Our much needed bypass opened in October - allegedly - but there is still an awful lot of work going on.

Not only does the Windyhill rabout look slightly different every week but - as our picture shows - they are also ripping up mysterious roadside water tanks that can't be older than a few months.

It'll soon be time to rip up the rest of the road to fit a long-planned water pipe.

Our border collie newshound Tudor has reported that sheep are beginning to return to the mountain. He has even spotted one or two early lambs. How the creatures will cope with the terrible weather we've been having is anyone's guess.

When our star reporter was asked for a further comment, he simply grunted: "Yum, yum."

Here is a view of Market Street on a Saturday morning. The Christmas decorations have still not been taken down and the place is not what one would optimistically call: 'Very busy'.

However, just for once we has splendid weather so we thought that we would record this fact.

The previous article had hardly been written when the council gave the green light to take down the Christmas illuminations - the ones that have survived the storms, at any rate.

We will see them all again next year, because during the festive season the same shapes decorate the same lamp posts. Our favourite is the vigorous Santa near the Court House - but others no doubt have their own favourites.

While walking along Main Street our editor came across this strange looking bunch of men. They have obviously just escaped from an institution where the wearing of dark suits is enforced with academic rigour. Notice the generous space left for the passage of two of their victims.

Why don't you all retire, boys!

Some of our readers might have noticed this beautiful view in the early part of the evenings. Our photograph shows a view over Loch Foyle with the Moon and the planet Venus in a close alignment. The light on the darker part of the moon is known as 'Earthshine' or 'Ashen light'. This is caused by sunlight reflected off the Earth's atmosphere lighting up the parts of the moon that direct sunlight can't reach.