Christmas Eve dawn

7.56 am.  No spectacular, fiery sunrise on this day of gales.  Just the slow increase of the light.

7.58 am.  To the south-west, looking towards the village and the quarter from which the gale is coming.  A blurry moon and the reflection of our Christmas tree lights. 

8.13 am.  The track to the river gleams with puddles, and the river itself can now be picked out in the distance.

 

8.21 am.  Houses in the village now appear, together with the wintry raspberry canes.  Several of the stout posts of the raspberry frames have blown over, snapped off at the base.

9.12 am.  Rafts of clouds are coloured by the rising sun.

9.59 am.   Finally the sun appears over the shoulder of Ben Aigan, blurry through a screen of cloud and rain.

Now in the evening the gales are still blowing, and snow is forecast.  We are waiting for the last member of our family to arrive for Christmas.  Our son is travelling north from Edinburgh by train, and my husband will drive down to Aviemore to collect him.  The car is being stocked with snow shovel, saw (in case of tree branches across the road), survival blankets, food and hot drinks.  Our trip this afternoon to collect the Christmas capon and ham from the butcher in the next village turned into a detour because of a tree across the road. I'm won't feel at ease until husband and son are safely home later tonight.

Sending best wishes for a Merry Christmas, and thinking especially of everyone weathering this storm.