It is catching up day!

Hello

We had a lovely, just as usual,  New Year in Plockton, having come up from Christmas in Edinburgh.  Sam was working in the Royal Hospital and Catriona had a new year party  to organise for her friends, so we, Moira, Sean, Daniel, I and the four dogs travelled north in one car - yes, it was a tight fit!

Our friends, the Sweenie family, joined us for the few days -   Mum, Dad and three children.  We all went along to the bonfire on the island, with fireworks,  There was a big crowd there....  After, we wandered along the main street, first footing in friends' houses then back home with five tired children.....

The next two days were spent greeting "first footers" at Heron's Flight, visiting more friends  to wish them a Happy New Year and doing our level best to empty the two very full fridges!!

At noon on January 2nd we all abandoned Heron's Flight, our friends to Inverness and us down the road to Edinburgh - the adults were all working the next day.  I came back to Edinburgh for a spell too.

Last week was certainly the most wintry we have had!   Heavy snow  fell and then the roads and paths were treacherous.  Each day, before Moira and Catriona motored away, a long process of de-frosting was necessary.    However, this morning the road outside the house is black, leaving the garden still to thaw.

My laptop, just before Christmas, stopped working, with a sinister warning the only  thing on the screen.  It was not hacked, but a major fault.  Luckily I was in Edinburgh and Moira had thought to have an extended warranty on it - Sam gave me it two years ago  at Christmas.  So the shop from which it was bought took charge and, a week later, I got it back, for the cost of the external drive I bought to have all my programmes saved.  Too good to be true?  Well, the "new" laptop has some programmes on the desktop that I have never heard of and little else.   The email programme is not mine and I am a creature of habit!  So I am limping very carefully, along gradually finding my blog, for instance, and counting the days till I can get Andrew at home to come in and "mend" everything.  To me it is a mammoth task, but I'm sure Andrew will make light of it!

I am hoping to go north this weekend or next, the first if it has a good forecast,  As we literally walked out of Heron's Flight after New Year, there is a lot of tidying, cleaning and laundry to do.  I'd like to be back on the Tuesday evening, before dark.  Moira's three long days are Wednesday, Thursday and  Friday, when I can be very useful here.  I am very happy to be here too, as it is very quiet at home at this time of year.

Alison in Toowoomba is now very happily settled in her new house - not too far away from the house she and Ian lived in for many years.  She has got a small garden now and it has a recent addition of a bird bath - I wonder if she might think of a domestic pet too, as I do know she loves dogs?   Comment, Alison!

I hope, wherever you are, that you are well  and that one day, maybe later this year, we may meet!

Best wishes
Ann