A bright and fairly sunny day, interspersed with occasional downpours. It was cold, with the mercury barely making it into double figures. I went into town in the morning to obtain further tributes from the 1944 editions of the Stornoway Gazette, related to the Second World War. I shall transcribe these and link them to the WW2 tribute site for this island.
Locally, about 100 job losses have been announced at two major employers: the main Co-op superstore on Macaulay Road and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the council). The Co-op is shedding 24 full-time equivalent posts, meaning that 50 people will be paid off. The Comhairle is getting rid of 50 staff. This is devastating for a small community like Lewis; the town of Stornoway has a population of about 9,000, to put it into perspective. The Co-op staff to be laid off are mainly part-time workers.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Monday, 10 October 2011
Monday 10 October
The day started bright and sunny, but by midday, the showers started. Looking at one passing to the south of us at the moment (5.40pm), there could be hail in amongst the precipitation. With the mercury at a cold 9C, that is certainly not to be ruled out.
There was a controversy locally today due to a major NATO exercise in the Minch and around Cape Wrath. GPS signals were being jammed by the Ministry of Defense as part of the exercise, but there were complaints from fishermen and ferry operators. GPS allows mariners to pinpoint their location accurately, helping them to avoid underwater hazards such as reefs and wrecks. The MOD has now suspended the jamming of the GPS signals. Local contacts also tell me that satellite TV reception was affected, as was radio-link Internet access.
There was a controversy locally today due to a major NATO exercise in the Minch and around Cape Wrath. GPS signals were being jammed by the Ministry of Defense as part of the exercise, but there were complaints from fishermen and ferry operators. GPS allows mariners to pinpoint their location accurately, helping them to avoid underwater hazards such as reefs and wrecks. The MOD has now suspended the jamming of the GPS signals. Local contacts also tell me that satellite TV reception was affected, as was radio-link Internet access.
Report illegal migrants
Prime Minister David Cameron has moved down the dangerous road of urging people to report illegal migrants. I am not in favour of law-breaking, and am not in favour of people gaining entry to the country when they are not entitled to do so. However, Mr Cameron's idea could play into the hands of the xenophobic elements within society, and lead to a witchhunt. It smacks to me of events in Germany and Nazi-occupied territories of the 1930s and early 1940s, when people were rounded up and carted away for their religion or under other pretexts. Yes, I am overreacting, but this appeal really leaves a filthy taste in my mouth.
Hurricane update - 10 October
Hurricane Jova is threatening the Pacific coastline of Mexico. The latest forecast shows the storm blowing ashore on Tuesday afternoon local time as a category IV hurricane, with winds of 115 knots if not higher. At the moment, a hurricane warning is in force from Punta San Telmo to Cabo Corrientes and a tropical storm warning from Lazaro Cardenas to Punta San Telmo. Apart from the high winds, Jova will also come with up to 15 inches of rain, which could unleash flashfloods and mudslides, as well as a substantial storm surge.
Jova is the 10th storm of the East Pacific season, and the 5th major hurricane in that basin this year. Irwin is following in its wake, but is a weak tropical storm, beaten down by the outflow from Jova which is not far away to its east.
Hurricanes are Nature's safety valve, serving to funnel excess heat from the ocean in the tropics away to higher latitudes. Whilst the cloud tops may be as cold as -85C (-65F) at 10 miles above the surface, the temperature in the eye at the same altitude can be as high as +19C (66F). A hurricane (typhoon or tropical cyclone, all the same thing) requires water temperatures of at least 26C / 80F and an absence of windshear (winds blowing at different speeds and/or directions at different levels of the atmosphere). Once ashore, a tropical cyclone will rapidly weaken and dissipate.
Jova is the 10th storm of the East Pacific season, and the 5th major hurricane in that basin this year. Irwin is following in its wake, but is a weak tropical storm, beaten down by the outflow from Jova which is not far away to its east.
