Christmas - 2007

Christmas last year was tainted with sadness in J-land, as was, with the loss of two of its writers on both days. On Christmas Day, Lahoma (who used the AOL screenname of mzgoochi) passed away after a struggle with cancer. On Boxing Day, Kim (demandnlilchit) followed in her footsteps, also succumbing to cancer. I hope Christmas this year will be a merrier affair, although the community doesn't seem to be the same after our expulsion from AOL.

Saturday 20 December

Phew, a bright, sunny day with very little wind. The storm died down late last night, moving east to batter Orkney and Shetland. It's not very warm, only 5C / 41F. Yesterday's heavy rain and wind has led to flooding problems across Scotland. I was sorry to hear that the winterstorm across the northeastern USA continues to wreak havoc, likewise in Washington State.

There are currently problems with internet traffic due to severed subsea cables south of Sicily. This is thought to have happened as a result of seismic activity - Sicily hosts an active volcano, Mt Etna.

Remembering Today

19 December

On this day during the First World War, the following two men from the Isle of Lewis lost their lives:



Lieutenant Colonel DAVID MACLEOD
Son of the late W. MacLeod, of Arnol, Isle of Lewis; husband of Helen MacLeod, of 15, Marina Court, Bexhill-on-Sea.
Last address in Lewis: 12 Arnol
Service, unit: 8th Battallion Gordon Highlanders
Date of death: 19 December 1917 at the age of 47
Died of pneumonia in France
Interred: Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun, V. D. 49.
Local memorial: West Side, Bragar

Medal: DSO for gallantry at the taking of the Hohenzollern Redoubt in September 1915. He was the Commanding Officer of the 8th Battallion.
Other medals: DCM Egypt 1878 and 1915 Star

Private NORMAN MATHESON
Son of Donald and Christina Matheson, of 36, Lower Barvas, Stornoway, Lewis.
Last address in Lewis: 36 Lower Barvas
Service, unit: Seaforth Highlanders, 2nd
Service number: 3/6708
Date of death: 19 December 1914 at the age of 32
Killed in action
Interred: Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Guinchy, grave V. A. 4.

Windy nook

Wind continues to blow a full gale, 45 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. Went out to the Coastguard Station (5 minutes' walk away), but timed it perfectly to coincide with a lull in proceedings, whilst the wind veered from south to west. If anyone is interested, you can take a look at live weather readings from Eoropie (pronounce: Yoropee), near the Butt of Lewis, 25 miles north of Stornoway. Extremely exposed, it has already gone through a 96mph gust. Outpost North Rona, 45 miles northeast of the Butt, reported force 10 winds (52 knots), with gusts at hurricane force (71 knots).

Still on matters meteorological, Australia is having its first tropical cyclone. Billy is currently in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, southwest of Darwin, at tropical storm force - with winds similar to what we're experiencing in the Hebrides today.

Yesterday, I ordered the first copy of my own private listing of all those from the Isle of Lewis who were lost in the First World War: Faces from the Lewis War Memorial. I produced it through an on-demand publisher for a grand total of just over £8. I am not intending to place it on the open market, as I'm absolutely not certain that it is faultless. There may also be issues surrounding copyright here and there. Nonetheless, I'm quietly proud of this achievement.

Friday 19 December

Downright filthy day out here in the Hebrides, with winds already touching force 9 on the Beaufort scale, and forecast to go right up to force 11. Rain lashing down; it's binday, so the emptied bins were at one time blocking the road. No ferry today, it is tied up in Ullapool until 10.30 tomorrow morning when, weather permitting, it will return to Stornoway. Quite a few ferry services disrupted in western Scotland - have a look here.

Relocated entry

I originally posted this on Call for Support, but concluded it was not appropriate.
So, here it is again, on my own blog.

Some may remember Cathy (chatzeekay), who had to stop blogging on-line after AOL journals shut down last October. She has severe health problems, stemming from domestic abuse. Painkillers no longer help, and Cathy is supporting a bill in US Congress to legalise the use of cannabis for the relief of chronic pain.

Personally, I have grave misgivings against the use of cannabis, which is based on the serious side-effects of the drug. These include precipitation of psychosis in susceptible individuals and impairment of cognitive functioning. Cannabis, in its purified form of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, could be beneficial for the relief of pain. However, there is currently no firm scientific basis to underpin this.

I will be the last person to deny any pain sufferer relief, however tenuous the scientific base of the use of the compound in question - cannabis. I cannot support the bill, as I'm not a US resident. Even if I was, I would still not do so for the reasons quoted above.

Any US residents reading this: visit the link, visit your conscience, and support the bill. Or not.

Thursday 18 December

Late posting for today, and probably the only one. Not feeling too great today, with a stinging headache. Not a good idea to spend too much time at the PC, so I hope tomorrow will be better. It won't be in terms of weather, as stormforce winds (force 10 on the Beaufort scale) are forecast for my neck of the woods late on Friday. Pity it will peak after nightfall (3.30pm and later).

Afternoon notes

This morning's gale is abating and the sun is trying to come out. The ferry will return from Ullapool at its usual time, after being tied up there since arriving this morning. The cargoship Red Duchess, which has been discharging a cargo of road salt, departed first thing in the morning and was last spotted on AIS headed down the Little Minch, east of Skye.


Three years ago, a huge fire destroyed a fuel depot at Buncefield in Hertfordshire, north of London. As a result, a critical eye was cast over the fuel depot (pictured above) on Shell Street, in the heart of Stornoway. Several alternatives have been considered, but the current economic climate has delayed any action on relocation.


