In that vague time between Christmas and New Year Shane had a few days of feeling very tired. Fortunately I had some meet ups with others and didn’t need his company as he spent much of his time sleeping or reading. He missed some nice walking days.

My niece and I took some different routes along the canal and water of Leith. She pointed out to me that there was new extra signage, for walkers and cyclists, which is always useful if you haven’t the geography skills of a homing pigeon. 

One of the older signs looked like it might have been twisted as it didn’t make a lot of sense and I could see a rusty line where it may have been before. I am not very good at paying attention to my route if I walk with someone else, but better if by myself or leading someone else. Perhaps it could be a New Year’s Resolution to pay more attention to directions and navigating in general, whether walking or boating. It is much easier if it is forced, like travelling alone, or a definite action like downloading a new map app rather than a vague, pay more attention, ‘must try harder’ kind of resolution. I am going to have to have something definite as well as that vague one.

We had been invited to a Hogmanay party but Shane was not sure he would feel well enough to go or if he was infectious, though no-one else seemed to have caught the lethargy lurgy. One of our hosts was similarly afflicted and he wasn’t cancelling the party.

I had been told by someone, earlier in the Christmas season, that there was a Marchmont post box topper but for some reason had never noticed it yet. On Hogmanay I needed to get some drinks and snacks in for the party, whether or not Shane was up to it, and passed the post box on Marchmont Road. The post box nearest our street is never yarn bombed. It was a shame I had missed it earlier as Hogmanay was a wet and windy day and the figures looked bowled over by the weather. I don’t think it was a pose of reverence or awe they were adopting. Well done to the makers anyway.

Shane decided he was more alert than he had been and would probably be okay to go and if he flagged we weren’t far from home and he could skulk off. We enjoyed ourselves and he made it to midnight, but by then my throat was hurting and I felt tired. I was hoping it was just all the chatting. We went out to the street as we often do at midnight, though the official Edinburgh celebrations had been cancelled, some fireworks did go off and promptly flew sideways with the wind. Kenny handed out some black bun. Now the resolutions start…first one might be to get a good sleep…. No loony dook for me!