Menootanaboot; Sisterly Saunters

Before I begin... am adding this 'stop press'...  This is the British government donation site - I will research others, and there will be a full post on Monday.

Mac1 offered to come to stay for a week, and I did not object. While I always enjoy her short visits, an entire eight days was extra special! I don't know when last we spent that much time, just the two of us together. Decades, possibly. 

We were not going to let the winter weather stop us from exploring - but as it turned out, we had a few rather wonderful, almost springlike days. Even the days that were 'situation normal' were not cold, and things were managed between the showers. We only required one full pyjama day. 

Photo Ⓒ ACMoar

When the first morning dawned bright and shiny (yes, those are sunglasses on my phizog!), we carpe'd and diem'd and off to the promenade and Victorian Pier for fresh air and sticky beak. (That's Aussie for poking one's nose in...)

After the first stage of refurbishment completed in 2016 on this Grade A listed pier, little has happened... there is a 'To Let' sign up, owned by the Argyll and Bute council. It could be an asset to the town, but somehow, it keeps getting left... no real 'Forward' movement at all. Which is sad. It's rather a fine building, and we played a little of 'what if...' though the wash created by the ferry soon had us dropping any fantasy!

Photo Ⓒ ACMoar

There is a little refreshments shack on the road beside the pier. We stopped there, had a lovely hot chocolate, and basked - yes, basked! - in that low winter sunlight. We watched as Highland Mary stood in her eternal pose, gazing longingly across the water for a sight of her love, Robert Burns. The ferry unloaded a pile of day visitors, coming 'doon the watter' from other towns of the mighty Clyde to make the most of the mildness and - frankly - unsettling kindness of the climate. Where were the roaring gales, the blattering rain, the biting temperatures? I mean, really, where is winter and what have you done with it?!!

More next week...