Rain, Hail, Sleet, Snow and.... Pigs

We woke to a bitterly cold morning and a thin carpet of snow down to sea level, laid by heavy, wintery showers, but....

....while the wind remained strong, it was not as fierce as the last few days, so the ferries seem to be back in business, though there are still reports of disruption - picture shows the Clansman entering the Sound of Mull.

For anyone interested in the infinite variety of types of frozen water that can fall from the skies, today would have been a joy.  The picture shows the product of a heavy shower which passed over shortly after one this afternoon.  It was rounded like hail, but softer like snow, but hard enough to hurt if it hit you; and we've had proper rain and sleet and snow and hail and everything else between.

Just after two, the sun came out, and for the few minutes it lasted....

....the small birds were out in force looking to be fed, though finding the food which had been buried in the latest fall of hail was no easy thing.

For some people, there's no rest.... unfortunately.  We were absolutely thrilled to see Hughie arrive and disappear into the field across the road clutching an armful of plastic posts of the sort that support an electric fence.  So we are to have new neighbours, one of the sows that produced piglets recently.  I did offer to help put up the fence, thus giving me an opportunity to check that it was secure, but Hughie declined the offer.