Hanging on in there

I was out yesterday evening and by the time I'd got home and had a spot of tea and toast it was late. I managed about 5 tired minutes of play, just so I could still say I've played every day this month.

Home at a better time today and heaved Morag out. I played for quite a while, although my hands were too cold really, which mostly means I don't get my fingers down cleanly on the chanter. My hands were cold mostly because I've lost one of a pair of brand new mittens. It's typical that I own tatty old gloves that I've had for years and sometimes accidentally use as gardening gloves and have never lost, and then I have the warmest and loveliest pair of mittens and lose them on about their 5th outing.

Anyway, I listened to the Heights of Cassino a couple of times and worked on it a bit. There's a repeated phrase where I don't think I can do the timing the same on pipes as on a whistle because of the difference between tongued notes and those separated by grace notes. I need to find a pipe version to listen to.

Also played the King round and round. Still getting the odd error, but I love it so much: the way it sounds and the way it feels to play. Working a little on the Banks and playing a couple of the old favourites. I haven't played the Eagle's Whistle for a while.

I mention to the fan that I've hardly recorded this month and he tells me that I'll notice the difference when I do. I worry that it will be like the end of a long week of dieting: you get convinced that you must have lost pounds and pounds and at the big reveal you've possibly lost half a pound, which may be down to poor calibration on your scales....