Scottish All the Way Down in Everyday Ramblings

Mt. St. Helen’s at sunrise.

Lately, I am not sure why exactly, but I have been doing a Scottish immersion. Initially it was the first book in the Outlander series in audiobook format, so I am hearing it. Then I started watching the Shetland series on Brit Box and this wonderful friendly gardening show The Beechgrove Garden.

I have had the book in e-Reader format Raven Black by Anne Cleeves, which I thought was the first in the series. I didn’t get very far because it seemed so dark and kind of creepy. But then yesterday I finished watching it as the 2nd mystery in the series after someone mentioned that the Inspector Perez character is kind. I didn’t know the two went together as I didn’t get that far in the book.

It is useful to watch Shetland with the subtitles on and particularly with the character of Magnus, a quiet recluse who everybody projects stuff onto. I was a bit astonished to realize that the character is played by Brian Cox. The Brian Cox who is playing Logan Roy on Succession. I have not watched that, have no intention to, but I do know all about it.

Cox said that against his will the BBC made him rerecord his dialogue because they said the British audience couldn’t understand it. There is no way I would have understood it without the subtitles, but I think that is just fine. People talk the way they talk. And regional differences in people, and in birds are fascinating.

Both of my students with Covid returned to class this week. We have had a 400% spike in cases in the last two weeks. Mrs. Sherlock came over yesterday to drop off a six-month supply of toilet paper she picked up at Costco for me and we both wore masks for the exchange.

I braved the bus both ways to the grocery with my duck billed form fitting N95 mask on yesterday. It is such a gift to have a mask I can wear both my glasses and hearing aids with, even though I look like some strange human platypus.

Because I live in an apartment, we don’t get compost bins for our compostable waste. Portland does have a vibrant compost program and green bins are provided for homeowners. Through Facebook and my upstairs neighbor, I have connected with a house owning neighbor about a half block away that has a green bin she has given me permission to use anytime (she is going to give me stuff for my Ridwell box). I am very excited about this.

I can also put my garden compost in there! She has a plot in the community garden that is closer. It took her four years to get that plot. She says her backyard is very shady. She has three chickens, one too old to do much laying, but also I can get fresh eggs on occasion.

Yesterday I splurged and ordered a container for kitchen compost that I can carry over there and dump. It has a charcoal filter and goes with my Simple Human kitchen garbage can that I love, though it is a different brand.

Okay, I have a League Program Planning Zoom to attend. This one on community health issues.

But if I were to answer you in the affirmative with Aye, instead of Yes, now you now why.

Last updated January 15, 2022