Road and Crow Chaos

03/21/2005

Although we received dire warnings for Heather the Weather about changeable weather coming this week, we enjoy another mild day, with two or three showers blown in by the light southeasterly wind. Overhead it remains misty with the mountaintops shrouded in cloud. A major road accident near Oban closes the A85 for much of the day, bringing a few dazed motorists into Glen Trollaigh looking for a way around the chaos. The Police advise a detour via Inveraray, adding at least an hour to most journeys. The Scottish Executive should take up the matter of road closures. The policy followed by the police removes the access for much of Argyll to any emergency services, and as our all too brief tourist season starts, it gives any guests the impression that they are visiting a third world country. I fully intend to bring this question up with all the parliamentary candidates who will shortly be soliciting my vote. Frankly, I do not care about all the crazy health and safety issues, trunk roads that are closed for six hours never happened in the past, and I can see no earthly reason why they should be imposed on us now. My Monday is, as usual dominated by a list of tasks to achieve and I note that there are some twenty items on the list. Slightly to my surprise I note that I have managed to complete seven of the tasks, however, once again far too many of the tasks have not been completed because people fail to return my phone calls. I dread to think what will happen at the end of the week when most of the country apart from the ubiquitous supermarkets and malls will close for Easter. I realise that the remaining items on the list, ignoring the missing calls, may make somewhat bizarre reading: Move heavy wall building stones for Dotty, Check and clean gutters, Reinforce stobs on young pine trees, Cut Logs, Gather kindling, Shoot crows, Paint small shed, Clean paint brushes. Can a guru prioritise that lot? Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.