Caritas

A mirror post from I Stand Corrected
More than a decade ago, I sang a piece by Maurice Duruflé called Ubi Caritas. How do you translate caritas? There's a challenge for you. Charity? Love? Friendship?

First of all, I have to refer to a letter in the Bible, the first from Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 13. Where it says "love", I have reason to believe that this was translated from the word caritas. What is love? Is it the love between man and wife, male and female? That is what we usually understand the word love to mean. Love, however, doesn't just cover the emotion that underpins a marital relationship. There is the love that a parent has towards a child. The love a child has towards its parent. More than that, love also exists outside family relations. There is friendship, a special branch of the tree of love, if you like.

Back to caritas. In some translations of the Bible (and don't start me off on that subject), it is translated as charity. Charity is usually understood to be the free gift of goods or money for the benefit of the less fortunate members of mankind. Particularly here in Stornoway, charity thrives. More than half a dozen charity shops, each working for a different organisation, e.g. the Red Cross, Blythswood, Breast Cancer support. the Lifeboat etc. But where does love come into that equation? The love of fellow man, I suppose. But a degree of doubt if not cynicism is creeping into my mind. Isn't it often the case that people give to charity to assuage their guilty conscience? Yes, I'm a cynic. Although it is a good thing to part with some of your worldly goods for the benefit of others, it is a distant member of the family of love. And often it is a case of seen to be doing good.

Ubi Caritas.
Love is everywhere.

I think it is eminently apt that we can't properly translate the word caritas. For it spans the whole spectrum of human emotion. I'll leave you with a performance I dug out of YouTube.

Close of month

Tomorrow will see in the month of June, and it promises to start the way May has ended: on a theme of blazing sunshine. It will also herald the start of the North Atlantic hurricane season. This has already fired a warning shot across the bows, in the shape of a tropical depression last week. Nobody was bothered by that (apart from seafarers south of Nova Scotia), and wouldn't have produced more than a force 7 out at sea.

If you're in Hurricane Alley: be prepared.

Photo entry - 28 May (part 2)

Cliff [Cliobh]


Rather them than me


Valtos Old Burial Ground


Ewe and its lamb


Empire of stone


Near phonebox in Miavaig


Roadsign at Miavaig


Erista

Photo entry - 28 May (part 1)

Interior of crofthouse, Uig Museum, Timsgarry


This is what is meant by dreich


Valtos Glen from the top of the cliffs


View out towards Miavaig


Descending towards Cliff Beach

Photo entry - 29 May evening

Photo entry - 30 May, afternoon

The Bays Bus rollercoaster


St Clement's Church, Rodel







Tarbert

Photo entry - 30 May, morning

3.27 a.m.


Scarista


Northton


Leverburgh


MV Loch Portain, heading for Berneray


Yacht and lighthouse at Leverburgh

Sunday 31 May

Oops, am falling into bad habits: no entry yesterday either. Those who follow me on Facebook and Twitter know that I spent most of the day in Harris. Went down on the 9.35 bus to Leverburgh (that's 55 miles away to the south), which took 2 hours. After looking round the pier had lunch in the Anchorage restaurant, which sits right next to the ferry slip. At 1.20pm, we took the wee bus up the Bays area of Harris. It was the usual hair-raising rollercoaster, and I don't recommend it if you are prone to suffer from travel sickness. A short break at Tarbert later got us on the bus back to Stornoway, where we reappeared at 5pm. It started out a bit cloudy, with low clouds, but the sun came out later in the day and it turned out quite warm, with the mercury up to 22C / 71F.

At the moment, low cloud is folling down the Arnish hills, across the harbour. It is otherwise sunny, but the mercury is struggling at 13C. Earlier in the morning, I watched two sailing ships leave port - both restored fishing vessels, like the one in on Monday.

I am currently uploading nearly 200 pictures, and will publish a selection on here later today.