Hurricanes are Nature's safety valve, serving to funnel excess heat from the ocean in the tropics away to higher latitudes. Whilst the cloud tops may be as cold as -85C (-65F) at 10 miles above the surface, the temperature in the eye at the same altitude can be as high as +19C (66F). A hurricane (typhoon or tropical cyclone, all the same thing) requires water temperatures of at least 26C / 80F and an absence of windshear (winds blowing at different speeds and/or directions at different levels of the atmosphere). Once ashore, a tropical cyclone will rapidly weaken and dissipate.
Sunday 9 October
A slightly less chilly day than Saturday, if only because there was less wind. Kept myself occupied transcribing a number of 19th century newspaper articles which referred to the Hebrides. One was a detailed description of the aftermath of the clipper Maju foundering off the coast at Barvas, here in Lewis. The items washed ashore included several corpses, or parts thereof; ship's papers and sundry bits and pieces, including a sailor's hat. The Maju had been en route to Rangoon, but was caught out in an autumnal gale, which proved its undoing.
A containership has run aground off New Zealand and has dumped tons of its fuel oil in the sea. A gale is forecast for the area for Monday, which could break the ship up. It could also help to disperse any oil, we hope.
A containership has run aground off New Zealand and has dumped tons of its fuel oil in the sea. A gale is forecast for the area for Monday, which could break the ship up. It could also help to disperse any oil, we hope.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Saturday 8 October
Good morning all from a wet, grey and dismal Stornoway.
It is 7 years ago today that I started to write a blog, called Northern Trip. This link will take you to that first entry. Northern Trip was hosted on AOL, which pulled its blogging service three years ago this month. A lot of bloggers stopped blogging at that time, and others moved to Blogger or other providers. Facebook has allowed us to re-establish contact, fortunately.
I may put up another entry later today, but will close this post with some of the pictures I took on 8 October 2004.
The Cuillin mountains in Skye
Camus Fhionnairigh [Camusunary]
It is 7 years ago today that I started to write a blog, called Northern Trip. This link will take you to that first entry. Northern Trip was hosted on AOL, which pulled its blogging service three years ago this month. A lot of bloggers stopped blogging at that time, and others moved to Blogger or other providers. Facebook has allowed us to re-establish contact, fortunately.
I may put up another entry later today, but will close this post with some of the pictures I took on 8 October 2004.
The Cuillin mountains in Skye
Camus Fhionnairigh [Camusunary]
Friday 7 October
Over the last two days, the weather has turned noticeably colder. Yesterday saw some hail showers, with the mercury barely into double figures, and today was no better.
At the moment, there is a large naval exercise on-going around Cape Wrath, 60 miles northeast of Stornoway. A German frigate is cruising up and down the Minch, and Polish and Estonian naval vessels are holed up in Loch Ewe (on the west coast of the Scottish mainland).
Today, there was an angry demonstration outside the offices of Western Isles Council, as a senior executive of a fuel supplier paid a visit. The fuel prices in these islands are incredible, some 20 to 30 pence per liter higher than in Inverness. Everybody is affected by this, not just people with cars. Bus fares have increased by a third in recent years, as have taxi fares. Accusations of profiteering have been leveled against the company involved. For reference, a litre of fuel in Inverness costs £1.30 per litre, but in South Uist, they charge £1.60 per litre. American readers: that equates to between $7.60 and $9.50 a gallon.
At the moment, there is a large naval exercise on-going around Cape Wrath, 60 miles northeast of Stornoway. A German frigate is cruising up and down the Minch, and Polish and Estonian naval vessels are holed up in Loch Ewe (on the west coast of the Scottish mainland).
Today, there was an angry demonstration outside the offices of Western Isles Council, as a senior executive of a fuel supplier paid a visit. The fuel prices in these islands are incredible, some 20 to 30 pence per liter higher than in Inverness. Everybody is affected by this, not just people with cars. Bus fares have increased by a third in recent years, as have taxi fares. Accusations of profiteering have been leveled against the company involved. For reference, a litre of fuel in Inverness costs £1.30 per litre, but in South Uist, they charge £1.60 per litre. American readers: that equates to between $7.60 and $9.50 a gallon.
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Wednesday 5 October
Another autumnal day, with heavy downpours and quite breezy. The red-hot pokers that used to liven up late September and early October in recent years have been blown and broken by last Monday's gale, and the stalk propping up the eucalyptus tree was snapped by the high winds. Anyone got any green twine going spare? The roll in this house must have been used up or summat.
