Monday, January 17, 2005
Changing Monday
01/17/2005
A little of everything this Monday, good gusty squalls thro the night from the West. Veers Southerly with heavy rain thro the day until we have another acceptable afternoon with low mist, high cloud, showers, cyclonic winds, then by dark it starts to snow with the wind in the West. It is a little colder at 4 to 5 degrees, but a poor forecast with the nannies declaring “do not leave home unless your journey is really necessary” i.e. The police do not want their slumbers disturbed by idiots stuck in snow drifts “unless it is really necessary”! I plan a journey to Glasgow tomorrow, but I will wait and see what the weather is like.
When we get a chance to-day we are out and about on the estate, keeping our business going and there is lots to do. It’s good to look up and see the occasional patch of pale blue sky, a trans-atlantic jet going west in the afternoon. The waxing moon through some clouds at 7.00 pm. Garden birds are now starting to use our feeders with a vengeance. I do not feed the birds during the summer, surely that must be too artificial, but in the winter they can have as much as they want. Last year they got through 50 kilos of nuts, plus several dozen fat balls. I never know whether or not this is good practice.
Following our 60 hour power cut I begin to think of generating our own power again. The last but one Baron had a splendid scheme of Hydro power in operation at the Tower of Glen Trollaigh during the deprivations at the time of the first war. The scheme provided for surplus energy to be used to heat a marble plunge pool beside the Alt Trollaigh. The baron entered the pool in a snow storm when the then Baroness, Augusta assumed he was in his bachelor apartments on the north stair. Regretably The Baron fell asleep, Ardbeg in hand, and was broiled to perfection. One benefit of the Baron’s demise was that his burial could be delayed until the ground de-frosted.I certainly have the Arbeg to hand as I write, but I only have a vague idea where the plunge pool is, perhaps a ploy for tomorrow? Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Long live Heather
01/16/2005
Heather the weather was absolutely spot on. Rain and wind through the night, a dreich morning, but an interlude from midday till 4.00pm. In these few hours of mild weather, plus 10 degrees, light southerlies and with dry, although overcast skies, we have achieved a lot. Dotty cracking the landscaping whip, actually we are both keen to complete a new garden scheme designed for us by “Viridarium” last year, so every available moment is spent in the baronial JCB breaking new ground. I regret that part of the duties to-day also included a burial parade for twenty assorted sheep, and as I always feel that for every dead sheep recovered, another one lies elsewhere, we have probably lost up to fifty in the last couple of weeks, due mainly to floods and mud. There is a financial loss, but I do feel that we are being forced to risk livestock to comply with CAP and that saddens me. I will return to this, as I feel strongly that it is linked to many of the ills in Britain to-day. I must thank “Ray Ban” for his message from Dublin, Ray must represent an excellent cigar shop there. I regret that my Malboro habit was stopped some years ago by the insurance company covering the “risk” of the Tower of Glen Trollaigh, who considered that I was a fire hazard and proposed considerable premium increases. By agreement the Tower is now smoke free, apart from the billiard room, and for a limited number of nights, the long gallery, where we still hold the odd lively soiree. Although I keep them hidden, I still stock a 50 air-tight jar of Uppmann Coronas for moments of extreme frustration, or for the pleasure of my more unhealthy chums. Back to the weather, our interlude is over, so we expect Westerly gales and blizzards! This comes the day following the broadcast of a Horizon programme about “Global Dimming”, what the hell are we doing the blue planet? Yours aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.