Weekly Chat (non-osprey) Sunday, September 12, 2021

Hallo all!

  • PAT, that is fabulous info on Mull! Thank you. But what were The Clearances?

  • Morning all:  Watched the mens's US Open final yesterday. Another new player wins the day. Felt bad for Djokovic.  I wonder if all our recent tennis heroes are looking at all the newcomers and thinking a little harder about retiring.....

    PatO; A really nasty reaction then.  Any idea which bug caused it? Glad it's all subsiding, that the B&B folks were understanding and hope you'll have an easy trip home. I got an allergic reaction to something I ate during a long-ago business trip to Seattle.  My whole face swelled up just as OH flew in for the first day of our week in the San Juan Islands.  I got some meds from the local ER but all the photos of me during that trip were taken from a distance with me wearing sunglasses.....    Re your post to Clare: I didn't realize the Canadian Calgary was started by people from Mull.  Not surprising given that type of history is so true of many North American towns, but it does add another layer of info.  I was in Calgary back in the 1970s for their big Stampede. I hear it's grown a lot since.

    Harelady:  Another nasty bug! Good that you managed to head off any cellulitis complications.  Better start planning that week away now.

    AQ:  Yes, and sometimes cats don't call back at all. And yes, kids are growing up faster than ever, both in height and socialization (or whatever they call it). 

    Lindybird:  Oh joy.  I remember the days of helping with Lego pieces.  Just don't step on one.  It's so surprising when kiddies come up with those insightful comments about things and people you wouldn't expect them to notice.   Hope your nephew is still young enough to heal fairly quickly.  It should help that he was already in good shape.

    dibnlib:  I just love hearing stories such as your niece's.  She really must be an inspiration at her club - and a great advertisement for them. Bravo.

    Clare: When are you going to Mull?   I see PatO has been quite insistent -  :-)) - with her posts but it sounds like there are a lot of great places for birding, etc - and eating - yum!. Some great leads there.

    CC;  Have fun a the festival. I like the sound of those plays.   You can read all about the Highland Clearances on Wikipedia.  I hadn't heard of it either,but I'm sure OG knows all about it.

    Take care everyone.

  • CC I'll leave to someone more clever to explain properly, but the Clearances refer to the era,when the landowners realised, a couple of hundred years ago, that they could get more money from running sheep on their land, so they displaced the tenants to the coast. Many of these folk ended up emigrating to Canada etc.
  • Unknown said:
    CLARE, that is such exciting news. I've heard and seen much about Mull, and would go if ever visiting across the pond. When are you going?

    Next week.  We'll be taking two days to drive each way as it's a long old journey.  I'll be taking us through Glencoe on the way and it promises to be a very scenic drive!

  • I'm a Macdonald by birth and proud to be one of the clan. The song by the Corries, the massacre of Glencoe is worth listening to ! You can find it on YouTube. Enjoy Mull, it's where my great grandmother was born.

  • Hi all: Just found this on the BBC website. Wonderful nightime photos of garden wildlfe.
    www.bbc.com/.../in-pictures-58327374
  • @AQ

    Thought this clip from Tour of Britain , and name to watch in the future.(not one of castles, but hoped you may have a smile, before you go to bed)

    www.bbc.co.uk/.../uk-scotland-glasgow-west-58503012

  • Oh SunnyKate! I saw that - loved the part where the Belgian rider gave him his water bottle. :-)
  • The Clearances are one of the uglier bits of British history, which we are not proud of. ... It did result in many people having no choice but to emigrate to the Americas and Canada, which is why there are still pockets of those with Scottish ancestors in these places.

    The young man with the shoulder surgery needed today is in fact my OHs nephew -- middle son of Sue. He is fit enough to cycle quite a distance, but probably not slim enough for marathon running! He's now in his late 40s which is young to those of us over 65 ;-) He has two delightful daughters, who have both done well in the recent round of examinations and should have bright futures ahead.

    Edit: Latest news is that he has been told not to move his arm for about 4 weeks. I suppose he'll need to have it strapped up. He is relieved to have been able to lay flat today, after having to sleep in a chair for the last two weeks.

  • Pat, it must be a great comfort to have found such kindness and care when far from home. I hope you can recover quickly and go on your homeward journey. You will be pleased eventually to cross your own doorstep! Take care of yourself.