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May the Fourth be With You!
I realise that Disney / Lucasfilm is a gigantic corporate entity that has already sucked millions of dollars out of the global population for the Star Wars franchise alone, and that they do not need my help or anyone else’s help in perpetuating the presence of this cultural behemoth in the zeitgeist, but…
It really is a nice, fun thing in a World that is locked down and in fear of a virus that has re-written our understanding of epidemiology and our assessment of our own mortality. COVID-19 has changed the World, in a few short months and not in any way wanting to brush aside the seriousness of the situation, or the unmitigated tragedy of the deaths of which a good number may well have been prevented, Star Wars Day has been a pleasant distraction, and so I embrace it.
I posted on Facebook that I chose the young Captain Ackbar from the Clone Wars era (who would later go on to be the Flag Admiral of the Rebel Fleet at The Battle of Endor) to be my character totem for the day. The rich diversity of characters and the epic sweep of time that go together to make up the Skywalker Saga within the wider Star Wars Universe is a joy to contemplate, from the scum and villainy of the Bounty Hunters and Interstellar Pirates to the Clone Armies of the Republic and the Droid Armies of the Separatists to the Empire, the Rebellion, the First Order to the Resistance and the Dark Shadowy Sith, the canvas is vast.
Who would you be if you could insert yourself into the Universe for a day? What would you want to experience?
Would you visit the Night Sisters of Dathomire and witness the secret rites with which they held sway over their World? Would you quest for the Zilla Beast on Malister Prime? My choice for this year is in no small part chosen because of my fascination with underwater worlds, and Captain Ackbar is a resident of the watery Mon Calamari. During the Clone Wars (I forget exactly which season of the show) he fought side by side with the newly crowned King of the Mon Cala against the Separatists under the waves of his planet’s oceans.
These little imaginings go a long way to freeing me, and indeed us all, from the tyranny of reality, even if only for a moment or a few minutes of a daydream, but that is the joy of imagination.
So, Happy Star Wars Day – The Fourth will be with you, always…
Friends are there…
So today and tomorrow my chum* Chiara is visiting. It’s the first time that she’s been able to visit since we moved up to Scotland, and I have been showing her around a bit and ‘cos we are both photography addicts this has led to some photos…
(*chum, read “best friend”, “bestie” etc.)
Arrochar Alps across Loch Lomond 
Chi on the bridge over Inversnaid Falls 
Chi on the bridge over Inversnaid Falls 
Chi “at work” on the Loch Arklet dam 
Chi “at work” on the Loch Arklet dam 
Pensive Chi on the Loch Arklet dam 
Moon Rise over Loch Arklet 
We Love the MOON!
Instruction Manual for Life? 
Intermission! 
Coin Operated Boy
I am still not ready to write about Amanda Palmer’s amazing, moving, staggering show “There will be no Intermission”, which I have now seen twice, but here are some photos I managed to get…
The British Government, in the person of our current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has taken steps to radically reduce the time and space available for the UK Parliament to act in line with its function to attempt to make it impossible for the UK to crash out of the European Union without some kind of deal, a so-called “Hard Brexit”.
There are those that would argue that the number of procedural days lost through this extended prorogation of Parliament is only four or five, and that is hardly something to get in a tizzie about, but the bald truth is that the House was increasingly likely to vote down the conference season recess in favour of emergency business with regard to Brexit, and Johnson’s request to the Queen has essentially removed Parliament’s agency to put the country before partisan podium bashing.
In other words, Johnson has used Parliamentary procedure in a way that it has never been used in living memory, in order to subvert the sovereignty of Parliament, a concept that was fundamental to the tissue of lies from the Leave campaign only three short years ago.
I like many other people am incensed by his willingness to depart from convention and fair play to further his grubby little agenda of setting the country on fire in order to egregiously increase the wealth of his cronies and paymasters. These are the true “grey men”. They will use their already vast wealth to successfully bet against the UK in the coming months. They will bet against our currency and our industry, profiting to an unimaginable extent from the misery of the working poor and the undefended as our country’s economy goes into free fall as we plummet from the cliff edge of the Hard Brexit that no one seems to believe can now be avoided.
Truly the 28th of August 2019 will go down in history as an analogue to the burning of the Reichstag, as the moment when democracy was wrenched from the heart of the people and replaced with the stark, cold reality that those who believe themselves to be our betters will tell us how our country will be run.
Here are some photographs from the spontaneous demonstration outside the Palace of Westminster and Downing Street on the evening after the announcement came through.
So, I am ok…
The thing is that on the way to Buchlyvie a couple of days ago I came around a corner to be confronted by a slow-moving quad bike and a flock of sheep. This led me to put my foot gently on the brakes and plan to drop down a gear or two, but there was a surprise coming. My brakes did not work.
