Passing or even breaking wind

Definitely an improvement today, no wind internally !!! and none externally either, although there is still no sign of blue skies anywhere. Yesterday was a nightmare, so I just made it a duvet day (although I had to cause to take to bed and rest)- at one stage we were having four seasons every hour, rain, hail, sunshine and all accompanied by high winds. It reminded me of sitting on a side of a Dutch canal on a bright sunny day beside a large windmill, and as the blades passed in front of the sun there was a shadow cast over us, sun, shade, sun, shade, etc, although here it pouring rain and when the hailstones came on the sound within the conservatory was totally deafening, drowning out all conversation.
Listening to the radio and it seems that farmers in the South of England are praying for rain as their grain crops are weeks behind in growth, desperate for rain - on the other hand the strawberry growers in the Dundee and Perthshire areas have had crops devastated by the strong winds which destroyed acres of their protective covers.
However, this pales into insignificance when we hear of the terrible devastation wrought in the USA by the tornadoes which have flattened towns and killed at least two hundred people.

Looks like the Icelandic ash cloud has moved south into Europe for a couple of days allowing flights to take off again, but the threat of more chaos at the weekend hangs like the Sword of Damocles above our heads.

Back to the mundane happenings in Penicuik, (for the info of Ms Mackay in Italy), Sommerfield / Co-op has finally closed in the Precinct, looks like the construction of the new Asda store on the site of the old Sonny Swinton's Garage was the final straw for them. So we are left with the cut price store at one end and Tesco at the other. Makes for plenty parking at the new Dental Practice in the store car park.
The shows are in town gearing up to rip off the public for the the last four days of the Hunter and Lass Week. The public park will again turn into the meeting place for the feuding local youngsters who will doubtless do their best to spoil things for the peace loving public.

Eastcoast FM, the new local radio station based in Haddington ran the first of a series of promotions for The Dolphin Inn, Whitecraigs, with vouchers for meals being on offer as prizes for the winners. Thanks to Big Ian Robertson for his support and we hope to get down to the radio station and perhaps even do a live interview.

Word from Andy McKean for the Companions in the R.A., to say that Duncan Gemmell has been admitted to hospital for fairly major surgery, we wish him well and a speedy recovery, and Simon Fairly has reminded members of King David of Ballantraddoch that there is coach leaving on Saturday heading south to take part in a meeting in Northumberland, do not think I will be making it.

Rugby Sevens are taking place in Edinburgh at Murrayfield over the weekend so we can look forward to a busy weekend at The Mercat Bar