One could be Glumag Harbour, across the bay from my position, where the Arnish Fabrication Yard stands.


The other would be the unused fuel tanks at Stornoway Airport, left over from NATO times during the Cold War. A jetty (shown above) is already in place there for a tanker to dock.

Wednesday 17 December

The day started with a fierce lightning storm just after midnight. The path of the storm was easily mapped, when the lightning began to strike the electricity pylons which run into the Arnish Substation from the south. Some of the discharges were within half a mile of my position (as it took less than 3 seconds between lightning and thunder). The final bolt was accompanied by half-inch hailstones. Winter is the most likely time we're likely to see thunder; it occurs when the temperature in the cloudtops is 40 degrees C lower than down at groundlevel. At the moment, there is heavy rain and strong winds (force 7). The ferry is not sailing; at present it is tied up at Ullapool. The 5.15 sailing out of Ullapool is under review. Judging by the forecast (winds up to force 9), it will probably be cancelled as well.

Identified

On 30 November last, the body of an unidentified man was recovered from rocks near Eoropie Beach in northern Lewis. Police have conducted extensive inquiries across the island, speaking to operators of B&Bs, busdrivers and members of the public generally. After the man's identity was established, a family member had to travel north to formally identify the body. He was a man of 48 from Kelso in the Scottish Borders, who had been on a walking trip in Lewis. There are not thought to be suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, and, as per procedure in Scotland, a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

RIP Charles Coyle

From the bottom of a shoe

The Iraqi journalist, who allegedly threw a pair of shoes at US president Bush, has been beaten in custody, according to his brother. The man is now in a US military hospital for treatment. Throwing shoes is a sign of supreme contempt in the Arab world, and George W. Bush is most impopular in the Middle East. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 and American support for Israel (to mention but a few) lie at the bottom of that. The reporter is likely to be prosecuted under Iraqi law, possibly for insulting a foreign leader and/or the country's president. News bulletins yesterday showed a number of demonstrations across Iraq supporting the shoe-thrower.

The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was in my mind unnecessary, however unpalatable Saddam Hussein was. He was already hamstrung, unable to move militarily, and patently not in possession of weapons of mass-destruction. It would have been a matter of time before he was removed from power anyway. The American leadership acted in the usual manner, barging in without thought for the consequences or the broader picture. In my opinion, George W. Bush sought to complete the job that his daddy had left unfinished in 1991 after the first Gulf War. There was no plan for what happens next.

Invading an Arab nation was bound to inflame regional tensions and act as a focal point for terrorist groups like Al Qa'eda. It says much for the Iraqi people that they themselves have now started to rise up against foreign insurgents, leading to a gradual improvement in the security situation in the country.

Tuesday 16 December

Nice sunny day today, but with a fresh southwesterly breeze. A major improvement on yesterday's rain and wind. Although the mercury rose to 11C / 52F yesterday, I think I prefer it to be a little colder rather than wet.

If you are using the Internet Explorer browser (any version), you are advised to take precautions. A major security flaw has been uncovered, which renders the computer vulnerable to attack. Other browsers (Firefox, Opera, Safari) are not affected. It is thought possible that through the attack, passwords could be illegally retrieved from the machine. More info on the BBC website, I'll summarise the security advice from Microsoft.

• Change IE security settings to high (Look under Tools/Internet Options)
• Switch to a Windows user account with limited rights to change a PC's settings
• With IE7 or 8 on Vista turn on Protected Mode
• Ensure your PC is updated
• Keep anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date

Darkness has fallen

The sun set at half past three this afternoon, but invisible to us here in Stornoway. It has been blowing a near-gale all day, and the ferry had a hell of a time crossing from Ullapool. MV Isle of Lewis has stayed in port here, and is not setting forth again until the morning - weather permitting.

Helen's news struck a chord with me, hence the terseness of my note on Call for Support. My mother, as you know, passed away on 1 May last; her mother died last Friday. This coming Christmas and New Year aren't going to be easy on anyone who has suffered a bereavement this year - or any year. Those newly widowed will feel the emptyness and loneliness keenly, as will their children.

Monday 15 December

Guess what? It's blowing another hoolie out here, and it's lashing down with rain.
Guess what? Local radio said the day would start bright and sunny. Think they had yesterday's forecast in front of them.
Guess what? Some people had too much to drink over the weekend, so the courthouse will be full today.
Guess what? I'll write some more later.

Rabies

A case of human rabies looks likely to be confirmed in Northern Ireland. A man was admitted to hospital in Belfast, and tests have proved positive for the disease. This is commonly transferred through a bite, and this victim is thought to have sustained an infected bite on an overseas visit.

Rabies is a notifiable disease in the United Kingdom, almost always fatal. The last case in Ulster was in 1938, and the last time the disease was transmitted by dog-bite in the UK was in 1902. As any overseas visitor knows, stringent measures are in place to prevent importation of the disease into the country. Even on the quaysides here in Stornoway, you will find notices prohibiting the import of mammals.

It reminds me of an episode 3 years ago, when a polar navigator docked at Stornoway after sustaining damage in Atlantic gales. His two dogs jumped ashore, in spite of having been warned to keep them tethered, and led police on a brief merry chase around town.

Sunday 14 December

Christmas just 11 days away, and I notice people going shopping on a Sunday and at all sorts of hours of the day and night. Not here - shops (with one exception) are closed until tomorrow morning.

