Winter's Not Far Away

[Walker]

It's starting to get a bit colder now that the autumn is slowly fading to winter. A short while ago this morning the car thermometer was reading -5 Celsius. Hopefully the sun will come out later on and defrost the place.

 

[Dingo40]

We're expecting 32 Celsius on Friday

 

[Walker]

We're expecting 32 Celsius on Friday

It's lunchtime and +3 Celsius here now. Less silvery blue and more green(ish)... catching you up. Give it another 8 or 9 months and we might even reach 20+ Celsius. I know, tropical isn't it!

 

[Tom]

Wow, how beautiful, thank you. We may get to 32 fahrenheit today here.

 

[Walker]

Wow, how beautiful, thank you. We may get to 32 fahrenheit today here.

Sounds like the climate around your neck of the woods is similar to here. Maybe even colder! How cold does Wisconsin get in winter?

I saw a programme about the Great Lakes in winter recently. Anything north of Wisconsin seems almost arctic...

 

[Tom]

Sounds like the climate around your neck of the woods is similar to here. Maybe even colder! How cold does Wisconsin get in winter?

I saw a programme about the Great Lakes in winter recently. Anything north of Wisconsin seems almost arctic...

Wisconsin is very big and varied (2.5 x Scotland) I've seen both -30F (-34C) and 100F (38C). Where I live we seem to get maybe 5 days below 0F (-18C) and only a few days above 80F (27C) per year. I don't need air conditioning but I do burn a lot of wood. We generally have snow cover from Christmas to the middle of March (although less lately, global warming). From your pictures we do have some similar landscapes. It's true, "way up nort der hey" it is very different weather wise and culturally. Accordions = Polka everywhere in WI. I moved here in 1987 and will probably never leave, I love it.

 

[Walker]

Winconsin sounds like a big, cold (in winter), polka paradise. I would very much like to go there.

Scotland never really gets much below -27 C in the worst of winters and rarely goes over +27 C in a good summer. Indeed, Scottish musette is in fact a musical reflection of our climate (+/-27 cent).

You heard it here first!

 

[Tom]

Well, Stewart, come on down!!! We've got a guest room and plenty of accordions for us to jam! I recommend summer, however.... Scotland sounds super cool too.

 

[Walker]

Mighty kind of you Tom. I'll need to brush up on my polka repertoire first.

Do you know this one...

 

[JerryPH]

Poor Buffalo New York was hit with 6 FEET of snow. We had a good 3-4 inches and I am ready for spring already... lol.

 

[Ffingers]

In my younger days, Walker, we would say that: "Jimmy Shand should be banned." - especially from music programmes on the 'wireless'.
We reckoned that he only got so much airplay because the Scots threatened to ban sales of Single Malt to the BBC board if they cut back on his presentations.
Another variant on Jimmy Shand and his (whisky is) Band.
Like all good usquebaugh that 'ants-in-the-pants' music needs to be enjoyed in moderation.

 

[Dingo40]

I guess, like most things, Jimmy Shand is a matter of taste: those who like him won't hear a thing against him . Those who don't will never know what they're missing!

 

[Ffingers]

I guess, like most things, Jimmy Shand is a matter of taste: those who like him won't hear a thing against him . Those who don't will never know what they're missing!

As I wrote wilddog, I became hypersensitised to the Shand condition in my early years.
The "Oh! Christ! Not that bluddy noise again - turn it off, please!" knee-jerk response has never gone away.
I am fully cognisent of what it is that I am missing and prefer to keep it that way
But then, I have always been "...a bit odd".

 

[Walker]

Poor Buffalo New York was hit with 6 FEET of snow. We had a good 3-4 inches and I am ready for spring already... lol.

Notwithstanding the sting of a Highland winter, I quickly realise that our ancient island of Albion is, in great part, of temperate climate!

Just now, on yet another sub zero morning, I've taken a fresh pic from out my back garden. The scene is ever changing.

 

[Dingo40]

Gorgeous!

 

[Walker]

In my younger days, Walker, we would say that: "Jimmy Shand should be banned." - especially from music programmes on the 'wireless'.
We reckoned that he only got so much airplay because the Scots threatened to ban sales of Single Malt to the BBC board if they cut back on his presentations.
Another variant on Jimmy Shand and his (whisky is) Band.
Like all good usquebaugh that 'ants-in-the-pants' music needs to be enjoyed in moderation.

I respect your opinion @Ffingers.

However, to me Jimmy Shand was, without question, the greatest Scottish accordionist of all time. He was genre defining, had a chronometric tempo and composed some wonderful music (I particularly like the tune Welcome Christmas Morning). He was a serious musician - not a showman or entertainer, and his music had as much groove as any Jazz legend. He even created one of the greatest accordion designs for Scottish dance music - the Shand Morino.

 

[Ffingers]

I respect your opinion @Ffingers.

However, to me Jimmy Shand was, without question, the greatest Scottish accordionist of all time. He was genre defining, had a chronometric tempo and composed some wonderful music (I particularly like the tune Welcome Christmas Morning). He was a serious musician - not a showman or entertainer, and his music had as much groove as any Jazz legend. He even created one of the greatest accordion designs for Scottish dance music - the Shand Morino.

Yeah! Well! - as I said using a Yorkshire expression I am "... a bit odd."
Normality has never been my "thing".
The likes of Miles Davis, and most Grand Opera Divas at the other end of the scale, grate on my sensibilities in equal measure.

But I am a firm believer in the adage: "Each to his own".

 

[Tom]

In my younger days, Walker, we would say that: "Jimmy Shand should be banned." - especially from music programmes on the 'wireless'.
We reckoned that he only got so much airplay because the Scots threatened to ban sales of Single Malt to the BBC board if they cut back on his presentations.
Another variant on Jimmy Shand and his (whisky is) Band.
Like all good usquebaugh that 'ants-in-the-pants' music needs to be enjoyed in moderation.

Hmmmmm, most interesting. I never hesrd of usquebaugh being a whisky. We have a town of "Usquepaugh (with a "p") in Rhode Island which I always thought was of Native American derivation.

 

[Tom]

Mighty kind of you Tom. I'll need to brush up on my polka repertoire first.

Do you know this one...

Hmmm, nope, I don't recognize this one. I can't say I am familiar with Mr. Shand. But very distinctive. Quite a different style than the Slovenian, Czech or "Dutchman" (German) polkas played around here.

 

[Tom]

Notwithstanding the sting of a Highland winter, I quickly realise that our ancient island of Albion is, in great part, of temperate climate!

Just now, on yet another sub zero morning, I've taken a fresh pic from out my back garden. The scene is ever changing.

Wow!!!!!