tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84844170201883554982024-02-02T04:27:12.355+00:00Big GallootBig Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-74978266303777560842012-12-22T16:54:00.000+00:002012-12-22T16:54:38.061+00:00EraserJust been catching up on stuff I've missed over the last few weeks and this post here struck a chord. I'm the worlds' worst for keeping track of hills I've been up and am very much the "anti list-ticker". More and more often I find myself reading about other folks' trips and thinking, "That looks familiar." but I'm no longer 100% sure of where I've been and when.
As I watch my mothers' memories Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-23484962904786833362012-07-18T14:31:00.001+01:002012-07-18T17:03:38.638+01:00Here comes the summerSummer in Scotland. It's a bit shite, really. And totally rubbish when it comes to walking up hills and such-like. It's either too hot, too wet or somewhere in between. And then there's the midgies. And the ticks.Thinking back, I never did very much between May and September.
So, fuck it. I'm staying local for the time being. Any spare time will be spent up at the allotment, growing stuff. It's aBig Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-90096697570454817322012-06-23T13:44:00.001+01:002012-06-23T14:02:08.790+01:00A Big Yellow VestBananas. Natures' energy bar. Every walk begins with a banana and a shot of strong coffee, usually taken in the car or mooching around wherever I've happened to park. I've tried carrying the fruity wonder up hills in a variety of containers but that just feels like wasted space and failure to put it in any kind of container is just asking for trouble. The BananaGuard was never an option btw. Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-83998297583770996862012-03-27T12:17:00.000+01:002012-03-27T12:17:35.079+01:00The Horses Mares TailA long weekend in Lochaber saw us in a variety of picturesque places and at least two well-known eateries, surrounded by mountains and lochans and stuff. Of course, the weather helped; 19C or thereabouts and just a tad unseasonal, given that we're still in March. Still, as I always say, Scotland in the sunshine is a sight to behold.
Speaking of which; Me? In outdoors gear? Ootside a pub? In one Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-91852970312886411342012-03-24T08:26:00.000+00:002012-03-24T08:26:49.559+00:00Planning Application: FAILFife Council continue to show an admirable degree of common sense. It's a small victory but a victory nonetheless.
Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-57321171592520462822012-03-21T21:23:00.001+00:002012-03-22T07:43:49.739+00:00Garbh Choire RefugeI'm no' a great fan of bothies but it's good to know they're there if the shit hits the fan. The wee howff in Garbh Choire is in need of renovation and its' continued existence is in doubt. Neil Reid and Kenny Freeman have put forward a case for its' retention. Interested parties should nip over and have a read.
Clicky link.Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-30457273210287914862012-03-21T12:51:00.000+00:002012-03-21T12:51:52.544+00:00The Horns Of The BuffaloI found the graphic (below) while I was surfing for information on Little Raith Windfarm which I'd heard had been given the go-ahead. Sure enough, there are 9 100m+ turbines going up on the land between the A92 and the Mossmorran Petrochemical Plant. "What's the big deal?", I hear you cry. Well, for one thing, the visual impact will be extreme for anyone living nearby. Mossmorran, despite being aBig Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-24421304569540526332012-03-19T21:12:00.001+00:002012-03-20T08:05:57.634+00:00Photographic MemoryThe woman in the picture below was 70 years old when it was taken. She still worked and walked 7 or 8 miles a day, every day, whatever the weather. She'd travelled over 50 miles (2 buses) to arrive at the appointed place and time, dressed for the occasion.
That was 3 and a half years ago. Now she has no memory of that day or indeed many other days. Almost every scrap of her independence is goneBig Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-88108187035708184932011-06-12T20:07:00.002+01:002011-06-12T21:49:55.526+01:00Lucky BagThe Gods of Fortune and Favour have smiled upon both Al and Phil.
Gentlemen, I have a pair of Grimlocs here with your names on them. If you send your contact details to *redacted*, they will be dispatched post haste.
You'll never lose your hat/gloves/enamel mug again.Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-32694463075780101162011-06-06T20:02:00.002+01:002011-06-06T23:50:49.154+01:00Munky BusinessIt's not often that I'm at the forefront of something new and exciting but there's a first time for everything.
Back in October, last year, I got talking to Sean over on Outdoorsmagic about custom inner options for the Hex 3. After a wee bit of persuasion, I got him to run me up a "winterised" OookNest (half-nest); bomber waterproof floor, solid panels with mesh higher up. In mid November, Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-55674269347283559072011-06-05T15:08:00.004+01:002011-06-12T11:42:45.186+01:00Maxpedition Grimloc D-RingsI was rooting around the other day and came across some photies in a folder marked "Blogging". There's a bunch of stuff in there, all of it meant to illustrate blog posts that fell by the way side and never saw the light of day. There's no text with them so I can only guess at what might have been.
The Grimlocs are a case in point. As a habitual baseball cap wearer, I've been using clips of some Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-69610561852821807142011-06-05T10:13:00.001+01:002011-06-05T12:25:38.567+01:00Feersum EndjinnI can't remember exactly when I first saw a wind farm in Scotland but I think it was about 5 or 6 years ago, on the road to Oban. Now, if I want to see one, I just need to drive about a mile and turn left. Go a wee bit further and there's another one. In the next year or so, I'll be able to see one from my front garden.
