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When I was at primary school, the heating went off at the beginning of April and back on at the start of October, regardless of the weather or temperature. In Edinburgh we had a landlady who did the same. Luckily it's still March but the house is quite cold, especially if you sit down for any length of time. We usually light the fire in the evening, but during the daytime we save money and energy by wearing more jumpers. Sometimes I cheat a bit and go and lie in bed with the electric blanket onto write or read or list stuff on a well-known internet auction site. The cats like this.

One cat is very old and wobbly, and has arthritis in the legs. She does not, in agricultural-show-talk, have a good back end. Also she has hyperthyroidism, so she gets pills for that too. Never a great one for going out, she now has a perfect excuse for lying about all day and doing very little. The other two (the youth) are fully engaged in the complicated business of Stromness Cat Politics.

Am currently trying to set up my own website with own blog, so this is good practice!

Yikes, cold weather a-coming etc. Got one of those halogen heater things today - should warm up the garret. Went to a writing masterclass today given by Alan Plater, who' s written lots of stuff incl Z Cars so obviously I now have the theme tune to Z Cars in my head.

Looking out of the back window today we saw....1 red-breasted merganser, many shags, and about a dozen guillemots bobbing about waiting for the wave from the ferry. Wheeee! They are changing from winter to summer plumage, except one who is soooo last season. Also on birds, there seemed to be a flock of long-tailed ducks on the Peerie Sea, but we drove past and I only caught a glimpse.

Defrosted some stewed rhubarb last night and had it hot with Toffee Swirl ice cream - this is a dynamite combo which I can personally recommend.

Can't blog as much as I'd like, as husband uses mothership for work. I have a laptop but it don't have a wifie, so no connection to th'internet. Resorting to writing whilst he's watching Eurovision - Making Your Mind Up. Is is me, or is that lassie just singing 'Loch Lomond'?

Cheeo fae noo

Not too much damage done by storms in Stromness, although we must have had a power cut because my radio alarm was flashing with the wrong time. Saw this bench on Sunday afternoon outside the youth hostel on Hellihole Road, thought I might send pics to The Orcadian!

Hooray - past the equinox, days get longer! When the clocks go forward on Sun morning we will get more daylight than anyone else in Britain, with the notable exception of our pals in Shetland (hello folks! Whit like?).

Beautiful day today, joy all round at sunshine and lovely light! Met a group of Slovakian journalists enjoying Orkney, still reeling from their Stromness B&B breakfast! They're here for a couple of days and they are travelling throughout Scotland so look out for 'em!

The man o the hoose is off to the cricket club AGM tonight at the Merkister, so a few hours unfettered hours on the mothership are mine. Going to list some stuff on a well-known internet auction site (henceforth known as AWKIAS). I am thinking that if thay ever discover a new Orkney island they should call it Ebay (pronouced 'Eebee').

Thought you might like a pic or two, taken on a Sunday day a week or two back...

Here's the word on the aurora-watch street....equinox + big solar winds due to hit earth on Fri + clear skies = Northern Lights, hopefully! Keeping watching the skies....

Hey ho blogsters, this sunshine is grand and now it doesn't get dark til 8pm! You know it's summer when there are lambs in the Radio Orkney lamb bank, and they give you the tide times for the Brough o Birsay!

Been learning some new dances recently - the Fisherman's Reel was rather good but you can't stop thinking for a minute. I like the ones that make your brain work as well, but they cannot be done after consumption of G&Ts (even an Eva 3 step is hard after gin, I think). Anyway, learning the Jazz Twinkle which is v jolly. Our teacher Linda has a lot of patience, but has lately resorted to the mike and amp as we all talk too much. Naughty.

We are just coming to the end of last year's tatties, just as we are getting ready to plant this year's. Taken over a new allotment which is nothing but grass and the roots go about a foot down. We had a bonfire on it and that cleared out a small space but it's going to be hard work!

Had a nice walk over to the Holms last week (that's the two peedie tidal islands just of Stromness, fact fans). Nice to watch sun setting over S-ness. Felines out in mega-force at the moment - maybe I've seen you, fc?

If anyone wants a free car we have just put one up on Orkney freecycle website. It's a Rover 216, F Reg (1988?) in a very fetching shade which the manufacturers called 'Shantung' but is in reality a sort of metallic beige. You may have seen it around.....

Anyhoo, off to burn more stuff at the allotment.