Good news as this day draws to a close: Sarah Palin has decided not to run for president of the USA. With all due respect to the former governor of AK, she has made the dropping of clangers a trademark, and one that a US president should only flaunt after (s)he has come into office and become endeared to the populace. See George Dubya and Ronald Reagan. Wasn't it Sarah Palin who said that the US needed a president who had balls? Well, that ruled her out by default, and I'm pleased she has acted on that. With apologies to my American friends.
I am just finding out that the water supply in parts of North Uist is contaminated with aluminium. It applies to the area from Scolpaig west and south to Grimsay; Lochmaddy and Benbecula's supplies are unaffected. People have been supplied with bottled water, left on their doorsteps, with the instruction only to use tapwater for flushing toilets or washing laundry. The article contains a list of places affected, and a contact telephone number.
Good news as this day draws to a close: Sarah Palin has decided not to run for president of the USA. With all due respect to the former governor of AK, she has made the dropping of clangers a trademark, and one that a US president should only flaunt after (s)he has come into office and become endeared to the populace. See George Dubya and Ronald Reagan. Wasn't it Sarah Palin who said that the US needed a president who had balls? Well, that ruled her out by default, and I'm pleased she has acted on that. With apologies to my American friends.
I am just finding out that the water supply in parts of North Uist is contaminated with aluminium. It applies to the area from Scolpaig west and south to Grimsay; Lochmaddy and Benbecula's supplies are unaffected. People have been supplied with bottled water, left on their doorsteps, with the instruction only to use tapwater for flushing toilets or washing laundry. The article contains a list of places affected, and a contact telephone number.
Tuesday 4 October
Not a terribly attractive day in terms of weather, with intermittent showers and strong winds. Yesterday's gales led to mountainous waves off the west coast of Lewis, some up to 50 feet (15 metres) tall. The highest gusts reached 66 mph / 106 km/h in places. It led to disruption, which appeared to continue, judging by the output on the Calmac website. Fortunately, that was all wrong, due to a website error.
There was good news in that the Emergency Towing Vessels will be retained along the Scottish coast for a limited period of time. The ETVs were introduced following the 1993 Braer disaster. The Braer foundered at Shetland and shed its cargo of crude oil. Disaster was averted because of stormforce winds, which served to turn the sea into a big mixing cauldron, dispersing the oil through wave action. The tug in the Minch has proved its worth; last year, it pulled the nuclear submarine HMS Astute from a shingle-bank at Kyleakin.
There was good news in that the Emergency Towing Vessels will be retained along the Scottish coast for a limited period of time. The ETVs were introduced following the 1993 Braer disaster. The Braer foundered at Shetland and shed its cargo of crude oil. Disaster was averted because of stormforce winds, which served to turn the sea into a big mixing cauldron, dispersing the oil through wave action. The tug in the Minch has proved its worth; last year, it pulled the nuclear submarine HMS Astute from a shingle-bank at Kyleakin.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Monday 3 October
Very windy today, with a full gale in the morning, which abated only slowly through the day. Gusts at the Butt of Lewis reached nearly 70 mph at midday. Ferry services up and down the west coast were severely disrupted, but our ferry ploughed its way across the Minch, if rather delayed. In the afternoon, the sun even came out from time to time.
My friend who was in hospital returned home today, much to everyone's relief. The next couple of months will hopefully see a slow recovery, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
My friend who was in hospital returned home today, much to everyone's relief. The next couple of months will hopefully see a slow recovery, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Sunday 2 October
Beautiful sunny day, feeling and smelling autumnal. The trees are beginning to turn and there is that smell in the air of fallen leaves. Tomorrow, the first serious autumnal gale is due, with another one on the calendar for Wednesday. The latter one is the remnant of hurricane Ophelia, which will batter Newfoundland tomorrow.
My friend in the hospital is coming home tomorrow, ending a 9-day period of uncertainty. It was a long road from Ballantrushal...
I promised some pictures, and I'm going to fill the rest of this post with a selection of them.
