The deluge of Wednesday night and Thursday morning was followed by gale-force winds later in the day and overnight. Large branches and trees came crashing down all over the Black Isle leading to a power failure in Cromarty for 11 hours. As we sat by the fire and I attempted to finish writing overseas Christmas cards by the light of an oil lamp, Ken said, "This is just what it would have been like in Capt John Reid's day." By the time our electricity was back on Friday morning and I'd checked my computer for e-mails, weather reports and road condition updates, I was quite pleased to be living in the 21st century!