Torrential Rain!

As I write this the rain is battering down on the glass roof of the extension, which I actually quite like because it is nice and cosy inside! Today was James' first day back at work and I had a nice lie in before doing some much needed admin such as making a vet's appointment for Jack, ordering an online shopping, reconciling my bank account using the spreadsheet that James made for me etc. After lunch it was time for Jamie and Nicola to set off down south; they are spending a few days in Manchester, Nottingham and London before going to Norway to go husky sledding and hopefully to see the Northern Lights. I was worried about the rainy weather for their drive, but at least it's not icy or snowy and Jamie texted later to say that they had safely arrived. I also got another text from Davie who is enjoying his ski holiday:
"It's amazing there's lots of fresh snow and good weather I also think I'm gettin better went down a black today and it was easy I'm in advanced group it's so fun"
I'm so delighted that he is having such a great time! Alasdair and I went down to Morrison's where he used the "Coinstar" machine to deposit the many coppers that he has saved up and to get a voucher for money in exchange. There was a processing fee of 8.9 pence per pound but Ally was still very pleased with the £49.77 that he received. We also went to the post office where Ally sent away his old Blackberry for which he is expecting to receive £46. Alasdair is so clever with money, he reminds me of James in that way. In fact he reminds me of James in many ways! We then went down to the sports centre where Ally went to the gym and I went to the pool where I swam another 40 lengths. And that brings me up to date on this rainy and windy day; we are going to watch another episode of the addictive "Mad Men" which James gave me on DVD for Christmas and have a cup of tea. 

Very big winds

James and I were woken this morning at about 6 a.m., or perhaps earlier (I didn't look at the clock) by really high winds outside. The wind was unusually strong to actually wake us up from sleep like that - much stronger than the winds on 8th December. The trees were lashing about outside and the house was groaning in the wind. A slate flew off the roof and hit the car, and a piece of wood was blown down from Alasdair's window. Jack jumped up on the bed and sat up beside me, I think he was quite disturbed by the weather as well because he kept licking his lips the way he does when he is nervous, and at one point my bedside lamp started to shake because of the storm shaking the house and Jack and I looked at it and then looked at each other in a worried way. Later we heard on the news that gusts had reached 91 mph in Glasgow and there was lots of damage to houses, trees blown over, and even lorries overturned on the Kingston Bridge.
By about 9 a.m. the strongest winds had died down and the rest of the day was just very wet and windy - probably the worst weather of the Christmas holidays so far! But that did not daunt us and we had a great day around the house. James started using his DVD "Learning Guitar for Dummies" which I gave him for Christmas, and Ally and I went to the shops for a bit. Jamie and Nicola watched Sherlock Holmes and got packed up for going down south tomorrow.
Later I went to the Zumba class which is taught by my beautiful and fit neighbour Christine; she asked me along ages ago but this is the first time I have gone, spurred on my by resolution to get fitter this year. I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt very virtuous! 

Extreme Weather

Late last night James heard on the news that there was severe weather warning for today but we had no idea how severe it was going to be! When we were woken this morning by "Radio Doom and Gloom" as I call Radio Scotland, the main news was that a storm was sweeping across central Scotland with winds of 80 to 90 miles per hour. The councils nearly all closed their schools or closed them early. What a strange day! In more than twenty years of teaching, the schools I have taught in have never closed until last year's Big Snow; occasionally pupils have been sent home early because of heavy snow but never ever because of wind! Our council closed all the schools to pupils, so when I got into work there were no classes to teach! I still had plenty to be getting on with, however at eleven we were all sent home! The reason we were told was that the storm was to worsen from midday onwards and the police had advised that there should be no travel. It certainly was stormy, with driving rain and huge gusts of wind, but the roads were open and it just didn't seem that different from many other stormy days that I have travelled to and from work over the years. I seem to remember regularly walking to school from the station in the 1970s leaning at a 45 degree angle against the wind! I suppose it was better to be safe than sorry; there were scary pictures on the news of a failed wind turbine with its gearbox on fire, massive waves at Largs and Helensburgh, and a school bus blown onto its side - mercifully it was empty because of the school closures. There were 165 miles per hour winds in the Cairngorms and there were trees blown down all over the place, and rail and air travel was disrupted. But it was such a strange day - I knew something would disrupt our beautifully planned prelim timetable!
While I have been writing this blog, Jack cat started chewing on a packet of Doritos that was lying open on the coffee table beside me. I told him to leave them alone but he wouldn't stop so I put my laptop aside and started to stand up to take them away from him; at this point Jack grabbed the packet with his teeth and flung it to the floor where a whole lot of doritos fell out and he started munching them - he was like a naughty toddler! Jack has been very suspicious of the windy weather, especially when the windows were rattling, and he has been enjoying watching the leaves blowing about from the safety and comfort of the back room. 

