A barnstormer of a year.

For the PONs it's not so much the end of an old year as the start of a new one. They look forward to endless days full of ever mounting excitement. This morning they hurtle round the garden at high speed in search of c-a-t-s. Sophie, with her metal legs, can demonstrate a remarkable turn of speed when she wants to.

While the rest of the household sleeps, Angus and the PONs drive off to the market. Turbot for dinner. The fishmonger tells me that they're best cooked in a really hot oven. I thank him for this information.

The greengrocer has had a fresh delivery of truffles. He sees me and brings over two 'found and dug out this very morning '. We head off to the Italian pasta lady to buy some tagliatelle to go with this unexpected purchase.

Back at The Rickety Old Farmhouse 'The Font' is valiantly trying to encourage the hyacinths to come into flower for the dinner table. Good luck with that. An electric heater is wheeled in and placed next to them.

Sporrans are found with unexpected ease.

The kilt is given a quick sprucing up.

And so we venture into a New Year. Some years you know are going to be barnstormers. 2019 seems likely to be such a  year.  Calm or turbulent we are going where we've not been before so let's enjoy the adventure. The words of a Saint seem just right : ' Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage. Anger at the way things are and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are '.

And here's Auld Lang Syne sung with just the right degree of inflection and at the right speed   : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14mFabPxk80

A wonderfully Happy and Healthy New Year to one and all.




PS : This was probably the best exhibition we went to in 2018 : https://youtu.be/S3knnUHdVfM?t=2