Waiting for the bus from the hospital back into town, this view of Laxdale and Newmarket has become only too familiar to me...
My friend in the hospital is coming home tomorrow, ending a 9-day period of uncertainty. It was a long road from Ballantrushal...
I promised some pictures, and I'm going to fill the rest of this post with a selection of them.
Waiting for the bus from the hospital back into town, this view of Laxdale and Newmarket has become only too familiar to me...
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Saturday 1 October
Very unusual for me to start leaving gaps in my updates on this blog, but I find myself going back and forth to the local hospital twice a day to attend a good friend, who broke their ankle last Saturday. I am on a promise not to divulge further details on the WWW, but in amongst the rest of the daily activities, I don't seem to get down to blogging. With my 7th blogoversary coming up next Saturday, I promise to do better in the days to come. Perhaps if I spend less time watching Ice Road Truckers, or all the 26 episodes of the World at War...
The local hospital is about a mile and a half from my position, on the other side of Stornoway, and although I could walk it, I don't fancy four walks of 45 minutes each through the day. So, I hop on the bus. The fares were raised today - fair (sic) enough, but I am less than pleased with the timetabling on the town routes, and the way these routes are presented on paper (or the WWW). However, I suppose those that draw up these routes aren't the ones using it. The worst aspect is the buses that have not turned up since the timetables changed 7 weeks ago. Oh well, there's always something to gripe about, I suppose.Tomorrow, I'll be walking to the hospital, as there is no Sunday service. I'm not complaining about that, by the way. And I hope that my trips to the hospital will come to an end very soon.
Yesterday, Friday, we had a stupendous sunset. The sky was on fire, and there was an amazing gamut of colour on display in the west. To the east, a huge rainbow spanned the skies, appearing (from my standpoint) to emanate from the chimneys of the local powerstation, up the road. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Did I mention the typhoon that is pommeling the Philippines? Nalgae is the second typhoon within a week to lash Luzon Island with high winds and heavy rain. Vietnam is next in line to see this system, in about 4 days' time. A hurricane in the Atlantic, Ophelia, could do something nasty to Newfoundland on Monday.
The local hospital is about a mile and a half from my position, on the other side of Stornoway, and although I could walk it, I don't fancy four walks of 45 minutes each through the day. So, I hop on the bus. The fares were raised today - fair (sic) enough, but I am less than pleased with the timetabling on the town routes, and the way these routes are presented on paper (or the WWW). However, I suppose those that draw up these routes aren't the ones using it. The worst aspect is the buses that have not turned up since the timetables changed 7 weeks ago. Oh well, there's always something to gripe about, I suppose.Tomorrow, I'll be walking to the hospital, as there is no Sunday service. I'm not complaining about that, by the way. And I hope that my trips to the hospital will come to an end very soon.
Yesterday, Friday, we had a stupendous sunset. The sky was on fire, and there was an amazing gamut of colour on display in the west. To the east, a huge rainbow spanned the skies, appearing (from my standpoint) to emanate from the chimneys of the local powerstation, up the road. I'll post pictures tomorrow.
Did I mention the typhoon that is pommeling the Philippines? Nalgae is the second typhoon within a week to lash Luzon Island with high winds and heavy rain. Vietnam is next in line to see this system, in about 4 days' time. A hurricane in the Atlantic, Ophelia, could do something nasty to Newfoundland on Monday.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Wednesday 28 September
A very strange day in terms of weather. After the initial clouds had rolled away, the temperature shot up to an unusually high 20C / 68F. That sort of 'heat' is usually confined to July or August; late September should see our temps down to 14C / 57F. However, it was quite welcome to have a spot of summer weather.
I was equally pleased to note that Scottish National Heritage is objecting to a large windfarm, which has been proposed for an area about 4 miles west of Stornoway. It would sit between the Pentland Road, Lochs Road and Cleascro Road, with the village of Achmore at its western apex (see this Google Map). SNH is insisting that a third of the turbines be removed. This would make the windfarm economically unviable, as its output would be too low to justify the construction of the subsea electricity cable (the interconnector). Similarly, the RSPB is insisting that the scheme be scaled back.
