Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Crofting
February 8, 2010
Good news, relatively speaking, on the duck front. Though we had seven Indian Runners, four survived whatever accident befell the lot back on 13 January towards the end of the big freeze.
To recap: One, as you remember, was left behind. I moved the hut and her closer to the cottage. Then on Saturday 16 January, E found another one down at the lochside and we shephered her back. A week later, we got a call from the house up on the hill saying one drake was in their garden. Finally, 25 January, ...
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Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Crofting
January 19, 2010
Well, it's all melted and the ground's a soggy, sodden mess. Everyone moaned at the time, life was made a bit trying, but before we forget entirely, some images of the last month.  frosty fork  snowy drive  frozen loch  glazed front garden [yard]
Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Crofting
January 16, 2010
Done a Runner? I wish that were the case. The other morning, 13 January 2010, I found no Runner Ducks in their hut. None to be seen in the dim Winter’s light. Checked the croft, all their usual spots, and the surrounding area. Nothing. Back to the enclosure and closer inspection revealed straw pulled out of their home, mixed with a few feathers.  what’s left In the improving light, I saw that one female was still tucked in the back of the housing. El Ultimo Pato? The last duck standing. I feel...
Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Crofting
January 5, 2010
E and I went for a hike 2 Jan in the afternoon. Having figured out how to use my Canon 'PhotoStitch' software I produced these images taken out on the common grazings behind the croft.  glow on the horizon  cairn on hill  wide angle setting  elizabeth  sheep pens & disused dip
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Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Crofting
January 2, 2010
Or is it . . .Kami-politan? You pick. Tis the season for the ‘blue hour’, that is time for cocktails. I’ve returned the tomes that guided me over a decade ago. And in the spirit of invention, thought this worked nicely as tasty aperitif. Juice of one lime 2 shots (or two parts) Grand Marnier 3 shots (or three parts) premium Vodka Splash or 2 of Cranberry juice (juice not sweetened drink) Shake with ice, strain into well-chilled 70-90 ml 'shot-style' glasses. Serve immediately.  cosmokaze ingr... Continue reading...
Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Cocktails
December 24, 2009
barefootbandit  Right. The Guardian is still my preferred daily though I see it much less frequently. I truly enjoyed a recent report (15 Dec) from the US by Ed Pilkington on the “barefoot bandit,” Colton (great name) Harris-Moore. Eighteen years old and somewhere between 6’2” and 6’5”, this young scofflaw steals anything from credit cards to Cessnas, having apparently learned to fly from the internet and manuals purchased using the pinched plastic. Though this is probably old news ...
Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Year In Review - 2009
December 23, 2009
Let’s begin on a humorous note. I couldn’t really improve on the Craig Brown diary of Barack Obama in Private Eye (date lost). It recounts Obama and his daughter waiting to buy an ice-cream at the beach:  private eye
‘ “Next!” says the gentleman in the ice-cream truck. And then he addresses me in this way. “Sir, if you can’t make up your mind, I’m gonna have to ask you to move. Others are waiting.”
I step aside and turn to Malia Ann. “This is a defining moment, Malia Ann,” ... Continue reading...
Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Year In Review - 2009
December 11, 2009
. . . well, there’s fish. In this case a bit of locally landed haddock that I’ve home smoked out by the byre.
brook's original home smoker  I couldn’t be bothered with making a full-on brine as I will be using the smoked fish immediately in a Cullen skink and the fish doesn’t need to be ‘preserved’ for any time. That said, I gave two fillets a short, sharp cure for an hour or so in Maldon’s seasalt with some dried thyme. salted fish (with dog)  Next I remove all the excess salt and ...
Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Crofting
December 1, 2009
The titter is back. This time it is from reading an anthology of the late Hector MacDonald’s columns, originally published by the West Highland Free Press. I recently met the charming widow MacDonald, or as she is apparently known at the hospital Maggie Leurbost. (Get out your atlases -- or is it atlai?)
Anywho, Mr MacDonald wrote using the pseudonym Aimsir Eachainn, which I am certain has some double entendre and whenever I manage to learn the Gaelic, I’ll share it with you. He... Continue reading...
Posted by John McKenna. Posted In :
Crofting
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About Me
Barry Shelby, American-gone-native-Scotsperson, Journalist , Photographer, Author and....Crofter located now at Earshader on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. Barry, based for years in Glasgow, is now with his wife Elizabeth on the Islands off the North-West Coast of Scotland.
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Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas, also Isle of Lewis) is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides (an archipelago) of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is 683 square miles (1,770 km2).
Lewis is, in general, the lower lying part of Lewis and Harris, with the other part, Harris, being more mountainous. The flatter, more fertile land means Lewis contains the only town, Stornoway and three-quarters of the population of the Western Isles. Beyond human habitation, the island's diverse habitats are home to an assortment of flora and fauna, such as the golden eagle, red deer and seals and are recognised in a number of conservation areas.
Lewis is of Presbyterian tradition with a rich history, having once been part of the Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. Today, life is very different to elsewhere in Scotland with Sabbath observance, the Gaelic language and peat cutting retaining more importance than elsewhere. Lewis has a rich cultural heritage as can be seen from its myths and legends as well as the local literary and musical traditions.
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