Gaelic Dalek

The icing on the cake ;-) March 19th 2011 a super "perigee moon" - the biggest in almost 20 years. This is a montage of each waning phase of the supermoon commencing on March 7th and culminating in the full perigee on March 19th. I have been extremely luc

2011-03-20T21:14:00.001Z

http://www.markhumpage.com/gallery/7296213_8SpLD/1/1222201793_ADYkq?c=1#1222201793_ADYkq-A-LB Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Who broke the Internet?

2010-10-30T10:24:00.001+01:00

Okay, you lot. Confess.Which one of you inconsiderate b*stards broke it?If, like me, you're not really a big TV fan, then losing the ability to check up on the latest tech, news, generally surf or even play your lovely, Steam-enabled game, then Last night would have been a bit of an arse.BT restores the InternetMy lovely, lovely, Crackberry(tm)which does have the Internet on it, let me browse for

Otters benefit from the Navy's mistake!

2010-10-22T16:19:00.004+01:00

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last 12 hours, you must be aware of the not-so-astute manoeuvre by our nuclear-powered sub, HMS Astute...Paul Yoxon, of the International Otter Survival Fund went out this morning to check on an Otter holt or two, and, as providence would have it, he took his camera and video gear along.He spotted the distressed sub (distressed? it ought to be

I write like George Orwell!

2010-08-12T23:14:00.002+01:00

Well...The low, overlying cloud has put paid to my fevered Perseid spotting, so I've been watching TV and surfing instead...I happened upon this site: http://iwl.me/It reckons it can tell you who your writing style is most like! I write likeGeorge OrwellI Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Saturday night's alright for dowsing...

2010-06-22T13:10:00.005+01:00

This Saturday (26th June) at Ledgowan Lodge Hotel an Introduction to Dowsing taster evening will be held from 7pm to 9pm.Mark Harris, the organiser, is a member of the British Society of Dowsers and at the taster he will cover a brief history of the craft, how it is used and the tools used in dowsing. Practical exercises featuring rods and pendulums are also on the cards (no, not tarot or

Beltaine blessings, all!

2010-05-01T00:05:00.000+01:00

Light, love and hope to your hearths!Today marks the start of the Celtic Summer and I wonder how many of you will be following the old tradition and be outside this morning, washing your faces in the Mayday-morn dew?Come to think of it - how would we tell the dew from the drizzle in this part of the highlands?Acht well. I'll close by borrowing the words of Dalai Dan: "Have another day" ;)

That's Gluttony done - now for the other six!

2010-04-25T18:00:00.002+01:00

This Sunday, Mrs Dalek, the e-Bay Queen, Barry the spanner and I sauntered down to Lochcarron for a spot of brekkie. Our venue of choice (for reasons that will become apparent in a mo') was the Waterside Café.Last year, Mark, one of our friends from Milton Keynes was a-visiting. Whilst visiting the Waterside Café then, he had happened to order a curious-sounding meal called "the Challenge

Testing, testing...

2010-04-12T01:35:00.000+01:00

Aha! I've been searching the Interweb for info on how to do this. I think I may have it licked! Just this post then I HAVE to go to bed, as I'm 'falling off the perch' here...This post comes via my new 'toy' - a Blackberry whassname sumnumberorother.Night, night ;)

Go Staggies!

2010-04-11T00:01:00.005+01:00

Well that was a turnip for the books!Today has been a lovely, sunny, warm day.Sadly I'd most of it to spend in the nearby Metropolis of Inverness but even that didn't mar my enjoyment of it.The train into work was 10 minutes late due to 'one of the engines not working' that didn't mar it either. I saw a Hare near Beauly, a butterfly (my year's first! it was a Red Admiral) in Inverness and had a

Spring? Nice when it happens...

2010-04-02T02:56:00.001+01:00

Argh. I think we broke the climate!What's the Hampden Roar with all this white, fluffy stuff laying about? (Checks calendar, sees that it IS, in fact, April: goes back to burbling inanely)We've had worse, I suppose. Just about now, in Wisconsin, the Spring thaw is thinking about happening, ready for the big 'switch on' about Beltain - not that the Septics have any inkling of what Beltain is, of

Things seen but not snapped

2010-01-22T22:29:00.004Z

On one of my bleary-eyed train journeys into work last week, I sat, listening to New Model Army's "Autumn" as the train sauntered out of Beauly. The lilac-clouded sky was rimmed with vivid crimsons and orange from the fiery gold rising sun, but the land itself was still shrouded in the pre-light gray-blue. Approaching Bunchrew, in one of the large, flat, snow-covered fields there - backdropped by

Relaxing after a hard day's scrounge...

