I shouldn’t be surprised by the weather – but it still astonishes me. The morning is breezy, with short showers and blasts of sun. I complete the power washing and it’s satisfying to see the clean stonework around the back entrance.
At lunch I note the effect of our minimal food budget on the team dynamic. Everyone is grabbing, and doing things in an individualistic way. It’s as though we are fighting for our lives.
Leah joins me for a walk up the hill that we look across to from the bunkhouse. From the top we have a clear view of Hallival, and then a wonderful vista to Eigg, to the south east, and the Sleat peninsula on Skye to the north east.
Showers skim across the ocean. And it’s not long before one hits us, pelting us with hailstones. Walking without a track is treacherous, the huge tufts of grass often covering sizeable waterlogged depressions. We both fall over regularly. It’s good to know that we can use the drying room on our return as we get pretty soaked.
We stop off at the village shop and pick up a minimal number of food items for supper. Leah is stressed by the current food politics and in the end, it’s simpler if I buy some of my own food – although annoying.
Alex announces that tomorrow may be our last working day. This is great news as it means I have two clear days to soak up the island.
At the end of the afternoon I get myself into the sea and tread water for a full minute. (I realise I was cheating on previous occasions – not doing it for the full minute!) I am able to make myself a cup of tea, cycle 200 metres to the sea, walk in and out, cycle back and have a shower – all before the tea is cold. There is a palpable feeling of well-being afterwards, simply to have met the challenge. And I convince myself each time with a reminder that this beautiful clean water will not be available to me for much longer.
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