Today was fantastic. A 9am lecture, rushed dissertation proposal hand-in, and tutorial, I was free. I met up with Sean and Meg for a soup lunch in the sunny square, went for a brief walk with Marek (his birthday tomorrow!) and then headed home for a coffee in my sunny living room.

I decided at this point to cycle to Crammond, as it was such a sunny day. But as I passed the library, the clouds were looking ominous, and as I headed down to Haymarket the first heavy drops were falling. I didn't mind - I was just happy to be out! As I passed Haymarket, there were two trams waiting at the station. Soon to be a familiar sight, but I couldn't help but stare; perhaps what the taxi driver was also doing as he pulled out into me. No harm done.

Crammond it beautiful in every light, but as the rain brushed the air in streaks of grey, with fife bright and clear across the estury, the calling peeps of the waterbirds, I was immensely happy. I sat and watched it for about an hour, before turning and heading home. The rain had never really settled in, though it continued to fall.

As I reached Haymarket for the second time, I saw my second tram, and decided to follow it as it made it's way up Princes street. I ended up cycling next to it for a good stretch of the way. It's an odd feeling - I'm not sure I like it, as I didn't want to pull up next to it, for fear of being squished, or in front of it, for fear of bike wheels in tram tracks. Still, they look awesome.

I'm away on Saturday to Fort William to do a winter skills course in the hills, and headed to pick up an ice axe and crampons from the mountaineering club. Can't wait to get in the snow! Hopefully it'll be sunny.

Evening in the pub with Theo's Shakespeare society, before going home. As I lay in bed I checked the news, to see that the whole of the UK had been lit up by spectacular northern lights. Not wanting to miss out, I pulled on my coat and headed up Arthur's seat, to look to the north. I ended up sitting near the top, watching the skies for about half an hour, and I was just about to head home, when I saw a shimmer of green. This developed into a a slowly moving, ethereal curtain. I was amazed, and ended up watching this faintly come and go for about another hour until the grass around me had frosted and cracked under my feet when I stood to keep warm.

I ended up coming home at 2, and sat with a tea, contemplating the show.