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Volume 23 No. 6 Saturday 19th February 2000
Contents
| Da
Week Dat's
Awa' |
I
was asked by Lise to do the Weeks Dats Awa when we met at the boat on
Tuesday. I willingly agreed, not realising at the time how hard it would
be to remember what had happened over the last week. Deryk came up with
the helpful comment (today), that since Tuesday, I should have written
each day down as it passed. I pointed out that this advice would have been
much more useful on Tuesday!! |
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Friday |
No
school today, (teacher training, I think). Panic starts to set in about
how to entertain a bored six year old when, in the nick of time, Fiona
invites Lachlan to go and play with Cara and Scott. Lachlan sets off on
his bike to meet Cara at the Plantation. Deryk sets off (in the van) to
meet Dodge (former Warden, Roger Riddington) at the airstrip. He has flown
in to twitch the beautiful, white phase, Gyr Falcon that has been on the
isle since last Thursday. That leaves me and baby Fyntan. We spend half an
hour dancing around the flat to the Mystery Years on Radio One (very loud)
and rushing to turn it down when the phone rings. All this excitement
exhausts Fynn who dutifully falls asleep to allow me to trawl through the
never‑ending paper work. Deryk and Dodge come back after lunch and
then rush out again ‑ for just one more look at the Gyr before Dodge
has to leave on the afternoon plane! Lachlan arrives home a bit earlier
than expected - the kids, it seems, were pushing their luck. After being
assured Lachlan behaved himself, I decided it was best not to ask too many
questions!! Its SO GOOD to know other people have days like that too! I
get loads of paper work done and so I take it to the Post Office to save
the usual Monday afternoon rush. I feel a bit silly reversing back out of
Stackhoull when I realise the shop is not open on Friday afternoons. I
will just have got used to the winter shop times when the summer ones come
in!! Call around to see Nick about the advertising for the Activity
Holidays as part of the NPP. We are hopeful that these weeks can be a real
success, not just for the Observatory but for the Isle as a whole.
Homework, tea, another chapter of The Hobbit, a bit of Beano, bathing
baby, checking e‑mail, feeding baby, a spot of paper work and an
episode of Friends (videoed for us by my brother), and before we know it,
its bedtime. |
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Saturday |
We
wake to a cold day and before long it is hailing golf ball sized hail
stones (well nearly). Kenaby are coming for tea so I rush to the shop. By
the time I leave, the hail has completely covered the ground and I offer
Brian a lift back to the Chalet with his shopping. Good job I did too,
because the van refuses to around the bend at Lower Stoneybrek and just
skids and slides on the hail. Luckily a box of sand in the back of the van
proves very useful and Brian throws it over the road to provide some grip.
Deryk goes out to check on the Gyr while I make a complete mess of trying
to make pizza! The Kenaby Clan arrive and the next few hours are filled
with drinking beer (just a few ‑ honest), eating pizza (only
slightly burnt!) and the noise of the kids. |
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Sunday |
The
weather leaves a lot to be desired and consequently the recycling area
clean up is postponed. My mum phones to say Deryks photos of the Gyr
Falcon have not come out at all - it looks as if there is something wrong
with the camera. Deryk is gutted as several magazines wanted to publish
the shots. Deryk goes off to a brief Fire Fighting Department meeting at
Lower Stoneybrek to establish dates for his training and then goes around
to Roberts for the more serious business of watching footie! I stay at
home and (yes - you've guessed it ‑ do a bit more paper work). |
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Monday
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Another
day off school for Lachlan so he goes looking for the Gyr with Deryk - but
no luck this time. I finish the weeks paper work and concentrate on a new
Marketing Plan for the Obs. Lachlan entertains himself and his little
brother for most of the day and writes a few more Christmas thank you
letters, (better late than never!). I take all the post to the shop and
breathe a sigh of relief that all the paper work is done (at least until
the boat brings a load more tomorrow). Ruth phones to say the boiler at
the school is broken and there will be no school tomorrow. I can feel the
panic rising once again! |
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Tuesday
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I
pop round to see Dave at Field to get some advice about the Observatory
Web-site and a rather scary computer virus we seem to have picked up. We
