February

We are almost a year into Covid being a common part of our lives. How the world has changed in that period. 

The original lockdown was, for me, both very enjoyable and sad. Enjoyable because I have a sizeable garden and love gardening and I could walk all I wanted without moving the car although on bitter windy days I tended not to because I prefer to walk in the shelter of the woods in the Stornoway Castle Grounds. During the first lockdown 6 months my car did about 100 miles (to the hospital and surgery in town).  Then September was manic as I drove 3,000 miles to four hospital appointments in Glasgow and Ayr. 

Since then there has been a small semblance of normality as the Islands were in Tier 3 with cafe's open. We could meet one other family (total 6 people) in a café but NOT in each other's homes.  I live alone so could have, in certain circumstance, been in a bubble. However, my son's family is in a bubble with his wife's parents (my son usually being away 2 months at a time). During lockdown I didn't see my grandson and the winter on Lewis isn't the best time for meeting outdoors. So I've seen little of my grandson or, indeed, my family (though it's easier to grab a coffee with my son. Keeping a wee one happy and occupied at coffee time isn't so easy.

Brodie fascinated by real live fish!

I'm assuming that our rules are stricter than in England because YP is fortunate enough to see a great deal of his new granddaughter.  

Unfortunately the Western Isles have not been so good since Christmas with a large outbreak in Barra after a wedding and New Year's party left over 40 with the disease and 110 isolating (the population os only about 1100) and a number in hospital on the mainland and here in Stornoway. Barra went into Tier 4. Now we have an outbreak in the Hospital and as the hospital is almost at capacity we have gone into Tier 4 so no more coffee's with friends in The Woodlands. We are in lockdown. Thank heaven for virtual coffees!

A few photos to lighten the day:

In Bishopbriggs near a friend - on Burns Night a pillar box with Tam O'Shanter (Tammie or Tam)

Gaz woke to a couple of stags on his croft. Next job is a cattle grid!

The Mainland in snow a few days ago taken from my window.

I decided to cut down a an area of cotoneaster to plant wild flowers. The daffodils are doing well.

SID5: The Good and The Bad

The days seem to be flying past at an alarming rate. Saturday was another pleasant enough day and I carried on working outside doing maintenance. Sunday was not pleasant and I spent the day doing household chores, reading blogs, drinking coffee and doing crosswords and then making a huge blitz on all the emails in my inbox. I hardly watched any television and eventually fell into bed just after midnight. 

At the weekend The Highlands (of Scotland) were inundated by camper vans and cars of people 'escaping' from the cities of the Central Belt and England. Many are heading for their holiday homes. The infrastructure of The Highlands can hardly cope in the summer these days but no one was expecting such a raid on the already panic-buying-stricken shops. All public gathering places such as pubs and restaurants had already been closed by the Scottish Government.

The Independent needs to use commas where appropriate.
 I'm not sure why the Army needs to help McDonalds to close

All ferry services  to the Scottish Islands have stopped carrying anyone except island residents and essential services personnel and freight. The ferry and air services have been very much reduced.

So far we have no known cases in the Outer Hebrides and we'd like to keep it that way. Our medical infrastructure would struggle. Indeed the RAF had to send an Atlas A400M Transport Aircraft to Shetland to transport a critically ill virus patient to Aberdeen Hospital at the weekend.

Our weather today is storm force gales and rain and the ferries are storm-bound in port anyway today and tomorrow. I'm not going out for a walk today that's for sure. The forecast is the same for tomorrow.

Talking of storm bound my son, daughter-in-law and 2 year old grandson (who live on Lewis) are marooned in Australia. Their flights home were 'suspended' this morning (UK time). Likewise two daughters of a friend staying with a sibling in New Zealand are also marooned. 

In the meantime we must all maintain our sense of humour. The Duke of Wellington Monument in Glasgow has been the battleground in the past for students who kept putting a traffic cone on the Duke's head and the Council who kept removing it. Eventually the Council conceded that it was a huge tourist draw for photos and selfies and left it there. So it was inevitable that someone would add a mask at this time. I assume it's photoshopped but who knows.

My Few Previous Days

This is what my last post was really intended to be about. Much more mundane and requiring no thought whatsoever. My 'average day' tends to involve getting up and abluting and footling about with a mug of hot water and lemon and eating my breakfast of banana, blueberries and muesli (possibly with some Grapenuts) whilst checking emails and so on.

I then try to go for a walk in the woods in the Castle Grounds in Stornoway followed by a coffee in The Woodlands often with friends. Then I'll do what I need to do in Stornoway before home for lunch. The afternoons and evenings are varied well beyond 'average'.

In pictures the following has been part of life on Lewis this last week or so.

Last Saturday my son and daughter-in-law's home village of Grimshader had it's belated Novemver 5th bonfire night:

My son, a very keen cyclist, decided that one of the bikes he had made as a project was perfect for a child seat. Brodie absolutely loves it.

