WEBSHOTS DEMISE

I’m sorry to have to let you know that all my Webshots albums have gone.  The company decided to change over, without notice, to one called Smile.  Believe me, it has wiped the smile off many members’ faces and hurt to delete so many kind comments that people had taken the time to write.  I have written on both my and their Facebook pages, but they deleted one of my comments that spoke the truth. They don’t seem able to cope with that.  Anyway, we’ll see if they honour the refund they promise to premium members.  The lawyers will have a field day if they don’t!

Regarding para #4 of your Facebook response to the many upset Webshot Premium paid users – “Finally, if you are an existing Premium user, you are free to terminate your service at any time for a pro-rated refund.”  I hereby terminate use of your service and expect said refund in the account from which it was taken today!  Am doing so on here as previous functionality of the Webshots site seems to have gone haywire.  Our lawyer is being kept informed of these matters.

So, no pix to show the world or see the world through other people’s cameras.  It’s very sad.  At the moment I don’t feel like putting them on any other photographic sharing platform.  Will take a while to get over this slap in the face! :( Susan

Hebridean Harvest Moon

After enduring about half an hour in a wind-chill of about 8.5c, have finally thawed out enough to type, while waiting for a glimpse of the Harvest Moon, and it paid off.

 

Of the few photos taken, only a couple are worth showing.  The sea was loud, the wind speed fairly more than breezy, so I was thankful for a garden guide rail to stop an involuntary scoot across the garden.  Added to that, although it wasn’t raining, the air was filled with kissy mist – not sure if it was from the sea or the sky, but was very glad of the shelter afforded by the side of the house during my wait in the name of art (well, standing in a dressing gown with only night clothes underneath, I think can be qualified as such).

 

It’s well over 40 years since seeing the rising of the Harvest Moon that I’ve never since been honoured to enjoy.  Indeed it was a sight for sore eyes and a memory never forgotten.  It rose from behind shallow northern hills and looked more like a UFO than our friendly moon.  It was also orange – no lunar eclipse – but of the same hue.  How I wish to have owned a camera then and filmed the sight as it rose higher, shedding its eclipse-like glow to a gloriously glowing white orb – ever reducing in size but increasing in brightness.  Ahh it was an awesome sight to behold and long before street light pollution was inflicted upon us.

 
By the time the street lights are switched off at midnight, and assuming the sky is clear or the moon still high enough to see, it will be the size of a marrow-fat pea.  So I’m delighted to have captured the moon’s momentary appearance through a cloud-filled sky.

 

 

Enjoy! Susan :)

BLETHERS WITH BRO

Well Murdo, it’s your day again today and as regular as the ebbing and flowing of the tide, my heart still grieves for you and tears still roll.

It’s 9 years already, but might as well be 9 seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks or months – time having eased the outward grief but certainly not the inner loss I feel for you – and never will.

Today I allow the inevitable avalanche of thoughts and memories to engulf me, though they flit about the brain cell every day.  Some daft thing will appear on telly and I’ll think how you’d laugh or mimic it, which makes a smile dance across my face.

Being the only family member remaining on the island, the rest having scarpered to the mainland, I feel your presence even stronger – a blessing in itself, though a cuddle would be so much better.  Yep, Tuta, as you used to call me as a little toddler, misses and needs you very much and can only find the ether’s pathway to have frequent wee natters with you.  I don’t know if a graveside would be any different, as your physical presence is gone.  But visits to where you were expected that dreadful day are in a very beautiful spot, with gentle lappings of the ocean that holds you tripping onto white sands.

Do you remember the time we went for a drive before my departure to Vienna and you handed me a ciggy box with a little bit of sand in it?  I do.  I also remember explaining to your young  and tender years that I couldn’t take it with me because of rules and regulations governing what could and could not be taken to my new place of work.  Oh how I wish I’d kept that precious sand.  This week I made a bracelet of snow jade with a small heart shaped box that opens and securely fastens.  You’d laugh that the elasticated band is too big to tie a hidden knot to complete the bracelet, though I’ve ordered some skinnier stuff to do the job.  In that heart will go a few grains of sand.  I have another bracelet to make which will be of moonstone or lapis lazuli and have a tiny ornate bottle which can hold one grain of rice, but which will have sealed in it a drop of the ocean that keeps you.  It means that when my health deteriorates I’ll still be able to pay my respects to you through those dainty trinkets.

