7.30am, Saturday morning, fresh and bright. Temperature on the windowsill thermometer was reading -2C and everything was white with the touch of frost. It's lovely out when it's like this but just not cold enough for long enough to freeze the mudpit that was previously the garden. I'd just finished feeding the feathered friends when the sky changed to this deep crimson and purple, as the clouds rolled in to bring yet another burst of rain over Frugaldom. Don't you just love the Scottish weather?
There's a loaf baking in the breadmaker and George is blazing away, warming the house. Scruffy is stretched out in front of the stove looking more like a misplaced draught excluder than a cat and Floppity is content to dig imaginery holes in the bottom of her cage in an attempt to bury her food dish beneath her bedding - daft rabbit! The others are asleep, giving the illusion of tranquility. In actual fact, the finches twitter incessantly, the ducks quack so loudly that it echos down the chimney and the cockerels never stop trying to out-crow one another. There's an echoing 'moo' resounding down the chimney now and dear Scruffy has woken up and decided that it's fun to climb up the bird cage! Never mistake life in the country for a relaxing, peaceful lifestyle - there's always a tractor just round the next bend and, on week days, don't forget we have an assortment of fast flying jets buzzing overhead with as little as 100ft between then and us!
If anyone ever asks what life in rural Scotland is really like, I recommend watching 'Local Hero'. Never contemplate a move from the town or city to here without first having familiarised yourself with this film! It makes it all the more interesting when you've actually been to Pennen, the village on the northeast coast of Scotland where much of the filming took place. I took H a run out there a few years ago after he first watched the movie and he was thrilled to discover that it really does look like that, the hotel really is there and he was able to phone home from that very telephone box. All that was missing was the backdrop of Aurora Borealis. I think I've talked myself into watching the DVD again. Let's face it, there's practically no chance of seeing the TV - we've no signal during adverse weather conditions! And please, nobody else suggest that I try watching programmes online because it just isn't going to happen. Yes, I have heard of broadband but, unfortunately, the best connection that the BT network can provide is HALF a megabyte that disconnects every time a car drives past or someone phones. :)
Morning neighbour!
ReplyDeleteLoved browsing your site and getting a little insight into your life in these here parts!
I sympathise with your broadband connection - although we manage to operate our online businesses with just a 0.5 Mb line speed.
I don't know when you last contacted an ISP but there have been major improvements recently and you might be able to get a faster connection now. Nothing lost by checking it out - try this for starters:
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/adsl/adslchecker.welcome
Thanks, Peter. I did contact BT about the problem and we do have the 0.5Mb linespeed as long as nobody phones - then it cuts off completely. I'm convinced it's a line fault but BT think otherwise. Going to check out that link you've juet posted and see what it says.
ReplyDeleteJust thought I'd post this here, in case it means anything to anyone:
ReplyDeleteRESULTS FROM BT TEST SITE
Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial test on your line indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 512Kbps. However, due to the length of your line, an engineer visit may be required, who will, where possible, supply the broadband service.