NaBloPoMo - 29 November

 They've raided the Greek alphabet again, for another Covid-variant of concern. Omicron, some people inadvertently call it Onmicron. The official name is Omicron B.1.1.2.529. That of course anagrams into No Crimbo. We shall see. The uncertainty continues, and everybody is looking after number 1. Here in the Western Isles, we had a blow from the north. Nothing out of the ordinary, but northerly winds kick up a swell in the Minch, so we had no ferry for about 12 hours. That throws the supply lines out of whack, and we were consequently treated to empty shelves in the supermarket. My pic of that elicited a frenzied response on Facebook, and I am now subject to post approval in the relevant group. Looks like I'm blamed for what other people write. Or I am blamed for causing the discussion in the first place. I suppose it is a sure sign of acceptance, but what would you expect after 17 years in Lewis. 

 

NaBloPoMo - 21 November

My daily blog posting appears to have fallen by the wayside, regrettably. Never mind. Went to the Remembrance Day commemorations in Stornoway last Sunday. The weather was not good, a steady drizzle falling amidst a chilly wind. Nonetheless, 180 people made it up the hill to the tower. Wreaths were laid, by young and old. We stood in silence for two minutes to remember the nearly two thousand men and women who had made the supreme sacrifice in both World Wars, as well as in other conflicts since 1945.

NaBloPoMo - Armistice Day 2021

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 103 years ago, the guns fell silent. An Armistice had come into force, ending hostilities in what later became known as the First World War. Of the 6,200 people from the Isle of Lewis who signed up to serve King and country since August 1914, more than athousand had made the supreme sacrifice. Inthe mud and horror of the trenches in France and Flanders, the terror of Gallipoli, the dust of the deserts in the Middle East, and on the seas of this world. The cup of loss had not yet been fully drained, it was to become clear. At the very start of 1919, the ship taking some three hundred island sailors home from the war sank at the entrance to Stornoway harbour. 201 perished, and the bodies of more than sixty were never recovered from the sea. The grief cannot be imagined. 

When the clock strikes eleven, my thoughts will be with all who lay down their lives in the service of their country. 

A special thought though for those affected by the Iolaire tragedy. In my 17 years in Lewis, this has always struck me as a singularly poignant loss. 

Gus am bris an Latha agus an teich na sgailean

Reichskristallnacht 1938

 It is 83 years ago since the Night of Broken Glass [Kristallnacht]. That night, an organised mob of Nazi forces and sympathisers went on the rampage in towns and cities across Germany, smashing and destroying Jewish-owned property and businesses. It was a foretaste of what was to come during World War II. The extermination of anyone deemed sub-human by the warped mind of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. Jews topped their league of the unfit, closely followed by gypsies, the mentally ill and many many others. The Reichskristallnacht was a night of infamy, and not just to Germany. Hitler had already been allowed to get away with murder for several years beforehand. In 1936, he occupied the Rhineland which had been ceded to France at the end of the First World War. The League of Nations, the predecessor of the United Nations, cried wolf but had no bite. On 12 March 1938, Nazi forces marched into Austria to join that country to Germany, an event referred to as the Anschluss. Neville Chamberlain flew to Munich to meet with Adolf Hitler on 30 September 1938, returning with the infamous phrase: "Peace for our time". Six weeks later, the Reichskristallnacht took place. Only a few months later, Germany invaded the Sudetenland area of Czecho-Slovakia, and again, nobody moved a finger to stop. In September 1939, Hitler thought he could get away with the invasion of Poland. But this time, it prompted a declaration of war, signalling the outbreak of the Second World War. The lights have gone out in Europe, it was said at the time. The lights in Europe had already been extinguished in 1914, and had not been relit, not even at the end of the First World War. The Versailles Peace Treaty of June 1919 contained all the ingredients for another war, which duly materialised. After the unspeakable atrocities of the Second World War, Germany was divided into four by the victorious allies. The British, French and American sectors became West Germany, whilst the Soviet sector was turned into East Germany, a communist state. Berlin was similarly divided. Until 1961, people from the East fled to the West in droves. A barrier was erected across Berlin in August 1961, later replaced by a high, concrete wall. Similar barriers were put up along the borders between East and West Germany. Anyone trying to flee from East to West was shot on sight, no questions asked. The advent of Mikhail Gorbatchov as leader of the USSR in the 1980s heralded a start of change. And when this wind of change blew across eastern Europe, it blew away all the communist regimes within the space of a few months in 1989.

