Smiling through the Pain

This poor toy animal, lost and impaled on iron railings was still smiling through his ordeal. Let's hope his owner rescues him soon.

It was such a murky and threatening morning, that I was waiting for nature to produce some sort of 'happening'. However there was not a snowflake or a drop of rain to enliven the scene. Any residual snow disappeared as far as the eye could see, overnight but I have it on good authority that we can expect rather a lot when we go up north on Sunday. Apparently places in the Spey Valley have still got December's snow lying because the temperature has not risen above zero since then. Ballater is not in the Spey Valley, but I imagine it will be much the same there.

I have been uncharacteristically busy in the kitchen this afternoon, making a nut roast to take north with us. I hope it tastes OK as I shovelled in a few more ingredients than prescribed. It never fails to amuse me that having spent so many of my formative years mixing potions in flasks and test tubes that I can get it so wrong on ccasion in the culinary stakes. The raw mixture tasted fine and I haven't managed to burn it, so it should be OK. His Lordship jokes that I am the only person he knows who can burn a pizza. I think it's just that my heart is never in cooking - I'd much rather be doing something else.

As you know, Burns Night is normally held on the 25th January, which makes it strange that our local CTC is having it tonight. His Lordship has elected to recite Tam o'Shanter from memory but leaving out bits that are irrelevant to the proceedings. I am his prompt and when I asked him how long he thought it would take, he said 'forever'! I expect they will be clearing the tables about him and donning hats and coats, ready to leave before he finishes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't dry up.......