Kilted in the wind and hail

[cessna152towser]

With the stormy weather over the holiday period, no doubt many have their own story of thow their kilts handled the weather. Ann and I stayed home for Hogmanay. An hour after midnight when I went out to the conservatory to switch off the Christmas lights, my neighbours were seeing off some of their family who had been visiting so went outside briefly to bid them Happy New Year. Today I prepared steak pie, roast potatoes and brussels sprouts for a traditional ne'erday lunch (didn't take any pics as I was only wearing the same polycotton kilt which I wore in my Christmas photos). After lunch there was a break in the cloud and the wind seemed to have eased so we went out, Ann on her mobility scooter and me walking alongside. We stopped and spoke to several people and bid them a happy new year; everybody we saw gave at least a friendly hello as they passed. On the way back, the sky suddenly got much darker very quickly - the black area of sky was expanding from the west, where you might have expected to see it bright in the low afternoon sunlight. Another squall heading in. Ann had to put on the lights on her scooter and it began to hail and snow heavily, making the ground icy. Ann's scooter was unable to maintain traction on the slippy surface of the slope back up to the house and she had to dismount. I had to help Ann negotiate the icy surface back to the house on foot, then go back out and manhandle her scooter up to the house and stow it away. By the time I got indoors my black polycotton kilt was white with all the snow and ice clinging to it. I was still warm though - even in a thin polycotton kilt the design of the double front apron and rear pleats keeps you warm. Its less than an hour since we got back home and my kilt is dry already. A short but satisfying kilting adventure.