Been working on a large picture of you as well, but as yet cannot find the oomph to complete it.  When it’s ready, it will have pride of place on my wall – and be one of the most unusual pieces of art ever.  I’d much rather have the real McCoy though – you.  That, as yet, if ever, is not possible and laying you gracefully on land is something akin to winning the lotto.  Just a dream.

I’ve come to accept that you are where you are and am privileged to have a view across the bay knowing you are there, less than a mile from the shore.  The horrors of what you endured that day will forever haunt me, especially when some dumb advert or programme shows underwater footage.  I often wonder if you'd been lobster fishing from a highly populated cruise liner or were a famous star, that you'd have been left to rot amongst kelp forests.  Instead, you were a hard working fisherman doing an honest day's work from a 24ft boat, the engine of which the owner persistently refused to fix.  He should be behind bars for manslaughter!
 

 
As yet, only gulls and sea creatures know your whereabouts and are keeping it a well guarded secret.  So be it. 

In my heart, you live on and will never be forgotten dear brother.  All my love and gentle thoughts remain with you Murdo xxx

Blusters 'n' Flusters

I don’t know what takes first place – fine-tuning the PWS (ongoing) or pulling my hair out with it.  Time vanishes and I end up too tired to craft!  It’s bad, as I’ve got a couple things entering the ‘get a move on’ zone.

Today started absolutely calm – the kind of silence that wakes me up, as I’m too used to the noise of the winds.  However, it’s beginning to make little upward skips and by tomorrow night/Sunday, will be giving us a fine demonstration.  Power permitting, I’ll be glued to the weather info, as it’s intriguing – especially the gusts.  Easy pleased eh? haha  A tad more work is needed calibrating things, though it’s mostly complete. At least we’re not showing as bobbing about in the middle of the ocean.  There’s a buoy out there, but I didn’t fancy it being me neighbour – especially as the winds will reach it first and undoubtedly be speedier.  The house temp is ridiculously high, owing to the recent calm spell.  Still, after the weekend, it’ll be back to smooth waters.  The one great thing is a high possibility of rain that’s desperately needed.  Might manage a little crafting before the winds arrive. Happy crafting :) Susan    

New Weather

Just put my PWS on Wunderground (Susereign) - it seems to be working, but needs a wee bit more fine-tuning. Will get it sussed eventually, then get splashing paint and papers around haha Happy crafting :) Susan

Atlantic Bubbles Weather

Yeee Haaaa! At long last, we got our weather gizmo to talk - and we're still talking haha Can be found in the Links column :) Am off to snooze now - spent hours working out how to configure everything. It'd be real nice to get some crafting done. Have fun all :) Susan

Snippet of a Fun Day

Here's a wee bit of the Fun Day yesterday. It was very windy, although dry. Just as well it was held Saturday and not Sunday as rain is due. We've had calm, dry days for weeks - typical. Found it exhausting, not being fit as used to was, but still managed to meet loads of folk and have catch-up natters. It really was a thoroughly enjoyable, fun day.  There was loads more to see and film, but leggies gave up on me. Susan :)

Never Seconds

A young lass's blog to raise funds for a worthy cause, but photographs of her school lunches have been banned! Shame on Argyll and Bute Council! Don't be bullied Martha, you're doing a great job. Hugs, Susan :)

UPDATE: Argyll & Bute council has overturned the banning of this young girl's blog. I can see her artistic skills improving quicker than the quality of the meals the school provides.

Homage to my dear brother

It took some time and more than a couple or three tears to do this, but it’s done now and I’m really pleased with the result.  Got more ideas and plans to add to the picture, which I did in Serif, before it is finally framed.

