Anniversaries

October is the month that I started blogging, back in 2004.

My first blogpost told the story of my day's activities in the Isle of Skye, 70 miles south of Stornoway. Although you can see posts, dated before 8 October 2004, these were added a year later and backdated. Kyleakin is the name of the place where I started this.

October is the month we were kicked out of J-land, back in 2008.
October, therefore, is the month I had to set up this new blog, back in 2008.

In other words, I've been blogging for a smidgen over six years this month.
I nicked this tag from Jeannette's blog, hope she doesn't mind.

Layout

I have altered the layout of this blog, for the first time in two years. No change to contents, just to colours and backgrounds. Hope you like it!

Wednesday 20 October

Winter has made its first impact of the season, with heavy snow causing havoc on the rural roads of Aberdeenshire, northeast Scotland. Several roads are blocked or only passable with care. I remember this day six years ago, when the first fall of snow also happened on October 20th. It was a perishing cold morning in the Isle of Skye (where I was at the time), and I went for a walk in the Cuillin Mountains. More accurately, through the Cuillin Mountains, not over them. The Cuillins (pronounce Coolins) stand 3,300 feet tall from sealevel up and are a very challenging and jagged lot. This picture shows the mountains on 20 October 2004.



The news in the UK is dominated by the so-called spending review, meaning that government spending is being subjected to savage cuts. When I switch to the French news (in English): what do I see but more spending cuts - and demonstrations, blockades of oil refineries and queues at petrol pumps, which have run dry. Well, I am not going to make any partizan statements on this blog, but I just hope that it is all worth it in the long run.