Tags: scotland ardnamurchan
© All Rights Reserved
© All Rights Reserved
Gordon has been standing in our garden for a week or two whilst I debated how to make him stand on the skyline on the hill behind our house without blowing away in a gale. Stood at the kitchen sink, like a dutiful husband doing the B&B dishwashing I had long ago picked the ideal spot to mount him on, directly in line with the kitchen sink, so that he was silhouetted right against the sky. Whilst I had an idea to put a stag there ages ago, no matter how hard I searched amongst fabricators on line, on ebay and etsy I couldn't find a decent stag: they were all too small. I wanted Gordon (a gesture towards the very affable previous owner of our B&B) of that name, to stand at least 7 feet tall on the hilltop. Having given up on buying a stag I hunted round for some scrap materials (Highland crofts are typically full of scrap) until I found some old sign boards behind the village shop. Having never made anything like this before, or worked sheet metal, it was all new to me, but my drawn out stag outline wasn't far off the mark, and I cut it out very roughly, generally steering the saw within about 1cm of the lines I had drawn. It meant the antlers came out rather thinner than intended, but they stood up to some gusts in the garden so I decided to try it out on the hill. Sadly they didn't even last the first afternoon, due to metal fatigue, and one antler dropped off (well out of season). He's complete again for tonight after I jury rigged his antler back on but I suspect it won't be long before I have to remove his head and do the job properly.
Are we in favour of such blots on the 'unspoilt' landscape or do you disapprove? Personally I think it adds something and will be a pleasant surprise for our B&B guests when it catches their eye, and a bit of fun for the community. I may level off the ground and put a wooden bench up their as a more formal viewing point (I've got no idea who owns the land). I'm sure someone will take a shot at Gordon, long before I get round to any further developments
Tags: Shielbridge Estate
© All Rights Reserved
30 tons of Bethlehem steel. Namely, the pipe of the Russarö sea cannon over 11.5 meters, which in the picture is loaded on the deck of an icebreaker in the evacuation of cannons after the Winter War on March 21, 1940.
The ship is apparently j/m Apu (formerly Avance).
Russarö's cannons achieved the first victory of the Winter War on December 1, 1939 during artillery drills. At that time, the firing of cannons prevented the operation of the Soviet naval department and damaged the great pride of the Soviet navy, the cruiser Kirov. From the same firing, Stremitelnyi also suffered severe damage and eventually the entire department immediately turned back under the protection of the smoke curtain. The firing was accurate, even though the distance to the ships was over 20km.
The 6pcs of 234/50 Be cannons in Russarö were evacuated after the Winter War (photo) and during the Continuation War 3pcs of them were brought back and the rest after the wars. Today, there are probably 2pcs of them left as museum cannons.
SA image # 8048
Tags: ww2 suomisodassa sakuva talvisota winterwar russarö cannon artillery war icebreaker kirov colorized samitoivonpka
© All Rights Reserved
it almost felt springlike as I climbed the hill behind our house to recce a position for my 7ft tall stag profile on the skyline from our home. Having found the perfect spot I think I will put a wooden bench up there too to make it into a more formal viewpoint for our B&B guests
© All Rights Reserved