Christmas Eve

The endless precipitation did manage to cease from time to time today. There was even blue sky. There were certainly very impressive rainbows. And there was wind. But unlike most other people in Scotland, I didn't see any nacreous cloud, although to be honest I didn't spend too much time getting out there looking for them.

None of that stopped a Christmas Eve dip - a normal Sunday Shandwick Beach dip at 10am with about 8 swimmers. No one stayed in long, although I would have stayed in a little longer, but I was slow getting in there and by the time I did, most people were thinking of leaving, and I don't stay in the water on my own. Getting dressed again was tricky in the wind. People seemed to think I either needed help (because I had no Mr A to hold stuff for me) or that I was getting cold. Actually, I was fine. Just slow.

I've done exactly what I fear doing in the summer after a Sunday Shandwick swim. Zilch. But while that may not be so good in July or August, it is s good in December. I did walk over to Lidl for some red wine supplies, but apart from that I've hunkered on the sofa and read a novel. Initially with a hot water bottle, but it's not even actually that cold right now.

And our dinner was the venison ragu from yesterday, redux with baked potatoes. Excellent. And comforting.