Journey from hell

Remember that quote from last February? My epic, 44 hour, journey from Holland to Stornoway? Last February, it was 7 inches of snow that caused it. I can see a repeat coming up when I fly to Holland for Christmas next week. British Airways cabin-crew are going on strike from December 22nd to January 2nd. Perfectly timed to cause the maximum of disruption, and an excellent example how to shoot yourself in the foot. Like turkeys voting for an early Christmas. "Oh we're really reluctant to strike", like hell you are. Nearly a unanimous vote in favour.

3636 days down, 17 to go

and the Noughties will be over. The BBC have compiled a set of drawings (note: PDF file, 8MB) depicting the decade which is coming to an end in a fortnight's time. What are your memories of the 2000/2009 decade?

The main one for everybody is of course 9/11. 

Monday 14 December

An overcast and at times wettish day in progress here in the Western Isles. The temperature has shot up to nearly double figures, after the weekend's frosts. A blast from the east is in the offing, but located where we are (near the sea, and as far west as you can get in Britain), I'm not expecting major wintery problems.

I am getting heartily sick of the sight of former UK PM Tony Blair, pontificating on television about the almost religious justification for the war in Iraq in 2003. He'll be called to the inquiry into that war in 2010, and we'll hear a lot of spinning by that time.

Here in Scotland, a baby boy of 4 months had to be airlifted from the Isle of Rum (15 miles west of Mallaig) for treatment in hospital in Stornoway. He was transferred in the early hours of yesterday - the local news website has no further word on his condition.

I hope that the fog has lifted sufficiently to allow us our mail today; the papers were in at any rate, after nothing came through on Saturday. One contact told me that visibility near Inverness was down to 50 yards on Saturday.