Tonight - the sunset.

Well actually this was about 3.30p.m. Red sky at night - just.

The two above are showing the melting snow, and the tracks of the tractors from some weeks ago. So as to show you that the snow is melting. As you couldnt see any tracks due to the snow fall the last two weeks..

Our road, at the end of our drive, which we use to go into the village and then onwards, is still a sheet of ice, very bumpy sheet of ice, and the snow melting is flowing down it.

To drive on this road is something they do not teach you on a driving lesson. However, you learn, second gear, no revving, not a foot on any pedal, just steer. With any luck you make the village and the treated road having not slid into the field from which there is no return.

Once there, in the village, you pray that no-one is coming from the opposite direction as the options are, steer into the pile of snow at the side of the road where you will remain till next March, or make them do the same on the other side of the road. If its a 4x4 coming towards you, even if its a yummy mummy driving it which is usual round here, go for it.

Once on the main road, remember where 5th gear is. Wow - a few weeks since you used that one!

Then its all pretty straight forward. On to Peterhead. Where they have had very little snow and still find it hilarious that you have snow on your car roof.

So a bit of retail therapy. And a tour round the charity shops.

There was a bit of an unpleasant side to today. I discovered that our local construction company who have been lodging their workers with us for some weeks now, and paying promptly, now owe us two weeks. As we are already giving them a discounted rate I am not amused. I have asked that they do a BACS payment (straight into bank account rather than a cheque) be made and there has been an ominous silence. This could be down to a local inefficiency of the accounts department. Could be down to a lot of things. However - this grumpy old woman is NOT going to stand for it.

Indeed, icy, slippy roads or not, I may be making my own personal demonstration across their entrance with placards.....watch this space.