Chasing my tail

 

 

 

 

 

Gosh I haven't been here for a very long time! I must try to do better. Life has been hectic and is about to get more so as Holy Week gathers momentum. The bike is still laid up for "winter" so hopefully the weather will soon improve so I can get back on two wheels. Just in case the weather does not improve I have almost completed my bus pass application as a significant birthday approaches.

 

Big dog and I enjoyed a break in the Trossachs in early March, during a very fortunate temporary improvement in the winter weather, much walking and swimming in the Loch's (big dog not me!)  

 

Some exciting times coming up in the summer - a visit from some fellow Gold Wing bikers with outings planned with ride outs around the Highlands, closely followed by a walking holiday in the Yorkshire Dales - must get Big Dog slimmed down enough to get through the sheep stiles. Back soon - I promise.

Out of body experience

I recently had an ‘out of body experience’. No, I didn’t have an accident or operation and see bright lights at the end of tunnels, or anything of that sort, so please don’t be alarmed. But I did have a consultation with an Audiologist who had a clever device that allowed her to look inside my ear. This device was also linked to a computer screen so when she used the device to look in my ear I could also see inside my ear by looking at the screen. That was a first for me as I have never seen inside my ear before. It was like an out of body experience.

The reason I was visiting an audiologist was to have a pair of earplugs custom made for use on my motorbike. Earplugs are important when riding a motorbike because the noise can cause serious damage to your hearing, not the noise of the bike but the noise of the wind. It is important from a safety point of view that you can hear the bike, other traffic and emergency vehicles’. So in order to hear what you need to hear and to not hear the wind you need to wear earplugs fitted with special filters that remove or filter out the wind noise.

As well as damaging your hearing, wind noise can be very distracting and ruins your concentration, with the earplugs in place you can hear what you need to hear and nothing else. Wouldn't it be wonderful, as we approach the season of Advent, a season of anticipation, a season for preparation, a time to listen to God as we ready ourselves for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be fitted with a special pair of Advent Earplugs, to filter out all the distractions, the commercialism, the greed, the marketing that is associated with Christmas.

Well the really good news is that such a device is available and the even better news is that it is free of charge! Custom made earplugs for motorbike riding are quite expensive but Advent Earplugs are totally free of charge you can find them anywhere and everywhere and the brand name is ‘prayer’.

Summer Time

A fine lunch

Sunday 14 August the sun was shining and I headed off on the Goldwing from Forres to Badacro, near Gairloch on the West Coast, along with a group of 15 other bikers from the Moray Coast Motorcycle Club. 

The scenery is stunning on the roads to the West and the hills especially Beinn Eighe stood out on the skyline as the sun shone. 

Destination was the Badacro Inn where a most agreeable lunch awaited. After some relaxing and chat in the sunshine the run home was just as enjoyable. The round trip is just over 200 miles on some of the best biking country in the world.

Confirmation at St John's Forres

Rebekah, Oliver and Nichola

Bishop Mark celebrated the Eucharist at St John’s Forres on Mothering Sunday and Confirmed Nichola Kippax, Oliver Clark and Rebekah Sutherland. Following the Service everyone enjoyed a splendid Parish Lunch in the Church Hall.

Nichola, Dean Cliff, Oliver, Bishop Mark and Rebekah

The Cake

The Feast

Fast and Accurate - Sat Nav on a Bike!

The Socket I ordered from Cyclemax arrived today, 5 days from America is a better delivery time than I've had from some UK suppliers! Made a hole in the nearside pocket where X marks the spot, pushed the socket into place and pluged into the wiring harness. The jobs a goodun and very easy to do. The only thing that puzzles me is why Honda don't fit it as standard when the bike is new!!

I can now use the Sat Nav on the bike and charge my ipod and mobile phone. Handy as well for plugging in the pump to keep those all important tyre pressures correct. All I need now is some decent weather and the time to ride the bike!

Temptation

I gave in to Temptation today. I was busy beavering away at producing The Eagle - which is St John's Parish Magazine. I was distracted by the sun streaming through the Study window, the clear blue sky and the fact that I have not had the bike out for over a week, due to the miserable weather and a sore back. I did need to re-fuel the bike (before petrol goes up even more) and I did need to test the wiring for the sound system. I didn't go far but far enough to lift the spirit - down to Findhorn Bay, calm sea and the snow capped hills of Ross Shire across the Firth, just glorious! Fully inspired now and back to the Eagle!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

My parcel from America arrived today - an Edset that's how they spell head set over there! 

