We have started calling storms in the Uk names. This is something new. At the moment, in the north of Scotland, we are to be wary of Storm Barbara. (Because it's new, we're just at girl's names and only at B, the second calling!) However, in Scotland, storms in winter are common. In Caithness, in the far north, they are commonplace. The few trees there might be blown horizontal, and the foam from the waves crashing over the jetty wall, might be oozing up the harbour road, but the locals would just observe, There's a fair 'ert in 'ee win' eday. Nothing more than that! I recall as a kid, being glued to the telly, watching the final gripping episode of a thriller, with the culprit about to be revealed, when the telly went dead and we all screamed at the sudden darkness. A power cut! But we just fumbled about for candles and Mam looked out the primus stove, whipped up a pancake batter and we all sat huddled round the stove and drank tinker's tea and ate warm pancakes! Everyone had an emergency kit in some cupboard or other, just in case. So, coming to the point, if a storm has to have a girl's name, it should at least have a Caithness girl's name - seeing Caithness could probably go through an alphabet of names in a couple of months!! Traditionally, girl's names in Caithness are the feminine form of a boy's name - hence: Alecina, Jamesina, Davidina, Georgina etc. So grab your hair into ponytails, hold onto your hats, tie down your greenhouses or polytunnels, cos Storm Bobina is on its way!!