Bursting Banks of Clyde

It has been very, very rainy over the last twenty-four hours and there has been a lot of flooding in central and south Scotland. I didn't know how extensive this was when Caroline and I set off happily to a meeting in Biggar High School, and we drove down the M74 in the pouring rain, chatting away merrily. The first sign of trouble was at the Abington Services exit; we noticed that the other side of the carriageway was flooded so badly that it was completely blocked. There were men in yellow jackets who were waist deep in the water, they were trying to clear the drains I think. It was on the A702 towards Biggar that things got really exciting - too exciting! The River Clyde winds along near the road and in many places it had totally burst its banks and flooded the fields around. And in some places the flooding was right across the road; I bravely drove through each torrent with Caroline encouraging me onwards - some were very deep, nearly up to the car door handles, and the car sent up huge wings of spray as we pushed through. Despite the danger it was quite good fun and the flooded fields with trees sticking out of the water looked amazing, as did the swollen, rushing river. We made it safely to our meeting and Caroline gave an excellent talk and did a question and answer session, I was so proud of her knowledge and skills. We took a different route back which was still very wet but less flooded, and joined the motorway further north. It wasn't until I got home that I saw on the news just how copious the rain has been - there has been 42 mm (1.65 inches) over the last 24 hours, and while I was making my way to Biggar firefighters had to rescue 27 pupils from Abington Primary after a burn burst its banks and flooded the school! Luckily no one was hurt. 

Big Sea

It has been a busy few days at work; I have been on a residential trip which is always tiring and this one was no exception, I didn't get much sleep last night. Good fun though and the pupils loved it which is the important thing (I suppose!). I had to leave the trip early because I had a meeting that I needed to go to; as I drove down to the front at Largs I was struck by the amazing sight in front of me. It was a big, grey-green, choppy, heaving sea! It was spell-binding in its power; it looked as if it was too big to be contained and could almost rise up to engulf the land! I stopped the car to have a proper look at it - fantastic. I love looking at the sea in all its different incarnations; one day I would like to live beside it. As I continued on my journey I was also treated to rainbows and sunlight shining through spray thrown up by cars and lorries on the road. All this was because of the heavy rain and winds last night, they resulted in a very striking morning. So now I am in the bath about to get ready for Victoria and Tom's engagement party. I am enjoying my current, rather strange, book - Cloud Atlas. I downloaded it because Heather was reading it when we were in Barra. I found it difficult to get into at first but I have warmed up to it now and I think it's very well written. 

Spring has sprung

This week Spring has definitely sprung. When we went to Barra three weeks ago there were buds on the cherry tree in the front garden and when we came back last Saturday there were still only tiny sprigs of pink blossom on it. But this week the blossom has burst forth in profusion, the tulips at the front doorstep have flowered, the grass has needed cut, and there is a warmth in the air. There are lovely smells like newly cut grass (by James) and the smell of raindrops on warm pavement when I came out of the theatre on Tuesday evening. I have always enjoyed this time of year; new life and the promise of summer ahead. However there is a bittersweet feel to this Spring, my first without Mum. Last year was really hard, I can't write about it yet, in fact even thinking about it makes me feel agitated. But now I feel guilty when I am enjoying the Spring because it feels as if I am enjoying not having the worries I had last year, and of course I would gladly have the worries if it meant I could have Mum too. I miss her and she will always be part of my life. In fact "Spring has sprung" was one of her sayings. I find myself saying so many things that she said. Now I have got myself all unsettled so I'm going to go and read to distract myself - another Mum tradition! Some day I will write about her properly. 

Colours of the sea

My fascination with the different shades of blue and green in the sea continues. I just don't have the vocabulary to describe them. Today Davie and I went for a walk along the beach on the east side of the narrow part of Vatersay. It was still very windy but fairly dry when we set off, however on our way back along the beach the rain came on heavily and by the time we got back to the car our trousers were soaking. It was worth it for the beautiful sea though - the best I can describe it is a sort of pale translucent jade green, with the golden sand shining through in the shallows. It's no use, I can't properly describe it, I'll just have to try to remember it. Later on the sun came out in this amazing changeable island climate and we had a glorious evening. Davie and I went down to our beach to watch the sunset, and the dog from the hotel followed us and took us for a walk along the beach, bringing us sticks so we could throw them for him! We had a great time running in and out of the surf. Back to the cottage for coffee and hot chocolate. Feeling very relaxed.

Wild times on Barra

The weather was so wild last night that the bins blew over outside the cottage and the windows were rattling. In the morning it was still very windy and rainy and the hills were hidden by low cloud lying thickly over the island. We had a cosy morning in the cottage reading and chatting, it's really nice to spend time together in such a relaxed way. Davie introduced me to another of his current favourite programmes, a spy comedy called Chuck which is quite amusing. After a lunch of soup and bread we decided to venture out for a walk on the beach but it was so wet and windy that instead we went for a drive round the island. We set off westwards and spotted some stunning beaches which we hope to visit in better weather. Then we turned north to the airport, where we noticed that the windsock was flying which means a flight is imminent. So we stopped at the tiny airport and watched the plane from Benbecula land and take off again. The plane lands right on the beach so it can only land when the tide is out! It was a wee plane, it taxied off along the sand then turned and took off over our heads - quite a sight! We went round the east of the island through Castlebay and back to our cottage where we watched the sea boiling over the rocks and had tea. I finished my book (The Prophetess) and Davie and I watched another episode of Chuck. It's dark now but the weather still sounds wild out there! But it's warm in the cottage and we're making cocoa to my Dad's recipe, to be eaten with bread and butter in the traditional manner! What a nice way to end the day.

