Sunshine and Shadow

Algy flew over to a spot on the hillside above the deep freshwater loch which lay across the centre of the peninsula, half way between the ocean and the Sound. He was surprised to see that much of the loch’s surface was frozen, despite the sunshine which was warming some of the landscape though not, unfortunately, the place in which he had stopped to rest. The world seemed divided between bleak, freezing shadow and bright, colourful light, and Algy hoped that the bitter wind that was whistling through his feathers would move the clouds along hastily, so that the sun could bring him a wee bit of comfort too.

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Just a wee bit further up the burn, the water flowed quietly across the moor, trickling calmly around the red stones which lined its banks. On a fine day, it looked bluer than the sky it was reflecting, creating a beautiful contrast to the russet and beige colours of the moorland in early autumn. As the burns always cut deep channels through the peaty soil, their banks tend to be relatively sheltered and warm, so Algy tucked himself down happily on the edge of the grass near the water, to soak up some of the welcome sunshine while it lasted…

Algy hopes that you will all enjoy some sunshine this weekend xo

Although the view out across the deep blue sea was mesmerizing, Algy especially loved to watch the pattern of cloud shadows moving across the mountains of the mainland in the east. Even on a day as fine as this one, there always seemed to be a ribbon of low grey-and-white clouds hovering over those mountain tops, creating ever changing patterns as they moved lazily along.

It was a perfectly gorgeous October day, and both the sea and the sky were a deep, deep blue. Days like this were few indeed, so Algy decided to fly over to his favourite lookout point on the peninsula. In Algy’s opinion, the view from this particular place was the most beautiful as well as the most expansive in the area, and despite the fresh northerly wind – to which it was uncomfortably exposed – he just loved to perch in this spot and gaze out across the sea towards the many islands and the mountains of the mainland in the distance. There always seemed to be more space here than in any other place, not to mention an abundance of fresh air, and even when the bitter wind send a chill shivering through his feathers, Algy was reluctant to tear himself away…

Algy hopes that you will all have a truly beautiful day today 🙂

It was positively cosy at the foot of the sheltering cliff, where the burn from the hill cut through the sand and the rock to the sea, but Algy knew that soon it would start to rain again and he would have to seek more adequate cover…

Algy hopes that if you are experiencing stormy weather this weekend, you will be able to find yourself a warm and cosy spot to relax in 🙂

The season was changing very quickly now: the days were cool and misty and the nights were rapidly drawing in, but when the sun managed to shine it still felt pleasantly warm in a sheltered spot.

So Algy lay back among the long waving grasses, high on the hill,  and admired the way the seedheads caught the light, and the vast expanse of landscape and sky all around him. He was thinking about his new children’s book, which was now in preparation: part of the story took place very near this spot, but in the chilly depths of winter. Reclining in the golden sunshine of an early autumn afternoon, it was difficult to remember the harsh winter conditions on the moor, but he had a nasty feeling that it wouldn’t be very long before his memory would be refreshed…

It was a beautiful afternoon for a change and Algy felt in need of some sunshine, so he left the lush green of the shady woodlands around the lochan, and flew a little way down the quiet loch to a pebble beach that he knew. Reclining on a rock beside the water, he watched the patterns of the ripples and the passage of the clouds, which were reflected beautifully in the calm surface of the sea loch, and created ever-changing shadows on the hillsides. It was a fine, peaceful, summer’s afternoon, and would have been quite perfect if it were not for that curse of the West Highland summer, the tiny creature known as a midge…

Ceci est dédié au génial couple français qu’Algy a rencontré dans ce bel endroit aujourd’hui. Il espère que vous pourrez voir cette photo, et vous vous souviendrez d’Algy et de vos vacances ici, et peut-être allez vous suivre ses aventures ici sur Tumblr ou sur Facebook à l’adresse suivante:

https://www.facebook.com/adventuresofalgy/

A bientôt 🙂

**Edited** Merci à @themazette for the corrections to Algy’s bad French 🙂