Evening on The Water

This evening it is calm - very calm.  Midge by the million, calm.  The technician came today to service my central heating boiler.  It was calm then too for a while.  My boiler is outside.  Did I envy him his job?  No.  Definitely not.  I digressed.  This evening a group of kayakers took to the water:

The gathering

Shepherds and flock

The second gang sallies forth

Thankful Thursday

What is it about talented people?  Why do they get so much of a good thing?  I knew (still know I suppose 'cos you don't suddenly 'unknow' someone do you?) one of the world's top environmental lawyers.  I first met him years ago when he was 'just' a successful lawyer here in Scotland.  His talent was prodigious.  However he hadn't always wanted to be a lawyer.  He had the opportunity of being a professional footballer.  I have no doubt that he would have excelled at that too.  He decided on law because he realised that, as a career, it had greater longevity.  What made him stand out, though, was that he could quite happily walk and talk with kings or commoners and never feel out of place nor make them feel out of place either.  All in all he is an extraordinary man. 

I have used him as an example.  An example of people with talent - real talent.  An example of the fact that when a person possess one really exceptional talent they often possess many more as well. Secretly I often wondered why talent couldn't be shared around a bit more!

I was thinking of this because I saw another picture a few days ago by a local Doctor who is also an exceptionally talented artist.  When she produces a picture of a face you can see through the face's eyes into the subject's soul.

I know a few people who come into this category and know of many more.

Why am I doing a Thankful Thursday post on this subject when I possess absolutely no exceptional talent at all.  And, no, this is not me being modest.  One thing I learned very early on in life was to recognise and work with my limitations (which, very unfortunately, are many).

So today I am thankful for the fact that I did recognise those limitations early on in my life because that recognition has enabled me to live very happily within the ability I do have without constantly yearning or striving for unattainable goals.

Never Happy

This morning it's sunny and warm at 19℃ here in Eagleton and there is only a very slight breeze.  In most places that would be regarded as pretty idyllic.  A news item last night on the Scottish News said that because of the severe winter we've just had the midges will be three times as bad as usual this year.  Why?  Apparently the midges had been relatively unscathed by the weather whilst their predators have suffered.  So when I ventured out of the house for a few minutes this morning I was surrounded by the little buggers.   Today may be an indoor day unless I decide I have to go out fully clothed and in my midge suit.  

A camper on a Loch Lomond camp site asked if he could be moved to a stand without midges.  "Try England" was the response.

Welcome to Scotland.

Found it!

I have been digging a trench to try and find the wastewater outfall pipe.  I dug a longish trench where I though it was and several metres either side.  I had no success although I couldn't see how it could possibly have been anywhere else.  I assumed, therefore, that the trench must need deepening although it was already significantly deeper than the depth of the manhole in front of the house.  I popped into the plumbers today to say that I was still looking and I'd place my order for the new en suite when I found the outfall.  One of the chaps there suggested that I use dowsing rods.  

Now I have a friend who dowses.  I'm not sure that he believes dowsing always works but I have seen many occasions when he has tried it when I've been there to witness it and it has worked.  As to why he has no idea and I certainly don't.  Scientific studies have shown that success with dowsing is no greater than the success of finding something by chance.  I wonder (as an aside) whether it has something to do with the person who is dowsing.

Anyway I decided that I had nothing to lose so I cut up a couple of wire clothes hangers, turned on the taps so that I had running water in the pipes and went forth and dowsed.  I walked around with the rods across the line where the drain had to pass below which included a little trench I'd dug after breaking an area of concrete.  It refused to work.  I went along the big trench I'd already dug and it  didn't work there either.  As the pipe had to pass somewhere there I decided dowsing wasn't one of my skills.  However I decided to give it another chance.  All of a sudden in a place where I hadn't walked before the rods moved inwards and crossed.

I decided there was nothing to lose by breaking more concrete and getting rid of some frustration.  About a foot down after having removed a considerable amount of stone over I came across a paving slab.  I removed a lot more concrete and stone and the paving slab and there, directly under where the rods had crossed was a manhole.

Well I still have no idea whether dowsing works or why the rods crossed at that point on this occasion but I found the manhole so do I really care?  No.  Not really.  Will I be offering my services?  No.  But I wouldn't rule dowsing out if I were looking for another water pipe.