Some Photos from the Malta Trip so far

Evidence that the British used to own the place.

My first Cisk (pronounced Chisk) - I was happy to see that they sold it on the plane.  This is a Maltese beer, rather like a light beer - very refreshing after a day of fieldwork!

Flying over the alps.

Maltese farming is on a very small scale - these are the large plots!

Malta loves its churches.  A population of devout Catholics, the keep them immaculate.  This is just a small parish church.  I get to the big ones on Saturday...

The view from my room (using the panorama setting on my camera).

One of my favourite views on the island (again using the panorana thingy).  The tower on the right was built by the Knights of St John as part of a chain of look out towers.  If Pirates or Turks were spotted a warning becon was lit on top.  Think of the scene in The Lord of the Rings and you will get the idea.

More soon!

Leaving, on a jet plane....

Yes, I am off to Malta in the morning!  That really came up fast!  Not surprising really, as I have spent the last couple of weeks working insanely...

Sorry if I have neglected reading blogs recently - I will catch up as soon as I can.

While in Malta I will take lots of photos and a few videos.  When I post them will depend on whether I can get a connection in Malta or not. I am taking my laptop with me, so will post of I can.  If not I will do a big post when I get back.

See you soon!

Another strange dream

I know I have some odd dreams, but the one I had last night was amazing.  Given a stupid amount of money to play with I would happily build the place I saw.

I was walking along a clifftop with my family.  A wall ran along the edge, blocking part of the view, but we could see an island with a house.  There was a causeway and a viaduct leading from the land out to the island.

It was a place that we had seen on TV (in my dream, that is, not on a real TV show) and we wanted to visit.  Searching along the wall we found a door that looked like it would lead to the viaduct and causeway, so we went through.  Once through we were faced with 2 more doors, so we picked one and headed into a long building that sloped downwards.  It was full of carved and polished wooden sculptures that had been made from drift wood.

Leaving the building at beach level we found ourselves walking on grass and surrounded by mist.  We later realised that a section of land between the causeway and a jetty had been reclaimed from the sea and grassed over.  Walking through the mist we tried to head for the island.

Then, suddenly, the sun burst through the mist revealing the grassy meadow, the cliff and buildings behind us and the island ahead.  In the meadow were animals but we could not settle on what they were - they might have been pigs, sheep or chickens!

Whatever the creatures were, this sight was so amazingly moving that we all burst into tears.  The feeling that this left in me was so strong that when I later told Mrs RC about it I actually started to cry again when I reached this point!

The mist cleared more and we headed to the house on the island.  There we found the 3 slightly crazy guys who lived there and the presenter of the TV show that we had seen this house on.

The show (only in my dream, remember) had told the story about how these guys had tried to extend their island and build a new house for their Irish Wolfhounds.  Sadly, the extra land was now slowly sliding into the sea and at high tide the house was knee deep in sea water.  The 3 crazy guys were resigned to letting the sea have its way, you can't fight it, but the TV guy was urging them to rebuild!

"You can't give up - this house is still amazing, especially at low tide!" 

This was hilarious as this guy is normally one to point out when people are trying daft things.  Mrs RC said I was laughing at one point so I guess this was it.

Then it was time to leave, so we returned across the grassy meadow with its pigsheepchickens and entered the "exit" part of the building that was attached to the cliff.  Inside we found an amazing collection of statues.  Made from polished black stone, these statues were wonderful, appearing as different things according the the angle that they were viewed from. One was an elephant from one angle but an eagle from another.  A second statue was a beautiful woman and also a hideous gargoyle.  Has this been done?  I am sure it has.  If not I should get to work!

Then we left the way we came in.

It was a wonderful place. I want to build it, live there, and allow others to visit it.

The End is Near!

One way or the other, the end is coming.

Off to Malta on Wednesday, so away from the insanity that currently surrounds me.

5 weeks to finish my dissertation.  It is going to go to the wire, totally against my original plans, but as they say "No plan ever survives contact with the enemy"!  I am taking my laptop to Malta and intend to break the back of things there, working when the students are working and maybe pulling a couple of hours late each evening too.  Wish me luck!

Nearly St Patrick's Day!  I have a half written song about Irish things that would make me a million if I ever finished it - I plan to have it ready for next year.

Argh.  I am using someone else's PC right now and it has a curved keyboard - it is driving me nuts!  I go to hit backspace because I mistyped something and hit Return instead!

OK, lunchtime now!  Yay!

More soon!

What a day!

Took my daughter to college interview - she is in so long as she gets the grades which is no problem.  Animal Care amd Management. Might end up as a vetinary nurse or something! 

Work is insane at the moment, I have stuff running in 3 different rooms and have been helping students with projects at the same time.  I spent the day living on doughnuts, chocolate and Pepsi.  Not ideal, but I made it. Tomorrow will be similar, Friday will be much better...  

I am now digesting the biggest dinner...

The baby rabbits are all growing and eating well.  They are really funny too.  Tonight I found 5 of them piled into a stone flowerpot that is in the run.  It is a wonder that the bottom ones weren't squashed, but I guess they were just warm.

The new amp just gets better and better the more I use it.  Something that is really intersting is the 1970s synth setting.  Mrs RC says that most of the sounds are like someone breaking wind, but there are some great sounds there too - they just take some finding.  All very Prog-Rock!  Will post another video when I have something good to show you.

Hope you are having a good week!

Still here...

Just run off my feet.

More soon, I hope!

If you want blood...

Had a blood test this morning - checking to see if I am a good match for someone in Holland who needs some bone marrow.

I had the same test a couple of years back - that time I just hopped on the train to London, gave them some blood, did some shopping, had dinner with an aunt and headed home.

This time I had to go to the local hospital, get them to take the blood and then take the blood home with me for collection by a courier!  No where near as much fun, but hey I shouldn't really complain.

If I match I will have to go to Holland to make the donation, which could be fun (apart from the bit where they drill a hole in my hip to get at the marrow, but I am not thinking about that part right now).  Actually I am not REALLY thinking about getting a free trip - just hoping that I am a good match for this person, and if not hoping that someone IS!  Funny how you can have such empathy for someone what you know nothing about - except that they are ill and need help.

Please wish this person luck - and maybe offer a little prayer if you are that way inclined.