The northeast of the US has been visited by a severe ice-storm, from New York state eastwards. This has downed large portions of the electricity grid - so don't be surprised if some journalers don't make an appearance. Several people have died through carbon monoxide poisoning, by using oil-powered generators in an unventilated space. The weather here is fairly bright and calm.

Down in New Zealand, a climber has died on Mt Cook, after he fell 500 metres / 1,600 feet. His companion was left in the open for 2 days, until a helicopter found a weather window to rescue him off the mountain. Summer is nigh down there, but you cannot underestimate the hazards of mountaineering.

Wood sculptures

Author Elizabeth M Parsons (one of my internet contacts) is writing about wood sculptures on her blog. In reply, I'm posting pictures of wood sculptures in the Castle Grounds, the local country park around Lews Castle on the outskirts of Stornoway.

Saturday 13 December

A better day, even if it's overcast and grey. No wind to speak of, which makes a difference to yesterday's force 8 gale. It kept the ferry in Ullapool through the day, and many other ferry services along the west and north of Scotland were disrupted or cancelled.

I just nearly fell off my chair at the latest verbal diarrhoea from Robert Mugabe. He referred to the current cholera outbreak in his country as "a calculated, racist, terrorist attack on Zimbabwe", using biological weapons. The perceived reason was the overthrow of aforementioned Mugabe. It just gets worse and worse by the day. If ever there was a case for forcible regime-change, it's that country.

A regime that was overthrown 63 years ago, that of Adolf Hitler, still leaves it legacy in Germany. Not in the way I usually speak about these matters. The town of Rügen, on the Baltic coast, sports a holiday resort 1930s/1940s style, constructed for the Nazi elite of the day. Since 1990, it has lain empty as a concrete shell near the sandy beaches. Now the German authorities are contemplating turning the buildings into a holiday resort noughties style. Don't see it taking off somehow.

Faster?

82 words

Typing Test

Diets, vitamins and homeopathy

I have a thing against dieting. Look, I could do with losing a few pounds myself. But there are ways of doing that without resorting to all sorts of unhealthy alterations to your diet. I also appreciate that there are people who genuinely do have a problem getting rid of excess weight. Some people suffer severe psychological distress because of their obesity. Or their perceived obesity. I remember meeting a woman who was in floods of tears as she mentioned her excess weight (for which she had been prescribed medication by a doctor). I would not have described her as fat. Young girls, in a quest for identity, sometimes think that less is best, and anorexia nervosa is a recognised eating disorder.

Nonetheless, I was horrified to read this morning that a woman had died after drinking a gallon of water in 2 hours. It is called water poisoning (anything taken in excess is bad and can kill you), and it had brought on swelling of the brain. This lady, from West Yorkshire, had been on a diet regimen that spans 12 weeks, and involves an intake of 500 kilocalories per day (normal for a woman is 2,000), backed up by regular fluid intake, soups and bars. The company that supplies the regimen states that it gives clear guidance on the amount of water to consume.

Whilst I'm on my high horse, I'll also take a swipe against multi-vitamin preparations. They're a rip-off, let me tell you. If you keep a normal, balanced diet, you don't need vitamin supplements. Should you run short, you can buy, or ask for a prescription for, the requisite single vitamin. Some years ago I had a look at the contents of multivits, and the amount of some vitamins can only be called homeopathic. Oh, that's another high horse.

I don't believe in homeopathy. Mind you, if you find it benefits you, don't stop just because I don't believe in it. The reason I don't believe in it is plain and simple laws of nature. Take kitchen salt. Good ole sodium chloride (NaCl). 48 grams of the stuff, that's an ounce and a half, contains 6 * 10²³ molecules of NaCl. Now go to homeopathy. They say that if you dilute something by 1 part of substance into 10 parts of 70% alcohol, and continue to do that, it will increase in potency. By the time you have diluted 23 times, you are left with 6 molecules of NaCl in your little bottle of alcohol. By the time you've done it 100 times, you'll be lucky to find 6 molecules in any of 10⁷⁷ bottles. Bearing in mind the pharmacological rule that a substance has more effect if there is more of it there, I think we're basically looking at a load of balderdash.

Friday 12 December

Horrible day, lashing rain, strong winds, mediocre temperatures. December at its worst. I'm not an early riser by habit, but today is one day that's best spent tucked away under the duvet.

Those that have followed me from AOL days may be familiar with my Australian buddy Petar Vodogaz, who sends his regards - if he didn't do so directly to you himself. We share an interest in tropical cyclones (hurricanes), and in the coming months, we'll be keeping an eye on developments south of the equator.

Will post more later today, if the muse finds me.

Thursday 11 December

Gradually increasing cloud cover, which leads to some phenomenal cloudscapes. It's been a good week in that respect. Today, a nationwide sale starts in Woolworths, a British department store. The sale is the pre-amble to a shutdown of the chain, which is currently in administration. Buyers are being sought, but things are looking bleaker by the day. In most British towns and cities, Woolies would not really be missed. It will be badly missed in Stornoway. We don't have that many shops selling a variety of household and other items, and what else we do have is mostly (a lot) dearer. No I'm not plugging Woolies. I'm just bemoaning the imminent loss of a useful shop.

Robert Mugabe, 9-digit inflation man, may well become an ostrich in his next life. He is already going round with his head firmly stuck in the sand over the cholera outbreak in his country. Mugabe has declared that there is no cholera in Zimbabwe, which is in stark contrast to the fact that 800 people have already died of the disease and it is spreading across his country's borders. Naturally, everybody else gets the blame. Read and weep.