The proliferation of these things continues apace. Depending on which side ofBig Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-34577407832700412132011-02-20T16:35:00.001+00:002011-06-08T21:15:58.141+01:00Finisterre Humboldt Mk IIAs it's been a while, I thought my first post of 2011 should be gear related. And what a fine bit of gear it is; the Finisterre Humboldt Mk II.
Some folk will remember Finisterre from a couple of years back when they produced something that looked like a Paramo Velez, was made from the same material as a Paramo Velez, but was cut a tad more on the "athletic" side than anything Paramo produce.
Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-69595378252068533012010-12-31T22:34:00.000+00:002010-12-31T22:34:43.282+00:00The Last PostIt's been a quick year. Highlight was getting married to my beautiful Mrs, closely followed by the birth of our beautiful grandson.
Very little outdoor stuff happened. Quietest year in the last decade, in fact. Two or three bits of kit bought and a whole lot more sold on. I've little or no interest in such things right now but that may well change in the coming year. We'll see.
But this year is Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-40581758725926075002010-08-14T13:15:00.003+01:002010-08-14T13:57:51.917+01:00No more excusesWell, they weren't really excuses, more like stuff that I knew was coming and would have to dedicate time to. In all honesty, I'm the King of Procrastination, I don't actually need an excuse. And the motivation to get out on the hills wasn't really there although I did at least get some outdoorsy stuff done, just nothing worth writing home about.So we had the wedding and, as stated previously, weBig Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-25088883068089202212010-05-29T13:23:00.005+01:002010-05-29T14:13:17.911+01:00And may your days be good and long upon the EarthI'd be lying if I said there were no pre-wedding jitters because there were. Not about the getting married bit, more the social side. See, I don't do crowds and I'm not known as a party animal. Then there was the whole stand up and make a speech routine. So aye, a degree of trepidation was felt.But when my wife pointed out our mystery guest, I knew all would be well. There, providing overwatch Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-87402380735421022672010-03-14T08:26:00.005+00:002010-03-14T15:10:15.052+00:00Possession is 9 Tenths....Maybe I've been watching too much Supernatural but I'm starting to think that my car's been taken over by a demon. I feel like every time I decide I'm going to head for the hills, she acts up. It can be anything from a worrying squeak to a flat out refusal to start. This time she's, as I put it, "Vibrating like a motherfucker".I may have to start referring to her as Christine rather than The Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-40206776843434241812010-02-28T13:36:00.002+00:002010-02-28T14:46:27.895+00:00Apologies for absenceWell, it's been a while. A whole 2 months since I last posted, even longer since I posted anything related to the outdoors.Starting the year with a car in the garage, for the third year in a row, didn't help. Nothing like having no transport and a big bill to put the mockers on the fun times.And then we had a death. Nobody that'll be missed to any great extent but it did start me thinking about Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-27064111437548722812009-12-31T22:58:00.002+00:002009-12-31T23:08:40.703+00:00Last one out....Lights are off, doors are locked and there's no sign of life. The hoose is rigged for Silent Running. It must be Hogmanay :o)Hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010.Awra best, people :o)Bed now. Shhhhhh......Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-20009084491228771732009-12-04T14:21:00.001+00:002009-12-04T14:21:43.070+00:0016 CandlesWe joked he'd wake up with a full beard but there are no perceptible changes.He's becoming a man but he'll always be The Boy. The best son a father could ever ask for.Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-86921117509602882402009-10-11T09:50:00.004+01:002009-10-11T10:15:18.450+01:00OMM Name FAILOMG i m gay. At least, that's what I thought it said. The "gamy" is a bit unfortunate on its' own, never mind potential anagrams.OMM-i-gamy. What were they thinking?Piss-taking potential aside, its' yet another example of OMMs' modular approach to carrying stuff. I like it a lot. Regular readers may have noticed various bottles turning up in photies and a complete lack of tubes sprouting from Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-35696911753073531652009-10-09T20:04:00.005+01:002009-10-09T20:50:24.000+01:00Lost and FoundI went for a quick walk on Sunday. Not far by any means but just far enough to remind me of what I'm missing by sitting on the sofa, smoking fags & staring at the telly.The Author. In Serious Mode.Aye, more of the same, please.Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-26434033234712670852009-09-20T14:27:00.006+01:002009-09-20T15:20:32.070+01:00"We're in the pipe, five by five.""Grab your gear, rookie. We're shippin' out.""Shipping out to where, Sarge?""New Mombasa.""New Mombasa? But......that's on Earth.""That's right, kid. Seems The Covenant have decided to pay a little visit and the folks back home want us to throw the welcome party. You in?""Yessir.""Boots on the ground in 36 hours. See you down there."His mind races. First time out as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper.Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-87017934075643345952009-09-12T19:41:00.003+01:002009-09-12T20:30:38.002+01:00Happy ShepherdsAfter the week I've had, I was glad to see the back of it. That it went out in a blaze of colour kind of made up for it. And this settled weather looks like it might hang on for a wee while yet.Interesting.High Pressure. The nice kind.Big Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484417020188355498.post-10049238576710927272009-09-09T18:27:00.005+01:002009-09-09T18:42:20.924+01:00Numb3r5Couldn't let 09/09/09 go by without posting something. I had something appropriate lined up but I'm fecked if I can remember where I put it.Here's some numbers in the meantime.Pure AwesomenessBig Kevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15718421848578901920noreply@blogger.com0