My daily drive into Stornoway involves driving over the 'spine' of the peninsula on which I live. This photo is of a heavy shower right over the top of Stornoway where I was about to walk. As it happens when I started on my walk the rain had disappeared and the sun had emerged.

The autumnal woods in the Castle Grounds were basking in glorious sun.

A couple of days ago I finished baking the last of the six Christmas cakes I've made over the last few weeks. The new oven in the new kitchen has been the best thing I've purchased for a long time.

Talking of the new kitchen I fitted a blind  this week.

This morning's sunrise over the Scottish mainland as seen from my kitchen was a mixed bag of snow showers and brilliant sun:

My garden pond was frozen over which is very rare here just above the sea

Now it is almost time to think of Christmas.

Thankful Thursday

What a joy it was to wake up this morning.

What a joy it was to wake up this morning and discover that I still had a broadband connection.

What a joy it was to wake up this morning and discover that I still had a broadband connection and had a cellphone connection.

Such little things but such important things - to me. It has been so irritating without them.

Then I listened to the news: the plight of those in eastern Ukraine and so on.

And my important things become so insignificant.

I had lunch with Gaz - home yesterday for a couple of months - and went out to see how his house was coming along.

And those things so important and so terrible in the rest of the world selfishly meant nothing to me for the afternoon: my family is safe.

And I am thankful.

My Last Climb of The Clisham

On a day in March 2004 Gaz and I had planned to climb The Clisham: the highest mountain in the Outer Hebrides, at 799 metres (2,621 ft) the archipelago's only Corbett.   Not long previously we had climbed Ben Lomond: at 974 metres (3,196 ft) and situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros.   My photos, however, show the former on one of the most glorious of days.  

For Gaz, who the previous week had climbed Mont Blanc, this was just a  stroll in the park. 

Oh How The Gods Did Smile

It rained the day before The Wedding.  The Scottish Highlands saw some of their worst floods the day after and yesterday.  The Day started a bit dubiously too but by the time of The Wedding the sun shone out of a clear blue sky and those men dressed in full Highland Dress and the Bride and Bridesmaids were definitely not cold! 

Frances, having just posted on a very pertinent subject, might have had quite a lot to say about what was by far the most photographed wedding that I have ever been to.  There was a photographer and a videographer and their two assistants and the day was photographed from beginning to end.  I, on the other hand, took a couple of photos at the start of the day (because, with a female stranger in the room that Gaz and I shared on the eve of his marriage photographing every move, I felt disinclined to get changed) and one much later on in the day.  I probably took fewer photos than I've taken on any day that I've actually used my camera in the last 10 years.  I should add that it was organised in such a way that none was just hanging around waiting as you can tell from the background of the last photo.

I'm now down staying with a friend near Glasgow.  There will doubtless be more posts but this is a start.

The Photographer starts her day

Abandoned by a Bridesmaid

The Father of The Groom having a relaxing moment during the formal photographs

What a Difference a Day Makes

I know most of you will have seen this view before but I thought that, after yesterday's dreich photo, I would show the view from my kitchen window in a more favourable light as it was this morning.  It really is a beautiful place.

This afternoon David and I went to see how Gaz was spending his few days of leave.  He was playing with his big boy's toy and digging a trench from the house to the road for the mains services.  I really would like one of those to dig the trenches for the proposed polytunnel I'm hoping to put in this summer.

The Postman Called

I have so many posts in draft and so many from ages ago that topicality will certainly not be the point when I press the 'publish' button.  I will start today with an incident from yesterday.  Just after noon the postman arrived.   He went to the back of his van and produced a large and fairly heavy cardboard box.  "You have no idea how glad I am to be getting rid of this." he said.  "I just wish that you were at the start of my round and not over half way through.  It smells like some very serious cheese."  That was odd because I certainly hadn't ordered any cheese.  I duly applied my monicker to his electronic pad.  We were just chatting when Gaz's posemobile drew up and the postie and Gaz started an animated chat about times past, present and future (postie was in school with our first son, Andrew).

In the meantime I came into the house and opened the parcel: a scrumptious hamper which was, you guessed it, based on superb cheeses and all the accompaniments.  It was a birthday prezzie from Gaz.  (the sending of which had been delayed due to the fact that the post would't deliver anything over 10kg so the company had had to seek revised instructions from Gaz).  Postie's and my curiosity suitably satisfied Gaz and I had a wonderful leisurely and suitably cheesy lunch.  The lettuce and tomatoes offset the cheese and tracklements - leastways we kidded ourselves that they did. 

I'm sure that anyone who loves cheese (and possibly many who don't) can tell tales of travelling with cheese.  We drove en famille from Barvaria once with a cheese which had been give to us as a present (I seem to recall it was Limburger)  which despite being in a container and triple wrapped in polythene stank the car out for the 1000+ miles home to the Hebrides.

