Saturday 21st
Sunday 22nd
Monday 23rd
Tuesday 24th
Wednesday 25th
Thursday 26th
Friday 27th
Saturday, 28 January 2012
A week in pictures
Saturday 21st
Sunday 22nd
Monday 23rd
Tuesday 24th
Wednesday 25th
Thursday 26th
Friday 27th
Friday, 27 January 2012
Friday 27 January
A bright and sunny day, with some nice cloudscapes. We started off with a -2C overnight low, and as the sun rose, there was still a slight hoar frost. Spent the day on a new tribute site, which will involve copying all the information on WW1 casualties into one site. The site is not public, and the 1300 names will take quite a bit of work.
An asteroid has passed the earth at a distance of about 37,000 miles, a quarter of the distance to the moon. The object, measuring only 37 feet across, shot by us at 4pm local time. Now that darkness has fallen, the moon, Jupiter and Venus are gracing the southwestern sky.
Homes in Orkney have been scanned for the presence of radon gas. Radon is radio-active and is produced by naturally occurring uranium in rocks like granite. Upon formation, the gas seeps out of the rocks and can accumulate in homes built on top. One home in Stromness is reported to have 3000 times the accepted maximum concentration inside. Adequate ventilation is usually sufficient to prevent problems. Radon can contribute towards lung cancer.
An asteroid has passed the earth at a distance of about 37,000 miles, a quarter of the distance to the moon. The object, measuring only 37 feet across, shot by us at 4pm local time. Now that darkness has fallen, the moon, Jupiter and Venus are gracing the southwestern sky.
Homes in Orkney have been scanned for the presence of radon gas. Radon is radio-active and is produced by naturally occurring uranium in rocks like granite. Upon formation, the gas seeps out of the rocks and can accumulate in homes built on top. One home in Stromness is reported to have 3000 times the accepted maximum concentration inside. Adequate ventilation is usually sufficient to prevent problems. Radon can contribute towards lung cancer.
Auschwitz Memorial Day
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Thursday 26 January
A day of mixed fortunes, but the dominant theme was wet and cold. There was some brightness, particularly later in the afternoon when the heavy showers moved away east. The ferry service was restored to normality, after yesterday's strong winds prevented the Clansman from docking at Stornoway. The vessel is not usually on this route.
The young man that was found dead in Inverness on Sunday apparently succumbed to hypothermia. His funeral is to be held at the Habost Cemetery in Ness, North Lewis, tomorrow afternoon. A funeral service is to be held at the Cross Church of Scotland, followed by burial at the new cemetery. There have been a few deaths too many of young people in recent weeks and months.
This year will see the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War. Between 2nd April and 14th June that year, Argentina and the United Kingdom fought over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. The Argentinians lost 649 troops, the UK 255 and the Falklanders themselves 3. The vexed issue of sovereignty has not been resolved - not satisfactorily in the eyes of the Argentinians at any rate.
The young man that was found dead in Inverness on Sunday apparently succumbed to hypothermia. His funeral is to be held at the Habost Cemetery in Ness, North Lewis, tomorrow afternoon. A funeral service is to be held at the Cross Church of Scotland, followed by burial at the new cemetery. There have been a few deaths too many of young people in recent weeks and months.
This year will see the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War. Between 2nd April and 14th June that year, Argentina and the United Kingdom fought over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. The Argentinians lost 649 troops, the UK 255 and the Falklanders themselves 3. The vexed issue of sovereignty has not been resolved - not satisfactorily in the eyes of the Argentinians at any rate.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Wednesday 25 January
A very wild day in Stornoway, with plenty of wind and plenty of rain. The Clansman (currently our ferry) took 7 hours to cross from Ullapool to Stornoway, quartering off the coast of Lochs in a force 8 gale for several hours. I don't want to even think about that.
It is Burns Night tonight, but I'm afraid there is no haggis, tatties nor neeps on my dinner plate. It is a chicken korma with rice, heated courtesy the microwave oven and rice boiled in plain tap water. What Robert Burns would have made of the current furore over the independence referendum we shall never know. I salute Robert in spirit, not necessarily with spirits (although I'm known to take a dram on occasion). I reproduce the poem A Man's a Man for a' that
Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an' a' that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that.
Our toils obscure an' a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The Man's the gowd for a' that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an' a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man's a Man for a' that:
For a' that, and a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an' a' that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that:
The man o' independent mind
He looks an' laughs at a' that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities an' a' that;
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a' that,)
That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That Man to Man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.
It is Burns Night tonight, but I'm afraid there is no haggis, tatties nor neeps on my dinner plate. It is a chicken korma with rice, heated courtesy the microwave oven and rice boiled in plain tap water. What Robert Burns would have made of the current furore over the independence referendum we shall never know. I salute Robert in spirit, not necessarily with spirits (although I'm known to take a dram on occasion). I reproduce the poem A Man's a Man for a' that
Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an' a' that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that.
Our toils obscure an' a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The Man's the gowd for a' that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an' a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man's a Man for a' that:
For a' that, and a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an' a' that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that:
The man o' independent mind
He looks an' laughs at a' that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities an' a' that;
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a' that,)
That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That Man to Man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Tuesday 24 January
An overcast day, which led on to rain and later wind. Tomorrow should see another gale, with gusts to 60 mph. Our freight ferry is once again not doing its overnight run on account of the poor forecast.
Tonight, Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, has delivered a speech on his plans for Scottish independence. I have previously made clear my opposition to Scottish independence, for political as well as economic reasons. I should add that I take particular exception to Mr Salmond's policy of creating divisions between the Scots and the English, playing on past (perceived) injustices, inflicted on the Scots by the English.
