аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ  ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot EntryџџџџџџџџВZЄ žбЄРOЙ2К`CЕсŠЦ@CONTENTSџџџџ 8CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџVSPELLINGџџџџџџџџџџџџИўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџg. I found it on a bend in the road by Spiggie Hotel marooned on the side of the one way road, fortunately with a very narrow passing place, when I was taking our youngest to nursery (she is too young to go on the bus). The children were eventually picked up by another bus and taken to school. Of course they thought it was all a great adventure. Today; Friday, the snow has started again with an extremely biting Easterly wind and it is forecast to last for at least three days. No let up then and I felt sorry when I looked out the window and saw the first lamb of the year in the field outside our kitchen window. The mother was trying to keep it warm and shielding it from the wind. No doubt the crofter may put them in a byre but normally even through out last week s extreme weather the sheep were still all outside huddled around the hay bale put out for them to feed on. I have been going to the Shetland Drama Festival performances with my neighbour for the last three nights and this was a very interesting and rewarding time for me as I met familiar faces and also got requests to share my dance experience for future projects. The standard of the acting, from very young to adults, was extremely good and most impressive. My neighbour Elma was primarily concerned with pieces being acted in dialect as there is some concern that youngsters are not being taught this in schools. There are lots more incomers to Shetland (ourselves included) who are not familiar with the dialect which seems a fascinating mixture of cultures. I think it is a matter of making an effort to integrate and learn if you are going to live in any place so you can fit in and get on with local people. I spent some years living in Germany and consider it was an effort well spent learning to speak GermanCHNKWKS 8јџџџџTEXTTEXTn'FDPPFDPP*FDPCFDPC,FDPCFDPC.STSHSTSH0STSHSTSH02SYIDSYIDP0SGP SGP d0INK INK h0BTEPPLC l0BTECPLC „0 FONTFONTЄ0jSTRSPLC 1:PRNTWNPRH1FFRAMFRAMŽ5ˆTITLTITL6"DOP DOP 86"The children were eventually picked Shetland Diary The final show finished at the end of February and the next day, Tuesday, the snow hit us with a vengeance. It had been forecast but no one could have foreseen the quantity that was going to descend on us! The Council decided to shut all the schools over all of Shetland, partly because their buses could not pick up children because of impassible roads. Even the snowploughs got stuck! Some days the gritters could not get into the villages like ours because of the bend and dips in the roads had over six feet of snow covering them. Still the snow came and came. It was quite magical as you could see Foula on the horizon (Peekaboo Island) covered in snow, which was an amazing sight. The blanket of snow covering everywhere and the stillness was beautiful. The birds were very hungry needless to say so we threw lots of scraps out for them during the day and enjoyed watching groups of up to fifty birds all jostling for something. The variety of birds in Shetland is incredible to say the least. The children played in the snow and sledged. People still made it into work albeit in atrocious conditions. On the Saturday we ventured down to our beach at St Ninians and sledged down the dunes, which was great fun. Within minutes of being there we were covered by a ferocious blizzard and could not see literally an inch in front of our faces. We eventually managed to struggle back up to the village and congregated in our house for hot chocolate and schnapps in order to warm up. Thankfully by the end of the weekend the snow showers stopped (the Council only had three days supply of salt and grit left!) and by Thursday the snow had more or less melted away. The school bus going to Dunrossness from Bigton, for the first time in a week, broke down on the Tuesday mornin and now I am here I am starting Norwegian, which is an interesting language, but my motive is for work purposes and for my personal knowledge. Anyway the Festival; some groups dropped out because of lack of rehearsal time due to the large amount of snow dumped on us which disrupted services and normal life (even the locals said they had never seen such like it for many a year). There were drama groups from all over Shetland, which is pretty amazing when you think of the size of this place and the quality of the work was second to none. Even the youngsters involved had a passion about performing which made it a real audience experience. The same goes for music and the Shetland Folk Festival is coming up in April, which I hope to attend some performances at least. Before that we just need to cope with the weather and get on with those thousand and one things that are planned. I have also started playing my practice chanter again (to the horror of my wife!) but have promised that if I do get some bagpipes that I will play them in the garage. I admit they are such noisy things but then the definition of a true gentleman is: someone who knows how to play the pipes& ..but doesn t!!!! In the midst of all this wonderful weather we have a party of twenty artists who have been invited to Shetland to see local artists studios and do some sightseeing for three days. I just hope they were told to bring warm clothes! More in next months instalment. impressive. My neighbour Elma was primarily concerned with pieces being a h)j)l)n)јєьєФФ(2‚"'(Š  л)л @ЗS З„ ”v "Д!" $Šd (08@HPX`hpx€ˆ˜ ЈАИРz "Р" $Šh (08@HPX`hpx€ˆ˜ ЈАИР| "Р" $Šh (08@HPX`hpx€ˆ˜ ЈАИРL'N'h)n)ŠŠ  " v "Д!" $Šd (08@HPX`hpx€ˆ˜ ЈАИРv "Д!" $Šd (08@HPX`hpx€ˆ˜ ЈАИР мш„џџџџмш„ "№” " ttn)*n),.Vмш„,Times New RomanLucida HandwritingџЕ " " "ЄјУ@т ааTTTTиFEPSON Stylus DX4800 Seriesœ<›€ š 4dаа EPSON Stylus DX4800 SeriesDLLName32=E_FUICADE.DLLџџД€P TS_URLTSupportURL PSOLVER4š  аа˜: аа@т TTTT@т TTTTdџ2.winspoolEPSON Stylus DX4800 SeriesUSB001Fџџџ"\В"€‘"бV"$c"№` "№``""A."@џџџ"\В"№љ"бV"$c"№` "№``"."March 1 2006.wps""иp"иpp (" )"et on with those thousand and one things that are planned. I have also started playing my practice chanter again (to the horror of my wife!) but have promised that if I do get some bagpipes that I will play themўџ џџџџВZЄ žбЄРOЙ2КQuill96 Story Group Classџџџџє9ВqyЙ2КyЙ2КyЙ2КЙ2КayЙ2КkЙ2КЁyЙ2КЉЙ2КkyЙ2КpЙ2КyЙ2К‰Й2ʘyЙ2КŸЙ2КЉyЙ2КДЙ2ККyЙ2КРЙ2К'yЙ2К.Й2КЁyЙ2КІ