It's 2008 already!

I had two nice things arrive to start the year off. The first was a copy of the Winter 2007 news from London 2012. It contained a full page on one of GB's top archers, Noami Folkard, and it is good to see that extent of coverage. The second was an invitation to comment on Scottish facilities that had been put forward for 2012 pre-games training camps for archery. I shared these with National Council colleagues and fed back on the eight venues. It is good to see so much interest, given we are so far from London - I guess that commercial confidentiality will preclude me from sharing their names in this public place.

The first shoot of the year for me was today at the Penicuik frostbite. I started off well enough, fortified no doubt by Liz's own spicy lentil soup, with a 116 dozen and then the cold got the better of me. The wind chill certainly cut in and I dropped at least 6 point per dozen for the remaining two dozen. I was shooting with two delightful juniors (one of who scored and could add without a calculator, hurrah!) and the other managed to shoot two of my nocks off.

At the present exchange at the end, Alan got my donation of finger puppets which is grand as he has grandkids. I got a jar of damson jam, not just damson jam but home made damson jam (that sound like the Marks & Sparks ad?). There is just nothing so good as this kind of jam, so that made my day.

There was the traditional stovies (Scottish delicacy for the uninitiated) and curry at Elayne and Norrie's afterwards. Norrie (a life-long teetotaller) has a huge range of whiskies, so I helped out a little in draining his reserve before going off to domestic chores (her indoors being at squad this weekend and so having to fend for myself).

Scotland is just beginning to wake up after the holidays and I get the feeling that it is going to be a busy and eventful year both locally and nationally.

I am going to finish now and get off to a long soak in the bath to finish the thawing out. There is a new men in far-too-tight britches series on the box tonight, her indoors will be glued to that and it will just be me and the bubbles for an hour (unless, of course, I can find where she has hidden my duck).