Evening notes

Quite a strange day, in terms of weather. We started overcast and a bit wet, but after midday the sun came out and we got up to 20C / 68F! It was in other words very warm. Tomorrow should be even warmer. Went to see some interesting old fishing boats this evening - much like the one that was in on Monday, but not open to the public. Pictures to follow; I'm out for most of tomorrow (trip to Harris), so it may be a while.

Friday 29 May

No, I didn't do a posting yesterday. Was out to the west of the island and was cold and tired upon return. Went to Uig to see the local museum there, then crossed the few miles east to photograph 3 or 4 wargraves in the cemetery outside Valtos. Found myself waiting for a bus about half an hour at the Miavaig junction. Weather was misty, drizzly and cold with a very strong wind in exposed places. I already remarked on Facebook about the discrepancy in fares: when you go on the postbus, a return costs £5.45, but if you go on the Maclennan's bus (with onward connection from Garynahine) it is £6.00. The distance is 35 miles. May not sound much, but the postbus (which delivers mail along the way) takes 80 minutes, and there is a long section of roadworks, involving poor roadsurfaces etc. I'll make an entry with some pics later.

Wednesday 27 May

Day started out overcast and wet, but the cloud is presently breaking up, allowing the sun to come out. I spent the morning lugging sacks of coal and logs to a new home: an old pallet that someone was desperate to get rid of. When removing the sacks from their old position, the woodlice, centipedes and earthworms scurried away, looking for a new home that was dark, wet and warm. It was unpleasantly cold earlier on, with the thermometer just about cresting 10C / 50F. Now that the sun is back, we should warm up a little.

Spring evening

I am looking out at showerclouds, moving east rather quickly on a blustery westerly wind. They are dumping heavy but brief rainfall on the islands. Typical for the Hebrides in spring.

I am sad to report that a man in his twenties, missing in the Central Highlands since Sunday, has been found dead near Ben Alder. He got separated from his walking partner near the mountain and was reported missing later on Sunday. Police, mountain rescue and a helicopter carried out a search, and located a man's body at the foot of Ben Alder.

Locally, the war of words between the Sabbatarians and the ferry company continues. The row is centered on which piece of legal advice was issued by who and to who. Why equality legislation is being focused on is unclear to me. There is a host of reasons for starting a ferry service asap.

Tuesday 26 May

Quite a nice day out here, with sunshine and fluffy clouds. Although 12C isn't terribly warm, I think I prefer that to the severe thunderstorms that battered Holland overnight. They went up to 27C yesterday. The ferry appears to be sailing on time today, after yesterday's disruption. Away from Stornoway, the ferry from Harris to Uist was disrupted due to low tides and the Barra to Eriskay ferry was full up. It is very busy with visitors at the moment. Many people opt to holiday at home (in the UK), due to the economic recession and the unfavourable £ to € exchange rate. A year ago, 1 pound sterling was worth €1.25, today it is more like €1.10.

Boats galore - II

The ferry has finally left Stornoway, 9 (or 2) hours late. It had technical problems with its bowdoor. Whether these are now fixed I don't know. I can imagine there is a bunch of very fed-up passengers on board.


The cruiseliner Spirit of Adventure is still docked on the other side of the ferry pier. A number of its passengers were taken on tours of the island by coach, as is customary. Weather not too good; although the sun is out, there are some showers about and it feels cold. The other cruiseliner, Quest, is docked on the near side of pier number 1.


The Reaper has moved from the quay at Amity House to Lazy Corner, and was open for visitors today. The crew showed the interested (myself included) round. Tomorrow, they will continue on their round Scotland trip to Scrabster, 20 miles west of John o'Groats.


And I had the very minor inconvenience of an acute boot lace failure. Fortunately, Lewis Crofters had replacement laces, so that was easily sorted.

Missing walker found

The 60-year old walker who was missing around Glen Finnan, has been traced alive and well to Barrisdale in Knoydart, 20 miles away to the north. Automated messages were not being transmitted due to a fault in equipment. The man is continuing on his way to Cape Wrath.

