Archive for August 2023
the rock project – update
It sometimes takes years to make progress on a project. That has certainly been the case with ‘the rock project,’ begun November 2011 and reported here https://janetims.com/2011/11/13/plans-for-a-rocky-road/
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The original project was to add a circular component to the driveway and to install a few rock features along the way. In part, this was to allow us to avoid backing out to the road in front of our house. It was also meant to give us an interesting walking ‘trail’ as we get older. This was the feature map as it existed in 2011.
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Over the years, we built a rock fireplace and added a concrete bench. And, last summer, we brought in gravel and rock to finish the circular roadway and a rock feature I refer to as ‘rockhenge.’
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‘Rockhenge’ consists of a platform, fronted by six very large rocks and accessed by a stone stair. Eventually it will be planted in periwinkle and moss.
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The roadway allows a pleasant walk in the grey woods.
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Now that the road is done, we have more plans for the rock project.
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This summer, every time we go for a drive, I bring back one or two rocks towards the building of a stone wall along the front of the area where I feed the birds. I also added two small solar-powered lanterns; they shine every night and make the woods less dark.
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The next step in our project has begun, with the creation of a small platform, a flat surface to put another concrete bench. It will be a place to sit and watch the woods and occasional wildlife.
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A future part of the plan will be to build a narrow roadway through the grey woods, to the back of our property.
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Not having to back out of our driveway has made life better and safer for us. The circular drive is also an exercise opportunity — every day I try to find the time to walk the loop. Every evening I watch the little lanterns flicker and shine. I love this place where we have lived now for 43 years. And with the ‘rock project’ ongoing, I love it even more.
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All my best,
Jane
(a.k.a. Alexandra)
exploring the legendary 2
Interesting and different weekend!!! I participated via webcam in The Quest, an effort to gather more information about the Loch Ness Monster. This was a weekend organized by The Loch Ness Centre. To add my bit to the effort, I stayed right at home and observed remotely.
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I watched the webcam at Lochend for 6 hours from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM Atlantic Time (11:00 AM to 17:00 PM Scotland Time). It was not boring. This was partly because there was a lot to see: people on the opposite shore, birds and flocks of birds, sailing ships, speed boats, and cruisers, and a couple of things I couldn’t identify. I recorded my observations every 1 to 2 minutes and took some screenshots.
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Loch Ness is a long, narrow lake (27 km long) in the Scottish Highlands. The area where I watched is at Lochend, near Caledonia Canal, the northern outlet of the Loch. The webcam panned back and forth, showing the water and land between a long narrow beach to the north and a point of land to the south (near Dores).
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Most of the boat traffic I saw came from or went into the Canal.
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I quickly found, because the webcam moved on a pivot, I would not see a continuous sequence of events in any one area. For this reason, I divided the viewing area into four sectors (A, B, C, and D) so I could identify the sector where any particular action was occurring.
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The wind was blowing, so the water was choppy and riffled. The water of the Loch is also very reflective, so elements of the shoreline are reflected in the water. All of this means that waves appear long and thin, are constantly moving and appear darker near the shore — easy to make an observer think they have seen a long dark serpent-like monster.
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Some of the things I saw:
birds, individually or in flocks, on the water and in the air…
… ships of various types: sailboats, cruisers, speedboats and canoes…
… and people, in small groups, on the opposite shore, walking, swimming, canoeing, watching…
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I also saw two things I couldn’t identify. One was a dark ripple in the water of Sector B that moved northward for about 9 minutes and then disappeared. Another was a white, stationary blob that only appeared for about a minute, also in Sector B. I made photos of these for the Loch Ness Centre, but didn’t get photos of my own. I submitted these two and I understand I will eventually hear if they were observations of interest. Neither would win any prizes in the ‘looked like Nessie’ category!!!!
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All my best,
Jane
(a.k.a. Alexandra)
exploring the legendary
All my life, I have been interested in legend, and in particular the creatures of legend: the Ogopogo, the Sasquatch, the little folk, the Loch Ness Monster and so on. Perhaps it is my general interest in biology, my writing about science fiction and my love of story. I also know that we humans do not know ‘everything.’ Each day I learn of a new species I have never known about before. Or I hear of the discovery of a new plant or animal. Or I marvel at how strange nature really is.
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For these reasons, when I heard on CBC that there would be a new, concentrated search for the Loch Ness Monster, the first such effort since the 1970s, I thought it would be interesting to participate. The Loch Ness Centre is organizing The Quest for the weekend of August 26 and 27, 2023. The weekend effort will include observations by volunteers at arranged locations along the shore, as well as explorations by drone and underwater devices.
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I am not traveling to Scotland any time soon, but the interview said people could take part remotely via webcam. So, I went to the website and now I am registered to watch Loch Ness for five hours on Sunday.
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I will be watching the webcam at Lochend, near the outlet of the Loch. The webcam swings back and forth, so I will get a full view, constantly changing. Watching a bit of water for five hours will present challenges, no doubt, but I will prepare myself for a long haul with water and snacks and lots of enthusiasm. Botanists are used to watching plants grow, so I am looking forward to this new adventure! Here are a couple of views of the area I’ll be watching.
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The participants have had a briefing and a briefing package. This weekend, there is a preparation presentation via Facebook and wrap-up sessions at the end of each day, also via Facebook.
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I will have fun and perhaps I’ll spot something of interest. The organizers tell us to expect to see water craft, floating logs, standing waves, debris, and, yes, perhaps even Nessie!!!!!!
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You can also participate. The organizers have said that latecomers are welcome. Just look at the website above to discover how to join in.
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All my best,
Jane Tims
(a.k.a. Alexandra)
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