I WAKE up before my alarm…it’s the sound of the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) in the hall bleeping to say there’s a power outage.

Fuck. That’s a pain – but given the high winds it’s expected and we’re reasonably well prepared.

I dig out an old cafetière and make coffee on a camp stove then check the diary.

My 10am online meeting with fellow board members of the local community hydro society will no doubt be scuppered. I make a phone call and we decide best to rearrange.

The power comes back on at 10.30pm. For about 15 minutes. Then it’s off again.

I head to the studio and run through some of the songs I plan to include in my set list for the upcoming Aberdeen and Edinburgh shows.

When I go back to the house the winds are playing havoc in the garden and there’s driving rain. I spend the next hour or so going in and out to rescue various things from loss or destruction.

Despite not having any ‘wind catching’ parts, the fruit cage is totalled (again) then a tree comes down and hits the smoker/grill shelter taking part of the roof with it. Not much I can do about it just now.

We get the wood burner lit and I sit and mess around with the guitar until after dark.

Margaret lights some candles and we enjoy a glass of wine and a few games of backgammon before I make dinner.

Camp stove pasta with cherry tomatoes – and it’s surprisingly good. Good enough that Margaret reckons it’s better than any of the pasta she had while we were in Venice!