A good quality piece of kit that was easy to fit, in fact it was a perfect fit in my Nolan Air Crash Helmet. The Honda Goldwing Motorcycle has a Radio and a six disk CD Player and the Edset speakers fit inside the Crash Helmet  and then plugs directly into the bikes sound system and gives good quality sound. 

This means I will be able to cruise the High Street without the speakers blaring causing parents to grab their kids and run into shops and cruise the highways and byways without stampeding cattle, at least I hoped that would be the outcome.

The one snag was that the connection lead to connect the helmet to the bike was not included in the kit! No problem I thought, the lead needs to be a curled lead 1.5 metres long with a 5 pin Din Plug at each end. The best I could find locally by scouring all the electrical specialist including Maplins was a straight 3 Metre Lead. As a last resort I tried my local Computer Shop who just happened to have a 1.5 curled lead with a 5 Pin Din Plug at one end and a 5 pin socket at the other. Off with the socket and some nimble soldering soon had a new DIn Plug in place. It works a treat a great result.

New Wheels for Rambling Rector

The new biking season is almost upon us and what better way to prepare than than with a new (second hand) bike. I loved my previous bike, the Honda VFR 800, the performance was stunning and it was a really exhilarating machine to ride - so why change you say. 

Well I was using the bike for work as well as pleasure and whilst I am only 21 in my head my hips are approaching 60 and I was finding that after a long day in the saddle I was a bit sore. The new bike is a Honda 1800 Gold Wing, a really comfortable bike that you can ride all day everyday - all I need now is a little better weather!

Biretta - First Outing

Wore the new Biretta for the first time at St John's today - what did the Congregation think? Greeted with a round of applause - result.

Ovens & Birettas

 The Postman made some interesting deliveries this week the first was a new heating element for the Rectory Oven which had failed just before the Annual Epiphany Party - it made the catering especially challenging! The new one from an on-line company called espares arrived promptly and took less than 10 minutes to fit, normal service has been restored and Sunday Roast is back on the menu.

The next package to arrive was a Biretta, a gift from one of my lovely Parishioners. I look forward to wearing it. 

I understand that the rubrics of St Mary's Cathedral Glasgow  state that the Biretta is to be worn when it is snowing so with the current weather it may well get an outing tomorrow.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY

Winter Sports!

Fed up with playing snowballs and making snow people? Part of the family menagerie is Halima the horse. To keep the field tidy and to provide for the roses it is necessary to clean up after the horse - a particularly interesting pass time in the snow is poo picking. I don't expect it is very likely to catch on as an Olympic Sport though!

Happy Anniversary to me

Friday 3rd December, the Feast of Francis Xavier, was the 16th Anniversary of my priesting. Not only was I invited out to a delicious dinner but the Bishop's Confectioner, Douglas Campbell, made me a delicious Anniversary Cake modelled in the shape of a motorcycle crash helmet. Yum!

End of Season Run Moray Coast Motorcycle Club

The picture is taken from the Kinlochbervie Hotel, my bike is the second from the left.

Fantastic day today with the Moray Coast Motorcycle Club end of season run. The day started with celebrating Mass at the 8.00 am Service at St John's then waiting on the Forres bypass for the Club who left Elgin at 9.00 am. First stop was Skiach Services at Evanton for a coffee and bacon roll, refuelled the bikes and then off to the West Coast arriving at the Kinlochbervie Hotel for Lunch. A cold but bright and clear blue sky day in some of the best biking country in the world, just unbeatable! After lunch we headed down the coast, over the Kylesku Bridge to Ullapool, refuelled the bikes and then a fast run on clear open roads down to Garve for a coffee stop. From Garve back to Inverness and on home to Moray with a welcome beef stew in front of the fire. It just doesn't get any better.

Inaugural Run

Out for my first run on the new bike today, from Forres through to Nairn then up over the Dava Moor and back to Forres via Snab of Moy. Awesome performance and such an enjoyable experience. I like the camaraderie of other bikers waving to you and the new perspective of being on a bike rather than in a car. Some people have said to me why? What is the attraction of riding a bike? Well in a sense it is a form of meditation, because riding a fast bike requires 100% concentration you need to clear your mind of all other thoughts and distractions and focus totally on you, the bike, and the environment and that is why it is so relaxing and enjoyable.

Midlife Crisis

Life has been quite hectic of late hence little or no blogging. So what have I been so busy at? Well basically I have been thoroughly enjoying a mid-life crisis by fulfilling a long term ambition. Back in June I started to learn to ride a motorcycle. As a teenager I used to ride small motorbikes and always promised myself that one day I would learn to ride a big bike.

