Summer has arrived in Scotland for the first time in about seven years. Or something like that. I think it’s been two weeks without rain, replaced by a big yellow ball in the sky. I haven’t worn stockings in ages. And I don’t always have my jumper on (though it is always in my bag, let’s not get carried away). The great thing is how happy everyone is. And how nobody expects it to last. It actually makes for a great attitude for life, living each day like it will be the last sunny one and you’ll be going into hibernation any minute now. Fancy a barbeque tonight? Sure, could be our last chance this summer. How about going to that beer garden? Definitely – how many other Wednesday evenings are we going to be able to enjoy being outside? Picnic for lunch? You don’t have to ask me twice.
Live like tomorrow will rain. It’s wonderful.
The best invitation so far has come from my friend, Sally. Sally has great ideas. Tuesday: ‘How about swimming? Outside?’ So off I went, across the bridge to Fife, met Sally and drove into Glen Sherup. We walked along a forest track until we got to the, rather lonely, reservoir. We did have a few moments of hesitation. Will the water be freezing? This is Scotland after all. The grey clouds rolled in too. But having bragged about going wild swimming we had to do it. So we shut out minds to the murky water, ignored the two fishermen and plunged right in. A brief moment of chill and we were away. The water was really black. I could just make out my arm and a few bubbles with each stroke. Quite eerie and something from a Hollywood movie, just before you’re grabbed by the creature. But this was no Loch Ness and we survived. In fact thrived. We felt amazing afterwards, inspired and amazingly hungry.

We went swimming again in Loch Ore on Thursday. Because you just never know when the next cold and rainy day will come.