Christmas Lights

Euthanasia

A widely publicised programme is currently being aired on a satellite TV channel, showing a man as he is assisted to die. Leaving to one side the question whether it is in good taste or decency to show someone's death on television, it does highlight the problems surrounding euthanasia in the UK.

In Holland, euthanasia has been regulated since the late 1970s, following a test-case. When someone expresses the desire to have their life terminated, a second medical opinion is sought. All options are discussed with the patient, and when both doctors are satisfied that there is no prospect of improvement of the condition, and that quality of life will only deteriorate, euthanasia can be arranged. Following the death of the patient, the doctor will fill out a death certificate and notify the judicial authorities of an unnatural death. If the public prosecutor is satisfied that the euthanasia has met all the required critera, no prosecutions will follow.

Euthanasia is naturally a subject of high emotion and potential for pitfalls and abuse. Whether the Dutch model would work in the UK is open for debate. There are those in favour and opposed to the practice. At present, anyone in Great Britain wishing to end their life will have to attend a clinic in Switzerland. Should euthanasia be carried out in the UK, prosecution will follow for those assisting the patient in ending their life.

Wednesday 10 December

Another great day for cloudscapes, even if the temperatures are not all that great: 5C / 41F. No prospects of that getting any higher soon, if anything, there is an advance warning of heavy snow fall in the north and east of the UK on Saturday.

Cathy (Dare to Think) had an interesting entry yesterday on the issue of the space-time continuum. Some 15,000,000,000 years ago, the Big Bang occurred, creating space and time. Echoes of that event still reverberate around the universe, which led Cathy to believe that you could get flashbacks from times past. She imagined that in December 2088, her home would be a park, and anyone passing through the park could come across a ghostly lady sipping cappucino tapping away at a computer keyboard, the way it was in December 2008.

I do not agree with that notion. In my opinion, there is only one constant in the Universe, and that is time. It marches forward at a set pace, which cannot be altered, stopped or reversed. It is the 4th dimension. Anything that has happened in the past cannot be changed, because it would have repercussions on the here and now. I'll give an example from my perspective here in Lewis.

In 1919, a troopship (HMY Iolaire) sank outside the harbour at Stornoway, drowning more than 200. As a result, a young man in one of the villages was forbidden from ever going to sea. He eventually emigrated to Canada, married and had children and grandchildren. Reading about the tragedy, one of the grandchildren contacted me, saying that without the tragedy she would never have been born. Point I'm making is that should someone (be able to) return to 1919 and alter the course of the Iolaire, this would have profound and immediate implications here and now. The lady I'm speaking about would cease to exist, e.g..

As for events leaving an imprint for posterity, well, I'm afraid I do not buy that either. Noise leaves an echo, correct. Events have consequences, and we see those consequences on a daily basis. But, in contradiction to Cathy's theory, atoms and molecules behave in a random fashion (called entropy), and only congregate as a result of random interactions, which, as a result of the laws of physics, lead to events. What went before is lost. A water molecule does not remember that it has fallen out of a cloud of other H2O molecules, into a huge basin of more H2O, imbibed by a bag of bones and flesh called a human being, and passed out again by said human being.

An attempt at philosophy. Feel free to take pot shots.

Facebook warning

A so-called internet worm, Koobface, is on the loose on Facebook. It has only affected a small percentage of users. More info on this page on the BBC News website.

Tuesday 9 December

The sun set two hours ago, but I'm only just getting round to doing an entry. Was fairly bright through the day, but I did catch a shower on the way into town. Going into town means a walk of less than 10 minutes, but don't underrate the Stornoway pavements. I didn't realise how bad they were until I tried pushing a shopping trolley along my street. It was brand new, but was forever trying to argue with parked cars. The roads themselves are OK, just the pavements (sidewalks for folks across the pond) are atrocious.

What did I go into town for? Christmas cards and stamps. They have all been written, addressed, adorned with postage and stuffed into the letterbox. Folks in the UK should have it tomorrow, folks in Europe by the end of the week and those in the US between 1 and 2 weeks from today. Total of cards sent: 19. Anyone else that would like a card can just email me with details, and I'll endeavour to oblige.

Morton (Caring n sharing), I am pleased to announce, left hospital this afternoon to tell those of us on Facebook that he had returned home. It was too close for comfort, he said.

Pentalina

A new ferry ship, the Pentalina, is currently heading north up the Minch, as shown in this AIS [Automatic Ship Identification] screenshot from 5.38pm this evening.

The catamaran is capable of carrying 350 passengers and 32 to 58 cars as well as 9 lorries. She is yet to be fitted out completely. The ship was built in the Philippines and has safely negotiated the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden on Friday. She is expected to arrive in Orkney waters tomorrow.

Pentalina will take up the run between Gills Bay on the northern coast of mainland Scotland and St Margaret's Hope in Orkney, a crossing that will take her 45 minutes.

Christmas Tags

With thanks to Sugar

Caught short

At least I can embed the Onion on here.

Monday 8 December

Quite a bright morning, with the odd shower. Sun is low in the southern sky, only 8 degrees (a hand's width) above the horizon. This evening, after sunset, have a look to the southwest. You'll see two bright stars fairly close together. The brightest is the planet Venus, the other is Jupiter. They are nearly 1 billion miles apart, and were in conjunction (in apparent closest proximity in the sky) last week. I missed that event due to cloudy skies. Later in the evening, look south for the constellation of Orion. The Dog Star (Sirius) is located to the left of Orion, lower in the sky. Readers in the southern hemisphere will see Sirius higher than Orion.



