A come back
Posted: Monday, 22 October 2007 |
A come back
I se diamondbigdog carelessly revealed my absence in foreign parts.
I have returned, rested, refreshed and raring to go for what will be a busy winter ahead.
No more chance of "syncope" I had to check the dictionary to see if I was being insulted.
Not quite the South West, MJC, but Texas, visiting friends who have followed the oil from Aberdeen to Houston. It was good to see them again, and to see that they have settled in well to the way of life.
Glorious weather. Trips to Kemah, Galveston and Nasa, plus a little shopping. Oh, and just a little to eat and drink. And relaxing by the pool.
Halloween decorations on many of the houses. And being encouraged to have a "Happy Halloween". Hmm
Took a visit to "da kirk" on the sunday morning. 6000 seat auditorium, rock band, big screens, and a last 16 American Idol participant singing. Whole experience a little strange. So well organised and business like, but it seems to work over there so perhaps we shouldn't knock it.
After an excellent week with Gordon, Jennifer, Sarah, and not forgetting Brogan the dog, I launched myself out onto the freeway to drive to San Antonio for the weekend.
Saw the Alamo, did some leisurely walking about, and by a stroke of fortune, such wanderings took me past the theatre, and got to see an excellent concert by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. (It's not big, it's large!)
Drive back to Houston with the sounds of Springsteen, ZZ Top and Lovett himself from the cd player. Playing loud.
Return flight from Houston delayed due to a passing storm which disrupted connections, but cannot praise the groundstaff at Gatwick highly enough for their assistance in re-arranging flights.
Just a few pictures for the amusement of, and mockery by, the IB community.
I se diamondbigdog carelessly revealed my absence in foreign parts.
I have returned, rested, refreshed and raring to go for what will be a busy winter ahead.
No more chance of "syncope" I had to check the dictionary to see if I was being insulted.
Not quite the South West, MJC, but Texas, visiting friends who have followed the oil from Aberdeen to Houston. It was good to see them again, and to see that they have settled in well to the way of life.
Glorious weather. Trips to Kemah, Galveston and Nasa, plus a little shopping. Oh, and just a little to eat and drink. And relaxing by the pool.
Halloween decorations on many of the houses. And being encouraged to have a "Happy Halloween". Hmm
Took a visit to "da kirk" on the sunday morning. 6000 seat auditorium, rock band, big screens, and a last 16 American Idol participant singing. Whole experience a little strange. So well organised and business like, but it seems to work over there so perhaps we shouldn't knock it.
After an excellent week with Gordon, Jennifer, Sarah, and not forgetting Brogan the dog, I launched myself out onto the freeway to drive to San Antonio for the weekend.
Saw the Alamo, did some leisurely walking about, and by a stroke of fortune, such wanderings took me past the theatre, and got to see an excellent concert by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. (It's not big, it's large!)
Drive back to Houston with the sounds of Springsteen, ZZ Top and Lovett himself from the cd player. Playing loud.
Return flight from Houston delayed due to a passing storm which disrupted connections, but cannot praise the groundstaff at Gatwick highly enough for their assistance in re-arranging flights.
Just a few pictures for the amusement of, and mockery by, the IB community.
Comments
Like everything else in USA, even the neeps are bigger there! Third one down is how I imagine AC on Coll...I'm sure he's nothing like it...even slightly...
Flying Cat from covering my behind
Four attempts at posting a note for you went nowhere this morning Ardnort. Anyway, IBHQ seems to have gotten rid of the bug. Welcome back. Let's have some more pictures. # By the way ArdnortR., you'll have to fork out five guineas: I know exactly where pic. one was taken: no, not Bright-on, but
mjc from NM,USA
Nice hats, I like hats, they keep you cooler in the summer, and keep you warmer in the winter. Hats are the Thermos flasks of the clothing world.
Not from Not Lewis
Oh my word wait until AC from Coll here's about this. I would not like to be in your paws FC, not at all.
