dock or would it have to return to Mull?
No boats at anchor on either the Iona side or the Mull side.
Aosdana workshop - what a door colour.
On the way back along Loch na Keal, the weather worsened again - rain and sudden squalls. I have never seen a rainbow FLAT on the surface of the water - it disappeared before I could get a better picture of it.
The grass is beginning to come, and the leaves are starting to blush in sheltered places.
Strong winds when it is sunny don't feel half as chilling as when it is raining as well. These 2 photographs were taken once the wind had started dropping again.
We did need rain. And at first we had good light warm rain. 4 days later, we now have had all the rain we wished for, but perhaps in more speedy quantity than we wanted. Today - again - heavy torrents of rain and strong winds.
Not good for lambing. A mis-mothered or abandoned lamb will find it hard to survive in this weather.
The walk-in heating cupboard is full of dripping jackets and waterproof trousers.
Heading off out to do the evening check before dark.
Farmer is on his last waterproof outfit - seen here next to the raging burn, which is our rain gauge. Last week it was almost dry, tonight is trying to come into the house.
This is not a lochan, this is the field behind the church in Dervaig.
The Mish has changed colour. Back to yellow.
Hopefully everything will be brighter tomorrow.
Amongst the dripping raingear, tonight, is a tiny twin lamb, whose mother ignored him for too long in the wet and wind. Such a forlorn sight, I find it really hard to relax when there is a guest in the warming box.
Post script: The lamb didn't survive. Sometimes they don't make it but you have to keep trying.