Pointless in the 21st century

I found out last week or so that MSN Encarta is closing down. This morning, they have a list of 10 pointless things in the 21st century, and I can't say I agree with some of it.

Item 10: Ties serve a purpose; they started out as a lady's kerchief, that her champion knight would wear round his neck as he defended her honour. The 16th century ruff did have a purpose; they hid the scars, left on someone's skin if they were suffering from syphilis. That's a sexually transmitted disease with some very nasty symptoms.

Boats galore

Four big boats in port this morning, plus one smaller one - which is about four more than average. The MV Isle of Lewis, the ferry to the mainland, is tied up with bowdoor trouble. She had to sail with its bowdoor closed all week last week, meaning every vehicle had to come and go through the sterndoor; last night, I was going to see the FV Reaper (an old fishing boat), when I noticed the Isle of Lewis with its bowdoor open.

This morning, I was up at the unearthly hour of 7.45, and I saw a small cruiseliner in Glumag Harbour: the Quest. She has been in twice already this season, but was awaiting the arrival of the Spirit of Adventure, a much larger boat. This inched its way into a berth alongside number 3 pier, opposite the ferry. AIS tells me the Quest is docked now as well, by the look of it along number 2 pier. I cannot check it out from my position, as the Spirit of Adventure is blocking my view.

The Reaper is a herring drifter, built in 1902, which has seen service up and down the Scottish east coast. I may pop along later today.

Sunday 24 May

We had a bright spell this afternoon, but it is once more pouring with rain and blowing hard. Last year at this time, when I was not in Lewis, it was wall-to-wall sunshine for 6 weeks. Not this year; back to normal.

An elderly walker is missing around Glen Finnan, 15 miles west of Fort William. He is on the Cape Wrath trail, a long-distance walking trail to Cape Wrath, the farthest point northwest in the British mainland. After the man failed to contact a friend last night, the emergency services are currently searching this remote corner of Lochaber.

Church rules

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has decided tonight that the Presbytery of Aberdeen did nothing wrong in appointing a minister who is homosexual. They do retirate that standards of conduct for ministers remain unchanged. The minister, who officiates in a church in the city of Aberdeen, lives in a homosexual relationship with another man. A complaint was formally lodged with the General Assembly, which is the Court of the Church, but rejected.

Another legal move, an Overture from the Presbytery of Lochcarron-Skye, will be discussed this coming Monday. Adopting the Overture, a proposal for Church law, would mean that training and admitting ministers who are in active homosexual relationships is not allowed.

I am much obliged to Stuart for clarifying this (to me) obscure piece of church law, which is having major repercussions around Scotland and beyond.

Cruiseliner

MV Polar Star called in this morning, and the Hebrides fully answered the expectations of its passengers: it was chucking it down with rain most of the day. Only now is the sun beginning to come out. You need a fairly deep pocket to cruise on Polar Star - $3,500 to $7,000 for a 12 day trip. The vessel can usually be found in Arctic surroundings, and commonly calls into the Hebrides at the start and the end of the season.

Saturday 23 May

Wet and miserable today, not a good day for the runners in the Stornoway Half Marathon. I did not count their number, but it was probably around 100 of them, filing past between 10.10 and 10.25 am. They have a 13 mile course to run, which goes out to Sandwick, then back towards the Castle Grounds, with a finish at the Golf Club.


Image courtesy Stornoway Running and Athletics Club

No, I've never fancied taking part. When I ever did do any running, I would usually perspire after about a quarter of a mile - and that was when I was a teenager. I can walk long distances though (or used to be able to). My longest one-day hike was 21 miles, and not on paved roads or pavements either. On roads like this (Isle of Rum, October 2004).

Hurricane update - 23 May

A tropical disturbance is approaching the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and will make landfall in the state of Mississippi later today. There is a chance of more than 50% that this system will become a tropical depression. Six hours ago, it lay 150 miles south of Mobile AL. Heavy rains and gusty winds of up to 30 mph are occurring from the extreme west of the Florida Panhandle as far as New Orleans.