Squidgy the Otter from Coll, and gone into hiding
Next thing mjc'll be saying he actually kens yun folk in the pumpkin suits...
Flying Cat from a small world where AC can't catch me
Flying Cat from covering my behind- Ac said NO! Ac said remind ac not to invite you in for tea!
Ac from Coll
FC, I meant to remove the incomplete sentence with ArdnortR. losing five guineas, but somehow forgot. The full sentence was meant to read: not Brighton but Blackpool, but thought that P. Panther might pounce on it attributing non-politically correct intentions to yours truly and block the note # No, I do not know the pumpkin suits, but it's amazing how stereotypes can be perpetuated with some good photos. All in fun of course. ArdnortR. knows full well that we are not all supersized.
mjc from NM
Why that's mighty kind of you AC...trying to save a nervous kitty's finer feelings by protecting it from your awesome visage...thank you kindly.
Flying Cat from being extremely nice to AC
Showed your pumpkins (pic 1) to my wife this morning. She laughed and said you should have tried to get a frontal picture. .
mjc from NM,USA
Dear mjc: Please be advised that in our neck of Calif., it is ILLEGAL" to show another's pumpkins to person(s) unrelated to the owner(s) of said pumpkins without express written permission of the owner(s)...".
Tiredfather from ThirdpatchFromTheEdge
Flying Cat from being extremely nice to AC- if, it in the picture wisnae so ugly, I'd think it might be a northern style wickerman. Have you got them up there? wickermen I mean?
Ac from Coll
Oh my, It's a ghoul, and it's the featured blog now !! ohmygod!! as Britney used to say, I've seen one like it before,now where was it, ah yes just passed me in its automobile, Yikes, where's the garlic, it might have been a ghoul mask tho, or could it, mmm looked pretty real to me.
Squidgy the Otter from Coll
Hi Tiredfather: I hope your part of California is the northern part, away from the tinder and the cinders. Looks pretty spectacular down south, a real Cecil B, deMille technicolor production. A tragedy for some, a boon to construction workers in the years to come. # As to pumpkins, the sights thereof, and rights to privacy but not for piracy, I shall defer to your greater knowledge. Lawyers can contact Diamondblog. for ArdnortR. address and current whereabouts.
mjc from NM,USA
FYI, I have it from Deep Throat, that the ghoul's name is: Spam (I did not quite catch whether it is a Mr. or Mrs., or even a Ms.). On the other hand, it does have a passing resemblance to Bhutto (oh, hello Benazir?) ...
mjc from NM,USA
Bhutto...isn't that Popeye's chum?
Flying Cat from cartoon capers
What a joy to have you back Ardnort. You've established quite a fan base through IB and I'm delighted to see you haven't failed to deliver through this blog. The trip sounds fantastic and I can't help but think there are some inspirational ideas in your photos for our next night of festivities on Jan 10th. I totally agree with you that the Galveston Causeway might easily be mistaken for our own humble brig. I see your heart's on the open freeway though Ardnort - certainly helps explain that big mother 4 x 4 you take the fourteen mile roundtrip each day with. By the way, did you hear the one about the Texan who walked into a German car dealership and said "Audi"?
diamondbigdod from Trondra
all proceedings regarding pumpkins must of course be referred to the Great Pumpkin c/o Linus
mia from peanuts
Nancy Griffitths sang a song about Galveston ....
scallowawife from notintrondra
Hey diamondbigdog, not sure what you've got planned for 10th Jan, but sounds good. Make sure you're still fresh for the 11th though! Galveston song was by Jimmy Webb, sung I think by Gene Pitney, unless someone else knows otherwise. Historical and educational footnote: Galveston was wiped out by a hurricane in early 1900's and to avoid a re-occurence everything was then built up by twelve feet. Saw a short film on the subject when there, but both myself and Gordon fell asleep during it.
