IslayBlog.com -> 2008 -> Islay Blogging Roundup #26

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Sunday, 09/Mar/2008

Islay Blogging Roundup #26

Rather late Islay blogging roundup this week again, but I had an unexpected phone call earlier this evening: After several delays (no, not NHS, remember she's in Germany) my mother surprisingly had her operation today. We hadn't really expected it to happen today, after all it's Sunday and the weekend, but this afternoon my father received the phone call it was going ahead. We don't know the results as such yet, all we know is that she's back in a normal ward and an intensive care bed wasn't needed. With those encouraging news I can move on to the various times Islay and Jura were mentioned in the blogs this week:

Gordon Yates is back from Islay and writes Islay re-visited. Later in the week he posted a review of his DVD by Malcolm Ogilivie, very positive like my own and my parents review.

The Islay Birds blog saw Gordon off last weekend, only to report of Magpies this week. No, not from Islay, but from Paisley. Back on Islay there were over 100 Skylark (remember the first ones last week?), not very many compared to the 37,990 Barnies and 4,879 Whitefronts. Later in the week there were a few otters and by now 470 Skylark.

Not to be outdone Jeremy Hastings writes about Snow Buntings and Great Northern Divers as well as Gannet and Fulmars. When not birdwatching he presents a New Jacket - all Islay. You can read more from him in Ron's Islay Wildlife and Birding Report nr9 - Spring and Snow

Ron also published an Islay News Roundup second-half February 2008 and follows up on the Road Equivalent Tariff with The Full Story.

Ian from Islay High School kicks of another very interesting initiative, the Islay Open Day at the school. The suggested date is Fri 06/Jun/2008, on the day they would show what they do at school mainly from an ICT perspective but also for vocational courses. Even though I'm not a teacher I'm fascinated by what they're doing there. I won't be able to be there for the 6th, but I hope to meet Ian later.

Back to the weather, I mentioned this blog earlier this week: Muasdale Reports: Snow with a nice picture of snow on the Paps of Jura. It was almost all gone the next day, a Stunning Day. Talking of snow, Ewan Graham posted 22 great pictures of Ballygrant in the Snow.

On to the whisky:

First two languages I can't understand much of: de week-end: Laphroaig « sofer prin Bucuresti provides tasting notes for Laphroaig in Romanian. And Dryckesportalen: Kilchoman writes about Kilchoman in Swedish, if I understand it correctly you'll be able to buy it at the Systembolaget soon, while the limited stocks last.

Over on Switzerland the Ardblog announces the Islay-Malt-Monitor, their collection of Islay malt tasting notes. Not whisky, but kind of related proud libertine writes about Renegade Rums. Leading nicely to Whisky-Typografie (5): Bruichladdich, where a German blog analyses the typography of the Bruichladdich logo.

The Bruichladdich blog itself points out some great Port Charlotte Historic Photos and a Ship seen at Bruichladdich Pier (no, not the Keewhit).

The entry is a bit late, but Ye’ll Huv Hud Yer Tea? reads very nicely. And picks the rights whiskies for a Burns Night.

Finally to the boats, big and small: Islay Sea Shipping I just mentioned yesterday, you'll find the big boats there. For much smaller boats (and some birds) you might want to go to SeaKayakPhoto.com and Barnacle geese on an early passage north through the Sound of Jura. Follow this up with the sun goes down on the last ferry to Jura and the ferryman of Craignish, which contains some interesting information about an old ferry link from Craignish on the mainland to Kinuachdrachd on Jura.

Last but not least the reference to the Scottish Roundup for the bigger picture of what's going on in the (Scottish) blogosphere outside of the Islay and Jura mentions, this week with Democracy, white working class people, and 99% of the population all under assault.

Really finally now fingers crossed that I can a) blog tomorrow (there's a big storm heading for the south of the UK, from where I'm writing this) and b) provide more positive updates with the results of my mother's operation today.

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