I can confidently report that Sam is correct. The Winter Solstice has passed, 6.38 p.m. EST last night, and in confirmation thereof we have no doubt that winter is upon us. It is cold. This morning at about 2.30 a.m., having been forced from my warm bed by other considerations, I noted that a lunar eclipse was indeed to be seen, and roused my spouse Annamarie, who co-operated nobly by providing a cup of tea. We saw over the following several minutes the eclipse progress to totality (if one excuses its minor umbra/penumbra failings), and were also treated to the overhead transit of a meteorite. Only one, and I thought the Geminids were supposed to be upon us, but I believe they were at maximum a week earlier. However, the shorter days are giving me time to update the Wigtownshire Pages. They can still be found at freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~leighann/index.html and I am now trying, finally, to include the broken link and outdated address comments that I have already received. If you have any more of such, or if it looks as if I've lost any earlier ones, please let me know. Meanwhile, a Merry Christmas and a Good New Year to all from sunny Pennsylvania. Crawford MacKeand