Gaz and Antibes

After our visit to the Cinque Terre which I described in the last post we set off along the Riviera Highway through Italy and France for Antibes 200 miles/320 ks away to see Gaz and the super-yacht of which he is a Chief Engineer.

Diane, Mo and MY Ecstasea

We booked in at a splendid hotel Gaz had found for us: Hotel Josse.

The bland looks belied the interior

Comfy modern rooms with the best bathroom possible in an hotel

Reception area

Breakfast on the terrace served by the most chic person ever to have served me breakfast 

Then wandered through the wonderful old town of Antibes

Antibes Old Town

with the new work of art mentioned in Gaz's blog here.

Figure by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa

until we went for dinner at this delightful restaurant run by two ladies who seemed to do everything including turn away a lot of potential customers (because they were full) and treat each customer as the most important they had ever had.  The Girls decided this was the best restaurant of the holiday so far.

The unassuming entrance gives an idea of the friendly and informal inside

One can't have an untidy beach now can one?

An Antibes beach morning makeover

Travelling Travails

My son, Gaz, and his girlfriend are supposed to be going to Hong Kong tomorrow on their way to Auckland where they are due to arrive the day after I arrive.  I flew Quantas to Australia in 1999.  I  learned my lesson.  I've never set foot on a Quantas plane since.  When I went to New Zealand in 2005 I stayed in Hong Kong en route and flew Cathay Pacific.  The service was superb.  However since then I've flown Air New Zealand and have been well satisfied. 

So what didn't occur to me was that Gaz and Carol were flying Quantas.  Or at least that was their intention.  As readers will probably know Quantas have grounded their entire overseas and domestic fleet and locked out their staff.  Their website gives absolutely no information.

So will Gaz and Carol get to Hong Kong?  Will their holiday be ruined?  And that's just the people I care about. What about the thousands of others?  What about the Australian economy and the hit that will take?  What about Quantas?  Well time will tell but just now all I care about is my family.  No Quantas, you still won't be getting any of my business - however cheap you make your flights.

Thankful Thursday

I may well have posted these photos before.  Then again I may not have done so.  Unfortunately memory is not one of my strong points.  In fact I can't even remember what my strong points are or were.  However as this is about being thankful I will explain the relevance of the two photos.  The mountain or hill is The Clisham.  It's a Corbett at 799 m or 2621 ft.  This photo was taken in 2004 which is the last time I climbed anything significant.  Recently I have been feeling a bit sad that I am unlikely ever to be able to climb such a hill again.  Actually I probably could climb up it with some difficulty but I would be unlikely to be able to get down again.  Why?  Well if I tell you that I sometimes get comments on the noise my knee sometimes makes when I walk across a room you'll get the picture.  This is not a 'poor me' post.  I can get on perfectly well with my knee as it is and I'm not in significant pain most of the time.  But it does have its limitations.

However this is a Thankful Thursday post and looking back at all I've done and all the hills I've walked I am very thankful that I had those experiences.  There are a great many people who have never been able to walk at all; many who have been injured and cannot walk now; many who are just getting older.

Yes.  I am very thankful.

Gaz, laid back as ever, just ready for a stroll up The Clisham having climbed Mont Blanc a few weeks previously.

On top of The Clishsm

A Day Out With Gaz

Today Gaz and I had coffee at the Woodlands Centre and then set off for a walk to the River Creed in the Lews Castle Grounds where the Centre is situated.   Gaz had an idea for a photograph and he needed a dull day.  Now whilst I sympathise with him (and sympathised a lot more by the end of the walk) I was rather glad that the early morning heavy showers (which returned late afternoon) kept away and I didn't get wet and the sun shone which compensated for the almost gale-force wind.  

 On the way into Stornoway as I was about to cross the Braighe I tried to capture the turbulent sea and the rainbow but almost missed the latter.

 The Lews Castle makes a splendid background to the harbour - note the Wicker Lady in the bottom right of the picture.

 Gaz on a mission

 The path alongside the River Creed

 Dedicated - and wet!

A 'proper' camera

Yesterday my niece Helen in a comment on her blog posting which included some more dragonfly photos pondered whether she showed too many.  My view was in the negative.  You can never have too many photos of dragonflies.  Which is just as well.  I think that this is a male Hawker.  It looks to me like the Migrant Hawker in Helen's photo but then it also looks like the Common Hawker in my post a few weeks ago. (Helen will doubtless put me right).

Gaz taking his photo of the dragonfly (he had thought that he wouldn't need a macro lens today).

 He was very sluggish and I suspect not long for this world.

 In Memory of that Stornoway institution recently departed,  Smiths Shoe Shop and the Stornoway coves who worked and met there.

 And on the way back looking the other way along The Braighe the waves were still rolling in

Anyone who has read Johnathon Livingston Seagull will appreciate these gulls who were just riding the airwaves as they came over the waves and rose over the seawall.