Looking back down the steep brae out of North Kessock, that takes pedestrians and cyclists up to the Kessock Bridge. I was walking to the bridge, and over to work in Inverness. Still plenty snow on the distant hills, beyond the end of the Beauly Firth.

A big change, as of tomorrow. Throughout the year I try and save up a bit, and at the end of March use most of that to take a hunk off the mortgage. This year I decided not to do that for two reasons. My car's on it's last legs, and...