Thinking about anyone who reads this who was left without power on Christmas Day, as a result of the storms, that must have been grim.  Here in Château Holmes we have lost the power, temporarily I am sure, to upload photos to BTW,  not that any of my Christmas ones turned out as intended, but still, it’s nice to be able to make the decision.

So, instead, I shall rely on some poetry as we move through this annual hiatus between National Gift Day and Hogmanay.  Enjoy yourselves at the sales if you’re going.  Here is a scrap from the Roman poet Horace:-

Scale back your long hopes

to a short period. While we
speak, time is envious and

is running away from us.
Seize the day, trusting
little in the future.

 

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood,

and I – I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.