Please monitor NHC output for the latest information.

Correcting a correction

I am a user of shipspotting.com, where people can upload pictures of ships to the Internet. They also give news related to shipping, and it is in such a news item that automatic correction kicked in - where inappropriate. Spot the fault:

Mariners may need to brush up on their skills with the #OOPS#tant. A recent report from the GAO notes that while the Air Force is in the process of modernizing the Global Positioning System, "it is uncertain that [it] will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected."

What the heck is an #OOPS#tant?

Image courtesy brasscompass.com

Well, it's a sextant.

Friday 22 May

Quiet day, with a lot of cloud but also a lot of blue in between the clouds. Rain is due overnight, and will be continuing through tomorrow. Not much fun for the runners in the Stornoway half-marathon (in which I am NOT taking part).

Revelations continue in the parliamentary expenses scandal, and the stress is beginning to tell on the Honourable Members, who knew full well that they were milking the system. One reacted by saying it was all in envy of his big house - he could be suspended from the Conversative Party - and others warn of suicides. Excuse me. Can we drop the melodrama please?

The Sunday ferry row here in Lewis has brought out the Sabbatarians, as well as all the inaccurate rumours. A gas explosion in the 1970s was divine retribution, as the owner of the house that got destroyed had opened his hostelry on the Sabbath. This coming Sunday, the ferry will be repaired - it can only dock stern first due to a mechanical failure on the bowdoor. It was nearly an hour late coming in this afternoon.

The sky this week

The Naval Oceanography portal (managed by the US Department of Defense) has some useful information. Apart from tropical cyclone information (on which I rely heavily), it also has a feature: The Sky this Week. It can be accessed from the Astronomy section of said portal.

With regard to astronomy, I can about forget about watching stars in the coming weeks. It is not going to get fully dark up here until late July or August. I'll show that picture I took in June 2006, at 1 am.

Tombstoning

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency MCA have launched their tombstoning campaign. Tombstoning is a euphemistic description of a daredevil practice, where (mostly) young people jump from the top of a cliff into the water below. It is an extremely dangerous act to perform, particularly if you don't know what lies below the surface of the water.

Please relay.

Thursday 21 May

Slightly better day in terms of weather - although the showers are still plagueing us, they are not as heavy as yesterday. We are warned against thunder, but that is a rare occurrence in these islands. Thunderstorms usually happen in winter. I was caught up in a fierce one in the middle of an ice / snow / hailstorm in January 2005. The bus I was on was reduced to crawling along at 10 mph on the main road down to Tarbert that afternoon.
Just as I start a new paragraph, a hail shower starts. Right, that's me told.

Seaweed used to be an important part of the economy of the islands off the Scottish west coast. Until 1815, it was a major source of potash (potassium nitrate, used in the production of gunpowder). It has resurfaced once more, and a small firm is using seaweed to produce items for the pharmaceutical, food supplement and other industries. In days gone by, people went down to the shoreline to cut the kelp. Now, a machine has been brought across from America to harvest it from the water. Read more here.


Image courtesy Hebrides News

Midweek pictures

MV Isle of Lewis docking stern-first, because the bowdoors cannot be opened. Repairs will be carried out this weekend.





The weather today was very iffy, with beefy showers - which is great for cloudscapes. It is also good for generating rainbows, like what showed up at 9.30 tonight.

Sunday ferries

Up here in Stornoway, I continue to be dumbfounded by the ossified attitude of certain groups in the local community. I mean, planes fly on Sunday, ferries sail out of other Western Isles ports on Sunday, so why not out of Stornoway? Because it would degrade a way of life. A way of life that degrades family-life, by denying off-island workers the opportunity to spend a weekend at home? I don't think so. I am not in the business of gratuitously offending those with sincerely held religious beliefs, but there is a small group of people in Lewis who exercise power by "virtue" of those beliefs. Although I'm not Roman Catholic, and am severely critical of the Pope's policies, I do agree with him that using religion as a pretext is unacceptable. Whether this be a pretext for violence or denying people their basic liberties is immaterial.

