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Didòmhnaich, 28/Feb/2010
Islay Blogging Roundup #113
Last day of February 2010 today. March tomorrow. Will we finally get spring now? Less than five weeks until Easter and the WalkIslay Islay walking week is in six weeks. Fingers crossed we see quite a bit of improvement by then. Several Islay blogging roundups will have been written by then and many blog entries been read. Which leads my nicely to what the blogs have been writing about Islay and Jura over the last week:
To start with some news I've been waiting for (as probably have many others), as Roger McWee brought to Ron's attention there are now Detailed Islay Satellite Images on Microsoft's Bing. This must be fairly new, as I remember checking only about a month or so ago and they were nowhere near the resolution they are now. Makes some of my PhotoSynths (like the one of Laphroaig distillery (click on the icon and then dive in) work much better. Let's see how long Google Maps needs to catch up, so far they have only arrived in Kennacraig (which funnily enough Bing doesn't seem to have).
Of course there were a few Islay visitors, from (I think) Sweden comes the Isle of Islay « Reserapport. From someone from Stockholm (again, I think) comes Whiskey and the GPS, which seems to be about an Islay visit. Sam and Ed (with their dog Casper) went to Bayview Lagavulin Islay for 1/2 Term (with their parents, where I've got the funny feeling I know who they are).
From where they stayed it is not far to the distilleries, or in other words, the whisky (not that they would drink it yet). The Whisky For Everyone bloggers have just tried Caol Ila 12 years old while the WHISKYhost Blog had an Ardbeggars Banquet. The Scotch Hobbyist did a Kilchomano-a-Kilchomano: Autumn 2009 vs Inaugural release comparison.
On the Bruichladdich Blog we find news about the Web Cam Installation. The Spirit Safe tastes a Flora McBabe - Bruichladdich Valinch Bottling while the German Green Your Life Blog writes about the Bruichladdich - Organic Single Malt Whisky. The ardblog writes about Kilchoman @ Switzerland.
Tasty Tasty Whisky points out The things you see! (which does indeed have two Islay connections, Laphroaig and Ardbeg). In Weer terug op Aarde the Dutch Y-weblog writes about a beer which seems to use Bruichladdich smoked barley.
Of course there was birdwatching, the Islay Birds has a great picture of a White tailed Sea Eagle and a Greenland White fronted Goose in the driving snow. Catherine went bird counting and a Stoat was photographed as well. John Islay Birder Armitage is still stuck at home but has found something to keep him busy. He also writes about the ongoing winter.
In other news Ron has an old Islay Festival Flyer 1989 and picks up on the fact that the new Islay Ferry will not go to Port Ellen (at least for the forseeable future). A wee hard man from Islay continues his cycling training whatever the weather and injury situation. A young mother from Norway is Dreaming of Islay… and will return in the summer.
The pictures. Winter Light – Islay is on Big Sky Photos. On Ron's Picture Blog we find Dramatic Skies and Wave Action at Saligo Bay as well as Morning Light over Dunlossit Estate. I've only written about it yesterday, but for completeness: In Ian Besch's photoblog we have Port Charlotte, Islay and Laphroaig stills.
On Mark Unsworth's Islay Photography Gallery I very much liked Cloud Burst and Jetty at Loch Cam, but the picture of the week I think is Geese and The Paps. From my own Islay Pictures photoblog I think I'll go for Wind and Waves at Saligo Bay and Arriving in Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, in the Evening.
The Jura Picture of the Day had a familiar sign and Always delivering, although my favourite is Troublesome clouds.
I think that's it for this week. Of course there's the regular reference to the Scottish Roundup, but as of writing this the new roundup doesn't seem to be ready just yet. This week I'm going to close with best wishes for the staff and students at Islay High School, who have a HM Inspectorate of Education visit ahead of them. Good luck and show them the excellent work you're doing!
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