James set himself yesterday to modify the wifi setup at the house in Kirkmichael, with the thought of preventing his son Alistair from spending all day on on-line computer games. The inevitable result was that he cut us off from all contact with the outside world. Service was eventually resumed after a titanic struggle.

This morning, I can’t get on-line from this computer, totally different system, different ISP, miles away. It must mean that demon.co.uk is having a bad moment, but it’s hard not to blame James.

Yesterday was tough. My husband had a CT scan at the Royal Infirmary. We had a hellish drive there through Festival traffic, and then a bad time driving around that nightmare place past parking lots with SPACES but no visible way in; parking lots with SPACES reserved for hospital staff; and parking lots with NO SPACES and little queues of cars waiting.

That problem resolved, the scan itself wasn’t very pleasant, nor was the radiography department. Then we thought we’d drive home a different way, over by Holyrood, along the foot of Arthur’s Seat. My husband has known Edinburgh all his life, but didn’t reckon on new buildings and new No Right Turn signs not to mention the infamous tram works. So the return journey took even longer than the outward one.

One of those days.

And now I can’t get on-line.

I didn’t get much knitting done. I started the Thistle Shawl again on smaller needles and more stitches. That works well, and is going to produce a good fabric, but the particular needle I’m using still isn’t right. The eternal lace-knitter’s problem (on circulars) of the stitches not wanting to leave the cord and slip with any ease onto the straight bit.

No replies – the last time I was able to look -- from the AllotmentsUK group about my seedbed roll query. I’ll try the on-line readers’ forum at Kitchen Garden Magazine. That’s where I heard about it in the first place.

The world has come back to my computer screen, so I can post this and start the pre-Strathardle bustle. We’ll be away until the 25th or so. If you’re going to be in central Perthshire on the 22nd, come and join us at the Games.