You would never guess so I will tell you. It is cloudy and windy in Glasgow this morning at 5 am. Belfast, here we come! More later.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Edinburgh
Spent the day touring the Edinburgh castle, wandering along the Royal Mile and enjoying a pint or two in a tavern. This evening we visited a farm north of Glasgow and were treated to an amazing meal of lamb in a barn that was also visited over the years by Rob Roy, William Wallace and wait for it. .. Mel Gibson! The latter was described as about 5'8" compared to the real William Walace's 6' 6"! We also enjoyed a wee dram. Belfast and Dublin tomorrow.
Glasgow
It is cool and damp in Glasgow. Typical maybe? Beautiful hiking trails as we passed through western England. No time to hike though. We also went through Gretna Green, which is known as the home of eloping. Lots of revelry in Glasgow as the local football team won something. Sorry soccer fans, I have no idea what!
Today we are off to Edinburgh.
Today we are off to Edinburgh.
York, England
After touring London yeterday, we are off on our Trafalger bus tour. Today we saw Shakespeare's birthplace and where he lived with his wife Anne Hathaway (no, not THAT Anne Hathaway). The countryside is beautiful and after a
walking tour of York, we are about to go for a drink and dinner. The bus is comfortable, the people are friendly and all is well. Early wakeup call to head to Glasgow tomorrow.
walking tour of York, we are about to go for a drink and dinner. The bus is comfortable, the people are friendly and all is well. Early wakeup call to head to Glasgow tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
London, Scotland and Ireland
I am about to embark on a whirlwind tour of London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dublin. Leaving tomorrow and looking forward to it.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Great News From Africa!
I just received word that the well we have been raising money for in Tanzania is now producing 1,800 liters of water an hour, which is more than enough to service 800 preschoolers and 50 households in the community for years to come.
While our classroom project was finished pretty much on schedule, this one took longer than expected. I was disappointed when we went to Tanzania in February and learned that the drilling had not started. Plan Tanzania staff assured me that it was imminent and we saw the drilling rig working about 10 km away. Apparently, there are very few reliable drilling rigs in Tanzania so when they found one that can be relied upon, they stuck with it.
It did indeed come through and the project can now be considered a success. They are still waiting for a solar pump, but the children will have their clean, potable water in no time. It has been worth the wait and having seen the looks on the faces of the children and teachers who are so satisfied with their new classroom, I can just imagine how they will feel about having water at their fingertips. It is another reminder of why we are doing this.
Anyone wishing to donate to our new project to help young women establish small businesses, which will provide livelihoods for their families and education for their children, can do so by clicking on the "Donate" button on the right.
While our classroom project was finished pretty much on schedule, this one took longer than expected. I was disappointed when we went to Tanzania in February and learned that the drilling had not started. Plan Tanzania staff assured me that it was imminent and we saw the drilling rig working about 10 km away. Apparently, there are very few reliable drilling rigs in Tanzania so when they found one that can be relied upon, they stuck with it.
It did indeed come through and the project can now be considered a success. They are still waiting for a solar pump, but the children will have their clean, potable water in no time. It has been worth the wait and having seen the looks on the faces of the children and teachers who are so satisfied with their new classroom, I can just imagine how they will feel about having water at their fingertips. It is another reminder of why we are doing this.
Anyone wishing to donate to our new project to help young women establish small businesses, which will provide livelihoods for their families and education for their children, can do so by clicking on the "Donate" button on the right.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My New Kobo
I bought a Kobo eReader about three weeks ago and I couldn't be happier with it. It is wireless, easy to use and I got it on sale! The computer interface is easy and downloading books is quick. It is light and easy to hold. There are a number of covers designed for it that are relatively inexpensive. I am not sure how long the battery life is before requiring a charge, but I have been using it quite a bit since I purchased it and the battery is down by about half. Perhaps the biggest and most surprising feature became apparent when I was sitting in the brilliant sunshine on Sunday afternoon reading one of the 100 preloaded classic books. The text was perfectly clear with no glare!
There are a couple of things that take a bit of getting used to though and both relate to speed. I think the speed at which computers work has spoiled us. At least it has spoiled me. There is a slightly annoying hesitation when the page turns on the Kobo. It may be a fraction of a second, but it is there. That can be overcome by clicking to turn the page just before finishing the last sentence. There is an even longer hesitation when changing from one chapter to the next. In fact, pretty much any action you do with the Kobo, with the exception of downloading, requires a bit of patience. If you want things to happen at a lightning fast pace, perhaps you should consider a much more expensive tablet computer.
I find that the pros far outweigh the cons and, if you are looking for an eReader, I would recommend the Kobo. I am even wading through one of the classics, Moby Dick. I am finding it to be a slow read, but that is just personal taste. I have downloaded a Tom Clancy novel that is waiting for me when I finally finish with the whale. I am enjoying the eReader, but many of the classics may just have to remain unread.
There are a couple of things that take a bit of getting used to though and both relate to speed. I think the speed at which computers work has spoiled us. At least it has spoiled me. There is a slightly annoying hesitation when the page turns on the Kobo. It may be a fraction of a second, but it is there. That can be overcome by clicking to turn the page just before finishing the last sentence. There is an even longer hesitation when changing from one chapter to the next. In fact, pretty much any action you do with the Kobo, with the exception of downloading, requires a bit of patience. If you want things to happen at a lightning fast pace, perhaps you should consider a much more expensive tablet computer.
I find that the pros far outweigh the cons and, if you are looking for an eReader, I would recommend the Kobo. I am even wading through one of the classics, Moby Dick. I am finding it to be a slow read, but that is just personal taste. I have downloaded a Tom Clancy novel that is waiting for me when I finally finish with the whale. I am enjoying the eReader, but many of the classics may just have to remain unread.
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