also discuss the possibility of weather watching guided walks and holidays
(as part of the NPP). The afternoon brings the return of the Good Shepherd
and a new fridge for us!! We have been waiting over a month since we
ordered it, now we just have to decide where it will fit! We also pick up
a box sent by my mum containing all sorts of exciting things from plastic
pants (for Fyntan - incase you were wondering) to two brightly coloured
mobiles that belonged to my Grandma, who died in January. Its lovely to
have something of hers that I remember from when I was very little and
that her great grandsons can now enjoy too. Mum has also sent a few more
videos of our favourite TV programmes, so we don't feel so hard done by
getting no TV reception. When lain brings the rest of the post we find we
have a bottle of wine and box of chocs from Dodge as a thank you for the
lifts to see the Gyr! Deryk seems to think they are just for him, but a
swift reminder that it was Valentines Day yesterday and he didn't even get
me a card, makes him agree to share them with me. (OK, OK - I didn't get
him anything either). He said it was a shame they hadn't come the day
before because he could have given them to me as a present !! Alan phones
and we chat for a while about all the changes on the Isle since he left in
November. |
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Wednesday
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School
is back on, but in the Committee Room because the boiler is still not
working. I feel sorry for any adults stuck in that tiny room for the whole
day with all the kids. It starts to snow so Deryk puts a couple of heavy
paving slabs in the back of the van to hopefully help it grip. He also
fills up my bucket of sand, in case they don't work. We go to the shop and
are pleased that the van copes well in the snow now (mind you, it is only
half an inch deep!) Dave phones to say he has caught a Merlin in his shed
so Deryk fetches it and I scribe for him while he rings, measure and
weighs it. Interestingly, it is larger than any of the measurements in the
book and he thinks it may be an Icelandic bird. I order some better Anti
Virus software for the computer and some slippers for my feet! Straight
after tea I rush out to a meeting about Section 28 / 2A that has been in
the media so much this last while. Once I am back Deryk goes out to
Roberts to watch Celtic beat Kilmarnock 1-0. After all the ribbing he has
had to take after their dismal match against Inverness Cally Thistle, he
is now very smug indeed that they are through to the final of the League
Cup. Beverley phones and it is good to hear that she is definitely coming
back in April (Good Shepherd crew beware!) Later Diana phones to say she
will be back too! |
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Thursday
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We
woke to the most beautiful day I have ever seen anywhere. Blue sky, no
wind, sun shining and a thin layer of snow on the ground. No school still
so Deryk and I take it in turns to do office work while the other looks
after the boys. By lunchtime we just have to get outside and enjoy the
day. Lachlan is invited to Burkle and cycles
off, Deryk goes in
search of the Gyr and Fyntan and I walk down south to take in the
fantastic weather. We pop into Burkle (much to Lachlans annoyance) and I
ask Patrick to order a wooden loo seat for the Obs when he puts in his
order. Jude shows me the new living room, which is going to look brilliant
and, after a cup of tea, I leave before I cramp Lachlans style anymore.
Deryk and I have a peaceful tea before he goes to get Lachlan from Burkle
at 7.30pm. A quick practise on the Obs dart board and Del leaves for his
weekly darts session (being held at Stackhoull due to the continued lack
of heating in the Committee Room). Once both kids are in bed and the phone
eventually stops ringing I settle down to a spot of videoed TV and some
chocolates (well he can't stop me if he's not here!) Steve phones and we
have a great chat and catch up on the news. |
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Friday
TOP
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Woke
up today in a panic because I knew I had to write this - apologies for the
lack of exciting news or events. Doing this makes me realise that my life
revolves around paper work, kids and what Deryk is doing! (I really need
to get a hobby!!) Fyntan had his second set of jabs today and didn't even
cry! Lachlan has been kept occupied by the arrival of the weekly Beano
(still no school - but the spare parts for the boiler have arrived so
things are looking up!)
Finally
- the official word is that the Gyr has not been seen for two days and is
assumed to have left. Still, it was great to have it here for so long.
And
that is my week dats awa.
Hollie
(Fair Isle Bird Observatory)
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