0400 and wide awake

Well I slept like a wee log for about 5 hours till 0330 and got up at 0400 wide awake, I think I have a slight case of desynchronosis, good word ehh :) means jetlag, a temporary disorder that causes fatigue, insomnia and other symptoms as a result of air travel across time zones.

Its almost spring here and we have 6 bushfires on the south coast of NSW threatening properties, according to the fire chief the weather felt like a summers day with very blustery winds fanning the fires like we usually get in summers days. I hope noone loses their homes or lives in these fires.

I phoned Sheena to see how she was feeling and she is sick, I hope her grandson Joey ( Platypus) doesnt contract it as he is only 8 months old and she was baby sitting him the other day.

home james and swine flu

Well we are back home in Sydney, I have a cold , runny nose, chesty cough and a bit feverish. Last night in Hong Kong when we arrived, Russel had left a message to say Sheena has swine flu so I went back to the airport medical center to see if I should have a test given my symptoms, there was no Dr on duty so I had to take a taxi across Hong Kong 30 mins drive and almost $300 to find an A&E. There were about 6 million Chineese in the que all with masks on, so I pushed 5.7 million aside and bribed the ones that looked like they may have had black belts in Origami or wateva to get to the front of the que, as you do being an uncultured Gijin. I didnt want our rep as being barbarians being spoilt. Anyway after a short wait of about 2 hours the dr saw me and was happy that my flu is just flu flu not one named after some poor animal. He gave me scripts for various drugs and I went in search of the Pharmacy which is well hidden in a labirynth below the hospital. The Dr and scripts cost me nothing apparently as I'd argued with the receptionist that I thought a swine flu consultation for someone in transit should be free.

It was about 0030 before i got back to the hotel so my plans of having a good sleep to break the journey went amiss, but thankfully we are home in one peice and I've just remembered I shouldnt be drinking this scotch due to the drugs :)

Highest point on Luing

Well the bracken was as high as my second youngest nephew in places when we went for a hike today up towards the highest point on the island, I tried carrying him on my shoulders for a while and I tell you the young moms you see carrying their kids around get a workout.

The islands look different from the high viewpoint.

Internet withdrawls

Well Sheena, who is in holiday in Ibitza had her phone / internet disconnected so I had internet withdrawls this last few days, its amazing how much i use it for researching things. My wee neice
Cara had a residue of a tranfer tatoo when I was down last week and I have been searching high and low around Scotland for some for her as a present if only I'd had google.

Sheenas dog Gus, had me tearing my hair, whats left of it, out this morning as he just wouldn't come back for me, I think it was due to the park we were in and the fact that he maybe doesnt come for Sheena there, as he was ok when we walked off lead along the canal yesterday and he swam etc, anyway it took three qaurters of an hour before i could rugby tackle him and get him back on the lead. Anyway I'm back down on the island again with the attack cat.

I'd really like to move back to Scotland, there seems to be a bit of a shortage of computer repair men here :) so I think having the house valued when we get back is on the cards, mind you as soon as I sink back into my sofa or go out fishing with Paddy or even enjoy my walk / paddle with Jessie in a dry climate I may well change my mind again, I used to be undecisive now I'm not sure. Its raining here today which reminds me of a wee story.
A long time ago, in Communist Russia, there was a famous weather man named Rudolf. He's always had a 100% accuracy rate for his forecasts of the Russian weather conditions. His people loved him and respected him for his faultless foresight. He was particularly good at predicting rain. One night, despite clear skies, he made the prediction on the 6:00pm news broadcast that a violent storm was approaching. It would flood the town in which he and his wife lived. He warned the people to take proper precautions and prepare for the worst. After he arrived home later that evening, his wife met him at the door and started arguing with him that his weather prediction was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. This time, she said, he had made a terrible mistake. There wasn't a cloud anywhere within 10 miles of the village. As a matter of fact, that day had been the most beautiful day that the town had ever had and it was quite obvious to everyone that it simply wasn't going to rain. He told her she was to be quiet and listen to him. If he said it was going to rain, IT WAS GOING TO RAIN. He had all of his Russian heritage behind him and he knew what he was talking about. She argued that although he came from a proud heritage, IT STILL WASN'T GOING TO RAIN. They argued back and forth for hours , so much that they went to bed mad at each other. During the night, sure enough one of the worst rainstorms hit the village the likes of which they had never seen. That morning when Rudolf and his wife arose, they looked out the window and saw all the water that had fallen that night. "See," said Rudolf, "I told you it was going to rain." His wife admitted: "Once again your prediction came true. But I want to know, just how were you so accurate, Rudolf?" To which he replied, "You see, Rudolf the Red knows rain dear!"

Back in Inverness

Well we travelled back up to Inverness today via Crianlarach due to a delay on the Fort William road, hopefully it wasnt another fatal accident we had to wait for 3 hours on the way down to Luing as a motor cyclist had died on the A82 at Glen Cloy we ended up missing the last ferry and getting a lift across in a tinny. The route via Crianlarich and Glen Coe was a nice run but took twice the time.

