Drought?

What drought? As it was raining here, overnight and still at it this morning, a day indoors. Spent a good time reading other blogs and all over the UK it appears to be raining. Quite heavily too.
The photograph below is courtesy of one of the blogs, sidmouthpoppy, which made me smile, particularly after the weekend I have just had!


I had a quick trip in to Fraserburgh this morning, called 'The Broch' locally. I hadnt been out for a few days so volunteered to be the one who went for the paper and the lottery ticket.
It is so much easier to park than Peterhead. Particularly for me who does not like walking. I parked, walked straight to the shop, across the pavement, made my purchase - again the local term for this is 'got the messages' and back into the car again. Brilliant! I did consider driving a few yards to where the charity shops start but thought twice about that as I had already stepped into the only puddle to be (not) seen.
Going in and out I drove via the Harbour.


Fraserburgh Lifeboat. Lifeboats are all staffed by volunteers. They work closely with the Coastguards. The government is set to close 15 Coastguard stations which will leave 3 for the whole of the UK. Leaving only one in Scotland, in Aberdeen. There has been uproar at these plans. (On a humorous note it has been said that only Aberdonians can understand each other so what chance has the rest of Scotland got when contacting them in an emergency!) When you see how much activity there is on the sea around here you have to agree with the protestors that lives will almost certainly be lost.

Coming into harbour.

Ready to leave harbour - so long as they havent filled their fishing quota laid down by the EEC for this month.

Big Fishing ships, who if in trouble, will not appreciate the engaged signal when they try to say MAYDAY.

Wonder if they will play music, you know where you get the message, "All our operators are busy, please hold."

No doubt the music will be a male voice choir singing, "For all those in peril on the sea."

Out at sea are the many oil and gas platforms. Not long ago a helicopter, carrying workers, went down into the sea.

People fall off cliffs, very recently a chap went down the cliff to save his dog and got stuck. In fact most weeks there is a dog being rescued. Pleasure sailings often need to contact the coastguard, engine packs up, steering packs up, then theres the oil tankers heading for the rocks. All potentially disasters. Make the chain for requesting help longer and I would think you can take out the word potentially.

Home again. Mike was working hard, and obviously not to be disturbed, on his design plans for the garden....Watch this space.

I have to do a presentation at Rotary this evening so battled with the computer to make a slide show. I did eventually do it but its taken up most of my day. So I was quite pleased it was raining.

But definitely a drought of brain cells.