His continual references to the battles of Culloden (1746) and Bannockburn (1314) remind me of comparable references being made in Ireland to the battle of the Boyne (1689), and in the former Yugoslavia with regards the battle of Kosovo (1389). We all know what happened as a result of such references in the aforementioned regions. Rather than harping on about the past, Mr Salmond should look to the future.
As far as that is concerned, he reminds me of your average American foreign intervention. The US went into Iraq in 2003 without giving prior consideration to what was to be done once Saddam Hussein was ousted. That was the easy bit, it took less than a month. Establishing a stable successor state took about 8 years, well, the Americans withdrew last year, but Iraq is by no means stable. Alex Salmond has not given proper thought to what it takes to run a country either - other than referring to Scotland's oil. Does he want to join the Euro? Bad idea at the current state of affairs. Does he want to retain the pound sterling? What is the point of becoming independent then, I'd wonder.
For pragmatic reasons, I maintain that Scotland becoming independent is a bad idea. The way the idea is being pursued by Mr Salmond makes it an even worse proposition. My opinion.
Oh, on a final note, before I close this rambling diatribe. Someone suggested that Orkney and Shetland might want to stay in the UK. Well, I think they'd rather join with Norway in that case. And perhaps the Western Isles might want to follow suit.
Tonight, Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, has delivered a speech on his plans for Scottish independence. I have previously made clear my opposition to Scottish independence, for political as well as economic reasons. I should add that I take particular exception to Mr Salmond's policy of creating divisions between the Scots and the English, playing on past (perceived) injustices, inflicted on the Scots by the English.
His continual references to the battles of Culloden (1746) and Bannockburn (1314) remind me of comparable references being made in Ireland to the battle of the Boyne (1689), and in the former Yugoslavia with regards the battle of Kosovo (1389). We all know what happened as a result of such references in the aforementioned regions. Rather than harping on about the past, Mr Salmond should look to the future.
As far as that is concerned, he reminds me of your average American foreign intervention. The US went into Iraq in 2003 without giving prior consideration to what was to be done once Saddam Hussein was ousted. That was the easy bit, it took less than a month. Establishing a stable successor state took about 8 years, well, the Americans withdrew last year, but Iraq is by no means stable. Alex Salmond has not given proper thought to what it takes to run a country either - other than referring to Scotland's oil. Does he want to join the Euro? Bad idea at the current state of affairs. Does he want to retain the pound sterling? What is the point of becoming independent then, I'd wonder.
For pragmatic reasons, I maintain that Scotland becoming independent is a bad idea. The way the idea is being pursued by Mr Salmond makes it an even worse proposition. My opinion.
Oh, on a final note, before I close this rambling diatribe. Someone suggested that Orkney and Shetland might want to stay in the UK. Well, I think they'd rather join with Norway in that case. And perhaps the Western Isles might want to follow suit.
Monday, 23 January 2012
Monday 23 January
Last night, the Northern Lights put up a nice display over Lewis, but further north in Shetland, the display was positively dazzling. I could even see the aurora from my position on the southern edge of Stornoway, i.e. through all the light pollution. Tonight, at 10pm, no aurora is in evidence. I am told that tomorrow and Wednesday night (given clear skies), more aurorae are possible.
More bodies have been recovered from the Costa Classica cruiseliner, which sank off Italy 11 days ago. I remember a visit by the Costa Classica to Stornoway in May 2006, which was timetabled for a Sunday afternoon. That was a poor bit of planning, because anyone in the tourism industry knows that nothing moves in Stornoway on Sunday - shops are closed, visitor centres at attractions around the island are shut as well.
Today's weather in Stornoway was cold but pleasant, with broad sunshine interspersed by occasional showers. These were accompanied by bright rainbows. I'll post images in a later post.
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Sunday 22 January
A bright and sunny day, but with a cold northwesterly wind. The morning started with a steady procession of showers, but they dissipated after lunchtime. I went for an amble to Goat Island (across the bay from my position), but found the wind quite nippy. The mercury is at 5C / 41F at the moment.
The ferry came back from being stormbound in Ullapool, and returned to the mainland 10 minutes early. After completing the evening run from Ullapool, the MV Isle of Lewis will sail to Birkenhead for its annual refit. The MV Clansman will take over for the next couple of weeks. The latter vessel is slower, so the timetable will be stretched a bit.
A man of 68 did not return to his B&B in Stornoway as planned and has been posted missing by police. A lad of 16 was posted missing in Inverness yesterday, but after a search in the city this morning, his body was found. It strikes a jarring chord in this island after the death through murder of a 16-year old two months ago. Liam Aitchison was buried at Daliburgh at the end of December. The cause of death of Scott Campbell in Inverness is being held as unexplained by police.
The ferry came back from being stormbound in Ullapool, and returned to the mainland 10 minutes early. After completing the evening run from Ullapool, the MV Isle of Lewis will sail to Birkenhead for its annual refit. The MV Clansman will take over for the next couple of weeks. The latter vessel is slower, so the timetable will be stretched a bit.
A man of 68 did not return to his B&B in Stornoway as planned and has been posted missing by police. A lad of 16 was posted missing in Inverness yesterday, but after a search in the city this morning, his body was found. It strikes a jarring chord in this island after the death through murder of a 16-year old two months ago. Liam Aitchison was buried at Daliburgh at the end of December. The cause of death of Scott Campbell in Inverness is being held as unexplained by police.
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