BLIADHNA Mhath Ur!
Doubling up
FORT William and Lochaber surely "rained supreme" in 2011.
For it was certainly Wet, Wet, Wet here throughout the year.
So much so that the 2011 precipitation was measured at an astonishing 116 inches (9ft 8 inches) - twice as much as in 2010.
The colossal amount was well topped up by the December deluges - the wettest month in the west Highland area this millennium.
Rain gauge readings at Achnabobane, near Spean Bridge, taken by Andrew Bootman, co-ordinator of Rainnet, Lochaber's weather monitoring group, yielded what he may have understated somewhat as "exceptional rainfall throughout the year".
Andrew said: "This December was the wettest month since I started recording here a decade ago. It rained every day with a monthly total of 18+ inches.
"And 2011 itself has been by far the wettest year I've experienced.
"We measured 116 inches of rainfall, which is a third above the average annual total.
"By comparison, the local rainfall figure in 2010 was 57 inches - half of this year's amount!
"We experienced 300 days with noticeable rain in 2011."
Full figures
AND here are some of the localised precipitation figures for December:
* Andrew Bootman, Achnabobane, 469mm/18.47 inches (108 per cent above the December average).
* Herdis Hamilton, Nether Fort William, 452mm/17.87 inches.
* Ian Lamb, Ardtornish, 401mm/15,78 inches (wettest in Morvern since recording began in 1985).
* David Craig, Lettershuna, 374mm/14.72 inches.
* Peter Klemm, Knoydart, 345mm/13.58 inches.
* Mark Jordan, Nevis Range, 337mm/13.27 inches.
* Ranald Coyne, Arisaig, 241mm/9.49 inches.
* Ian Watts, Mallaig, 206mm/8.12 inches.
Days daze
HOWEVER, "long to rain over us", or not, that's us well into 2012 or, as an Outer Hebridean acquaintance describes it "Two Sousand and a Dozen".
But, apart from "A Happy New Year!" the most frequently phrase I've heard this week has been "What day is it?", because quite a few folk seem to have lost track of time over the holiday period!
Got it covered
NICE to see the "Not in Use" yellow covers on the ticket machines in the local car parks this festive season.
Shades of the days when Mr Ptolemy out at Carr's Corner was wont to tell us locals that the machines couldn't be draped over at any time - and especially not on Sundays - for fear their innards would break into a cold sweat.
Cashing in
TALKING of machines, there were a couple of goodwill gestures around a Fort William High Street cash dispenser at Christmastime.
One man and his dog walked by at the precise time there was a buzzing sound coming from the machine. Hard on the heels of the "Beep, Beep, Beep" came a cascade of notes - £200 in all.
There was absolutely nobody around, so One Man scooped up the readies.
And took them to the police station.
Under three hours later, One Man had a phonecall to say that the money had been claimed.
And that the grateful owner had left him a reward of £50!
Heartwarming stuff, eh!
Fun, fun, fun
TWO seasonal happenings in Banavie.
Fort William Chamber of Commerce Christmas Lunch - the first such function for many a year - was particularly well attended, with 120 people sitting down to enjoy the proceedings in the Moorings.
Guest speaker Charles Kennedy MP was in fine form and fielded a few local questions after his oration.
On the quiz sheet handed out to everyone, one of the questions was "How many different businesses are represented at today's funraising event?"
Actually, "funraising", was a particularly appropriate word on this particular occasion!
Then, across the road on Boxing Day, Lochaber Rugby Club had its annual President's XV v First XV challenge match on the Banavie pitch.
"Kick-off at 2pm - but all players to meet pre-match at 1am."
I think, probably, the "1am" may have been a typographical error - but, then, you never know with Lochaber's rugby fraternity and sorority.
Hearts attack
ANYWAY, to the round ball game.
All of us in the Hearts of Mid-Lochaber Supporters Club were well pleased with the derby result at Easter Road on Monday.
Weren't we Fay, Calum, Eck, Willie, Johnny?
Crackers!
HARKING back to the Chamber Lunch, here's a cracker.
Or, rather, several crackers, which festooned the festive tables at the Moorings.
Their innards yielded wee bags of marbles - prompting several people to hand them over to colleagues, nodding sagely and saying: "Here you are - you've maybe lost these?"
Dear Diary
WE'LL just have a look now at Wee Jessie Jamieson's Diary for 1959:
* January 1. It was wild, with wind and rain, when I got to bed at 5am.
* January 2. Helen and I went to the pictures. The film was Next To No Time, with Kenneth More and Patsy Drake. We walked home and saw a mountain rescue.
* January 3. A lovely day. I will not get into the Belford till I am 16, so I'll have to get a job for a year.
* January 4. We took down the Christmas tree and decorations, and had frying steak for tea.
* January 5. It was freezing. I sledged down the Sub-Station Brae.
* January 6. We went back to school today.
* January 7. It was very cold but I cycled to school, and made cakes.
* January 8. There was snow on the ground. We went to the panto - Cinderella - which was very good.
Yanks for the memory
HARKING a lot farther back - to 1918 - here's an interesting clipping from one of our local weekly newspapers of that era:
"After being with us for about 10 months, our American sailor friends have left for another station.
"We will miss the Yanks sadly, for they made themselves very popular.
"In nearly every house, one or more of them was sure to be found when on liberty.
"They were sorry to go.
"But, as they said themselves - 'Every fresh order brings Li'l Ol' New Yoik a bit nearer.
"We bid them Farewell, with every good wish".
Footing off?
MENTION of the sailors being "in nearly every house" got me thinking.
Is first footing falling away?
I say that because there don't seem to be so many folk about at Hogmanay.
Shades of the days when Viewforth Place used to reverberate with revelling first footers, both locals and services personnel.
And the curious thing was that in hardly any of the houses would you find the actual tenants.
They'd be out first footing neighbours in the next close or in the tenements opposite!
Leaving "open house" to anyone who called.
You're booked!
NOW for a few jottings.
I got a Christmas present of a wee book (surprise! surprise!), titled Eat Haggis and Ceilidh On.
And it has some very good one liners. Like:
* Wishing "Happy New Year" to everybody you know for days, weeks, aye, and sometimes months.
* Scotland - Where 'How?' means 'Why?'.
* She's goat mair degrees than a thermometer.
* Senga & Agnes - The Scottish Twins.
* There's aye a something!
* Ice climbing on Point Five Gully on Ben Nevis on May Day (quite often "Mayday" is the operative word at that particular point up there on the Ben).
* The sea water in Mallaig is clearer than the Caribbean - and the sands (in Morar) are whiter.
Harry takes flight
I LIKED this headline in the Daily Tabloid at the weekend:
"Prince Harry off to ski on a cheap jet"
You're on telly, Hen
WERE you "tuned in" to the Hogmanay television entertainment?
If so, then you couldn't miss The Hendersons.
Megan playing the fiddle, and then step dancing on BBC 1 - with dad, Provost Allan, in the audience.
Simultaneously, Ewen, on fiddle and pipes with Manran, was featured on BBC Alba!
Say that again?
MAN entered one of the few shops open in the High Street on Sunday morning. "Happy New Year," he bade the proprietor.
"That's funny," was the response, "for that's exactly what you said to me the last time you were in here!"