Literally, my right foot was buried into the floor and my Ranger was not slowing down at all, not even noticeably decelerating from my foot having come off the gas. Now when I learned to drive my instructor covered this eventuality, explaining to me that the gearbox and engine can be used very effectively for braking in case of emergency, and indeed getting me to practice doing it. I am very grateful that I had such a meticulous instructor.
I dropped the car into second and started to hope that I would slow down enough that I would not damage the vehicle or myself when I put it into the hedge to avoid committing mass murder on the sheep, and then fate smiled. To my left (if you are reading this elsewhere than the UK or a handful of other countries please try to remember that we, here drive on the left) there was a small lay-by, rather like the road equivalent of an oxbow lake, and so I threw the vehicle into it and completely missed the flock and their guiding shepherd without having to come to a full stop or use the hedge.
Clearly this was a shock; I had not expected my brakes to simply stop working, but I was a long way from anyone who could be of assistance and almost late to see my doctor, so I dredged up my knowledge of how to drive on the gearbox and engine and thanked my lucky stars that the handbrake was still working perfectly. The trip back from the doctor’s surgery was slow and careful, for one thing I did not want to have to do any emergency stops on the handbrake, but I managed to get back to Aberfoyle and put the Ranger, as directed, on the ramp at Trossachs Motor Services.
It took the guys there about 2 minutes to put some new brake fluid into the system and find the leak. I was explaining to Donald Jr. that I was on leave and did not need the vehicle when he very politely let me know that there was no way he was going to let me drive away in the damn thing any way (not that I wanted to), and we all had a good laugh about that, considering the single track road we live up.
So, the moral of this story?
If you put your vehicle in a ditch don’t just assume it’s ok, get it checked over. Oh yeah, and if you drive “stick” and you don’t know how to brake with your gearbox, get someone to show you – you never know when it might save you anything from a hefty bill to your life. So, get your brakes checked, learn to engine brake and use sunscreen…
Photo by Daniel Salgado on Unsplash
I really don’t often show people my attempts at Landscape photography; I am rarely pleased with my efforts. This is an exception to the rule, so I hope that you enjoy it.
So, last night I went up to Bedford, from work, to go to an event at the very Rogans’s Books.
For those of you that don’t know – and why would you if you don’t live in Bedford, or attend Children’s Book Festivals (i.e. Booktastic, also run / curated by Rogan’s Books impresario Rachael Rogan, and others – I don’t have names, but I know that their contributions are huge), or indeed simply never have met anyone who has been to the shop. Of course, if you have met someone who has been to the shop, then chances are that sooner rather than later you will also go to the shop and then you’re “in”, forever…
This is Rachael
Rachael has started to organise events at the shop, and the inaugural event for adults was last night, Wednesday 20th February 2019, with a visit from Sunday Times Bestselling Author of “The Binding”, Bridget Collins.
This is Bridget:
The evening began with informal mingling and chatting, as well as nibbles and wine – the most amazing vegan “cheese” straws I have ever tasted – and then was followed by a short reading from “The Binding” given by Bridget herself and then a lively Q&A which offered some really interesting insights into her process as a writer, her career, her inspiration for the book and the way in which it has all come together.
Bridget was really generous with her time, offering entertaining and insightful answers in the Q&A and then really taking time to talk to the attendees while signing copies of her book for us.
It was a real pleasure to meet her and in particular for me that she was kind enough to let me take some photos.
Here are a couple of photos from the Q&A:
Rachael informs me that there are going to be more events to come, so keep an eye on the website, or consider following the shop on Facebook, Twitter and / or Instagram.
You wouldn’t want to miss out on meeting someone really interesting and fun, right? And at the same time, what better way to support reading and books than by supporting an independent bookshop, better still an independent bookshop run by a passionate entrepreneur with a deep love of books and bringing reading to life for kids and grown-ups alike.
P.S. I started reading “The Binding” on the train back to London – expect a review, soon.
Saturday walk…
So yesterday we went walking. We were going to go to Loch Achray, but when we got to the top of the Duke’s Pass it was clear that we were not going any further, the road was still deep in snow and untreated.
Instead we went for a wander in the woods at the David Allen Lodge. The kids played with the water course setup and climbed on the deer statues and Lee-Anne and I took photos.
We rounded the afternoon out with a lovely late lunch at The Pier Café at Stronachlachar, and then home to a cosy evening in…
The Hobbit Homes 
Wolf Boy 
Don’t go chasing waterfalls 
The Pier Café at Stronachlachar 
Ciaran
While I was in the US back in November last year I managed to FINALLY meet and work with the awesome Bree Addams.
Here are some pictures – I could not be more pleased with them, they are exactly what I wanted to shoot and I love them, so if you comment be gentle…
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – I 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – II 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – III 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – IV 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – V 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – VI 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – VII 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – VIII 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – IX 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – X 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – XI 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – XII 
Bree at Home – Nov 2018 – XIII