Can it really be four years since parliament began?

And as they head out to their constituencies to prepare for government, again, the politicians fear that all their efforts will be overshadowed by the clouds of war.

The last question time brought several mentions of the Iraq crisis.

First Minister Jack McConnell told MSPs he would be urging the prime minister to push hard at the United Nations for an international aid effort to help Iraq recover after the war.

'Humanitarian aid'

"I intend to draw to his attention the remarks of Scotland's aid agencies who are stressing the importance of the United Nations in the provision of humanitarian aid during and after the conflict," he said.

There were the expected campaigning questions from both the Scottish National Party and the Conservatives on crime, drugs, economic growth, NHS waiting lists and pupil attainment.

But somehow you had the feeling MSPs' hearts were not in the domestic fight.

Harry Potter: SNP broadside

Many observed Tommy Sheridan's minute silence at 1100 GMT on Thursday for the victims of the war in Iraq.

Others, like Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon, continued speaking on the issue under debate that morning, poverty among older people.

The other big debate this week has been the economy.

It was a chance for Enterprise Minister Iain Gray to admit that "our growth rate is simply not good enough and there is no quick fix".

The Scottish economy grew at 0.1% last year, compared to 1.3% for the UK.

But he went on to list what he was doing about it - more training, a 50% increase in transport investment, �200m being spent on broadband installation.

'Legacy papers'

But the SNP's Andrew Wilson said: "The thrust of the 'smart successful strategy' is correct, but it will not be enough."

Only control of the big levers like interest rates and taxes will lift Scotland off the bottom of the international growth league.

Conservative economics spokesperson Annabel Goldie likened Mr Wilson to Harry Potter.

"They both seem to occupy the same magical environment where a wand is waved and results are achieved," she said.

She confirmed the Tories' tax cutting agenda.

Sir David Steel and Prime Minister Tony Blair

For example, she would remove �260m from the enterprise bureaucracy without touching the training budgets.

The committees have been tidying their desks for their successors.

Macabre "legacy papers" have been left behind.

The petitions committee decided to keep its interest in the Skye Bridge tolls alive for next term.

It also fired a warning shot towards Scottish Natural Heritage - reach agreement with the animal welfare groups on re-locating the Uist hedgehogs and abandon your cull.

Parliament passed four final bills this week, all of them without a vote.

Holyrood achievements

It means there will be a Children's Commissioner in Scotland.

The Law Society Bill makes it possible to appoint lay people to the society's complaints committees.

The National Gallery in Edinburgh has been permission to build on a small portion of land in Princes Street Gardens.

And the laws on salmon fishing, dating back to the Theft Act of 1607, have been consolidated into one new bill.

This week's bills take to 62 the total for this first parliament.

And that's just one of the statistics released by MSPs to illustrate their work effort over the last four years.

Thirteen hundred pieces of subordinate legislation have been agreed.

Public gallery

There were 35,000 written answers, MSPs made 207 fact-finding visits and 48 committee meetings took place outside Edinburgh.

There were 24 civic participation events, committees held 118 separate inquiries.

The petitions committee dealt with 611 petitions and committees took evidence from more than 5,000 witnesses.

There were 25 million hits on the parliamentary website and 312,000 telephone inquiries.

More than 200,000 people have come to watch proceedings from the public gallery.

And 15,000 school pupils have come on visits organised by the parliament's education service.

Presiding Officer Sir David Steel said in his closing remarks that Holyrood had now become the central focus of political life in Scotland.

The first parliament had caught up on the large backlog of necessary Scottish legislation which had been waiting in the queue at Westminster for years.

Steel tributes

He hoped there would now be more time for committee scrutiny and inquiries.

Tributes were paid to Sir David, who retires at this election after nearly 40 years as an MP and MSP.

He said he little thought when he was a young man campaigning for home rule and an end to apartheid in South Africa that he would one day welcome a black president from South Africa to a Scottish Parliament as its presiding officer.

"Thank you for the privilege of being your presiding officer," he told MSPs.

And he ended with a self deprecating reference to his days as leader of the Liberal Party.

"I thought hard of something impartial, but new and original to say to you all as you go out, hoping to come back with your party winning the election - such as 'Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government' - but that line has already been taken!"

So the historic first term is over.