Tuesday 01/11/05

Found this very interesting link on the customs surrounding Hallowe'en, All Hallows and All Souls. Hallowe'en being All Hallows' eve, and on 31st October. All Hallows, when all the saints are commemorated is on 1st November; All Souls, when all the departed are remembered, is on November 2nd. This has a strong Roman Catholic background!
http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/customstimeafterpentecost12aa.html

November started with a bang at 4 in the morning, on account of two flashes of lightning and two claps of thunder. Heavy rain accompanied this shower. More follow through the morning. Three workmen are staying with mrs B, but their gear has not arrived on the good old Muirneag. Have a good old yarn with mrs B about the church and all the splits that continually occur in the Free Church here in Lewis. The weather turns pretty changeable, with heavy showers alternating sunny intervals. The ferry is about 15 minutes late getting in at lunchtime. I'm writing descriptions for hidden places in Lewis, such as Steimreway, 4 miles west of Lemreway. Others include the Iolaire Monument outside Sandwick and the sheilings at Cuidhsiadar and Filiscleitir in Ness. Also discover a very interesting article on the net from Views of Scotland about sheilings and the proposed windfarm. A bulletin board on VisitHebrides.com features Angus Nicolson, a local councillor, who has some vociferous exchanges with a German photographer and frequent visitor. By nightfall, at 5pm, the showers fade away.