Discard any pork from (Northern) Ireland purchased after last September. Dioxins (extremely poisonous compounds) have been found in pig feed, used in at least 9 Ulster farms, leading to levels of dioxin 200 times above the limit of acceptability. There is low risk to health if you have eaten Irish pork in recent weeks.

Christmas Tags

I'm displaying each Xmas tag in an individual entry, as well as in a block at the top of my sidebar. Many thanks, so far, to Connie and Sugar. I've got more archived tags from the last couple of years, mainly courtesy Donna, which I'll put up in the next few days and two and a bit weeks.

18 days to go

With thanks to Sugar

Atlantic Lines in winter

With thanks to Connie

7 December 1941

Today is the 67th anniversary of the attack by Imperial Japanese forces on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surprise attack propelled the USA into the Second World War, eventually helping to vanquish Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Lest we forget.


Image courtesy University of Maine, showing USS Arizona on fire and sinking after the attacks.

Sunday 7 December

Overcast day with some rain and strong winds. As I write this, the sun will be setting in the next quarter of an hour. Unseen by me at groundlevel. All points south and east beware: this is coming your way.

I am having to move a blog I keep on the BBC Scotland website. The BBC will no longer allow updates as of next month or so, but they will NOT delete the old blog. I have set up a new blog on a separate site. I operate that blog, which casts a critical if slightly off-the-ball eye on events in the Isle of Lewis, where I reside. As I do so under a pseudonym, I cannot link to it direct. Check out my page.

Oh apologies for the two entries that should have gone to my Tropical Cyclones blog. Nothing to report at any rate.

Christmas Cards

If anyone would like a Christmas card from me, please email me direct with address details. I shall reply with my own. All personal details will be held in confidence, and will only be used for sending a Christmas card this year. I assume the same will apply your end regarding my details.

Reading journals

I've decided that I'll try to keep up to date with journals through Google Reader once a day. It is also a good way of distracting myself from my current pre-occupations.

I hope everybody is getting themselves ready for Christmas with the usual mixture of joy and trepidation.

I was sorry to note that Donna (of Dsdesigns) is having one health problem on top of another, as if a heart attack isn't already enough to cope with.

Another blogger with heart problems, Morton (Caring n sharing) is due to have further tests next week, to determine which procedures he requires in the wake of his heart attack. According to a relayed message from Jeannette, he is in great spirits although p'd off at the fact that his mobile phone battery has now gone flat.

Finally, I have put the entries that I managed to salvage from Sylvia's blog in a separate journal.

Hypochondriac

Man sits in pub and talks to his mates.

I'm a hypochondriac.
Don't believe me?
Talk to my gynaecologist!

Not at the helm

6 November 2008
A fishing boat went down off Bayble, some 5 miles east of Stornoway. Fortunately, all crew were saved uninjured. An inquiry has revealed that the skipper had left the wheelhouse of the Faithful Friend II a few minutes beforehand to make a cup of coffee, leaving the boat to proceed on auto-pilot. She struck a rock, which was well charted, and sank fairly quickly. A quick Mayday call, nearby vessels and a rapid response from the Coastguard prevented loss of life. The owner of the Faithful Friend II has been forcefully reminded of the necessity of watch-keeping on his boats at all times.

1 June 2006
Fishing boat Brothers leaves the harbour of Gairloch in Wester Ross (southeast of Stornoway) and proceeds to head west across the Minch. It never returned to port, and sound nor sight was seen of it again. A massive search was launched in the Minch, but the wreck of the Brothers was finally located beneath 40 feet / 12 metres of water off an island just north of Skye. The bodies of the two men on board were not in the wreck. One of them turned up in Gruinard Bay, 35 miles to the northeast 3 weeks later. The other was never found. It is thought they left port after a few drinks the evening before and dropped off to sleep. When the boat ran aground, it must have sunk quickly, leaving them no chance to save themselves.

19 December 2004
Fishing boat Audacious leaves Stornoway harbour in the early hours of the morning. The crew leave the boat on auto-pilot, which appears to malfunction. The boat runs aground just south of the lighthouse at Arnish. The skipper drowned, but two other crew were rescued.
A memorial to the skipper was later erected near the lighthouse.

Saturday 6 December

Bright day, but with a steady procession of showers. We had a mild overnight frost, -1C. Mercury currently at 6C, which sparks off the showers. Tomorrow should be a little milder still.


Yesterday saw the 50th anniversary of the introduction of motorways in England, with the opening of the Preston by-pass in what is currently the M6 motorway. That road is now part of an all-motorway link between London and Glasgow, using the M1, M6 and M74. Don't have fond memories of the northern section, after travelling down it in 1981 in atrocious weather conditions and encountering smash after smash between Lockerbie and Carlisle. The trans-Pennine A66 (Penrith to Scotch Corner) is also blackmarked in my book, when (on the same journey) that road was littered with accidents as well. I never seen so many smashed caravans as on that 500 mile journey from Glasgow to London, 27 years ago.

In 1958, there were no speedlimits. Nowadays, there are (70 mph), but in my experience, the unwritten speedlimit seems to be 80 mph. If you do do 70, you're holding up the traffic!

Sunset images

As I said in previous post, we had a beautiful sunset this afternoon. Just sharing a few images here.



A few cloudscape pictures from yesterday



And some more from Wednesday

Friday 5 December

Beautiful winter's day, with broad sunshine and reasonable temperatures. We reached a maximum of 8C / 46F. The sunset, just after 3.30pm, was colourful and stunning.