Happy crafting, Susan :)
http://www.daisytrail.com/scrapbook.html?uid=112532&context=recent

Grrrrrr!

Heard that the UK Prime Minister is to meet President Hollande at the G8 today.  Earlier on I’d heard Hollande’s team are taking a 30% reduction in their salaries.  Wonder if the topic will come up during their tête-á-tête?  Will it cause Cameron’s hair to turn white with apoplexy at the very thought of his mismanagement of the UK, inflicting financial reductions on everyone except government and rich.  Naaaa, he’ll expect them to look adversity of austerity in the face and increase the British economy.  What with?  Buttons or bartering?  Or will the new French President shame Cameron into following his lead?  Yeah, and pigs might fly.

Which brings me to another thorn.  The Olympics.  I still can’t believe the audacity of the government expecting people to put on a ‘show’ to promote this country in a good light.  Pffff!  How can they have continued spending billions on the event, while penny-pinching from those ill-able, literally, to afford it?  The obvious answer is David Cameron should change his name to Jack, as he’s all right, ain’t he?

There’s almost no escape from Olympic-mania.  It’s bad enough that reminders of it (did anyone forget?) are reported on radio, television and newspapers.  But worse, my escape programmes on craft are infected with it.  Pass me the sick bag.

Shops are closing left, right and centre, making ghost towns of High Streets, but bank managers still get their humungous bonuses.  Pass me a fresh sick bag.

I am not normally such a wet blanket, but have had a gutful of the ministry of nonsense, forcing policies on the less well off and needy, while they swan around as if nothing is amiss.

A cup of soothing tea and some serious, calming, crafting is needed methinks.  Happy crafting all :) Susan

Cute Garden Shed

Just a short video of the cutest garden shed, decorated on a ready-made blank from Calico Crafts.

I used a variety of goodies:
Promarker - Caramel - to colour shed
Flowersoft, flowers and leaves, little caterpillar, from way back whenever I bought them, except for five I made for the little plant pot using a Promarker pen on copier paper, then trimming to size.
Broom, miniature tools, tiny jingle bells, think the log basket was from there too, along with logs trimmed from corrugated paper - from one of Calico Crafts' well-wrapped parcels.  They're coloured with Promarkers.

Little jars and outdoor flower pot - can't remember where they came from, one jar is filled with Flowersoft, t'other with bird seed masquerading as bulbs. Mostly everything is glued down with Pinflair Gel to stop little fingers having more than an explore.  Shelving and front bits on roof are by Mr T whose hobby is model boat building. The little bit of wood is from throw-away (yeah right!) bits of tiny furniture I'm slowly getting round to preparing for the doll's house he made.

Hope you enjoy my little creation, as much as I enjoyed making it!  It's a birthday present, so need to make a box for it today.  Happy Crafting all :) Susan

Calico Crafts April Goody Box

Yeeee Haaaa!  Guess what arrived today? Go on ... guess.  The Calico Crafts April Goodies parcel.  And, oh my, is it ever so full of inspiration!

It was with great surprise that I found we’d won (hubby pays, I play haha), so I had to keep reading that I hadn’t misread it.

Well, it arrived today and after taking ages to open, just to increase the suspense, I sat doing a lot of ooing and ahhing and oh my goodness-ing.  Anyone who has won just a wonderful bundle of goodies will know exactly what I mean.  The next thing to do is to do something, like using the array of crafty goodies to create something – got some ideas forming already – just not the energy at the moment.  However, I will put pics on here as creations are made.  Maybe this nice cuppa coffee will help :)

Yippetydodaa and happy crafting all :D Susan

Aurora's Sunny Outing

Despite making smaller, these videos are too big for my Webshots page, so trying on here. Hope it works as they're quite cute. Happy crafting  and viewing:) Susan

DID YOU?

