End of the 'season'

So, this picture here indicates the end of the 'season' for us here on Iona. It's the light at the end of the tunnel - the beautifully sunny, calm, chilled days of the winter season ahead of us. This was taken from the ferry on my way back from the Keel Row pub in Fionnphort on Mull on Saturday. It was a lovely afternoon off with lovely friends, a nice pint and lovely food. That's what winter is about - enjoying yourself, and your precious time with others that can be lacking during the summer season. The thing is, though, that there is just as much work to do - if not more because you've got lots to catch up on that you didn't manage to do with the guests around - yet you still feel that you have more time.
I've discovered that the time you have free is found in the precious evenings. The evenings that during the summer are taken up with services at 9pm and after service teas sometimes till gone 10pm. Those evenings are now either unplanned or service at 7.30pm and back home by 8.15pm. Having the evenings to yourself, to do whatever you want, is such a wonderful thing. Time to relax, to enjoy a nice glass of wine, to phone and email friends, to write letters, to play music, to watch films, to walk and enjoy the scenery and to spend time with the people here that you love so much. I really appreciate these evenings.
Here's to winter season and catching up on some, what I reckon to be, well deserved recuperation time.