Highlight

I'm getting tired of this extended winter - can we have our Spring back now, please? The east wind battered rain against the front of the house for several hours in the middle of the day, but it was the February chill that really got to me today. I didn't even make the most of the day in other ways, which was annoying. I went over tomorrow's sermon, adding the odd word here and there, and I uploaded a great many photos of Benmore Gardens to Flickr, but other than that I seemed to drift around listening to discussions about constitutional politics punctuated by the results of the list voting. I keep thinking I've grasped the d'Honte system of PR and then it eludes me again - much the way I feel after a visit from my financial advisor...

We were just discussing taking a truly pointless walk before dinner when the screen rang at me - my #2 son inviting us to eavesdrop on Anna's bassoon lesson. Her teacher had come to the house to help her prepare for a Grade exam after a year of learning online, but as she couldn't come into the house she was sitting on the decking with the patio doors to the kitchen open, while Anna played inside. After hovering with the phone in the hall outside, we were allowed in to hear a duet ... and that's my photo for today. Anna has her back to us, and Mousse the cat is perched on her stand pretending not to be interested. Quite the most joyous moment of today!

We had our walk; it was cold and totally miserable, but seemed to justify eating again. Our political scene continues to live out the Chinese curse about living in interesting times; it's indicative of something, I suppose, that the UK PM wants to talk with the devolved governments that he seems intent on dismantling. I learned that Argyll and Bute had a turnout of 68% and that Jenni Minto got 49.5% of the vote, which is pleasing.

I shall not be bringing politics into my sermon tomorrow. Just in case you were wondering ...