[MAK]

Sat here killing time as its snowing outside.
Did you know that if our northerly most member wanted to visit the most southerly member they would drive 3383 km and it would take them 1 jour 10h 48 min to drive from Shetland to southern Spain.

If you travel due east from The Shetlands and past Bergen and across the Baltic you get to Finland. Beyond that are the the vast unpopulated lands of Russia that are way north of Moscow and St Petersburg.

If you make a similar eastwood journey from southern Spain then of course you cross the med - the tip of the African continent then Sicily southern Greece before hitting Syria.

So the North South journey from Shetland to southern Spain is like travelling from north of St Petersburg to Syria.

Imagine the differences between smallholders in St Petersburg and Syria !

Snow has stopped so off to feed the pigs now !!

[Dan]

Did you know that if our northerly most member wanted to visit the most southerly member they would drive 3383 km and it would take them 1 jour 10h 48 min to drive from Shetland to southern Spain.

We'll arrange the TAS meet for half-way, wherever that is. 

[MAK]

Could be my house !
I am 2000 km from Lewick - chucking it down with snow here so the Scots will feel at home. Mind you it was 42 degrees one day last July.

[Dan]

Is that a firm invitation? 

Are you at altitude, or is that a normal winter/summer split? So far this year we've escaped any real snowfall, fingers crossed that continues through to spring.

[deepinthewoods]

but what about lostlambs over in canada,i reckon thats the place for a meet up, tho not when its -48c or whatever it was!!

[Hermit]

Drive!!! I would get a bit wet   ( that is if I could drive) After the experience of my last journey on the Northboat I wont be leaving the island for a while. Talk about high seas. It is interesting about comparing how far North we are compared to Canada and Moscow, it is the gulf stream that keeps us cosy. Mainly sleeet and gale force winds this winter , no snow to talk much of yet. I do love to meet other forumers and have met a few on my travels so any body welcome anytime.

[Lesley Silvester]

Aways wanted to visit Shetland so may take you up on it.

[MAK]

Yes - the gulf stream certainly keeps the temperature up in winter for the UK even if it means those strong winds in Shetland and lower summer temperatures compared to simular latitudes within land masses like Canada or Russia.

Dan - we are  some way from the coast and I guess that we generally miss the gulf stream too. I think we are at about 550 meters -(not that far from the extinct Volcanoes shown on the Volvic water advert) We  have had it very mild as we usually have  VERY cold and snowy winters (Dec,Jan and Feb) but so far have escaped the cold. Spring and Autumn can be warm when the sky is clear as the sun sits higher here.
I am still getting my head around what to plant and when but should probably just follow what the locals do  and accept that the growing season is so much longer ( we did not have a frost until Xmas day). Main advatage being further south is the daylight hours are more even though I guess Hermit enjoys the advatage of long summer days.

[Hermit]

Dark nights in Winter do not mean much to us as it is too cold to do anything outside anyway but the stars are amazing. In Summer we get light all night for a couple of weeks but no stars and no sleep! I do feel sorry for the animals in winter when they are let out at 9.00 in the morning and put back to bed at 3.00 in the afternoon. I have made sure that they all have plenty of room to live in for a day cause of the weather even the horses had bigger than normal stables in the barn so they could move round well. It is all a case of adapting.

[Dan]

Dan - we are  some way from the coast and I guess that we generally miss the gulf stream too.

Just had a look at the map - the closest place to you that I recognise is Chateauroux, and that's only because it was where Mark Cavendish had his first Tour de France stage win. 

It looks lovely, sadly there's no chance of me ever prising the rest of the family out of Scotland! I'd like to live  abroad at least for a short while, but will have to make do with holidays!

[MAK]

Hermit - We too have no light pollution and luv to star gaze. Nether of us have ever seen the northern lights - must be fantastic. Life up there must certainly throw you some challenges but must be fantastic at times. Do you fish?

Dan -Let me know if you have a holiday in the area and we will put on a "tea". Just don't look at the price of land or small farms here in La Creuse or you would sell up tomorrow. Because it is the most depopulated part of France with no employment (except in the cattle and forestry trades) life is very rural. Even our department's principle town smacks of old UK county towns on market days of 40 years ago.
Most people live in very small hamlets ( 3-5 fermettes) so smallholding is very common and thus easier to sustain with markets and local agro co-ops providing all that is needed.
We do not have much tourism in La Cruese ( except for the local Wolf Sanctuary)  but if the family like swimming in lakes, ,fishing, riding , walking and visiting village fetes then it beats the hectic tourist areas in the south and Dordogne.  Seriously - pop in if you holiday here ever - you could even give me some advise on what I could do around a little plot. 

[Hermit]

Hi MAK, the Northern Lights can be spectacular but are nothing like the photos in the magazines, they are long exposure or whatever they call it. Also yes we do fish , we have a 22 foot sea fishing boat  and also have a trout burn but we have never fished for them as they are too nice to see swimming. The locals who fish it get some nice trout out of there.

[MAK]

Not sure that I would take to a boat to fish anywhere let alone around the Shetlands.
We had a major fishing event here last weekend. Several families and children parked up with picnics !
They had drained the lake over the previous week and were gathering carp with brooms and nets. No boats and a nice sandy lake bed ( no mud) - simples.
The following day after the mass "pinch a carp" we learnt that the rectangular pond in our neighbours garden is not sch but the villages pecherie for keeping carp in for a few days before eating.
Another free meal missed !  

[Lesley Silvester]

Hi MAK, the Northern Lights can be spectacular but are nothing like the photos in the magazines, they are long exposure or whatever they call it. Also yes we do fish , we have a 22 foot sea fishing boat  and also have a trout burn but we have never fished for them as they are too nice to see swimming. The locals who fish it get some nice trout out of there.

When I saw the Northern lights they were even better than photos I've seen.  At midnight I stood under a dome shaped waterfall of different colour lights.  I will never forget it.