As a perceived result of the Arab Spring, women in Saudi Arabia have taken to going behind the wheel of a car (unaccompanied). That is illegal in that country, and one woman has been apprehended, tried and sentenced to ten lashes. King Abdullah (presumably as a result of the international outcry) has overturned the sentence, according to the BBC's Frank Gardner.
I was equally pleased to note that Scottish National Heritage is objecting to a large windfarm, which has been proposed for an area about 4 miles west of Stornoway. It would sit between the Pentland Road, Lochs Road and Cleascro Road, with the village of Achmore at its western apex (see this Google Map). SNH is insisting that a third of the turbines be removed. This would make the windfarm economically unviable, as its output would be too low to justify the construction of the subsea electricity cable (the interconnector). Similarly, the RSPB is insisting that the scheme be scaled back.
As a perceived result of the Arab Spring, women in Saudi Arabia have taken to going behind the wheel of a car (unaccompanied). That is illegal in that country, and one woman has been apprehended, tried and sentenced to ten lashes. King Abdullah (presumably as a result of the international outcry) has overturned the sentence, according to the BBC's Frank Gardner.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Tuesday 27 September
Busy at the moment assisting the friend currently in hospital with a broken ankle. The stay there looks like being rather longer than initially hoped. I am not prepared to go into further detail on an open Internet site.
Monday was gloriously sunny albeit breezy, making a nice break from the dismally grey weather we've been having of late. The wet stuff put in a day-long appearance today (Tuesday), making it eminently forgettable. Elsewhere in the UK, the mercury is shooting up to the mid 20s celsius, but we're in the mid teens. Well, someone's got to have it bad, so why not us.
The row surrounding Sunday ferries out of Tarbert (Harris) continues apace, but although the Lord's Day Observance Society claims (perhaps correctly) that no community consultation has taken place, I don't feel they have a leg to stand on. There is a Sunday ferry out of Stornoway, Leverburgh, Lochmaddy, Lochboisdale and Castlebay - all ports in the area of the Western Isles Council. Furthermore, someone in Harris must have been asking for it. In addition, a ferry already leaves Tarbert on Sunday morning, to return the same evening - so why not allow passengers and vehicles on it, to make it pay for itself? I'm sorry, but I am glad that the times are over when the church dictated what you could do on a certain day, even if you are not a member of said church.
Monday was gloriously sunny albeit breezy, making a nice break from the dismally grey weather we've been having of late. The wet stuff put in a day-long appearance today (Tuesday), making it eminently forgettable. Elsewhere in the UK, the mercury is shooting up to the mid 20s celsius, but we're in the mid teens. Well, someone's got to have it bad, so why not us.
The row surrounding Sunday ferries out of Tarbert (Harris) continues apace, but although the Lord's Day Observance Society claims (perhaps correctly) that no community consultation has taken place, I don't feel they have a leg to stand on. There is a Sunday ferry out of Stornoway, Leverburgh, Lochmaddy, Lochboisdale and Castlebay - all ports in the area of the Western Isles Council. Furthermore, someone in Harris must have been asking for it. In addition, a ferry already leaves Tarbert on Sunday morning, to return the same evening - so why not allow passengers and vehicles on it, to make it pay for itself? I'm sorry, but I am glad that the times are over when the church dictated what you could do on a certain day, even if you are not a member of said church.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Sunday 25 September
Our autumnal weather continues, with frequent downpours and very strong winds this afternoon. Highest winds were 30 mph, gusting to 43 mph at the airport. There were some angry white horses rippling the Basin outside my position at one point. Visited the casualty from yesterday's accident at Ballantrushal in hospital twice today. There is hope of a discharge tomorrow, pending assessment of the use of crutches.
I have copied the 1943 tributes to the Internet, and now just need to link them into the various pages of the WW2 tribute site. Alongside that, I am currently working to make the Excel files available for viewing on Google Docs, including an all-islands file. I made separate tribute sites for Harris and the Uists (Berneray to Vatersay). The WW1 tribute site for Lewis remains as well.
