Island Weather

I have on many occasions mentioned the vagaries of the weather in the Outer Hebrides. We were promised rain today. But when I woke and opened the blinds the scene was one of brilliant sun. As is my wont I went round to the front of the house and lo and behold there was blackness. Clouds. Rain. The day has been like that. Brilliant sun and heavy showers. The constancy has been the wind: force 6 minimum for most of the day. Ah well. That's the Hebrides for you.

It's raining

20 minutes later - honestly.

Marmite: Yet Again

Anyone who has followed this blog since its inception and knows me knows that I love Marmite. I'm not the sort of person who insists on eating 'British' food when in another country but I do like my Marmite. In the antipodes there is a substance (I use the word advisedly) called Marmite and another called Vegemite. Vegemite (which was first produced in Australia in 1922), in particular, is revered as the very essence of being Australian. If you want to buy the real McCoy in New Zealand you have to buy My Mate.

Now who on earth buys the little ones?

I can even forgive them the silly labels

Making Time

I have just read a really beautiful posting by L'Archiduchesse entitled Audience. Scriptor Senex (alias CJ) wrote in his comment the first few lines of a poem, Leisure, by W H Davies. It is a poem that I used to know by heart and found particularly peaceful. I used never to have time - no, that's not correct - I never made the time to stand and stare beneath the boughs and my life was the poorer for that. Now I have re-allocated my priorities and stop and stare as much as I want. Blogging has been a great help to that. I photograph with a greater purpose and think more about what is behind the photograph and not just about what is in front of the lens.

The full poem:

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I stop. I stare. More than that I try and think about that which I am staring at. And I will do it with greater purpose from this day forth.

A Foggy Day

I went to Glasgow today. Once upon a time in another incarnation it was something I did quite often. Now I usually do it as part of a longer trip away from the Island. I was due to leave at 0830 and return at 2100. But June is the month of potential fogs on Lewis surrounded as we are by sea. So this morning after three days of glorious sunshine I woke up to a thick mist enveloping the house. As I was up at 0600 and the plane wasn't due to take off until 0830 I wasn't too worried. In any case my appointment wasn't until lunchtime.

And so it was that I spent a morning at Stornoway Airport. As luck would have it there were quite a few people there from my previous incarnation and the period of nearly four hours until the plane took off passed in a flash of catching up with local news and acquaintances.

I arrived at my appointment with minutes to spare and immediately after it I set off for the return journey and spent an hour at Glasgow Airport catching up on the computer, drinking coffee and looking out of the window:

Half way acroos the Minch the Captain of the plane told us that Stornoway was again fogbound and that we might not be able to land. But good fortune smiled upon us and just as we arrived the fog parted and we landed. As I drove out of the airport it was again shrouded in fog.

Ah yes. It's been a Good Day. But as the fog rolls in over the headland this evening I am glad that I don't have to do it all again tomorrow.