While we were watching the burning of the Up Helly Aa galley last night, 'she who often makes silly statements' said something like: "As a Shetlander you must think that's a waste of wood?"
This statement of course referred to the way that, because I'm a Shetlander, I never want to discard a piece of wood, since it can always be used for something. Even if the piece of wood is no bigger than a match stick it can still be stuffed in a hole to tighten a loose screw in a door hinge, for example.
For any Shetlander reading this, I'm stating the obvious. But for those who don't know, Shetland has hardly any trees. So wood is a very valuable commodity.
I, like many Shetlanders my age and older, spent many hours 'beach combing' for drift wood. (It's a good reason for a coastal walk anyway). And I, like many others, felt a sudden lifting of inner spirits when a vessel carrying a cargo of wood happened to lose it's deck cargo near the islands.
But back to what I started to post about. 'She who makes silly statements' asked if I thought Up Helly Aa was a waste of wood.
Well... No, I don't think it is. Perhaps there are some issues about all the torches and burning wood affecting the ozone layer, (incidentally there is a hole in the ozone layer over Shetland,,,, I wonder if Up Helly Aa is to blame,,,, joking....). But in my opinion the Up Helly Aa festivals in Shetland do so much good for the community spirit of the islands, as well as maybe helping the tourism figures, that it can only be a good thing.
However, at my work there is a total and horrifying waste of wood on an all too regular basis. We don't have a solid fuel fire or this situation would be quickly rectified.
Old pallets and wooden packing materials end up being burned, as witnessed in this shameful picture.
That lot could have kept any of the wood burning fires of my co-workers going for a month, if they could have been bothered to chop it up and take it home, rather than buying wood. I really must try to learn them some Shetland values. LOL
Anyway, enough about wood.
Lord has the weather ever been rubbish this last week. It's been raining Cats and Dogs most of the week. And to prove it, here's a picture of another jigsaw puzzle that Little Sis sent us.
It was another of those very easy 'impossibles' puzzles which I mentioned in a previous post. But given the weather we've had, it was very appropriate.
Onywye,
yun's aa fir enoo.
;)
This statement of course referred to the way that, because I'm a Shetlander, I never want to discard a piece of wood, since it can always be used for something. Even if the piece of wood is no bigger than a match stick it can still be stuffed in a hole to tighten a loose screw in a door hinge, for example.
For any Shetlander reading this, I'm stating the obvious. But for those who don't know, Shetland has hardly any trees. So wood is a very valuable commodity.
I, like many Shetlanders my age and older, spent many hours 'beach combing' for drift wood. (It's a good reason for a coastal walk anyway). And I, like many others, felt a sudden lifting of inner spirits when a vessel carrying a cargo of wood happened to lose it's deck cargo near the islands.
But back to what I started to post about. 'She who makes silly statements' asked if I thought Up Helly Aa was a waste of wood.
Well... No, I don't think it is. Perhaps there are some issues about all the torches and burning wood affecting the ozone layer, (incidentally there is a hole in the ozone layer over Shetland,,,, I wonder if Up Helly Aa is to blame,,,, joking....). But in my opinion the Up Helly Aa festivals in Shetland do so much good for the community spirit of the islands, as well as maybe helping the tourism figures, that it can only be a good thing.
However, at my work there is a total and horrifying waste of wood on an all too regular basis. We don't have a solid fuel fire or this situation would be quickly rectified.
Old pallets and wooden packing materials end up being burned, as witnessed in this shameful picture.
Anyway, enough about wood.
Lord has the weather ever been rubbish this last week. It's been raining Cats and Dogs most of the week. And to prove it, here's a picture of another jigsaw puzzle that Little Sis sent us.
Onywye,
yun's aa fir enoo.
;)
