In the last 24 hours, we were there, weren’t we. Not a question. We knew a storm was coming in, not unusual for we islanders, and argyllersand that there might be limitations, such as no ferry runs, such as possible power cuts. I have more power cuts under my belt than may seem acceptable to those who don’t live out here in the half way to space but still under complete control of the Mad Atlantic and her insouciant storms. I just know she works with the under and over skies to turbulence we humans, to ascertain her control. It works here, anyway, or she does, and by the way, she spreads her velvet and ferocious self all the way around the frickin world. Just saying. I have no idea about the Pacific, or the Indian, or any of the active others. Oceans, mountains, moons, skies, they confound me.

The wind was coming. The warning was red, the first for Scotland. Scotland is a big place by the way. There is the East, there is the West, there is the South, the North and the Middle. We almost don’t speak the same language, so different are our life experience.s Different winds, different seas, different a whole flipping lot. And a gale, a big storm means different things to us. There are those way out there in farmhouses, stock in the thick of serious gusts, the fear, the cold, the cut off from everyone else. I am not one of those, but I did feel the cutoff. That word, in my day would never have been a word. Just saying. Hallo Dad.

I’m resisting, I know it, It was hell. It was dark. I was alone. The 24 hours without power was long and scary, as wee bits of my home crashed down with a loudness that so didn’t befit the size of each piece. But, as they fell, in the candle dark, I bigged them up. My chimney? Slates? Like ancient slates? Even worse. I went to bed, slept fully clothed, pus blankets, with a candle and with the damn frickin electric phone beeping all night in a whiney moan. Battery losing power. Like I could care, with my two hot water bottles and no communication with my family and wind shouting and blattering and making noise and shout .

When the ppower came on, I almost danced. Warmth, tunes, connection. Tick. So very important. My landline is dead. But, I have contact with my kids. However, there may well come a time when that connection won’t come back. I know this. For now, I am just loving the reconnection, and playing my tunes, music always loud in my home, always was.

Probably overdoing it. Thankfully my house is solid stone build.