SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 775 Title : Januar' Author(s): 794 Copyright holder(s): Joan Queen Text Nae burds are singin’ the day as the win’ whissles roon the hoose. They’re awa hidin’ oot in the fir trees, that sway back and furth in the blast. The birk wi’ its white bark gies the only glint o’ pleesure. Ken, the spidery web o’ twigs agin the grey sky weaves a pattern sae complex that the e’en canna travel frae tip tae stem an’ back agin wi’ oot won’er. But, nae burd is daft eneugh tae hing up there by its taes tae be blawn aboot willy-nilly in the cauld blast. Ginger, the cat, is nae whar in sicht no even when I keek oot the door. An’ Ginger can hear a door open awa doon the bottom o’ the gairden an try tae slink by ma legs intae the warmth o’ the hoose. He’s sleekit. Mind, Januar’ has its joys tae: the rid hot coals blazin’ in the grate, slices o’ left-owre Christmas cake tae devour, the tick-tock o’ the wag-at-the-wa’ and the reglar patter o’ rain on the windae-pane, no forgettin’ the seed catalogues wi’ a’ the promise o’ times tae come, whiles the weet claes birl roon an’ roon on the whirligig. The win’ hurls roon the hoose an’ moans doon the lum. Ache! I’m playin’ at never-heed! This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 6-20 Text details Method of composition: Wordprocessed Year of composition: 2005 Word count: 226 Text medium Web (webpages, discussion boards, newsgroups, chat rooms): Other: Wrote text for SCOTS Text setting Education: Text type Prose: nonfiction: Author Author details Author id: 794 Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1930 Educational attainment: College Age left school: 15 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Retired teacher Place of birth: Glasgow Region of birth: Glasgow Birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Crieff Region of residence: E & SE Perthshire Residence CSD dialect area: Per Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Stonemason Father's place of birth: Lochgilphead Father's region of birth: Argyll Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Arg Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Retail pharmacy Mother's place of birth: Glasgow Mother's region of birth: Glasgow Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: General use Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: General use