Oh snow

Angus is off today on half term. We go and collect his sheet of birch ply from Smiddyhill, but he doesn't start work on the sub. Claire is on a half day and comes back in time for lunch - pancakes à l'Angus.

We head into town late afternoon through light snow. Angus is going to Ju Jitsu at Drummond, and then Fountainpark with Cameron before getting the last bus back to Dolphinton.

Claire and I go to Pickles (at the bottom of Broughton Street) for tea. It's packed and we wait for a table, warm. The menu extends to cold platters of cheese, meat and pâté. And of course, pickles. Claire enjoys Chenin Blanc, while I stay hydrated with tap water.

We meet Megan off the train at Waverley and head home. Carefully. The snow is thicker and we pass stranded cars (as well as a few timid souls driving unbearably slowly). I love the snow and even relish the extra demand it makes on your attention while driving.

It's a 4 o'clock start tomorrow morning to get to my mum's, but I have to wait for Angus to get home before I can descend to bed and sleep. That means a trip through the snow over the needle. I'm the only car on the road and the Subaru behaves admirably despite the absence of winter tyres.

His bus pulls into Dolphinton not long after 11, we make it home without drama and I'm in bed for midnight.