ArdnortRupshot from Seven miles out
How flat is Trondra, ArdnortR.?
mjc from NM,USA
Glen Campbell? Gene Pitney was Twenty-four Hours From Ulsta.
Flying Cat from a Rhinestone Cowboy
Indeed written by Jimmy Webb but released in 1969 by Glen Campbell. The song was reputedly written by Webb while he was sitting on a beach in Galveston. He made up the story about a soldier in the Spanish-American war and the girl he left behind. The Vietnam War was going on when Campbell released the track and it was considered to be an antiwar song at the time, (don't think it was ever intended to be one though).
Diamondbigdod from Trainspotting HQ
its a Nancy Griffiths song - she wants to go back to Galveston where the hurricanes blow in, where ..umm te tum...an I wish it would raaaain...wash ma faaaace clean, umm te tum...
Scallowawife from singing out loud...
I'm sure your drumming is better than your singing scallowawife.
Flying Cat from before scallowawife's time
... AND how flat is Trondra, ArdnortR.? [you don't mean that I'll have to come and find out myself, do you?!].
mjc from NM,USA
its not really flat.... not like holland.... its not really steep ... not like Faroe, its not got banks or cliffs...like the Grand Canyon... its not got any nice beaches... not like Sanday in Orkney...its like ...its like , well its just like Trondra. Its got a huge new two lane motorway running through it built last year at great controversial expense. There's sheep and cows an pigs and hens and ponies and turkeys and ducks and geese and all sorts....what else you wanna know?
scallowawife from passing Trondra
It's pretty flat mjc; nothing that small can be very tall. It is however rather nicely formed and along with its neighbours has some rather good archaeology and beaches.
Hyper-Borean from Perusing the Atlas
I smell controversy here. Scallowawife avers that Trondra has no nice beaches, while Hyper maintains it has good ones. Could we have an adjudication please Mr Rupshot?
Flying Cat from Liff's a beach
Tempted as I am to allow the controversy to fester, I have to report that Trondra is bereft of sandy beaches, but does have a number of small shingle beaches. I'm guessing that mjc was concerned that we might be vulnerable to being swept away by hurricane force winds and tidal waves. Unlikely. We obviously get the winds, but the island has some shelter from surrounding islands which break up the force of the sea before it hits us. Even so, there has been a fair bit of erosion around the banks in recent years, up to a couple of metres in places. As to Galveston, if anyone wants to see the lyrics you can find them at: http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/g/galveston.shtml Not sure about the Nanci Griffith song - nothing about hurricanes and ablutions here.
ArdnortRupshot from On the shingly beach
To correct you gently Fc, I said Trondra and its adjacent islands had nice beaches. I must confess that once I've crossed the Clift Sound I tend to group everything together. No doubt I will now get a flaming from incensed of Papil.
Hyper-Borean from Banna Minn
A flaming what, Bananaman?
Flying Cat from all agog
Incensed of Papil? Is the place a hotbed of Papism? Do tell us, Hyper-B.: what is a flaming Bana Minn? Just to keep FC aGrog quiet.
mjc from NM,USA
hahaha yun is funny pics. Great whar is the pics taken at?
jason from lerwick
Hotbed of Papism mjc; I don't think so. In the happy days before Rome got above itself the celtic church seemed to have a gentler form of christianity ( being pre reformation all christians were born equal) these celtic priests or Papae brought their faith to the Northern and Western Isles, among other places, and where they founded settlements and churches you will often find the root word papa in the place name. Papa Stour and Papa Stronsay are two examples. They also kept the light of knowledge burning through what are often called the Dark Ages. Then Rome cane back and what might be called corporate christianity was imposed. Until Herr Luther of course.
Hyper-Borean from The Ayre
That Rome cane back is a classic chair with built-in prie-dieu.
Flying Cat from on a cassock
OK Mea Culpa big fat finger one key ( wonky?) to the left. Goes with my left foot perhaps!
Hyper-Borean from Digitalis
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