Wednesday 20 May

Late entry for today, as I have spent the past 6 hours upgrading the software for my ADSL modem. What an absolute nightmare that was. Anyhoo, got it sorted and that's all that matters.

I was relieved to hear that the MPs' expenses system is to be overhauled. I have never understood why MPs could set their own salaries, expenses arrangements and what not. Without outside scrutiny, the abuses that have been exposed over the past two weeks were bound to occur. I totally agree with PM Gordon Brown that the House of Commons was being administered like an old boys club or something like that. Speaker Martin is paying the political price; his pension will be of regal proportions, don't worry about that. He is lucky he came away with his head; 7 of his predecessors in centuries gone by had to go without theirs after a stint in the chair.

Today is a day of heavy showers, and a severe weather warning is in force for Grampian (NE Scotland), on account of heavy rainfall.

Tuesday 19 May

Brightening up after a heavy shower, a theme likely to be repeated right through the day. The downpour has knocked back the temperature, which had risen to 14C at 10 am.

I'm pleased that Sri Lanka's civil war appears to be over, although there is severe hardship for many thousands of people who were caught up in the final fighting. It can only be hoped that the grievances of the Tamil population will be addressed by the government in Colombo, and that any alleged discrimination by the majority Singhalese will be at an end. Otherwise, the Tamil Tigers are likely to return in a different guise. The Tamil Tigers can be credited with the invention of suicide bombing, for as much as that is something to be counted as a credit.

The Speaker of the House of Commons is to stand down, and this afternoon at 2.30 he will announce when. It was on his watch that disclosure of MP's expenses was delayed, and if he had not tried to stop that, he might well not be in the position he is in now. I maintain that he is at least partly a scapegoat, and I do hope that those who have done wrong will be called to account. At the ballotbox, by the Commons authorities or if necessary in a Court of Law.

Desiderata

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Sunset notes

Sun has just set in a blaze of red and gold - yes, I'm at latitude 58 north, hence the very late sunset hour. I'm always amused to watch the 10 o'clock news on the BBC and see London steeped in darkness. No, I'm obviously not watching the news tonight. I've seen enough of the row around MP's expenses and the attempts to use Mr Speaker as a scapegoat. It would appear he failed in his duty as leading figurehead, trying to stifle dissent and blocking attempts to disclose the scandal of expenses. However, a very large section of Honourable Members appear to be as guilty as hell themselves, and some of the crying wolf sounds incredibly hollow.

Monday 18 May

Sunny day, with some small cumulus clouds about. Apparently the best weather in the country, temperature at 12C / 54F. At least we have the sun.

Try to order something to be delivered to the Western Isles. Same item costs £12.23 in delivery charges from BT, and £0.00 from Amazon. Ongoing problem, in spite of petition to No 10 Downing Street.

A planning application is to be discussed for 3 windturbines, 400 feet tall, to be constructed in moorland off the Pentland Road, 5 miles west of Stornoway. Not enjoying that prospect, and air traffic control bodies have lodged objections. It is to be a community windfarm, for the people of Sandwick and Point (east of Stornoway), generating power and benefits of £17.5m over 25 years. Wish the things weren't so ridiculously tall.

Hurricane update - 17 May

Except there are no tropical systems around at all. I am detecting a lot of hype around an area of low pressure between Cuba and Hispaniola, which is not a tropical system, and unlikely to develop into one - the experts put the likelihood at 10% at best as it moves towards the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It is referred to as an extra-tropical depression - of the variety we get here in Scotland thirteen to a dozen. It will bring a soaking to Cuba, the Bahamas and Florida, but nothing much else.

