Thursday 29 November 2012

Home again, home again,

Collapse in a heap!

I've spent the past 2 and two half days in Glasgow and I can truly say I do not envy those who live in that busy place.

I said I was going to write a flying from Tiree post months ago and this time I have the photos I want to go with it.

We have a little plane that serves Tiree from Glasgow.  It seats 21 passengers maximum and has two three blade propellors.  Here it is coming in to land:

Photobucket

It really is wee, that's a Transit sized van parked there.  You have to be very careful getting on that you don't thwack your head, I usually end up almost bent double, my Dad would be able to inspect his knees judging by various tall men.  It's not a plane for the inflexible.

Photobucket

Just to give you an idea, this is a standard sized "jumbo jet" with a Transit van next to it:
Photobucket

And this is our little Otter behind the fueling lorry:

Photobucket


But there are bonuses.  How many planes do you travel on where you can see the pilot and all the instruments?

Photobucket

And, of course, you get amazing views!

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Some people worry that such a small plane isn't very safe.  Au contraire, smaller planes can stay airborne at slower speeds and while, yes, there can be turbulence, it's no worse than a bus going over a bump.  Give me a little otter over a 747 any day.

I didn't take any photos in Glasgow, partly because I forgot I'd taken the camera and partly because I was with my Mum and enjoying a good chat most of the time.  But I had to take this one, the last bullet point is in desperate need of punctuation.  Whenever I read it I wonder how mobility issues will be happy to help.

Photobucket

Mum booked us both into the Breahead Travelodge, double rooms with a nice bit of empty floor and a pretty gradiented painting:

Photobucket

I had to giggle at this, Santa looks ever so happy to have all those lovely women pulling his sleigh, dirty old man!

Photobucket



Glasgow was good, mostly got results I wanted and shouldn't have to go visiting again for quite some time I hope!

We did take advantage of some of the sights.  We initially planned on the Tuesday to find the Rembrandt exhibition in a gallery on the university campus grounds.  So, we trotted up the hill, couldn't see any signs for it, trotted down, had lunch, found some directions...Trotted back up the hill, round a bit, up some stairs, round a bit more...  We were about to give up when we saw some large banners for the exhibition, one more try we agree, walk to a likely looking building...it turns out to be a church.  Oh well, Rembrandt remained unseen.

We did find some bits and bobs in the various shops though.  I got some Christmas cards and saved a small fortune in postage by writing them that evening and giving them to Mum to hand over at various family gatherings.  Mum found some flat wrapping paper (she hates the rolls) and we had a lovely lunch.

Wednesday we decided to invade Ikea.  Mum had never been to one and I had a few bits I was hoping to find.  Note to all: wooden chopping boards are surprisingly heavy and should not be purchased with the plan to stick them in your rucksack to take home, your back WILL complain.  Still, we went round, found some pressies, got lost (seeing a theme?) and had a good lunch.  Back to our hotel for a bit and then dinner at Pizza hut.  They do a main, side and all you can eat salad for £6 per person before 5pm, we got our 5 a day that evening!

Thursday morning we parted company, Mum off to get the train and me off to fly again.


Photobucket

It wasn't as sunny when I got home.  But Tiree is beautiful from the air regardless.

So now I'm home for the rest of the year (barring emergencies).  Just got to fill out my expenses form and send that off and then I can chill and listen to the cows.  Angus the bus driver has been teaching me about how cows and sheep behave and how they stay in their herds/flocks so it's fairly easy to separate them off when the common grazing time is over.  It really is a fascinating thing.

I shall leave you with one of our little uninvited guests that's currently residing in a tub (with air holes, water and a bit of food!) until I can take it to the Reef tomorrow.


Photobucket

It's a very pretty guest, shades of grey and brown and quite cooperative for the camera.  Shame it keeps a pair of lead boots in the loft!

Thursday 8 November 2012

TTW 4

So, two weeks after the event, Tiree Tech Wave 4.

As featured in The Oban Times, no less!

Well, last time there were about 7 of us, 2 from the island, 5 visitors.  This time 20 people came visiting and there were 3 from the island, a recently returned resident came to see what all the excitement was about.  The Cobbled Cow folk did a fantastic job of feeding the masses and I can't help but think Alan who works there enjoyed the challenge of feeding such hungry techies.

The MacBook invasion was amusing and at least two people said "for such independant thinkers, there seems to be a common theme" or words to the effect of.  There was also a 'sheepbook'.

Photobucket

Photobucket


This...contraption is the future touchtable:
Photobucket

Up on that wooden platform is a projector and an overhead projector mirror to direct it at the table.  Hanging from it is a dismantled XBox Kinect.

Alan was sorting out power for it, so this ladder spent a day being walked under:

Photobucket

Alan enjoyed himself up the ladder, even taking photo's from his vantage point.  I'll linky if he ever gets to posting those somewhere.

Photobucket

Along with all the techie stuff, including about 10 sets of Arduino development kits, there was also some fibre crafting.  Fiona, Alan's wife, brought up her snazzy (but very short!) new Japanese weaving loom and set herself up in the auction hall:

Photobucket
You change the sheds using those pedals, rather nice to operate if you're not 5'10".  I ended up a bit stiff after hunching.  Fiona also taught a techie how to make felt:

Photobucket

(Photo of finished felt stupidly forgotten!)
The lady felting decided she wanted to put some RFID tags in and will be programming those when she gets back to Wales.  So not only was felt made, it was techiefelt!

Tech wave was Thursday through Monday and seemed to be thorougly enjoyed.  Nights weren't spent with us all crammed in Alan and Fiona's living room, instead Thursday night was somewhere, I don't know because I went for an early bed.  Friday night was curry.  I believe the tech wavers defeated the curry house but they argue that the left over rice and naan meant they won.  I say it would have gone if we hadn't all devoured the curry that goes with.

Saturday night was hosted by Lancaster house, Sunday was Cardiff house (all those from Lancaster stayed in one house, Cardiff stayed in another house.  Sunday was curried fish, mushrooms, rice, chicken and some tomato on toast with a lovely dressing of some sort.  It started with three groups spread through the various rooms but eventually we all gathered in the living room where The Box Game was played.

I hadn't played that game since University.  You take a box, in this case a cereal box, and place it on the floor, each person has three attempts to pick up the box with their teeth/lips while only touching the floor with their feet, no other body part may touch the floor.  Cardiff won, but only just, Tiree got to the final round (piece of flat card on the floor) but our competitors either couldn't reach (me) or couldn't get it to come off the floor (returned student)  Alan did very well and got down to about 8" of box, not bad for someone who's never tried that before.  The winner from Cardiff showed us all up though, she just stood up, flexed, stood with card.  Only one male managed the final round, also from Cardiff; 'hairy Steve', who also gave a presentation on design on Saturday.


All in all, a most enjoyable weekend was had.  The weather mostly cooperated and only rained 1.5 days of the available 4.5.

Sorry for the delay in posting, it's taken me this long to get my thoughts in order.  I'll post a crafty post soonish, then next week will be about flying, I'm off to Glasgow again and this time I'm taking the camera!