Portland state of mind

With occasional snow flurries outside my office window, forgive me if my thoughts today turn towards summer holidays, so, with apologies to Billy Joel for corrupting his song title above, I'm looking forward to going back to Portland again this summer.

5 years ago, we visited the Bridgeport brewery, home of my favourite bottle conditioned IPA - Jo liked the live hops growing everywhere - although Cade was a little disinterested:

The news today is full of the snow storms that are affecting the southern part of the country - London and the South East commuter area seems to have come to a virtual halt. We're OK here - the roads are clear and they're absolutely no sign of snow on the ground in Aberdeen - but it could be coming our way tonight.

I managed to watch a bit of the golf from Scottsdale, Arizona last night - perfect weather and great courses in what is, I think, my favourite American state (from those I've been to so far).

You'll all be pleased to know that Ross (or should that be R***, given his likening for conspiracy theories?) made it back home safely yesterday - as did my car! They seemed to have a good time and the weather was kind to them on their drive. He could be going from the sublime to the ridiculous as this Saturday Aberdeen are at home to East Fife in the cup!

Today is Candlemas - I knew it as a traditional Scottish quarter day when ground rents were due under the old feudal system. It's also the half way point between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox, but the internet has a variety of other stories, and historical and religious significances, including the following beauty:

February 2 is "Candlemas" in many churches and is the day for observing the ritual purification of Mary forty days after the birth of Jesus as well as the presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem (see Luke 2:21-40). The day has pagan roots and was a Christian adaptation of the older practices for this midwinter festivity from which we get our "Groundhog Day." Since the presentation was also the purification of Mary (40 days after childbirth), the church developed ritual practices known as the "Churching of Women" (see additional notes at bottom of page) or "Thanksgiving of Women after Childbirth." The following is an explanation:

Seven days after Christmas, January 1, is the feast of our Lord's circumcision

Thirty three days after that, February 2 is the feast of his being offered in the Temple, the purification of the Virgin Mary. So Candlemass is fourty days after the birth of Jesus.