Sunday 17 May

Bright and sunny today, with a thin easterly breeze. Not warm enough to sit outside, though.
More revelations about MP's inappropriate expense claims, calls for the Speaker of the House of Commons to be removed from office. Something will have to change and soon. Whether that should be because of prosecutions, the replacement of Mr Speaker or a General Election, I don't know. It is a shame that the genuinely held convictions of party members of whichever political party are mocked by the greed of Honourable Members. Including, allegedly, the MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles).

Blogging

Blogging seems to be falling by the wayside. At least that is the impression after going through journals this afternoon, and encountering one who is quitting and several who resumed posting after an absence of up to 3 months. It would appear that Facebook is a major distraction, but also the distractions of real life. Naturally, with the global economic situation being dire, that would be a contributing factor. Nonetheless, I do not suggest to quit Facebook or to live inside your computer (something I've been accused of doing), but to use the blog for things you cannot do on Facebook, as a complimentary element. Personally, I use Twitter, Facebook and this (and other) blog(s).

We used to have a nice community, and AOHell have a lot to answer for. But we know they didn't care. Keep in touch, won't ya?

Saturday 16 May

The East Pacific hurricane season commenced yesterday. This usually affects the coasts of Central America and western Mexico, with a remote chance of hurricanes or their remnants affecting the southwest of the USA. Hurricanes in the Pacific very rarely directly impact on California, as sea temperatures are too low to sustain such systems - the sea surface temperature should be at least 26C / 80F. At the moment, nothing threatens (to develop). The North Atlantic hurricane season will start on 1 June; NHC have an educational week on hurricanes starting next Saturday. Are you in hurricane alley? Are you prepared?

Today is dreich (grey and wet) in Stornoway. Glancing across the bay, I see a small cargo ship tied up at Arnish Pier, presumably to take away some of the products of the Fabrication Yard. AIS tell me the vessel is called Sesame. Also on AIS was a fleet oil supply vessel, the Kanawha. Its stated destionation is Over there. Right. She has now moved off the map, out of range of the AIS receiving stations ashore.

The Hubble Space Telescope is currently undergoing some refurbishment, and it is not going all that smoothly. One spacewalk took 8 hours, but the job got done. Read more here.

Closing notes

Within half an hour of midnight, and a cold, dreich day comes to a close. Disappointed to read that Barack Obama will resume the trials at Guantanamo Bay - although he never did rule out that such might be the case. A review of the legal framework is to be carried out, but to me, it's a climb-down from pre-election promises. Not good at all. My faith in politicians has taken a nosedive following the expenses scandal here in the UK, but Mr Obama is starting to do the Tomcat-in-March routine. What do I mean? Ach, yanno. In March, tomcats go around, caterwhauling their undying love and everlasting fielty to the females of the race, only to disappear without trace once the evil deed has been done.

Galson pictures

Friday 15 May

Dreich, grey and cold today. Yesterday, I went to the shop without a coat, with a temperature of 17C / 63F. Today, it's 9C / 48F. Nonetheless, I did jump on the bus for a quick foray out to Galson, 20 miles north of Stornoway. That village has a small cemetery with one wargrave, which I wanted to photograph. I'll post some pictures later. Chatted to a villager on the way through about local history. Otherwise, nothing moved, which is normal for that corner of the island. Stornoway would be described as a bustling metropolis in comparison.

Although I join in the chorus of condemnation over MPs' expenses, I want to air my grave concern over the current atmosphere that surrounds our elected representatives. Watching a trailer for BBC1's Question Time last night, a chorus of boos arose as a government minister spoke. A constituency office was apparently attacked last night, and I hope that someone takes the situation in hand as a matter of extreme urgency. This is an open road to anarchy, and an open invitation for extremist parties to make massive gains at elections, firstly those for the European Parliament early in June. Not all MPs or Peers of the Realm are out to fatten their bank balances at taxpayers' expense, and the fact that there are some rotten apples in amongst them all doesn't justify tarring all of them with the same brush.

Picture post - 14 May

11.50 pm last night, looking north. Yes, that's daylight on the horizon.


4.33 am this morning


Familiar boat: the Cuma back on the slipway, 3 years after spending 11 weeks on there