The north wind doth blow.

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A great wind broke over Ireland last night and knocked us all sideways. Trains, planes, ships, buses - all cancelled. And most of us woke to darkness, robbed of the ability to wash in hot water or make coffee or put on our heating systems - no electricity. It didn’t worry me at first because taking a cold shower is my preferred way of getting clean first thing in the morning, but our shower is an electric one so wouldn’t squirt out any kind of water. But it was not the end of the world and we struggled through the day, comforting ourselves by rejoicing in having a toilet that flushed independently of a power supply. As dusk started to gather towards the end of the bleak afternoon we were still cold and hungry and unwashed. We stared out of the window and the houses opposite, one by one, turned on the Christmas lights in the gardens and windows. But not us. Our side of the road was still bemoiled in fast fading dusk. Even now, at 9.30 pm, the power company’s website confirms that our little cluster of 10 houses has not yet been reconnected - though we knew that. But we were able to drive to our son’s house 10 miles away and he cooked dinner for us. We charged our phones in the car and now we’re snuggled up in bed under layers of blankets. Maybe we’ll get to shower tomorrow.