I'd like to restate my thanks to all who are supporting me at this not so easy time. I'll get over it and sort it out in due course. As they say in this part of the world, moran taing - many thanks.

Today is the festival of Saint Nicholas, referred to as Sinterklaas in the Dutch speaking parts of the world. Several people have referred to it over the last few days, and I'll add my few pennies' worth.

Saint Nicholas was bishop of Myra, present-day Smyrna in Turkey. After his death, his remains were spirited across the Mediterranean to Spain. He is the patron-saint of children and travellers. Today, Sinterklaas arrives in a port in Holland aboard a steamship, surrounded by an entourage of Black Peters (Zwarte Pieten). They are black-skinned (long life shoe polish), a reference to the fact that Spain was occupied by Moors from North Africa, who were of a swarthy disposition.

Sinterklaas comes bearing gifts for all children in Holland, provided they have been good. Bad children will be picked up by Zwarte Piet and taken back to Spain in the big sack, which held the presents. On the evening of 5 December, Sinterklaas will take to his white charger to ride across the rooftops of Holland. He will drop presents down the chimneys, and collect a carrot for the horse, left by the children in their shoes by the fireplace. Bad children will get a faggot instead of a present, provided they're not taken away. In order to actually get a present, children will have to sing a Sinterklaas song into the fireplace.

Wednesday trip

Yesterday, I went out by car with two friends. It was bitterly cold, and many of the lochs had a sheen of ice on them. On passing through Achmore, which lies 350 feet above sealevel, there was a fair bit of snow on the ground. The Harris hills, visible in the distance, were all white. They rise up to nearly 2,700 feet.

Our destination was two-fold: first the Doune Braes Hotel, a watering-hole cum restaurant and hotel a few miles outside Carloway, where we had lunch. The hotel cat, Tinkerbell, fussed around us, meowing everytime someone spoke to her. As we drove north, a line of rain moved in off the Atlantic. Our second destination was the tiny hamlet of Dalmore, more specifically the cemetery there. It is located directly above the beach, and as I was looking for wargraves, the rain started. Strangely enough the cold relented when it got wet. After a brief visit to local beauty spot Dalbeg, we returned to Stornoway about an hour before darkness fell.



Further pictures

Acknowledgement

Another big thank you to all of you for your messages of support since yesterday. It just goes to show that you lot are the best on-line.


Tag thanks to Connie

Thursday 4 December

Quite a bright day out here in the isles, following a night of rain and high winds. Snow has been falling heavily on the Highlands, causing problems on the roads, but otherwise not the mayhem predicted yesterday.

Although I'm not really a happy bunny today, I'll just soldier on. Many thanks for expressions of support, seem to be making a habit of them these days. It is never nice to lose a friend, or to have to break up a relationship. Have been getting ample advice regarding the old pitfall of "what you see may not be what you might get on the internet", but have every reason to know up to a point who I was dealing with.

Just wanted to also put a warning out for Sri Lanka, which may get a strong tropical storm on Sunday. Storm 07B (they'll stick a name on it later) is headed west along the 6th degree latitude north and could well be stronger than the currently predicted maximum of 60 knots by the time central Sri Lanka sees it.

Wednesday 3 December

I have put a notice on Facebook that I'm no longer checking that site, after I concluded that a relationship, built through that site, was not viable. It probably goes without saying that I'm very upset indeed. It has also had repercussions in my private life, and I do not know if that damage can be mended easily, which has made matters even worse.

I won't make any announcement whether I'll be posting or not, I'll have to take that a day at a time. You will have noticed that my attendance at your blogs has fallen to near-zero, and that won't improve any time soon. I am pleased to note that Jeannette (Outside Looking In) is keeping Call for Support updated.

On that subject, I have been informed that Morton (Caring n Sharing) was admitted to hospital yesterday with a heart attack. My source was unfortunately the person with whom I have now cut off contact.

Tuesday 2 December

Another bright and sunny if rather cold day. The sun is low in the sky at this latitude (58 North), and by Christmas, it will not rise more than a hand's width above the southern horizon at midday. The winter weather is wreaking havoc across Scotland, although the Western Isles appear to be escaping most of it.

On Sunday afternoon, the body of a man (aged late 40s, early 50s) was discovered on the beach at Eoropie, north Lewis. He was dressed for walking, and had a large rucksack with him. Police were unable to identify him as of yesterday. The clifftops in this island are dangerous, and fatalities have occurred in the past as a result of people accidentally straying too close to the edge. The circumstances of this incident are not clear.

Monday 1 December

Fairly bright day, with some cloud about. Quite a cold start to the day, with temps of barely above freezing after sunrise. And it's still not much better.

Apart from a 9-figure inflation percentage, Zimbabwe is now also in the grip of cholera. Water supplies in the capital Harare have been cut, and the sovereign cure, suggested by government, is not to shake hands. Smacks of Tabu Mbeki's denial of a 30% infection rate with HIV in South Africa some years back.

Today is World AIDS Day, and we're nearing the 25th anniversary of the major outbreak of this disease in the mid 1980s. The rate of spread of the disease appears to be on the increase, which has led to a renewed call for people to engage in safe sex. Very appropriate, as sex is reported to be the most popular pastime amongst the people of Scotland. Fortunately, this is coupled (sic) to an increase in the sale of condoms.

Sunday 30 November

Darkness has fallen on a grey and overcast day, pretty non-descript in actual fact. The Dutch fishing vessel departed late last night for the fishing grounds of the North Atlantic.

