SOME weather, eh!
Just about everyone has a story about last weekend's gales and storms in Lochaber - too many to mention here.
What with power cuts and landslides, trees down and high tides, traffic hold-ups and round trips to the Fort via Corran Ferry or the A9.
Taking the rains
SO I'll just content myself with publishing the Rainnet precipitation statistics for November, starting from the lowest up:
Ian Watts, Mallaig 136.6mm/5.38 inches; Ranald Coyne, Arisaig 152mm/5.98 inches; David Craig, Lettershuna 190mm/7.48 inches; Willie MacDonald, Glenshiro 194.9mm/7.67 inches; Peter Klemm, Knoydart 220mm /8.66 inches; Ian Lamb, Ardtornish, 230mm/9.06 inches; Willie MacDonald, BA Factory 249.7mm/9.83 inches; Willie MacDonald, Allt Leachdach 307mm/12.09 inches: Andrew Bootman, Achnabobane 309.8mm/12.20 inches; Herdis Hamilton, Nether Fort William 327mm/12.88 inches; Willie MacDonald, Fersit 344.4mm/13.56 inches; Willie MacDonald, Blackwater 421.6mm/16.6 inches.
The November rainfall for last year averaged out at around 125mm/5 inches.
Highs and lows
MOST of the November rainfall came down towards the end of the month.
The wettest day, Saturday 26th, saw 57.7mm /2.27 inches.
The dry days of the 8th 13th, 14th and 15th - were the first such since September 15.
The warmest day was Wednesday, 2nd at 15.8C/60.4F.
Coldest night was that of Saturday 5th, at 1.1C 34F.
Average temperature for November was 8.8C /47.8F, 61.7 per cent above average.
Headline news
STILL, things can only get better according to some of the headlines.
Like the previously unheralded elevation by BBC Scotland of "Deputy Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon".
And the north regional daily's quirky: "Councillors to rule on jubilee day off".
Not to mention the Scottish tabloid's uplifting take on the "Inside Story", which read "The registrars carry out a civil partnership at London Zoo".
Diary dates
WEE Jessie Jamieson's Journal for mid-December 1958, should put everything back into perspective:
* Dec 15. It was a very cold day. We put up the decorations in the school cookery room. Helen and I went to the flicks - Treasure Island.
* Dec 16. Another cold day. I got my nursing papers from Inverness and can't make head nor tail of them. So I did some bandaging on Mum - poor soul!
* Dec 17. It was freezing. Chalmers told ghost stories in school. Then we got off at 2.30pm to see the Hostel Boys play the Teachers at shinty.
* Dec 18. It was a dry day. I sat my Nursing Part 2 Exam in St Andrew's Church Hall.
* Dec 19. It was a wet and windy day. I went to the Third Year Dance. It was super. Got home at midnight. Yawn!
* Dec 20. It was a dry day. At home I hung up balloons. Helen went to the dance in the Braxy and got a click.
* Dec 21. It was a damp day. Nothing doing. Dad cleaned my bike.
Correspondence Corner
DEAR Roamer,
This is a blast from the past.
You must be nearing 100 now, soon to get your telegram from the Queen!
I was on the Lochaber News website today, and reading the articles brought back memories and a little bit of homesickness.
I have now been away from the Fort for 12 years and have only been back fleetingly over this time.
But I do keep in touch with a few guys from Lochaber Rugby Club.
We were a pretty successful side when I played for them (That's Robbie being modest again - Roamer.) and I enjoyed my time there.
I see Danny Conlon's back in charge of Fort William FC. He was a great footballer, so I hope he will do well for this team.
I now reside in Dubai, a place I have come to love. I really do enjoy the weather here as we have sun, sun, sun and more sun!
However, the summer can get tooooo hot, sometimes over the 50s.
But it is still so much better than the rain and the cold of poor old Scotland.
I am director of rugby for the top team in Dubai and also work with the UAE national squad, and am really enjoying this.
We have just finished the Dubai Sevens, but pretty unsuccessful this year.
Too much booze for my guys, but we did enjoy the tournament and it was good to see Scotland pick up a trophy.
I have no idea when I will come back to Fort William, even for a short holiday, but the place is never out of my thoughts.
I have many pictures on my wall in my villa of my home town, and of Scotland in general.
I still wear the kilt as often as possible and have a close bunch of Scottish mates here, in fact my closest friend from home, Malcie Cameron, is here working.
Would never have thought that from kids to adults (old now) the two of us would be together like this.
And yes we still get up to the same nonsense we used to when we were young guys. It's brilliant!
All the best to yourself, Roamer, and a Happy Christmas and a good New Year to everyone in the Fort.
I have a tear in my eye as I finish this email off.
Regards
Robbie Cameron
Facility Director
Khansaheb Group LL
Al Rashidya
PO Box 2716
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
DEAR Roamer,
As you know, we organised a baking stall outside the former post office on Thursday, December 1, for the Martin Ferguson Memorial Trust Fund.
We are pleased to say that we raised £470 there and, with donations and the proceeds of our tablet-making in November, the overall sum of £1,200 has been realised.
We would like to thank everyone who helped raise this tremendous amount - our tablet customers and those who kindly bought from the stall and all the local people who so generously gave donations.
We look forward to having another similar fundraising event in the New Year.
Meanwhile, with our grateful thanks, all the best from:
The Ferguson Family
Inverlochy
You have mail?
THIS one is a letter looking for a recipient!
The original - from a young girl in Tasmania to her pal in Castle Drive, Lochyside - was handed in to me.
Briefly, it says:
"Dear Anya... wishes and hugs from Rachel... I miss you lots every day."
It then goes on to tell Anya about life in Tazzy, and mentions the forthcoming Christmas Parade in Launceston.
If Anya or her family read this, then maybe they could phone or look into the Ben Nevis Book Corner in Monzie Square and I'll direct them to the letter!
Trolley good
AND here's a thank you from Florence MacNicol.
Florence tells me that, at the height of last Thursday's lunchtime blast, she was struggling through Morrison's car park with her full shopping trolley when a young lady came up to her and offered to help get the MacNicol messages to the car.
"This was such a nice gesture", says Florence, "and I really appreciated it as I was battling against the wind and the rain.
"The young lady said she was pleased to help and would like to think that someone would do the same for her mum."
Florence didn't get her name.
"But she knows who she is! And hopefully she'll read this in Roamer and know how grateful I am to her."
Buddy rich?
COUNCILLOR Donald "Skeegan" Cameron has given me a pen - in Fort William Shinty Club colours - emblazoned with the words "buddy roamer.com".
Obviously, having accepted the implement and the compliment, I performed a Google.
Which resulted in the words, and I quote: "Buddy Roamer is a posterior walking aid which provides partial weight-bearing postural support."
That said, it is important not to mix up Buddy Roamer with Buddy Roemer, whose Republican Party nomination for President of the USA has just been announced.
Trust Skeegan to come up with something which reflects both Fort William Shinty Club and local democracy - sorry republicanism!
Off-roading
DID you hear about the early December tourists who, after consulting their map, took off from Kinlochleven in their hire car, intent on finding Glencoe.
Somehow they only found first gear, which took them up past Mamore Lodge and onto the route followed by General Wade and the West Highland Way.
Resulting in a retrieval mission by one of our local breakdown motors.
Snow joke
Have you seen the advert for the new Apple I-Phone 4S? On the highlighted screen is the message: "Will it be snowing in Fort William this weekend?"!
