Grant Hutchison's Blog, page 22

Strange Moon

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed three books about the activities of 161 (Special Duties) Squadron, RAF, during the Second World War. For this post, I want to talk specifically about the cover of Hugh Verity’s memoir and personal history of 161 Squadron, We Landed By Moonlight (Revised Edition), published in 2000 by Crécy. … Continue reading Strange Moon →

Lomond Hills

West Lomond (NO 197066, 522m) East Lomond (NO 243061, 434m) 12.7 kilometres 480 metres of ascent This was a lunch-time impulse, on a day that suddenly seemed too good to waste. The Lomonds are a pair of ancient volcanic plugs, pushing up through layers of sedimentary rock that form an intricate escarpment around three sides … Continue reading Lomond Hills →

An Abundance Of Caution

The office of Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., announced April 9 he had a positive test for the coronavirus after visiting the emergency room “out of an abundance of caution” the evening of April 6. […] “Congresswoman Fletcher sought professional medical treatment out of an abundance of caution. At the determination of her physician, she was … Continue reading An Abundance Of Caution →

RAF “Special Duties” Pick-Ups In France: Three Memoirs

The whole of the effort put into pick-up operations in France throughout the war—measured by aircraft and personnel costs—was minute. In a well proportioned history of World War Two it might deserve a sentence or a footnote. And yet it is hard to imagine how the irregular forces in France could have developed to anything … Continue reading RAF “Special Duties” Pick-Ups In France: Three Memoirs →

Harvest Moon

In the northern hemisphere, the Harvest Moon falls on 1 October in 2020, which is what provokes this post. The Harvest Moon is defined as the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox, which fell on 22 September (in the northern hemisphere, in 2020). You can find many lists of “names of the … Continue reading Harvest Moon →

Sharkit 1/72 Edgley EA-7 Optica: Part 2

At the end of my previous post in this build log, I had the basic colour scheme and much of the detailing in place. But there was a significant challenge ahead. Because I’d chosen to build the Optica that appeared in the cult-but-dire science fiction movie Slipstream. And I probably should have researched this a … Continue reading Sharkit 1/72 Edgley EA-7 Optica: Part 2 →

Immunity

ɪˈmjuːnɪtɪ Immunity: Exemption from a service, obligation, or duty; the condition of being insusceptible to the contagion of a specific disease Our aim is to try and reduce the peak, broaden the peak, not suppress it completely; also, because the vast majority of people get a mild illness, to build up some kind of herd … Continue reading Immunity →

Clachnaben

Threestane Hill (NO 631873, 431m) Mount Shade (NO 626870, 507m) Clachnaben (NO 615865, 589m) Hill of Edendocher (NO 603859, 577m) Sandy Hill (NO 593858, 592m) 20 kilometres 790 metres of ascent Clachnaben is Clach na Beinne, “stone of the hill”, a name that correctly applies to the granite tor that forms its summit, and which … Continue reading Clachnaben →

George J. Marrett: Cheating Death

Of the eight pilots in the rescue force, three would be killed on rescue missions in the next three months and one would be shot down and survive. A fortune-teller could predict that real bad days lay ahead for the 602nd squadron. I’ve written about George J. Marrett before, when I reviewed his third volume … Continue reading George J. Marrett: Cheating Death →

Tertiary Rainbows, etc

In my last two posts about rainbows, I discussed the formation of the primary and secondary rainbows, respectively, tracing their origins to specific light paths through falling raindrops. The primary rainbow ray follows a path like this: For a raindrop at the apex of the rainbow arc, sunlight enters near the top of the drop, … Continue reading Tertiary Rainbows, etc →