Happy New Year!

Yes, it is a bit late. But, really, you should be used to that by now. We have been at this stand since 2002 and an unhealthy fixation with clock or calendar has never been one of our vices. In any event, we are ready to begin again.

To start, some questions that have been asked need to be answered:

1)No, I have not given up on The Inn. Once again, the promise I made to myself when I began this little enterprise: the weblog will not become another one of my obsessions. Sometimes it is on the verge, but for the most part that is one of the dwindling band of resolutions that I've actually kept.

2)No, I am not still hung over from New Year's. Hmpf. The very idea. In fact, herself and I went out to a pleasant dinner that night with some friends who are home for the holidays from assignment in Singapore. We were home, in bed, and asleep by 10:30. Awakened by the fireworks at midnight, we wished each other a happy new year, rolled over, and went back to sleep. There now. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? “Still hung over,” indeed.

3)The Project is proceeding apace. But there have been a couple of setbacks. I should have tied on a bag with a longer gooseneck. The physics of pumping the bellows while maintaining the bag require a different arm positioning than the highland pipes and I didn't realize that when I tied on the present bag. I hate tying on bags and I haven't replaced this one yet. Soon, though. And I think a crack has developed in the top ferule of the bass drone. It doesn't look serious and perhaps it's always been there. But the bass has been impossible to tune lately and that's the only reason I can think of. I can still play without a bass drone and make progress with the bellows technique but the sound isn't as full as it should be. Naill isn't in the Lowland pipe making business any more so a mere replacement order isn't in the cards. If I can't find a pipe maker to tinker with this ferule or make me a new one, we may be looking at digging way down deep in the saddlebags and funding a new border pipe. Not what my investment programme was counting on. (No, not the weekly lottery ticket purchase; the other invesment programme.)

And, finally, I'm delighted to find some people actually missing the regular posts (or at least semi-regular posts) on The Inn. Thank you for the kind words. (And happy belated birthday to my friend Ziggy who was miffed that of all the days I missed posting, one was his birthday, the feast of the Holy Innocents. I shall try to do better next year. Uh, this year.)