Friday, January 14, 2005
The Batteries Did Run Out
01/14/2005
My word, no electricity for 60 hours, worse than Ted Heath’s cock-up years! We did see linesmen at 2.30 am this morning but they disappeared again (Dotty offered them tea in full night attire) and the lights did not come on till 5.00 pm this evening. We have managed fine, but it’s odd not to be able to charge up one’s mobile, or to be unable to check e-mails, so important nowadays. I am sure that accountants with doubtful qualifications now rule public services and that the 95% rule applies; its fine if 5% of customers are daft old buffers up highland glens who can be ignored or who drop dead “out of hours”, this attrition rate is acceptable. But one does learn from experience. Firstly Ikea supply huge bags of small candles for pennies called, as only Ikea can, “Glimma”. Secondly, I asked for and received a head torch for Christmas from my daughters. I find this invaluable for tricky jobs in dark places, but it has really come into its own over the past three days. It is excellent when both hands are needed, for example, wielding a corkscrew, or best of all when a Gent needs to keep a true aim while taking a pee. But always remember not to look in the mirror, it takes simply ages to get your sight back. Mhairi was the only other person to suffer, as she toiled in the kitchen she continually curse modern aids that failed to respond, like dishwashers! The lack of a hand blender at lunch time produced the finest thick soup I have ever tasted, equalling my favourite Riboletto, served in El Ruggero at the Roman Gate in Florence, the city where I can never stop eating. Having an electricity free morning, I toddled over to Lix Toll Garage with the motor as it was still making an odd noise, as usual Billy immediately spotted a collapsed wheel bearing and it was replaced in a couple of hours. I passed my waiting time in the company of CC, now a ranger on the West Highland Way, but who has spent all his life as a farmer in Zimbabwe, until, after a lifetime’s work he, his wife and family were forced from their home, with more or less the clothes they stood in by that despicable, short-sighted Mugabe. I am not entirely certain that I would have the strength and resilience to survive that degree of trauma. On a lighter note, we had a few hours of hard frost last night and enjoyed our first awe inspiring January night sky. The milky way almost within reach, and Orion now in full splendour to the South. TV satellite system has crashed, so no detailed forecast, but a fair breeze from the South, South East, plus 6 degrees and light rain showers. Hope for even better things tomorrow, Saturday. Yours Aye Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Candlelight
01/12/2005
Now we have the first new moon of the year, with low pressure and a strong Westerly gale. Surprise, surprise we take quite a battering. It started from the South, but by the early hours it veered to the West and at 5.00 am with a great clap of thunder, our power was lost. I write this report in haste by candlelight, hoping that the trusty laptop has enough battery power. We are well set up with a kerosene fed Aga and hot water, plus many open fires, but many are not so lucky. Dotty will sort the roof problems, she is an excellent Alpinist, and as long as Lachie and I can get her onto the high rooves, she will manage the repairs. My maternal Grandfather, Sir Archibald Page had the honour, as chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board to commission the National Grid. He would be astonished to see, ninety years on, that despite many millions spent on grammar school engineer’s salaries, they have not managed to improve on his original design and they still have problems in what we now refer to, in post Global Warming as; Energetic Atmospheric Events. Hydro linesmen are a race apart, but their bosses should have their bottoms felt! They tell me that they do not know why I have no power, yet I can see from my office the circuit breaker hanging from the Trollaigh transformer, lets face it they have not given their excellent workforce the time or resources to come and stick it back in! Dotty assures me that “hotties” are in the Great Bed, and I anticipate that luxury with an early Ardbeg, as I have several new books to read. Hopefully tomorrow we can get back to the current century. Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.