Uisge
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sat 24 Oct 2009 07:24
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I remember in 1976 while trecking across moors to
go trout fishing most Saturdays and hiking through the hills and mountains with
the Scouts the ground being incredibly dry and parched. What had previously been
bogs had a hard crust on them crazed and dried from lack of rain like minature
plates from the earths crust. The crusts were generally hard enough that
you could walk across the top of a bog - that is until you tried walking on them
with your rucksack on, in which case you were likely to plunge through the crust
up to the top of your wellies or boots or up to your knees if you were unlucky.
Why am I telling you this? Well we all remember our childhoods
as having long hot summers with constant sunshine - but we know for
sure from statistics that 1976 was very hot and dry - even in the Hebrides where
we have a love hate relationship with the rain, like a couple who cant live
without each other but cant live with each other either. After a week of
rain its " this never ending rain" and "there's no drying" and
"tha i mi cailair an duigh a rithist" however after a week without rain which in
itself is very rare its " oh the ground was needing the rain" - after a
week!
This probably comes from the deep rooted knowledge
that the rain is inevitable and rather than concede defeat at its re appearance
its easier to think - oh well we needed it anway. Cant live with it - cant live
without it!
Well on Wednesday of this week we had rain and
that is the first time I have seen rain for close to seven weeks - I dont
believe, even in 1976, I have ever been so long without rain in my life.
Remember this period includes being in Scotland early September, then
Southampton, Portugal and Spain and then back to England to depart through
Biscay to Gibraltar on to the Costa del Sol and down to Morocco. Seven
weeks is a long time and it was excellent while it lasted - but
really the ground was needing the
rain........
After seeing off all our visitors and guests
including walking Rhiann and Aimee to the airport through the town and across
the runway with bags due to a lack of taxis being available it is just Trish
Craig and I aboard. We have been busy preparing the rib with its last few
jobs ready for its transatlantic trip on the davits and changing beds -
Craig finally getting back to his own cabin. I have been catching up with
business matters and boat issues after sorting out the endlessly frustrating
computer software and communications issues (why am I going away again? - more
on this another time!). We made a provisioning list for the Atlantic trip and
also for our dry stores and anything else that was cheaper here we bought longer
term supplies of. So tins and jars and pastas and rice and condiments and
freever full of meat fish and bread. Now that all provisions have been stowed
after re-stowing and make an inventory of all spares aboard we will
be just waiting for Angus Johnson to arrive who is doing most of the
passages with us. Then first thing tomorrow morning its off to the canaries
via - we are not sure yet lets see what happens.
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