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Hello, Elle!
Oh, I see, thank you for the puzzle!
It is not really my sort of thing, Elle!
But, I hope you enjoy tracking the answer down.
Simple crossword puzzles are more my thing.
And one a day is plenty, for me!
I had a visit from Miss La Bamba earlier and she approved of my lentil and bacon soup!

Hi, Rusty!
Oh, you are very welcome.
No problem, if it doesn't interest you!
I quite enjoy an enigma like that.......but I imagine it might take quite time to solve?
And I have a lot of things pending right now, with Christmas in the offing.
I still have about a hundred cards to write.....
I have no idea when I should be posting / maybe should have already posted / the Overseas cards?
Your lentil and bacon soup sounds tasty!

Good morning, Elle!
A dreich cold day up here!
A hundred cards is a lot!
There will be a "last posting date" for different countries, Elle.
I have several for Ireland but have plenty time for them...I think!
The post office, or Mr Google, will keep you right.
I am ahead of myself today.
I have finished the puzzle, with the help of Anne Bradford!
She rescued me with 3d, a word I have not heard of, (and still have no idea what it is!).
10a, 6d, 22d, are new words to me, and I think we had 26a and 16d recently.
This puzzle was used in a Championship heat.

Good morning, Rusty!
Dull, dry and mild here!
I have decided to take a more laid back approach...........
What isn't done in time for this Christmas will definitely be early for the next........
Christmas cards posted late will arrive in time for Easter greetings........
There is a silver lining somewhere..........!
I have not yet printed off my crosswords, let alone had time to look at them!
I am quaking in my shoes, now that you have told me today's 15 x15 is a Championship puzzle!

Update, Rusty!
The puzzle has not been as difficult as I was anticipating!
After my abysmal failure with the last Championship one, I was dreading this!
I especially liked 1a, 9a, 1d, 14 d and 15a!
Yes, you are right in that we had "linac" only very recently.
I cannot remember having "sou'wester"? but it was easy enough to get.
I still have some clues to solve...I am only popping back to it from time to time...but I'm gradually making progress.
Two more Xmas cards arrived this morning!
Feeling colder here now.....

Hello, Elle!
Yes, I thought 15a, in particular, was a smashing clue!
I take it a Northern lass like you would get 25d instantly!
Your approach is sound.
Do one or two, then do something else, and return with a refreshed mind.
Yes, it is colder.
I've had more alert Tweets from Tayside Police.
High winds coming!

Hi, Rusty!
It feels very much colder out this afternoon, than the forecast tells us it is!
According to the "prediction", the extreme cold will not reach us here until Friday.
But I am feeling a tad chilly right now!
Will there be wind restrictions on your bridges?
Yes, I knew "nowt".
I have three clues still outstanding - 13a; 19a; and 27a - but I think I have got as far as I shall ever do!
Additional clues that I like are 18d; 3d and 17d.
And I had to look up "outgo" to check it could be a noun -- but Chambers tells me that it is!
I have never heard of a "ricer"?
I certainly don't have one in my kitchen!

Hello, Elle!
Yes, there will be restrictions on our bridge, possibly closure if the winds are high enough.
Some of the North Sea oil rigs are evacuating their crews today, so it is not looking very promising.
I have not heard of an "outgo" either.
"Ricer" is unknown to me, too.
19, is a kind of star. Something attractive is like a magnet, it pulls.
13, "n" for name, "stranger" is not a noun, but I am not good at defining types of words.
27, is straightforward. You need a word for "brief" and a season of the year between Summer and Winter.
Have another go!

Hello, Elle, Part 2!
I think now that 13a is "n" for name and an adjective (I have looked it up) for stranger.
"Ricer" is in my Chambers as an American word for a utensil for ricing food, whatever that means!
I looked "ricer" up in Currys but they have "rice cookers" and I do not know if that is the same thing, or not!

Hi, Rusty!
Uhm.... "nodder"?
I have heard of a "nodding acquaintance" with someone or something?
It simply means "slight".
"Shortfall" ?
This is a new word for me though.
Sorry, I still cannot do 19a?
Now.....I have received an email from the new assistant manager at Loch of the Lowes (Jonathan's replacement)
She is called Emma.
She has sent me a graph showing the percentage of the mating attempts - total, successful, unsuccessful! - of the ospreys LM12 and LF 15 during April and March.
Also the sharing of the Incubation period; and the species of fish delivered to the nest.
Plus a Timeline chart...showing what happened when.......
Rather an odd batch of info?
Did you also get this?
Spag bol for dinner!