2010-01-17T15:00:00.007Z

The eBay Queen (from the West end of the village) sent Mrs Dalek this shot of three of the girls relaxing in her back garden under a tree! You may also notice Pete, the pheasant, watching from the fence.It just goes to show that even Nature takes it easy up here, on a Sunday... ;)

Busy nights at the Achnasheen Eatery!

2010-01-10T13:30:00.013Z

We know it's hard going, up on the hills, when the Deer invade our garden.The Ledgowan Lodge Hotel have closed until February 01, and the Deer can't dine, raid the horse feed or fat ball hangers there, so our place and the eBay Queen's are the Deer's eateries of choice in the Village.Here are some shots of the beasties getting wired into some of their favourite (and random) meals.Friday saw 8

Gorilla Remover (Happy New Year!)

2010-01-02T04:00:00.004Z

My first post of 2010!It's another Wintry night/morning here in Wester Ross / Skaro.Doris (our regular Doe) and Stuart (the young Stag seen here leisurely admiring the middle of the road in the background) have just been ploughing up all the snow in the front garden, looking for titbits which Mrs Dalek threw out earlier. It's been quite funny watching the pair of them (the Deer, not Mrs Dalek)

Oh, stop your whining...

2009-12-30T21:56:00.007Z

So far today, we've had 2 deaths, avalanches and more of this white fluffy stuff.It's only the highlands, though, so it's nothing to worry about.Listen for the media frenzy if this happens in Surbiton.(Oh yes, and that's about 9" of old snow on the sidewalk...)

The Cake Faerie came a-calling...

2009-12-30T13:48:00.013Z

Last night, in addition to an impromptu foraging visit from Doris (who was wearing a rather fetching frill of snow from the crown of her head down to just above her tail) I had a VERY unexpected visitor: The Cake Faerie!My very own Cake Faerie braved the -12 temperatures and left me a lovely (and very, very delicious) gift - my very own extra large birthday cake, in the form of a MASSIVE Empire

Doris and Deidre's midnight visit

2009-12-23T02:13:00.003Z

Just as I was sitting, a-chilling and watching the Matrix, I heard a sound outside. Being a nosey git (and it being way past midnight and -8 Centigrade out there...) I popped up off the sofa to have a nosey.Doris and Deidre (her young protegee) were hanging about at the front lawn, casually licking salt from the spread stash of gravel I'd used when clearing the drive earlier today. (Not that I

Avatar? Loved it! The hype didn't do it justice!!

2009-12-23T00:33:00.004Z

For the first time in many a long year, I experienced something new in a movie. No, it wasn't the Roy Orbison lookalike 3D glasses I got to wear, nor was it the sense of relief in avoiding the cinema's VASTLY over-inflated food & drink prices.Avatar actually managed to remove me from reality for a few hours. I was immersed in the flora, fauna and the Planet/Love/Life/Cyclical ethos of the

Doris and Denise in the front garden!

2009-12-21T03:00:00.002Z

Solstice blessings to allI've just spent the last 3/4 of an hour watching 2 of our 'regular' Doe's, Doris and Denise, foraging in over a foot of snow in our front garden.The funniest part of the proceedings was when Denise tried to turn over a plastic tray which my partner, Mrs Dalek, had put out in the garden earlier today as a feeding platform for our birds.Every time she (the Doe, not Mrs

Food so good that it's almost evil...

2009-12-15T16:12:00.002Z

We have just come back from a lovely wee trip to Poolewe Christmas market. I must say, I'm impressed. not only were there lovely products, but the friendly people and excellent venue nicely complemented the affair.The 'cake and soup faeries' (Angie and Laura) made some evilly-tempting (and unnaturally delicious) Victoria sponge (Laura) and Raspberry cheesecakes (Angie), though I must admit, I

Rain? Move to Wester Ross and find the true definition of 'rain'...

2009-11-20T19:56:00.001Z

You mean like the stuff I usually get 300 days of the year?Okay, so the flooding doesn't really happen 'cos of the mountains, but I once stepped in a REALLY deep puddle...Radio 4/the BBC NEVER mention us.

2009-11-18T12:16:00.000Z

Morrissey on the rant?Grumpy old 'artistic' man.How things have changed since the Smiths.

Success!

2009-11-13T11:44:00.000Z

NEVER take a Google 'example link' literally.... ;)

Google's 'Captcha' feature and cookie handling

2009-11-13T11:40:00.000Z

I've just watched my partner - a long-term google junkie - trying to unlock their Captcha feature.Sehr interressant...

Loitering within Internet

2009-11-13T00:47:00.001Z

Ho-hum.Tiddly-dee.Watching, waiting and listening to stags.