'GET HIT AND IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT'

When I was growing up, the mantra was 'if you get hit, it's your own fault'.

WINTER SHINTY WOULD NOW BE IMPOSSIBLE - DISCUSS

ANY shinty player over the age of 30 can remember these matches.

Numb hands, legs, faces and other extremities as sleet and snow are driven on freezing gale force winds across sheep paddocks in God-forsaken glens and straths.

ROMANCE OF CUP LIFTS OPENING DAY CLOUDS

THE opening day of shinty's 2015 season may have been a wash-out, but at least we had the Camanachd Cup draw to cheer us up.

A paltry five of 26 scheduled matches survived torrential rainfall overnight on Friday into Saturday March 7 - and predictably the survivors were located towards Scotland's east coast and north east corner.

Not long now - but will Judith let us play?

FANS, followers and players of the great sport of shinty are experiencing that familiar fluttering of butterflies as the Big Kick-off (or should that be Big Throw-up..?) to the 2015 season approaches.

There are some tasty ties lined up for the opening Saturday, March 7, with the juiciest prospect arguably being at the Eilan, where multiple premiership winners and current holders Newtonmore begin their title defence against the redoubtable team from Cowal, Kyles Athletic, fifth place finishers last time around.

And there are many more matches that will be fascinating to watch, as players knock off the winter rust - and snow - for shinty's summer season.

Talking of snow - the weather might just play a part in how the opening day shapes up. Heavy rain is forecast for the north-west of Scotland - and showers are possible anywhere.

As ever, we are at the mercy of the weather gods, and of BBC weather presenter Judith Ralston (pictured), of course.