The calm before the storm.

The young woman who's just moved into the house by the crossroads has installed a wildlife camera in the garden. She delightedly takes out her i-Phone and shows us grainy footage of an owl snatching a fish from her garden pond. We all agree that this is an unusual thing for an owl to do.

Outside the village hall there's a smaller than usual pile of beer cans. New Zealand playing Iran had a good turnout but Belgium v Egypt seems to have been less popular. 

There's a chance for us to squeeze in a quick walk before driving down to the airport.

By chapel there's a few tourists listening to a guide in an orange jacket. Considering that it's not yet seven they seem remarkably chipper.

Apart from that there's not a soul to be seen. We're enjoying the calm before the storm. Next week the first of the graduating youngsters will start arriving for a solid week of party going. They will be followed by adoring parents. Mothers will discover that broad brimmed hats bought for the great day are impractical in the bracing wind that whips around the door of the graduation hall. Fathers, who have driven up from London in their over sized Range Rovers, find that Scottish parking spaces are 'tight'. For local residents the return of the crowds means that finding a parking space after nine thirty in the morning will once again become 'challenging'. 

Then it's in the car and we're on our way to Montreal. I've booked with BA with a connecting flight from Heathrow . With hindsight this was a daft choice.  Air Canada has a summer direct flight from Edinburgh that takes six hours.

We'll see you next week. The weather forecast in Quebec is very Scottish with rain ( sometimes heavy ) expected.