2017 commences

So: Happy New Year to all bloggy friends. Surely 2017 has got to be better than 2016. (Hasn't it?) Not that it's been particularly bad for our family - indeed, compared to so many people in the world, we're ridiculously lucky. But as for others... .


Anyway: in the final few days of the year, we walked in the Botanics with Daughter 2 before she (sigh) went back down south;

we visited Son and DIL with my brother and his wife and took Granddaughter the Younger out for a walk in the countryside where she lives (it was windy);

and after my brother and sister-in-law left this morning, I went into town on a bus, took this photo through the window, had a little wander around in the sunshine and thanked my lucky stars for living in a relatively beautiful and peaceful place. There were lots of people with suitcases who had presumably been here for the Hogmanay celebrations and were going home; and various other tourists who had for some unaccountable reason decided to come when the days are shortest and the flowers least abundant. It was sunny today and very pleasant, but if you were thinking of coming to Edinburgh I'd generally advise that you come in the summer or at least the spring or autumn.

And then I came home and began the slightly dispiriting task of taking down the Christmas decorations. But in a way it's nice to get the house back to normal: do a bit of dusting, shake one's feathers and look forward to spring.