I have copied the 1943 tributes to the Internet, and now just need to link them into the various pages of the WW2 tribute site. Alongside that, I am currently working to make the Excel files available for viewing on Google Docs, including an all-islands file. I made separate tribute sites for Harris and the Uists (Berneray to Vatersay). The WW1 tribute site for Lewis remains as well.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Hurricane update 24 September
Ophelia is a strange tropical storm, waxing and waning in intensity. It is not a threat to land, as it sits 400 miles east of the Leeward Islands, and forecast to move northwest.
Philippe is the latest tropical storm in the Atlantic, south of the Cape Verde Islands. This system too is not threatening land, but is worth watching once it veers north. It is not often that we see a hurricane in the eastern troipcal Atlantic.
Hilary is a category IV hurricane in the eastern Pacific, and is a tiny but intense system, carrying winds of 140 mph near its centre. Winds of galeforce stop beyond 85 miles from the centre.
Nesat is a tropical storm in the Pacific, which is going to do very nasty things to Luzon Island in the Philippines, which can expect winds of 130 knots (160 mph) in a few days' time. After passing over land, the storm will regenerate in the South China Sea and could hit Hong Kong with winds of 115 mph by Wednesday or Thursday.
21W is a tropical depression off the coast of Vietnam, which won't get much stronger than the current 30 knots (force 7 on the Beaufort scale) before it comes ashore in Vietnam.
91L is a tropical disturbance off Cape Canaveral and over the northwestern Bahamas, which looks like getting its act together. Will be interesting to see what it does when I next check the tropical cyclones after 9 am GMT tomorrow!
Philippe is the latest tropical storm in the Atlantic, south of the Cape Verde Islands. This system too is not threatening land, but is worth watching once it veers north. It is not often that we see a hurricane in the eastern troipcal Atlantic.
Hilary is a category IV hurricane in the eastern Pacific, and is a tiny but intense system, carrying winds of 140 mph near its centre. Winds of galeforce stop beyond 85 miles from the centre.
Nesat is a tropical storm in the Pacific, which is going to do very nasty things to Luzon Island in the Philippines, which can expect winds of 130 knots (160 mph) in a few days' time. After passing over land, the storm will regenerate in the South China Sea and could hit Hong Kong with winds of 115 mph by Wednesday or Thursday.
21W is a tropical depression off the coast of Vietnam, which won't get much stronger than the current 30 knots (force 7 on the Beaufort scale) before it comes ashore in Vietnam.
91L is a tropical disturbance off Cape Canaveral and over the northwestern Bahamas, which looks like getting its act together. Will be interesting to see what it does when I next check the tropical cyclones after 9 am GMT tomorrow!
Saturday 24 September
A day of heavy showers, interspersed with bright sunshine. The Norwegian cruiseliner Fram was in port. She is a regular occurrence at the end of the season. Went out in a car, aiming to show someone round Ness, but our expedition had to be aborted at Ballantrushal, after one of the company broke their ankle due to slipping on wet and muddy ground. Person concerned has undergone surgery and is doing fine. Western Isles Hospital A&E was full of people who had suffered injuries, resulting from the wet conditions.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Friday 23 September
Didn't do an entry yesterday, but I'll catch up today. Both yesterday and today, I transcribed the tributes from the local paper for island servicemen who fell during World War II in the year 1943. Over the weekend, I'll plant those on the internet and link them into the tribute site for WW2. Next week, I'll make a start on the year 1944.
The weather is autumnal. That's very much appropriate, as the astronomical autumn started at 09.04 GMT this morning. There are frequent heavy showers, and this afternoon, the rain was pretty much continuous. As I type this, late on Friday evening, the wind has picked up to force 5 or 6 and is rumbling about the house. Not complaining about temperatures, which currently stand at 14C / 57F - at 11pm at night.
Our MP has received an apology from the government in London over an e-petition which called for the removal of rioters to the Outer Hebrides for a period of 5 years - by way of punishment for the violence that gripped cities south of the border in August. The petition contained some derogatory remarks about the islanders and the way of life here, which suggested we were still stuck in the 19th century. We're not. The fact I'm posting this on the internet using a broadband connection says enough.
