Warning skies?

I'm sorry for going on about skies, but who could resist that dawn sky over the Firth this morning? We'd allowed ourselves a weensie long lie, but in fact I was wakened at 6.45 by the first streak of flame across the windows, which I was facing after spending most of the night (I think) turned the other way. This couple of views - north and south, really - got me up before I'd had my tea, though I quickly returned to bed and did my Italian while I drank.  

Before I got my brain into gear, however, I was surprised to realise that I was still on the fringes of the dream that had assailed me between that first wakening and my eventual sitting up and taking notice. It had been one of those odd, just-on-the-fringes-of-waking dreams that you can remember in detail, and I've not had one such for a long time. The funny thing was that I knew I was in bed, but there was this family there - a woman with greying hair, her teenage children, the sense of a man somewhere - all in my house and garden, chatting away while at the same time making themselves at home ...

Because it was dry I hung out some towels and because it was dry we decided to tidy the back garden for the winter. The aches and pains are just developing nicely, some twelve hours later - think tugging at withered ferns and these strange, vegetable-looking weeds that spring up in cracks and along the bottom of the wall; pulling off loosestrife stalks and whole lumps of montbretia that isn't; cutting trails of rosa rugosa and hauling up the dreaded willow spirea ... and then sweeping up all the mess and bagging it. Himself took it in two journeys to the recycling centre while I made soup and then dinner. 

I didn't feel I had nearly long enough sitting down before it was time to go out to choir, but whatever else was suffering my voice wasn't and I enjoyed myself. We're on to rehearsing Christmas pieces now, including suitable carols for the mood and avoiding O Little Town of Bethlehem which would be ironic in the current circumstances. 

When we came out of the hall it was raining. We had been warned, but had paid no heed ...