Warmest day of '24

I've reached the stage of the year - already! - when I have to shut 3 out of 4 of the bedroom curtains to avoid being wakened by the sunrise, which has, as it were, moved north up the Firth since the shortest day and is now poised to blind me if I open my eyes. But once I'd opened them, I was aware of not only bright sunshine but also a stiff easterly wind blowing straight at the window, so I had to shut two of them pronto. Not that I had time to luxuriate in the half-gloom: I had to get up and out for the weekly shop as is tediously usual...

Then followed a leisurely breakfast (I feel I've really earned it) and my Italian practice outside in the garden for a change, before I made the coffee my addicted body was craving. By the time I'd drunk it I was actually feeling too warm on my bench just outside the door - too warm!


The other things I did before giving up and going out with Di were to take in the washing I'd hung out solely to deter the pyromaniac neighbour, make some notes on a John Donne song we're singing at our concert next week - we each take turns to introduce the numbers - and dig out some of the compost from the compost bin to fill the bottom of a pot which I then planted with pansy seeds. There were loads of worms in the compost - the amazing, brown, glistening soil miraculously conjured out of vegetable peelings and egg shells - and I realised how few of them I come across these days in normal circs. Horticultural miracles ...

And then I gave it all up and drove round to Di's house in Blairmore, on Loch Long (where a humpback whale was spotted last week, though we didn't see it) to go for an easy, chatty walk to catch up on things after her holiday dahn sahth... So we walked north along the shore road, warm but assailed by a pretty strong east wind, and talked. Talked, that is, except when I stopped to take photos, of which the one above is an example. I just loved the colours and the saltire against the dark tree and the blue sky - let's hope it was an omen for better, more settled political times in our country. And I went in for some peppermint tea when we got back, and talked some more, and then I came home. 

And somehow I felt totally exhausted, and I've slept downstairs and probably won't now sleep in bed. Fool.

And ... does anyone know where my decent sunglasses are?