First Storm of the Season

Today California is being hit by the first storm of the season. After five months without rain, the wet season has finally begun. The powerful storm impacting the state today has the potential to drop up to eight inches of rain in spots. Here in San Luis Obispo, the rain is falling in drenching, wind-blown sheets.
The photos here show colorful poison oak leaves in Poly Canyon and the now-flowing Brizzolara Creek.

Every little helps

The A9 is one of Scotland's main roads - the longest trunk road, and with the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous. It runs from Polmont in the south through the Central Highlands to Inverness, and on up the long coastline to Thurso at the northern tip of Scotland. The danger lies in the fact that although it carries heavy traffic, only short stretches are dualled. For the rest of the way, it's a case of seizing the chance to overtake lorries, slow-moving cars, and in summer especially, caravans. Too often that chance is ill-judged, leading to serious and sometimes fatal collisions.

The Scottish Government plans to dual the whole stretch of road between Perth and Inverness by 2025, with work getting underway in 2017. On the map below, existing dual carriageway is shown in blue. Basically, not a lot.



So with a long time to wait until 2025, it was wonderful as we drove north recently to see a freight train taking several lorry loads off the road. Catchy slogan, isn't it? 'Less CO 2'...Lessco...Tesco... Even if you disagree with what is known as the 'Tesco-ification' of Britain, it's positive move.

Incidentally, on googling Tesco-ification, I came up with 25,100 results which covered in the first page architecture, the British Comedy Forums, 'A History of 20th Century Britain' by Andrew Marr, local council planning applications, and the headline 'Tesco boss slates schools'.

Revisiting Gift From the Sea

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that one of my all-time favorite books is Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I just finished reading it for the ninth time. I write in the front of the book the date read and a remark or two.
First entry-Bought in August 1999 at Captiva Island, Florida by Deborah C. Bailey
Second/Third Entry-Read again in August .. and .. at Destin, FL
Fourth Entry-And yet again in September, .. at Destin, FL as before with Gayle and Darcie. This book means more to me every time I read it. The Oyster Bed, p. 78, is where we are now but at the end. We're halfway -no, more toward the Argonauta than Oyster Bed.
Fifth Entry-August 28, ..-It's our 31st wedding anniversary and we're here in Destin with Darcie. Each time I read this book I find something that speaks to me differently than the last time I read it. We're having some growing pains as we try to move into the Argonauta phase of our relationship. Psalm 30:10-12: Hear , O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.
Sixth Entry-May ..-Fripp Island, SC. A storm out at sea washed the beach full of shells and other things aquatic. I found all of the shells mentioned in this book. This reading found me identifying with p. 103. I'm learning to let go...
Seventh Entry-February ..-I usually read this book in the summer at the beach, but I felt in need of her wisdom, so I read it earlier this year. I'm still trying to shed off external things; internal too. Will the process ever end?
Eighth Entry-August ..-Started reading this book yet again in anticipation of finishing it at Destin. Darcie and I didn't get to go because Laurel's twin girls were born the day before we were to leave. I'm still in the Oyster Bed stage but very much looking forward to the Argonauta. Praise the Lord for a safe delivery!
Ninth Entry-July 4, ..-Ninth reading on Jekyll Island, GA. Gayle, Darcie, and I came down for a few days while Garrett joined us for two days and then rode home with us. I'm catching glimpses of the Argonauta stage and like what I see.
Note: Gayle is my husband, Laurel is my oldest child, Garrett is my second child.

Burns Night

25 January, Burns Night. Today is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland's poet Robert Burns, and we're just about to sit down to our family Burns Supper. The neeps (yellow turnip) have been mashed, the tatties (potatoes) are nearly ready, and the haggis is (shock! horror!) about to have its 5 minutes in the microwave. Even more heretical, we're having vegetarian haggis. The children are probably haggised-out. Haggis will have been on the school lunch menu this week, and my son went to the school Burns Supper for senior pupils, resplendent in the young Scottish male's 'kilt casual' look: kilt with untucked and open necked striped or floral shirt.
But I'm not showing you any of this. Instead, an example of the reach of Robert Burns into every area of Scottish life - the Robert Burns milk carton. The thatched cottage is his cottage in Alloway. The plough represents his harsh early life as the son of a tenant farmer. Enough history - I'm off for my haggis.

ASUS Transformer Tablet

Cool day, forecast is for threatening rain. Was a good day to get the new ASUS Transformer tablet packaged up for shipping to ASUS. Guess I screwed up the micro-SD card slot.

When i got the tablet, I could not figure out how to the the micro SD card into the slot. The manual shows WHERE to insert the card but not HOW to insert it. Eventually, I found out (thanks John) that there was a dummy card insert shipped in the slot. Manaul says nothing about this.

OK, now I have the "dummy card" removed, and attempting to insert the micro-SD card. I had problems inserting the card - got it stuck in the slot. At Best Buy (where i purchased the tablet) they were able to removed the card. But, the card slot is damaged.

I inserted the card wrong side up. Once again, there are no instructions in the manual! Looking at the screen, I figured that the card should be inserted with writing facing up - facing me. NO! - To install the card, turn the tablet facing the screen DOWN (so you can look at the ASUS name on the case - THEN the micro SC card is inserted facing you.

Looks just backwards for me! Everything else I have, the cards are inserted face up.

SO, while I am on the road, I gathered up the paperwork, RMA et al, packed it with the tablet and traipsed off to the local USP Store. Left it for them to package it up and sent if off to Texas.

Oh well - I could have tried to get it covered under the Best Buy warranty (I had a month to purchase the warranty), claiming the card was stuck after I had the warranty. But, that's not me -- it would have been cheating.

Sundew, or 15 minutes of fame

After Loch Ness I was going to take you by easy stages to the Isle of Skye. But I've skipped straight there tonight with this shot of a sundew plant, because it's also featured this week on the BBC's Your Pictures of Scotland page. It's always worth looking at this page each week for glimpses of what's going on in Scotland, and I'm chuffed to have a photo shown on it.
My little sundew was nestling among stones by the shores of Loch Coruisk, on the west coast of Skye. I very nearly trod on it, so I figured the least I could do was take its photo. It looked incredibly exotic in that rocky landscape.
Next up - over the sea to Skye.

Weird Science

My fur-riends Olivia and Roxy sent me this link and we just had to post... enjoy! I know I learned sumpin' today!