47th

If I'd waited, probably until about now, the sun would be lower, the light more interesting and the shadows sharper and longer but my head and neck were hurting from sitting strangely working on the sofa and having made the room too hot with a big roaring fire. So I went for a walk along the prom to the harbour at Charlestown to see what could be found outside today rather than staying indoors. Quite staggeringly cold it was, with the forecast saying that the temperature would reach a peak of -9C at about 3pm.

Everything is sugar coated in ice. Great big thawed and re-frozen crystals rather than the usual dusty frosting things get. On some rose hips there were also frozen drips. Couldn't help photographing them. I quite liked this abandoned boat and have tried in the past to get a decent photo of it. Today it just seemed to fit with the arc of the small bay that's been created here. You can see the village at the end of the trees, although the wide lens has hugely exaggerated the distance. Try big for a better view. There's a colourful version on Flickr.

Anyway, back to work. When I'm finished I'll get to play with the presents Mandy and the kids gave me this morning on top of the big printer they gave me last week seeing as it was too big to hide. Ellen has also allowed me to wear her big pink 'Birthday Girl' rosette, which is a bit of a treat. Later I'll crack open the 25 year old Ben Nevis. Another wee treat.