Usually in Edinburgh if we see snow it's a dusting only. For weeks now we have had serious snow which has been lying and freezing. Not unusual given the state of the rest of the country. Today I notice that the novelty value was starting to wear off and an annoyance with the inconvenience of it was setting in. A bit unfair given that I am still able to get out and about and also to drive to where I need to get to. Not so for so many other folks. The elderly and the infirm are held prisoner and people in essential jobs and services are faced with the additional pressure of having to negotiate their way to work. We have had debates on radio about the safety of children having to make their way to school and criticism of schools for closing and also for not closing - they cannot win. One wise caller suggested that a simple solution was for all teachers to report to the school nearest to them and for children to do the same and that way the country could continue to function. young people would be occupied and maybe even educated, while parents could get on with their work and lives and who knows - perhaps pupils and teachers and others might come to like the idea of working closer to home. Snow has interesting and perhaps unexpected repercussions. Imagine a Scotland where we learn to live with and enjoy snow.

A colleague sent me a message today with this story at the end 'to make you smile' he said and it did indeed make me smile. In Edinburgh, this last week, it feels like autumn and summer has ended. With the darker evenings, the autumnal feel to the air and the ending of the Festival fun, a certain gloom is in the air and on people's faces. My colleagues story was timely and I notice that communications and people who make me smile are more likely to be read/listened to. I hope this makes you smile:

A nice variant on the hot air balloon joke.

A man in a hot air balloon, realising he was lost, reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended further and shouted to the lady, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees latitude north and between 59 and 60 degrees longitude west."

"You must be in IT," said the balloonist.

"Actually, I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct but I've no idea what to make of your information and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, in fact you've delayed my trip."

The woman below responded, "You must be in Management."

"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know that?"

"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's all my fault