Well! Did you? I did.  What?  Washed my face in the early morning dew, it being 1^st May.  It’s supposed to  keep you looking young and it works.  You’d never think I was 96 would you? Haha Just kidding.  I dashed out to feed the birds thinking, oh it’s sunny again, (note the word AGAIN) so whatever, if any dew is there, will have dried up soon, despite a lack of wind – it’s only flitting about between 5-7mph!  So am hoping I didn’t wash my face on what some outdoor local cat left haha  Naaaa, I would smell ... and I don’t.  Anyway, have a great day, we plan to under blue skies, sunshine and hotter temperatures.  Makes a change, so is something to enjoy.  Happy crafting :) Susan

Soothing Day

Oh what a beautiful morning ... calm, sunny, sweet air filled with bird song. I had to go out and film it, but on uploading my little epic, noticed that there’s a noise as the camera refocuses whether zooming in on an item or panning around.  Not too chuffed with that, especially as the camera was more than a few quid.  Might go back to using another one, which reminds me, must recharge the battery for that. Anyway, the little movie is on my Webshots page with the bird songs fighting with camera focusing mechanics.

Not done a lot this week, much like most weeks owing to health, or lack of it.  But did make an attempt at getting into crafting again.  However, it has taken hours and will take heaps more, to update my Gypsy and various Cricut machines.  What joy!  But it’s really nice being amongst all the crafty bits and pieces.  Just looking at them is an inspiration, so depending on how my legs are later today, I might hop (I wish) up to the Bubble and do some crafting.  Am itching to use the leafing flakes.  Got heaps more stamps that I want to try out and use my Promarkers on.

We got (that is, me) rid of the couch this week, as I was fed up that it required daily puffing and re-arranging of cushions.  Bought a fantastic Restwell chair that massages and heats – ohhhh – pure luxury.  Hubby put it all together but didn’t seem very enthusiastic even when invited to try it out.  Could have blown me over with a feather when he asked me to order him one too!  So the chair that went with the couch has gone.  Needless to say, Aurora is at a total loss as to where it is.  She used to sit on the arm of it so that I could brush her.  Now she comes up real close for her grooming, but wanders round in circles.  She’s also taken a fancy to my new chair, so whenever I fancy a relaxing seat in it – forget it – she’s snoring her head off in a dreamland of comfort.  I did wonder if Restwell make large cat size chairs so that I can at least have half an hour of pampering.

Hubby’s been busy building model fire engines of yesteryear, really lovely and has made a start on a doll’s house for moi.  We might win the lotto and get the real thing built haha  He did a lovely gypsy caravan as well, which is crying out for a suitably sized model horse.  I quite fancy a Clydesdale festooned in shiny brass and leather, so we're keeping our eyes open for something that fits the bill.  I’ve noticed a few of my crafty bits being ‘adopted’ for his little creations.  Hmmmm ... but it’s worth it as the results are so beautiful.  Will put photos of his handiwork on soon-ish.

Went out yesterday for the first time in quite a while. Don't always paint the face, but decided to at the last minute.  It wasn't until very much later, in the evening, I realised I'd completely forgotten to put on mascara!  I have been known to just put lipstick on top or bottom lip, but haven't yet just mascara-ed one eye.  So I guess it's a blessing I forgot to do both, although would have been quite amusing.

Time to finish off this cuppa and make another, then I might be fully awake and ready to get going.  Have a good day all, and happy crafting :) Susan

p.s. Just opened the curtains only to discover that herself (Aurora) has, at some time during the night, left a little deposit of the hairball variety. Yuck!  So, the coffee is on hold until that is cleared up.  It might explain why I found her sitting in the empty bath this morning - she does that sometimes - mad cat.  One day she'll remain there long enough for me to snatch a photo.  Perhaps she was hinting that she wanted a bath - but as that's a two-man task, if necessary, would have to wait until hubby surfaces from snoozies. She's a BIG cat.  Never a dull moment eh?

A Precious Calm

Have to share this moment.  Owing to my star-gazing interest and the fact my braincell decided to wake up in the wee small hours, I decided to go stand at the front door to see if there’s any Lyrids scooting about the night sky.  Made a quick check on a weather website that our skies would be clear enough and they are.