The Massacre of Glencoe occured in the early morning of 13 February 1692, during the era of the "Glorious Revolution" and Jacobitism. In Gaelic, the event is named 'Mort Ghlinne Comhann' (murder of Glen Coe). The massacre began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen—Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achnacon—although the killing took place all over the glen as fleeing MacDonalds were pursued. Thirty-eight MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by the guests who had accepted their hospitality, on the grounds that the MacDonalds had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs, Mary and William II. Another forty women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned.

We also traveled over the moor of Rannoch which is a large expanse of around 50 square miles (130 km²) of boggy moorland. Rannoch Moor is designated a National Heritage site.
It is notable for its wildlife, particularly famous for the sole British location for the Rannoch-rush, named after the moor. It was also frequently visited by Horace Donisthorpe (what a great name ehh), who collected many unusual species of ants on the moor and surrounding hilly ground. Today it is still one of the few remaining habitats for the "narrow-headed ant".
Peat deposits pose major difficulties to builders of roads and railways. When the West Highland Line was built across Rannoch Moor, its builders had to float the tracks on a mattress of tree roots, brushwood and thousands of tons of earth and ashes.

One of the villages we passed through is called Fortingall. The venerable yew tree in Fortingall churchyard has been dated to anything up to 5000 years old. The circumference was noted in 1769 as being 52 feet. Its a really picturesque village that doesnt look atall Scottish with its thatched cottages

There is a tradition which ascribes Fortingall as the birthplace of Pontius Pilate, the son of an Augustan ambassador and a local woman. This ancient tradition also claims that Pontius Pilate was related to the Scots King, Metallanus, whose royal seat was located on a hill fort called Dun Geal (the White Fort) at Fortingall.

Roughing it and the glorious 12th

Well we are really roughing it here only managed Lobster for lunch yesterday, whats the world coming too ehh? :) My Mother, bless her cotton socks, starts hording food for my visit months previous so the freezer is full of goodies I asked her one time if she prefered my to tell her I was coming home or to supprise her and she much prefers knowing in advance so she can hoard.

Its the Glorious 12th we should be out shooting something Grouse moors in Scotland and northern England report a surge in bird numbers this year after several very poor seasons due to outbreaks of disease-carrying parasites and unsuitable weather.

The last few years, grouse bags have been hit hard by infestations of disease-carrying ticks and the parasitic worm Trichostrongylus tenuis, which can decimate grouse populations. The industry is facing intense pressure from ministers, police and conservationists to crack down on illegal persecution of birds of prey, which are unlawfully poisoned and shot by gamekeepers who blame them for killing grouse.
A fresh crisis has emerged this year with a major outbreak of heather beetle, which kill off the young heather shoots that provide 80% of a grouse chick's food, and their characteristic purple or deep pink blossom. Many shooting moors report large-scale loss of heather, and reduced grouse numbers.
Serious heather beetle outbreaks used to occur every decade, but according to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, they are now happening every five years, suggesting a wetter and warmer climate may be to blame.

A guy decided it was time to introduce his blonde girlfriend to the great outdoors, so he takes her hunting for the weekend.They were pretty deep into the woods when he began to have horrible pains in his chest! The blonde began to panic ... "Are you alright? Are you alright?" But suddenly, the guy finally grabs his chest and falls over. Just before his eyes close he manages to mumble, "Call 911"The blonde frantically grabbed the phone and dials the 911 operator. "You've got to help me," she screamed into the phone, "My boyfriend has had a terrible heart attack and he's not breathing! I'm here in the woods all alone and I think he's dead!"The 911 operator goes, "Okay, you've got to calm down. I'm going to tell you everything you need to do.""But I think he's dead!" she continued to scream."Okay ... before I can tell you what to do you need to calm down. Can you lay the phone down and make sure he's dead, then come back to the phone?"The blonde screams into the phone, "Okay okay! Hold on ..."There was silence on the line for a moment and then the 911 operator hears a loud "KABLAM!"The blonde comes back on the line and says, "Okay, he's dead. What now?"

The Isle of Luing

Well its raining this morning so a good chance to blog about where my parents live and I grew up.

The island is only 6 miles long by about a mile wide and has a population of about 200 which has been pretty stable over the last 40 yrs, owned predominately by a farming family called Cadzow the island has two villages that were initially populated by quarriers as the island has fine slate. Early signs of habitation on the Island include two ruined hill forts. The southern most of these still has a flight of steps, and pillared doorways. The island was part of the kingdom of the Lord of the Isles, and passed through the hands of the MacDougals, MacDonalds, MacLeans and Campbells.

My Father fished lobster here as did his and we were talking last night about the Argyll Marine Special Areas of Conservation and the fact that they have stopped various methods of fishing namely dredging in the Firth of Lorne and the area round the island, I was supprised when my Father offered the opinion that if dredging was to be stopped then all fishing should be. The marine area round the island now covers 210 km2 including the gulf of Corryvrechan which when running is the 3rd largest whirlpool in the world.