The Berlin Wall was torn down on 9 November 1989, and you can see the dilemma. Do we remember the Kristallnacht, and not celebrate the reunification of Germany? Do we celebrate the reunification, and ignore the Night of Broken Glass? Maybe the two can be reconciled. The Berliners remember the Kristallnacht in a very low-key but poignant manner. Every year, in the evening of November 9th, candles are left on the doorsteps of houses that were ransacked that night.

The flame, burning at the top of this post, is my candle of remembrance for Kristallnacht.

NaBloPoMo #08

 A very dark, wet and windy day, as November can be. Sunset was at 4.20pm, and we're going to lose another 45 minutes before the solstice on December 21st. The sun will rise again at 8 tomorrow morning, which will extend to 9.15 am in December. Our days are as short in winter as the nights are in summer. Another storm is due on Friday, possibly containing the remnants of tropical storm Wanda. 

 

NaBloPoMo #6

The weekend has been punctuated by windy and at times wet weather, but at the moment of typing (Sunday evening, 9.30pm), we have lost the wind. It has had an impact on the ferry services, affected by swell conditions - although I cannot imagine that conditions were all that swell once out to sea. I don't mind a good blow every once in a while. It's November, and that's the time of year we get them. 

Covid is still on the march in this island, with well over thirty cases each day. Most of them youngsters. The vaccination campaign appears to keep the lid on numbers of hospitalisations. We are not rid of it. 

Last night saw a pretty high tide, and we were on warning for potential flooding. When I went out at the point of high water, the levels remained below the quays, and all the fuss was precautionary - but fortunately for nothing.

NaBloPoMo #05

 Today is November 5th, the 416th anniversary of the gunpowder plot. Guy Fawkes had conspired with others to blow up Parliament in London - a plot that was doomed to fail and cost Mr Fawkes his neck. People commemorate it by letting off fireworks. Lots of fireworks being sold, also partly in connection with the Sikh festival of Diwali, which took place yesterday. 

It is an overcast and at times drizzly day today. We are under warning for stormforce winds tomorrow, gusts possibly exceeding 70 mph, so damage and disruption is possible. I went down to the cemetery earlier to visit the graves of friends whom I lost over the past seven years. Flowers I left two weeks ago were still in good shape, in no small measure due to the recent wet weather. 

Numbers of Covid-19 in this island, Lewis, are shooting up, numbering 36 yesterday. That may not seem much, but the total population in this island is only 20,000. A majority of cases are amongst children.

NaBloPoMo #04

A quiet day here in the Outer Hebrides, a lull before the storm that will hit us over the weekend. We are under warning for gusts of up to 80 mph (130 kph). That's not uncommon, but needs to be treated with caution.

Last night, the Aurora Borealis put up a brilliant display, it would appear, but I was not aware in time. Seems to have been one of the best displays in years. Sigh.

Covid is ramping up its advance through the ranks of the young, with the majority of new cases among children. I am taking a lateral-flow test twice a week, but have thus far managed to avoid the virus.

We now have another case of musical ferries, with the MV Arrow in place this week to carry freight back and forth. MV Loch Seaforth, our regular boat, is on the Mersey for its annual refit. The passengers travel on the MV Isle of Lewis, an aging vessel dating back to 1995, with the freight (until the Arrow came) going on the MV Hebridean Isles, which is even older: built in 1985. The Loch Seaforth is due back next week.

NaBloPoMo #03

 One of the coldest days of the year after summer. November has turned cold, with the mercury only at 7 degrees Celsius this afternoon. Quite a reasonable day otherwise, with some sunshine and some showers. Locally, the car park on pier number 1 will be closed for three weeks, while investigations are carried out into the feasibility of building an Iolaire Memorial centre at that pier. Carparking being a bit of a holy cow in this place, this will raise a few eyebrows, I'm sure. Tonight's supper will be one of my favourites, simple but nutritious carrots and potatoes.

NaBloPoMo #02

The Conference of Parties #26 has kicked off in Glasgow. The head honchos are due to leave the city later today, but not before another big speech. I am cynical about all the talk, and the real results will show in actions and results at a later stage. The Paris agreement, Kyoto protocol and all those other fine words still ring in our ears. Yes, there have been some results. I have grave concerns though whether all nations would be prepared to forego their own interests for the benefit of mankind as a whole. We shall see.

NaBloPoMo #01

November is National Blog Posting Month. The idea is to publish a blog post every day this month. I'll endeavour to do so again in 2021. It is also the month for men's health charity Movember. Grow some facial hair, if your gender permits, and/or donate some money.