Directly above lazily lays the Plough and many twinklers punctuating night’s dark curtain. Lyrids? Nope. But I could hear the most gentle lappings of the little ocean waves plop onto the shore. That is as rare as hen’s teeth for here, so I stood on the cool doorstep in 6c temp with a wind (ha!) of 3mph, and glorified at the soothing sand slaps of the salt carrier on the nearby beaches.

A smile crept over my face, like a child seeing fireworks for the first time, or a Christmas tree.  We live in a place where the next port of call is somewhere in Canada, so the sea is frequently busy, sometimes horrendously so.  For to experience the pleasure of listening to those almost inaudible waves arrive on our shore truly is something to wonder at and remember forever.

For sure, sunny days, especially consecutive ones, are a real treat, especially if quite a few of them join up to be called summer.  But this was a unique moment of sheer bliss and as much a gift of nature as the Aurora Borealis dancers. Sighs ... smiles ... and soothing calms to you all for sharing in my little quiet moment :) Susan

CME/PWS Update

Happy to say the PWS is behaving this morning...yipee!  The CME Rascal must have got bored with my anemometer.  Am not awake, had only a couple of sips of coffee but read that little Mercury, with its magnetic field of ~10 as strong as Earth’s, is getting hammered by the latest CMEs. I didn’t know it had a comet-like tail – fascinating.  If I win the lotto, will invest in a telescope along with a house that has a special glass globe in the attic and watch the magic wonders constantly offered by the night sky. I can dream :)  Uh oh – wait.  Just glanced at the PWS and it’s misbehaving again, but only periodically.  Remnants of that CME must still be lurking around. Have a good day everyone :) Susan

CME RASCAL

Well, the CME Rogue, all 25% of it, is sitting on my roof, having a great time poking a stick in the anemometer spokes. Data is running from 20+mph - 0 mph in a second.  And I've just read another CME is on its way next week.  Sighs ... what joy :( Everything else is working fine, only the wind data.

Been crafting today, now waiting for things to dry before I can embellish it a bit more. Can hardly wait to add a photo of this one, but it'll be a week or so as am waiting on other orders. Not to forget that I need a search team to find two particular items in the Bubble. Crafting is a happy passtime :) Susan

CME ROGUE

Well, this morning my personal weather station (PWS) is playing up. I know it can't be the 'Jamming' fiasco, but wondering if a rogue CME is causing intermittent data being picked up on the PWS. It's going from 11mph to 0mp then back up to 13mph and back to 0mph. Mechanically, the anemometer wouldn't be able to do that, unless there's a gremlim perched on the roof, poking a stick in the spokes. So I can only conclude that it's the cause of these good old CMEs.

THREE EXPLOSIONS: Three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) blasted away from the sun in quick succession during the late hours of April 5th: movie. The clouds were propelled by magnetic filaments erupting in various locations around the sun's northern hemisphere. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded this explosion, the most potent of the three:http://spaceweather.com/images2012/06apr12/uvglow_strip2.jpg
The movie shows a filament connected to sunspot AR1450 rising up and snapping. In the aftermath of the eruption, an arcade of hot-glowing magnetic loops forms over the blast site as a "canyon of fire" illuminates the empty filament channel.

Remarkably, given their number, not one of the CMEs appears to be heading for our planet. This conclusion is only tentative, however, because of visual confusion among the three clouds. Stay tuned for updates.

Loads of Serif CDs arrived this morning, so off to play with them and forget about all thing terrestrial. Happy crafting :) Susan

Jamming

Just made a cuppa coffee and was blinded temporarily by steam on my specs, despite the heating being on.  The weather has taken a serious turn for the worse, though we can’t complain as we’re devoid of the snow falling on the mainland. Unless it is snowing here, but taking the usual sideways route that the rain takes lol

Can’t remember if March came in like a lion but it certainly went out like a lamb.  We’ve had a long and fairly enjoyable period of light breezes, sunshine and dry weather.  All changed today though. Wonder how many more layers I can don and still be able to move haha Humidity levels have been playing havoc with my knees, especially, so dictates Bubble visits. Very frustrating. It’s only 2c here but blowing a gale that is producing a -5c windchill. Brrrrrrr!

