Sunday 11/12/05

Very dreich conditions this morning, with drizzle obscuring the Arnish hills. It's barely light at 10 a.m.. There is news of a very serious explosion at an oil depot in Hertfordshire. The sound of it could be heard 200 miles away in Holland and France. The plume of smoke stretches for miles across southern England. The explosion caused a lot of damage in the surrounding area. Stornoway on Sunday is as quiet as ever, with only the birds making noises. Two workmen are staying over the weekend, before heading into Uist on Monday. One of them originates from Barra. They put in floor insulation. Late at night I go out to watch the stars. At the moment 3 major planets are visible: Venus at dusk, Mars high in the early evening sky (constellation Aries) and Saturn later in the evening in Cancer.