Here’s a thing. To be precise, here are a couple of things.

First of all, if you come to the blog via the link I put up every day on Facebook, you now can’t. They’ve changed things, and now no longer allow me more than two direct links from there to here each month. I, and all other ‘business’ pages must now pay for the privilege of adding links to our websites, and the prices are ridiculous. If I wanted to carry on as I have been with a short line and a link on the Symi Dream page five days a week, it will cost me $499.99 a month. Nearly $6,000 a year. Yup. No joke. As the website already costs me money and makes me none, there is no way I can do that.

So, from now on, you will find you’ve got to copy the link from Facebook and paste it into your web browser. At the start of next month, when I’ve got my two freebies, I will see if I can put a permanent post or link on the Symi Dream profile page, making it slightly less difficult for you. Alternatively, you can add a bookmark in your browser (to www.symidream.com), and when you click on that, you’ll come to the daily post.

Oh, the joy of living in a time when money matters more than people.

You could also bookmark my pen name author page www.jacksonmarsh.com and check in there on a Saturday (usually) when I put up a post about my books, how I write them, and my research. If you feel like offering support, you could share that link and encourage others to buy a book. Even if you/they never read one, it all helps.

Secondly, and even closer to home, I have a hoodie on for the first time since June. The wind’s up, and it’s coming from a cold direction. Where we were at 35° last week, we’re now down into the 20s, though it’s set to warm a little in a few days. Meanwhile, we’re now in our fifth week with no hot water, but we now know that a tank was due to be ordered on Monday; the plumber is aware, and something may happen in the near future. Then again, it may not, and in the meantime, we’ll just pretend we’re swimming in April, and the water will ‘feel warm once your shoulders are under.’

Hold onto your hats if you are out there today. The wind is supposed to be rising, especially this afternoon, only to force five, but from the west-northwest, so there will be a chill to the air. There shouldn’t be any cloud around today, though. The wind yesterday didn’t deter the day boats and ferries, and hopefully, that will remain the same today and into next week, when the weather forecast shows the temperature rising to and staying at 25°. (It’s usually slightly warmer here than the reports show.)

There we are. End of season approaches, and as the weather is all over the place these days, who knows how it will go. All you can do is make the most of what you have, battle on and stay positive. Neil has recently dug out an old T-shirt he had made, and was wearing it the other day. It looks like a no-entry road sign and says, ‘No Moan Zone’, and by wearing it, he quells any nearby negativity.

So, on the positive side: my proofreader now has my next novel under her scrutiny, and this means I will start discussions with my cover designer, and the book should be available next month. I will let you know how that goes so you can rush to your nearest online Amazon shop and grab a copy. Ta.