Cut off from the world!

Last night I got a phone call from Canada - it was Ally who is on his ski holiday with the school! I was worried that something was wrong but he was just phoning to ask if he could get permission to have an extra day skiing rather than wait until tomorrow. He is seven hours behind us in time. He said it is so snowy there that the runway at Calgary Airport had to be cleared of snow to let his plane land. Then Jamie phoned from Dundee to tell me that Ally was trying to get in touch, which of course by that time I already knew. Jamie is still working hard for his exams on 18th April. James texted this morning to say that the ferries are cancelled between Oban and Barra because of bad weather so we are cut off! I like this idea! It was very windy here but Davie and I were not deterred and went for a walk on Halaman Beach. It was amazing, huge waves rising up and curling over and crashing down starting at one end and running along to the other. We had coffee in the Isle of Barra hotel which was very nice with lovely views over the beach. We also visited Castlebay where the few shops were open today, and got David a waterproof in the Post Office. The ladies in the Tourist Office told us that it was their first day open this year - we are very early in the season! Back at the cottage we read and relaxed, and David introduced me to an American tv series which he likes called R. J. Berger. I enjoyed it. It is Ben's 10th birthday today so I phoned Jennifer to pass on birthday greetings and check that our present had arrived, which it had. Had a good chat, Jennifer was advising me to use Yakult to combat reflux. When I phoned James he was telling me that his mother's day meal withGrandma went well yesterday. This evening Davie and I are cosy in the cottage as the rain batters on the windows!

Memories of snow

The snow forecast for today turned out to be just a dusting - like icing sugar - but it brought back memories of the Big Snow that arrived 3 months ago on 6th December 2010. The quantity of snow and the speed at which it arrived was amazing. When I arrived at school that morning it was cold and raining. The weather forecast had predicted snow, and it arrived mid-morning looking very picturesque at first but soon it was lying very thickly. Everyone was looking out of the windows expecting it to go off but it was relentless. By Period 4 I was teaching a 1st year class a PSE lesson about autism and rumours were flying around the school that it was about to close. Sure enough the pupils were sent home at lunch-time and those that were on foot, the majority, made it home ok, but most of our pupils in the base travel by taxi and the taxis couldn't get to the school because the roads were jammed with snow and traffic. During the afternoon most of our pupils managed to get home; their parents collected them, a few local taxis got through, some staff helped pupils who lived nearby to walk home. But the taxis from the outlying areas couldn't get to us and by tea-time Jackie and I still had 7 pupils with us. There were other staff stranded at school too, and someone went up to the chip shop and got us and the pupils fish suppers. Meanwhile Ally walked all the way home from his school, which took him more than 3 hours, he and his friends were helping drivers by pushing them up the hill on Kings Park Avenue. James tried to drive home but had to abandon the car in Rutherglen and walked home from there. And David was stranded at school in Newton Mearns, however Olivia and Neil very kindly kept him overnight so it was good to know that he was safe.
At nine o'clock at night a minibus turned up at the school with 3 drivers, they thought that the pupils were from the local area and were understandably uneasy when they found out that they would have to go further afield. After a short discussion among themselves they decided to go for it. We arranged for the parents to meet us at several "pick-up points" and I went as the bus escort. About 14 members of staff were stranded overnight but at least they didn't have to worry about the pupils any more. And our Duke of Edinburgh sleeping bags came in handy!
So off we set into a winter wonderland; every tree and fence was piled high with snow, the roads were almost impassable - thick with snow that was like ice, cars abandoned everywhere, traffic jams at every roundabout. The bus drivers took turns getting out of the bus to push it or to dig out the front wheels. We had to go on the wrong side of the road because of abandoned vehicles, with one of the drivers scouting ahead to make sure it was safe. We had to back up to take a run at slopes, and as we went down the hill we passed huge queues trying to get up it, the cars were just sliding around. It was a journey that I will never forget, scary but also very beautiful, the landscape was transformed out of all recognition by the snow. The pupils were great and the parents were all waiting where they should be, very pleased to see their children. By 9.45 the pupils were all safely delivered and I asked the bus drivers dropped me off about a mile from home so that they could set off back up the hill, they were fantastic. I started trudging home through deep snow, but was soon offered a lift by a friendly Landrover driver. By the time I arrived home at 10 James had walked back to Rutherglen to retrieve his car and he and Ally were busy digging out the driveway. All's well that end well and I was so relieved that all the pupils were home safe and that my family were all safe. I certainly slept well that night. The school was closed for the next few days because of the snow - in more than twenty years of teaching that has never happened at any of my schools, which shows how unusual the situation was.
So here we are in March. The experience hasn't put me off snow but I'm hoping that my favourite season of Spring is just around the corner.