And did I tell you all about the price hike of 4p/litre of fuel this week, in some rural petrol stations? That appears to be in response to a reduction in fuel prices of 5p/litre, which has been proposed by the UK government. The suppliers here are now accused of abusing their near-monopoly to push petrol prices to £1.62 per litre in South Uist - for my American readers, that equates to $9.50 per gallon.
The weather is autumnal. That's very much appropriate, as the astronomical autumn started at 09.04 GMT this morning. There are frequent heavy showers, and this afternoon, the rain was pretty much continuous. As I type this, late on Friday evening, the wind has picked up to force 5 or 6 and is rumbling about the house. Not complaining about temperatures, which currently stand at 14C / 57F - at 11pm at night.
Our MP has received an apology from the government in London over an e-petition which called for the removal of rioters to the Outer Hebrides for a period of 5 years - by way of punishment for the violence that gripped cities south of the border in August. The petition contained some derogatory remarks about the islanders and the way of life here, which suggested we were still stuck in the 19th century. We're not. The fact I'm posting this on the internet using a broadband connection says enough.
And did I tell you all about the price hike of 4p/litre of fuel this week, in some rural petrol stations? That appears to be in response to a reduction in fuel prices of 5p/litre, which has been proposed by the UK government. The suppliers here are now accused of abusing their near-monopoly to push petrol prices to £1.62 per litre in South Uist - for my American readers, that equates to $9.50 per gallon.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Wednesday 21 September
A cold, autumnal day, with rain in the morning and heavy, blustery showers in the afternoon. The mercury has gone down to barely double figures, 11C at the moment and wind at force 6 from the southwest. That's of course nothing in comparison to central Japan, where typhoon Roke blasted through earlier today, with winds of 90 mph and 600 mm of rain. The remnant of the storm is headed for Fukushima on the northeast coast, where the copious amounts of rain will cause problems at the wrecked nuclear facility there.
Facebook has made a few changes too many, and the site is trying to be like Twitter, with fast-moving updates; like Google Plus with new-fangled groups and whatever. They'll be their own undoing.
Facebook has made a few changes too many, and the site is trying to be like Twitter, with fast-moving updates; like Google Plus with new-fangled groups and whatever. They'll be their own undoing.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
The Highest Apple
Lyrics copied from Where Mountains meet the Sea
Performed by Runrig
An Ubhal as Airde
Comhla rium
A tha thu an drasd
Mo shuilean duinte, mo chuimhne dan
Nam sheasamh a' coimhead
Gach cnoc is gach traigh
Is an siol a dh'fhag thu ann a 'fas
Tha an garradh lan
Le craobhan treun
Le meas a' fas dhuinn ann ri bhuain
Ubhlan abaich
Milis geur
Ach tha aon ubhal nach ruig sinn idir air
Seididh gaoth is dearrsaidh grian
Tro mheas nan craobhan lin gu lin
Ach thig an la is thig an t-am
Airson an ubhal as airde
Air a' chraobh a bhuain
Is co 'nar measg
A mhaireas la
Seachad air am is air oidhche fhein
A liuthad uair
A shreap mi suas
Airson an ubhal as airde chur gu beul
Seididh gaoth is dearrsaidh grian
Tro mheas nan craobhan lin gu lin
Ach thig an la is thig an t-am
Airson an ubhal as airde
Air a' chraobh a bhuain
The Highest Apple
At present
All you were is with me
My eyes closed, my memory confident
Standing here watching
Each hill and shoreline
With the seed you left
Still growing
The garden is well stocked
With mighty trees
With fruit growing for the whole world
Ripe, sweet
And bitter apples
And the one apple
That is beyond reach
The winds will blow
And the sun will shine
From generation to generation
Through the trees of the garden
But the day and the hour
Will surely come
To take the highest apple
From the knowledge tree
Who amongst us
Can exist a single day
Beyond our own time and our own limits
Countless and futile
Are times I've climbed
To reach and taste
The forbidden fruit
The winds will blow
And the sun will shine
From generation to generation
Through the trees of the garden
But the day and the hour
Will surely come
To take the highest apple
From the knowledge tree
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