Saturday 22 March 2008

Evening notes

Weather not as bad as could have been, although it has been wreaking havoc across the country. The lifeboat at Dunbar, east of Edinburgh, broke loose from its moorings and ended up washed onto rocks. It was later put back into water for assessment of any damage. Meanwhile, a fishing boat hailing from Ullapool found itself on the rocks on Friday night - they were also successfully refloated, if with quite a bit of damage.

Unrelated to the weather, apparently, was an accident just west of Fort William, where a car plunged into the Caledonian Canal at Banavie at 3.30 am this morning. Two people were found dead inside the car, once it was raised from the bottom of the canal.

South Africa is suffering a power crisis, but its neighbour Mozambique is coming to its aid. A hydro-electric scheme, involving a huge dam, is being upgraded, allowing increased exports of electricity to South Africa. Power shortages there are blamed on past lack of investment.

4 comments:

  1. How dreadful for those in the car.  It is a twisty road I remember from last years visit to Scotland.  We returned home that way.  Poor souls and at such an unearthly time of morning too.
    As for the electricity crisis that too must be awful.  I well remember the electricity power cuts when they went on strike.  We cooked on parrafin stoves and made our own parrafin lamps. We invented games too with there being no TV.  

    Jeanie

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  2. How horrible for the souls who plunged into the canal.
    Lisa

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  3. That must have been so scary for those poor people in the car.  Tragic and sad.

    The electricity problems in South Africa reminds me of my time living in Kenya without any modern conveniences.  Their political problems of late have been horrific.

    Nelishia
    http://journals.aol.com/nelishianatl/PRAYINGANDBELIEVING/

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  4. The power shortage is not because of lack of investment...the truth is there was not enough coal because the truckers were on strike and also the power plant was closed down as it had a crack in it which the governmetn knew about 10 years ago but chose not to fix....basically poor management...its a shame that our (South Africa) country which is rich in natural resources is being so poorly mismanaged...I am proud of my South African heritage, but we are emigrating because I do not have hope for a future for my two children...crime is horrific, education is poor and now the power shortage is scarily looking like a new Zimbabwe...pray for my country!!

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