Fancy a jamming session? Yeah – I thought our area was in for an open air music festival, until I read the story properly. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17574089

However, with no aircraft carriers, save for ribs equipped with a variety of catapults, I don’t see the reason for this.  Let’s hope that no fishing boats get into trouble during this segment of the exercise. Pity they don’t spend money on silencers for the aircraft. Fully expecting involuntary visits to the ceiling, with the cat of course, as the planes scoot at high speed overhead. I should stop reading the news, it’s just too stressful. It'll be interesting to see if it affects my personal weather station.


Delighted to report that the 'coming back for seconds sun spot' that caused so much magnetic and other troubles, behaved this time. So my weather gizmo is working just fine.

On the crafting front, have invested in Serif and a lot of Digikits. Found it easy peasy to operate. It’s VERY addictive though, but a real pleasure with which to create cards, scrapbook pages and your own embellishments at any size required. It’s great! Helps if you have an A3 printer of course.

Well, I need to go stand by the heater to warm up.  Happy crafting everyone :) Susan

Electron Storm effect

‘ELECTRON STORM: The number of energetic electrons in Earth's outer radiation belt is significantly elevated. According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the enhancement is caused by the aftermath of recent geomagnetic storms mixed with a high-speed solar wind stream. "Spacecraft at GEO, MEO and other orbits passing through or in the vicinity of the Earth's outer radiation belt can be impacted," they say.’ spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=20&month=03&year=2012">Spaceweather

Have put this link in as I believe it affected my personal weather station data for a couple of days.  The wind speed info was intermittent, ranging from regular zeros to actual wind speeds.  It corrected itself yesterday (22 Mar 12) and seems to be working ticketyboo now. However, according to spaceweather.com, there’s plenty more solar activity on its way, so I’ll be keeping a close eye on how it affects my own weather station. Wonder if some form of degaussing would eliminate the problem?
Happy day, Susan :)

Solar Storm

In about an hour, a solar storm of the geomagnetic variety is about to hit Earth. It’s affecting parts of the planet already inasmuch as anything electronic, aircraft (I imagine flying where they’re not aiming for) and many other things. I’m fully expecting our weather gizmo to go in a huff for the duration, as I am almost sure that recent smaller CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) have caused its wind speed data not being transmitted at all to the main module. Very frustrating, but nothing can be done about it until the solar storm scoots by at about 10am GMT.  How soon after that the weather data begins working again is a bit like – how long is a piece of string. Should be a curious event anyway.  Just a pity our skies are covered so no aurora viewing for us. For those that have clear skies, have fun! See Spaceweather 
for more details. Susan :)

Unwanted Bubbles

Sitting quietly, watching telly, when Aurora decided to go walkabout behind the closed curtains. They were still unopened as my eyes cannot stand certain glare whether bright sunshine or dull and persisting from the heavens.

Upon inspection, to see what had caught her attention, I took a look and could have cried seeing water bubbles coming through the window, along with a little puddle on the sill.  So I filmed it and hope it works here as I can’t reduce it much more from the original size. This is after the workmen came out to run silicone round the windows about a week or two ago. The force of the wind, which is increasing all the time, isn’t helping either. Sighs.

Sitting in wellies, just in case, Susan ;(

Little Blog Bubble-ette

I really think I have gizmo-itis. Yesterday, the new telly hubby ordered arrived and it’s HUGE!  Of course, I have it in the sitting room and he has smaller one in bedroom. Now there’s one in the kitchen so no need to miss anything while nipping out of the room to brew a cuppa.  The new TV is so large it’s like sitting in the studio or in the company of the people being ‘transmitted’.  That’s fine, so long as it’s not some distressing news item, then I want to run a mile.

The weather gizmo was put back in its normal home as well, but only after it had a geomagnetic hiccup that caused the wind-speed details to remain at zero for a couple of days. At least, that’s what we’re blaming it on.  S’working ticketyboo again and we’ve a nice severe gale to give it a real road test. Still haven’t gone ‘live’ with it, but will rig that up in the next few months.