The post-mortem is in full progress on the attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai, which has claimed nearly 200 lives, as well as more than 300 injured. Nine attackers were killed, one survived. He has admitted coming from Pakistan, but this does not imply that the attack was necessarily carried out or sanctioned by the government of that country. Western Pakistan is a pretty lawless place, outwith the control of Islamabad - Osama bin Laden is holed up there by all accounts. Although not bearing the specific wholemarks of Al Qa'eda, the attacks could well be attributable to that Medusa of the modern world. Security experts are still mulling that one over.

Today is the last day of the North Atlantic hurricane season.

I copy the review by the National Hurricane Center:

During this season, 16 named tropical cyclones occurred. Of these, 8 were hurricanes, and 5 were major hurricanes of Saffir-Simpson category III strength or stronger. This season was the first ever when 6 consecutive tropical cyclones made landfall on the US mainland. Overall, the 2008 hurricane season is tied as the 4th most active in terms of number of named storms and major hurricanes, and is also tied as the 5th most active in terms of number of hurricanes since 1944, when aerial reconnaissance was commenced. This is the 10th season to produce above-normal tropical cyclone activity since 1995, when the current active hurricane era began.
Finally, a total of 64 tropical waves moved off the coast of Africa this season, which is near the seasonal average.

Tomato sativa

The village of Shieldaig in Wester Ross is a quiet backwater on the west coast of Scotland. It was also the scene of a drugs raid a week or so ago. Police officers entered the home of a 79-year old widow to search for cannabis plants which were allegedly growing in the window sill. They put her, together with her son aged 47, in a back bedroom whilst the search was carried out. The lady's grandson, who lives in a caravan at the property, was also subjected to a rigorous search.

Problem was that there were no cannabis plants about. The suspicious plants were visibly bearing fruit - nice, juicy tomatoes. Having torn the house apart, and not recovered anything, officers insisted on taking samples of the plants. Anyone who has ever grown tomatoes, or even bought tomatoes on the vine, knows that the tomato vine carries a very distinct smell. Distinct from the cannabis plant in fact.

Northern Constabulary would only confirm that an address in Shieldaig had been attended, and that no illegal drugs or plants were found.

Oh, the title of this post? Cannabis plants carry the Latin name of Cannabis Sativa.

Saturday 29 November

Quite a bright morning with good sunny spells, although the good ole cumulonimbus (showerclouds) abound as well. The Barvas Hills wear white today. Oh, these hills is a range of 4, each rising up to 1,000 feet above sealevel. They are singularly inaccessible, surrounded as they are by miles of bog. I climbed them after a dry spell in August 2005. In the next few days, I'll put the pictures on Atlantic Light.

Also of note this morning is a large Dutch fishing trawler, at anchor in the Glumag, south of here. Glumag Harbour is a deep bay in Stornoway Harbour. The trawler is the Ariadne out of Scheveningen in Holland (get your tongue round that name). Scheveningen is a resort and fishing port situated between the city of The Hague and the North Sea. The Hague is the seat of government in Holland (which therefore does not reside in the capital Amsterdam).

Went out earlier on to take pics of said trawler and the cloudscapes this morning, which are much more rewarding than earlier in the week. Temperatures are mediocre, at only 4C, but better than yesterday's -1C at this hour. Will post pictures later today.

Friday 28 November

Many thanks for your expressions of support in response to my previous post. There are things afoot both on-line and off, which I cannot discuss on an open blog. It requires sorting out, which I find singularly hard. I am calling round the odd blog or two as I find time or inclination.

Out here in the Hebrides, it went dark after half past two this afternoon, with rain, sleet and snow falling on the town of Stornoway. It is also very cold, with the mercury barely above freezing. Officially, by the way, the sun sets at 3.45pm. With the clouds overhead, it just doesn't get light through the day.

Notice

With the apparent breakdown of yet another on-line friendship looming, I think it's time I took myself out of blogging for a considerable if not permanent period of time. I think I'm just plain wasting my time. I don't believe a word of it any more.

Thursday 27 November

Just had a snower of snow out here - big flakes, which did not settle. Does show how cold it is outside, only a degree or two above freezing. Today is Thanksgiving, and not just in the USA. It is also a public holiday here in Lewis, with church services, schools and some shops closed. I am not aware of a turkey tradition, like in America, that is more commonly served at Christmas.

I was horrified to hear of a concerted series of attacks in Bombay (now Mumbai) in India, which have claimed more than 100 lives. Situation is still fluid and by no means under control.

Remember that infamous date on our calendar? 31 October 2008? The day AOL Journals was closed down. Well, I've got another date like that on my own calendar. BBC Island Blogging is closing down next January. For the past 3 years, I have been writing on there about life on Lewis, but I've just read that this will now cease. Unlike AOL, the BBC offers plenty cooperation and actually asks the community what it wants. Also, the blogs won't be deleted, again unlike AOL. I'm a very sad bunny at the moment, and it's been a crapola year altogether.

Wednesday 26 November

Blustery day with the odd drop of drizzle and the odd chink of blue sky or even ray of sunshine today. Gales anticipated for tonight.

The North Atlantic hurricane season is coming to a quiet conclusion, but it has been far from quiet this year. Jeff Masters, who runs a very useful blog on Weather Underground, has written a summary. Cuba had 3 major hurricanes, and there will be a few names withdrawn from the rotating list on account of damage or loss of life. Ike will probably be one of them, but we need to await a decision by the World Meteorological Organisation on that.
At the moment, a cyclonic storm is battering northern Sri Lanka and the far south of India with winds of up to force 10 on the Beaufort scale. It will move ashore later today, to reemerge in the Arabian Sea in a few days' time.

