Sunday 29th March 2026

The weather has not improved. It is so windy. Relentlessly windy, with occasional bursts of sunshine, which tempt us outside, then batters us violently with hailstones.

I have withdrawn further from social media so I do not see all the happy people with their pots of tulips and cups of tea in their sunny gardens. “Sowing these seeds this weekend!” they beam happily from my phone screen. “Bah humbug” I mutter resentfully, as I build up the fire and pull my shawl round my shoulders.

And aside from that we have just been living quietly. Went to town on Friday for a few bits and pieces. I thought I should stock up on a couple of things in case our ferry was cancelled. Surprisingly it wasn’t, but every other ferry on the Calmac routes appear to have broken down. Arran has had no ferry since Thursday. It's a complete shambles. We've warned them consistently over many years about the fragility of the fleet, and of course they are aware of that, but nothing changes. It's very frustrating. I won't go on. I talk enough about it at meetings. I feel bad for the staff - they must be so desperate trying to sort this out.

I think I’m just feeling a bit in need of some fine weather. I mean a good stretch where I can make decent progress outside. There has been some landscaping work done - its almost finished, and I’m itching to get out and do my bit.

I woke up in the night and lay for ages fretting about potato planting. I’ve just not been able to get the beds ready because of the wet, cold, windy start to the year. The earlies will have to go in the polycrub. It's easy to get discouraged while waiting for spring.

My son informed me that I’m the same every year at this time. I, too, am seasonal. There's a comfort in that.