Had I really known just how challenging the process would be I probably would not have started. Learning to ride a big bike has been really rewarding and given me great respect for everyone who completes the journey. The first step is to sit the Theory Test and then to complete a CBT - Compulsory Basic Training Course, which is an intensive course of theory and a practical introduction to a 125 cc motor bike.You then progress to a 500 cc machine and train for Module 1, which is a practical driving test conducted at a test centre involving slaloms, U turns, emergency stops and slow and high speed manoeuvres. Then more training for the Module 2 which is a practical on road driving test. I successfully completed this final stage today and am now a fully qualified biker!

The picture above is my motorcycle a Honda 800 VFR VTEC which will give a whole new look (and Pace) to Deans visits in Moray!

West Coast Extravaganza

The above picture is of Loch Carron and was taken as I was enroute to the Scottish Episcopal Church of St Donnan's Nostie last Friday the 16 April. At St Donnan's Father Tim Daplyn was installed by the Bishop of Moray, the Right Reverend Mark Strange, as Mission Rector.  The Church was full and there was so much noise and excitement that we attracted the neighbouring pig down off the hill to come see what we were up to!

From Nostie it was off to the Caron Hotel for a delicious late Supper and then off over the Pass of the Cattle to Applecross for an overnight stay in one of the most comfortable B & Bs I have ever stayed in. After a hearty breakfast it was off to St Maelrubha's Church Poolewe,where after a fine buffet lunch it was time to install Father Tim into his second charge.

Father Tim Daplyn is pictured left with Bishop Mark.

From Poolewe it was on to the Church at Courthill Chapel, Kishorn, where Father Tim was installed into his third charge. The service here was followed of course by more food in the Community Centre. The West Coast is renowned for its legendary hospitality so, tired and well fed I headed home to Forres to prepare for Sundays Services in my own Church at St John's Forres. All in all a very satisfying weekend, with a bit of history making as well as this is the first time for around 200 years that this group of charges has had its own Rector. With prayers and blessings on Tim as he begins his exciting ministry in that place.

Happy Birthday to me

Just back from a wonderful week away. We had a really joyful Easter here at St John's with the Triduum Services well attended and the Church full on Easter Day and was just ready for a break at the end of a very busy week. So off to Wales and the Llangollen Canal some brilliant weather, good company and good food. Thursday 8 April was my birthday and was celebrated afloat with family, good food and some very fine real ale!

As a relaxation Canal boating is really difficult to beat - no phones no internet, a maximum speed of 4 miles per hour. Combine that with really good weather and a willing crew and all is well!

Back home on Saturday night, a trillion emails, light flashing on the answer machine and the photocopier has run out of toner so tomorrows Pew Sheets are a little pale looking, but happy memories of a superb week.

Spring has sprung and so have the Windows

Have been neglecting the blog of late so here comes an update. Life has been extremely hectic especially work wise as we get ever closer to opening the new Diocesan Centre at Arpafeelie. The finishing touches of any major project seen to take so long and some aspects seem unnecessasarily complicated for example obtaining a new phone line and a broadband connection.  

But I digress. Spring has sprung and all around there are signs of new life the crocuses in the header picture are the view from the Study window across the road to the Grant Park.

It is a particularly clear view at the moment as there are no windows in the Study!

The Rectory is having its windows renovated by a company called Ventrolla the end result should be rattle free, draft free, easy opening windows. For anyone who lives in an 150 year old house with sash windows you will know that really will be a result. Will keep you posted.

Swimming in Loch Katrine

Imagine the scene a calm dry day in the Trossacks, which in itself is a fairly rare event, the temperature is three degrees and the surface of Loch Katrine is like a mirror which is suddenly shattered by a dive and a swim. Well no not me, it was the dog of course. A brief paddle about and then out, a quick shake and a run about and then on with the walk.

Made me think of brother Kelvin, not that he swims in Loch Katrine, at least not that I know of, though he does swim in his local baths in Glasgow and it was the Kelvin/Glasgow connection that made me think of him as Loch Katrine supplies Glasgow's water. So, Kelvin, the dog says sorry if you find blonde hair in your water, but she promises me she did not have a wee so your tea should taste fine!

That was yesterday (Tuesday) and today enjoying even better weather with temperatures that reached ten degrees today. Had a look around Doune today and a good walk with the dog along Loch Achray, yes more swimming. Lazy afternoon with the books.