Evening notes

I am not very conscientious about keeping up to date with everybody's journals, but am a wee bit distracted at the moment. For the moment, I would like to wish our American friends much fun in the run-up to Thanksgiving this weekend, a festival (as I explained earlier) also celebrated here in Lewis. On Thursday to be precise. No turkeys here, just a visit to church for the faithful.

Was watching a film about the Callanish Stones, which stand 18 miles away on the west coast of Lewis. They are 5,000 years old, and not a lot is known about them. It was funny when a local man said that at one point he had told visitors they were lucky to find the Stones up. In October, they take them down for the winter, to put them back up again in Easter. Ostensibly. I'll close this post with some pics I took at Callanish at the end of June last year. All pictures were taken close to midnight. For reference, we're at latitude 58 North here.

Says it all

Tuesday 25 November

One month to go until Christmas. It is a cool but dry day in the islands, although a fine drizzle has just started.

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the independence of former Dutch colony Suriname. This small country sits on the north coast of South America, between British and French Guyana. Its primary means of subsistence is the export of bauxite, the ore from which aluminium is extracted.

Following independence, a large number of Surinamers (as they call themselves) flocked to the mother country, Netherlands. In 1980, a military coup toppled the government and army leader Desi Bouterse took over the reigns of power. The most infamous episode is the so-called December Murders, in which 15 leading opponents of Mr Bouterse were killed, allegedly by his supporters but at his direction. A civilian government has since returned to the country.

Monday 24 November

Bright and sunny day, if still cold, with the odd shower about. Went into town just before midday to have an amble round the harbour. Ended up in the library caff for a bowl of soup. It made quite a difference to have the sun out, rather than the continuous wind and rain of the weekend. Temperatures are still mediocre, at barely 5C. MV Pentalina B continues to be our freight ferry, while the normal boat, MV Muirneag, remains in dry-dock for its annual refit.

Customer service

I had to bite back a sardonic cackle this evening when I logged into my blog, to be greeted by an advert from AOL Broadband UK. The greatest customer service, was the subtitle. Good grief, how dare they.

Six minutes five seconds

Dmitri Shostakovich wrote this second movement to his 2nd Pianoconcierto in A-minor. Don't say you aren't reaching for the tissues by the end of it.

Victor Borge - need I say more?

Sunday 23 November

It is pitch dark as I type this at 5.40pm, the sun having long since set. The weather today was wet, windy and cold, a maximum of 7C / 45F just being achieved. Nothing to write home about. Having a quiet day, with a bit of reading and catching up. I am currently going through "A Shilling for your Scowl", about abuse of power by one man - who was allowed to do so by the establishment in the mid-19th century in the Isle of Lewis. He held 32 public offices at the same time, some patently incompatible with being held by one man.

A couple is suing McDonalds after images on a phone they accidentally left behind in one of their stores appeared on the internet. Nude ones. McDonalds had promised to secure the phone, but something leaked. Cautionary tale: if you put compromising material on your phone, either lock it or take it off as soon as possible.

AOL dial-up

If there is anyone in the UK still accessing AOL by dial-up, I would like to know how they do it. Last week, my broadband connection (not by AOL) failed and I wanted to go on line to find out on the ISP's website. I had previously removed the AOL 9.0 software, but reinstalled it for this purpose. When it came to the bit where the program dials a number to find out the access numbers for the dial-up service, the modem could be heard receiving the "number not known" signal, but not acting on it. So, is there still a dial-up service on AOL UK, and there is, what is its access number?

Saturday 22 November

Quiet if rather cold day out here, the weatherstation at the airport (3 miles away) reports 3C / 37F. My father, over in Holland, sent me pictures this morning showing a blanket of snow. Much like we had in Stornoway 4 weeks ago. Not today - it is just overcast with little wind.

Mainland Scotland is affected by heavy snow, which makes driving very difficult. Further south, a warm front which will come in off the Atlantic is expected to bring black-ice and freezing rain on Sunday. This will herald a change to milder weather. It's late November, so what do you expect.

Once more, suicide by chatroom has reared its ugly head. A young man, aged 19, had announced he was going to take his life, which he proceeded to do live on webcam. For hours, he lay motionless in front of his camera, before the moderator of the chatroom was notified and police were called. Although some chatters had tried to dissuade the victim, others had egged him on to go for it. Just goes to show what some people are like. It also goes to show how a chatroom serves to de-personify people, by making them less like real people.

Friday 21 November

Very cold today, with the mercury not even touching 40F / 4C at the moment. It is snowing as I type, or is it sleet. Over on the mainland, the A9 trunkroad linking Inverness with the Lowlands is blocked at the Slochd summit north of Aviemore. Ferry sailings from the far northeast (Caithness) to Orkney are disrupted due to bad weather, and our freight service is not operating today.

BBC presenters Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross were suspended for 3 months in October, following a grossly offensive broadcast, in which they left crude messages on the answerphone of a well-known actor. Apparently, Mr Ross can be expected to defile our airwaves again in January, and Mr Brand could well be back as well. I never liked Jonathan Ross, and hope he stays off the BBC.

Generally speaking, I find very little worth watching on TV these days. I have access to satellite TV, which pumps 500 channels into the set. Only the BBC channels are really worth watching, particularly the Gaelic channel BBC Alba. And, to my disgrace, Tom & Jerry lol (video courtesy CartoonyA on YouTube)