It's probably different on the equator, but going far enough north or south means living in a place with distinct seasons. Fitzroy, some considerable distance from the equator, is certainly such a place. Officially, September 1 is the first day of spring. But if this is spring, then I am a horseradish. Winter, it seems to me, is still very much here. It piles high and gathers close.

Today I'd planned to break a long silence, but this now looks unlikely. Something I hadn't counted on was the Blaster worm. I've been well and truly blasted, and am no longer willing to connect to the net from home. In fact, I'm not actually using my computer at all. It's transformed itself from digital wonder to an item of silent furniture. It sits now in a darkened room, alone and unattended.

In the meantime I've gone back to using the Family Heirloom, which is an old Olympia typewriter. It's a magnificent machine, but even a full description of its glories won't disguise one key failing. It's not connected to the net. And so, for the moment, neither am I.

Spring has officially arrived, but, unofficially, winter continues. Hopefully, with luck and sunshine, SoFo will be back properly in a few days. Unless, of course, my own personal winter continues, which it might well do for some time yet.