Needless to say the creative side has taken a bit of a bashing and been temporarily abandoned. I did load several CDs on the external hard drive, which made me feel crafty again. But floating up to the Bubble to work with them is something else. Got a telly up there too, but it will be like watching a postage stamp haha  At least I can now read the EPG without needing binoculars – what a brilliant difference.

Apart from all that, it’s March already. Hope we get a few joined up sunny days to sit out on the patio, on the new bench hubby made.  It’s quite ingenious – made from an old wooden bed and looks fantastic.  Me old creaky bones need a dose of hot sunshine. And I want to wear my new sun hat which I bought last August!

In the meantime, happy crafting :) Susan

Gypsy all betta

Well, I'm tickled pink to say my Gypsy is working successfully now. Took heart and decided to try again, having let the battery run out completely. It worked! Am a very happy Cricutter again lol
Happy crafting, Susan

Brigadoon Week

Sighs.  Can you hear me in this mist – yoo hoo I’m over here lol  The likelihood of our mail plane getting in for the next few days is limited, though having said that, I’ve received nearly all the goodies ordered lately in a most timely and unexpected fashion.

On my regular sojourns to weather sites, one said we had mist but the cloud base was about 3500 feet – high mist – and it was very sunny.  But it’s lower now, touching 4-500 feet and dropping.  Very mild – so much so there are flies and bugs scooting about that we normally only see in our (our) summer.  I don’t wonder that the birds are neglecting their seed rations for tastier morsels, but it is unusual this early in the year.  What gives me most angst is that they might begin breeding earlier as a result and the little fluff balls have to remain nest bound until early spring gales subside.  Mind you, the weather has been so contrary lately that even that might not happen until the height of summer.

Weather – one of my favourite time wasters because it changes without warning in such spectacular fashion, despite what major forecasters say.  But, alas, my new personal weather station has been away in gizmo hospital.  It arrived back yesterday and is being ‘road’ tested on the clothes pole before being put up on the roof again.  Everything seems ticketyboo, giving readings of outside temp, wind speed (all of 4mph at the moment) and humidity – the info that was missing while it was convalescing.  However, personal barometers (arthritic knees) tell me in pain levels  what the humidity is.

Then there’s my other gizmo, my Gypsy.  As normal, loaded a new cartridge and then when it was doing its bit of updating it decided to go doo lally.  Have written to Mel who does the Cricut stuff in this country and hope she’ll be able to help.

Hubby arrived back t’other day after a mainland scoot to a family funeral.  Surprisingly, our ferries are very booked up for this time of year, so had to use both ferry routes, north and south to get there an back.  Apparently the outward journey, typically the longest one, was a bit of a roller coaster with the boat practically waltzing all the way to Oban with regular leaps and thuds.  Despite being a good sailor, I’m glad I missed out on that little venture as I’d more than likely have had to bumshuffle my way between restaurant and coffee shop haha

I did make a pretty sympathy card, albeit at high speed.  When it came to making the box, that was quite another matter.  Don’t know if my long nails were to blame or the fact it’s been a while since  assembling  one.  But I previously made them in seconds – this one took well over an hour with the air turning very blue lol  To add insult to injury, the box was about 2mm too small!  So we resorted to using an old Christmas card box (shop bought) that had a large sticker plastered on it saying £2.99.  Oh was I ever miffed about that!

Anyway, it transported the card safely and they managed a giggle through the sad event on the story of its creation.

There, now I need a coffee, and likely another sleep as it’s only 3.20am.  It’s very odd being so quiet as the wind is usually dancing about at some level.  Oh well, means I can stand up without being blown over (like the other day).  Thank goodness for garden grab rails!  The only time I previously was forced backwards like that was while ski-ing.  While paying attention to the tutor, kept being distracted by the little tots shooting down the fairly shallow incline.  Suddenly my skis were pointing backwards and ... off I went at a high rate of knots haha Luckily the tutor caught me in time before I found a seat by the warm fire in the restaurant lol

Til next time , happy crafting, Susan :)