Election Time

The country may (or may not as apathy seems to be reaching US levels) be in the grip of an election race between the Labour and Conservative parties but here in the north there is a straight fight between the Scottish Nationalists (who are the largest party in the Scottish Parliament but hold only 7 of 59 Scottish seats in the UK Parliament) and the Liberal Democrats (perennial 3rd party of UK politics). So the usual 2 party politics but not the usual 2 parties.

It will be strange for me to be in the country for a UK election. I have only voted in person in 1987 (when on the whole I was a little more concerned with my final university exams than politics); in 1992 I was in Malawi, St Vincent in 1997, the US in 2001 and 2005. Meaning I've voted more often in the US where I've been eligible for 22 years less.

The Thrills of UK TV

I was flicking through the early evening TV options the other evening and what should I find but live coverage of lambing from somewhere in England. This was apparently part of a series over a number of days. Compulsive viewing or what?

Drought!

It seems like all I ever blog about these days is the weather... but it has been an interesting winter. After the prolonged cold snap the overriding weather pattern has been settled, dry and cold at night, other than one spell of 3 days at the end of February where blizzards cut Inverness off virtually completely. And by dry I mean really dry, un-Scottish no rain at all dry. In fact so dry that fishermen claim that Loch Ness is lower than they've ever seen it. The River Ness that is fed from the loch has been getting noticeably lower each day as I walk to work with more rocks surfacing.

We spent the weekend at New Lanark on the River Clyde and the river there was also incredibly low (I was able to cross at two points without any danger of getting wet feet). Of course it could not last and the rain poured down on most of the northern half of our journey home, and much of the night. The River Ness has plenty of water now.

Weather Whining

The Brits are famous for talking incessantly about the weather (hey, it's variable so there is plenty to discuss) and we all like to complain it too (though not as much as the New Yorkers do about typical weather: in my experience people there complain it is too cold every winter... and while it is brutally cold it is always that way; then they complain it is too hot in the summer and yes, it is always hot in the summer). This winter has been the coldest in 30 years so complaints are not unexpected, but I don't get it when people argue that local government is at fault for not clearing the snow and ice quickly enough. I'm sure there are inefficiencies but on the whole the consensus here is the same as much of the western world, limit public spending and keep taxes low. So how does that square with spending money on redundant capacity to cope with once in 30 year weather? I'd say 10 years after the last serious winter necessary redundant capacity become waste and everyone "knows" that cutting waste is key to good government.

Happy New Year pt 2

I did miss some impressive fireworks in Edinburgh judging by the TV. Here in Inverness the street party planned was canceled for the weather.

Madman on the Towpath

With trying to be a proper runner recently I log my mileage, and what should it stand at after my run on the 30th? Just over 1993km. So with nothing better to do this evening I put on the warm running gear and did 7km in the snow, mainly on the canal towpaths which are well trampled down by dog walkers. I did get a few strange looks from the few passers by.

Happy New Year

My dullest New Year since being ill in bed in 1990. A car spring broke as I drove Tracy and Barny to the station to get the train to Edinburgh to rendezvous with visitors, so I was stuck in a very snowy Inverness rather than driving to join them. The road conditions here were bad though so maybe I was lucky... if my rental car can get though tomorrow.

And what do I find as I'm stuck in front of the TV for the first time in 20 years? Well nothing changes on BBC Scotland, some good comedy followed by the obligatory awful Hogmanay show dripping with Scottish kitch. Music's OK though and I'm off to bed after the Bells.