Benmore Autumn

It's not felt like Monday today, largely because the paint hadn't dried in the new Pilates studio and our teacher had to cancel our classes late yesterday afternoon. So last night's late bedtime didn't matter so much; I took my time getting up, read the Sunday paper with my breakfast, washed and hung out towels in the slightly promising morning - all before 11ses. Then we'd arranged to meet musical acquaintances for a cuppa in Benmore Gardens, they having come from Glasgow for the day. It was actually the first time we'd met purely socially - previous encounters tended to be at events or at concerts for which Himself had been commissioned to compose a piece. We started off sitting outside, but before our bacon rolls had arrived we were getting chilly and retreated inside the shop to eat - and to blether, pretty well non-stop, about shared interests in music and travel and acquaintances we have in common.

Himself then had to hurry back to town for a doctor's appointment, but I felt drawn by the promise of fabulous autumn colours in the garden so he agreed to come back for me. This gave me an hour or so on my own. I climbed to the top of the gardens and sat for some time in the refuge looking down on Glen Massan before descending again. Interesting to walk alone there - I saw a red squirrel gambolling about without a thought for me, and was aware of all the rustling and movement in the trees around me as birds suddenly took off, or some animal - a deer, perhaps? - shifted among the bushes. I stopped whenever I felt like it to take photos, and was left with a big batch from which I've chosen the view from the pond looking up towards Loch Eck over the glory of the leaves. 

When Himself returned we had a short walk along the river to look at the debris from the flooding; people have done a fantastic job clearing stuff from the water and river banks, so that there is a great pile of - essentially - the remains of a mobile home, stacked up in the car park. Then home, where each of us found we were falling asleep where we sat - me with a paper, Himself playing the piano.

We must be getting old.