Bagels for breakfast

For a while I have been trying to make decent Bagels, with mixed results.  I hope that the cinnamon and raisin one I donated to Dave and Lorna didn't result in any broken teeth. 
Today's batch were cooked using a blend of recipes but as with all true Bagels they were boiled in water before baking.  Admittedly I need to do a bit of work on the shaping of the ring but the taste is great, hard crust with a chewy inside as I believe they should be.  If they ain't boiled they are just "a roll with a hole".  To be fair they are a bit of a faff but then at home just now with time on my hands it passes the afternoon.
For those of you interested my recipe is at Bagel Recipe

My office

A rather distorted view of my office or the bridge of the Ferry Isle of Mull.  Where I spend a considerable number of hours each day while providing the vital lifeline service.  Which today, Tuesday the 29th is off, along with lots of other ferries due to the appaling weather, though it gave a wonderful sunset here in Glasgow strangely enough.

Tied up for lunchtime

As we are not going to Colonsay today we are tied up in Oban until 16:00.  The East wind is whistling down the glen but it is lovely and sunny.  That is the Northern Lighthouse ship the Pole Star tied up alongside their own berth here in the Bay.

No snow but plenty of wind

As the rest of the country gets a blanket of snow, here on the West coast we are having a good sunny day but backed up by a gale force 8 Easterly coming off the mainland.  Our sailing to Colonsay has been cancelled, in an Easterly the pier is completely exposed.  Looks like we may be in for this wind for 24 hours or more, the Mull sailings are continuing but we are running late as berthing is taking a lot longer than usual.

RIP Walter

Sad news that an old friend, died yesterday. Walter Ferguson was a
lovely man, generous and kind who gave a lot and didn't ask much back.
I met Walter when I started working for Waverley Excursions. During
the winter when the two ships were laid up, and the crew away, Walter
would take on all of the nautical charts which filled up his spare
bedroom for six months. He would correct and annotate as required so
that at the beginning of the sailing season they were all ready to go.
I shall miss him, it was only last week that we were out for lunch and
he had the three of us back for coffee and a Garabaldi biscuit, when
available.
God Bless you Walter, I hope that the view from up there is as good as
from your flat in Greenock.
P.S. Walter's funeral will be held at Greenock Crematorium on Thursday 24th Jan. at 12:00

That damn lighthouse again.

Well yes it is the same lighthouse that we pass up to 14 times a day at the South end of Lismore, much featured in previous posts, the difference is that I have a new camera, thank you Julie, Pete & Joan, and I think you can appreciate the better quality.  Gorgeous weather here, but that snow is a good indication of how cold it is, real brass monkey weather.  Anyone know where that expression comes from?

Good catch then skipper?

Passed this and another fishing vessel today, both well down by the bow or the head.  Presumably due to all the fish at the forward end, can't recommend this as being the safest way to sail about though.

Chilly but no snow here.

Sorry that you folk in the South are getting in a tizz about the snow in your part of the world but there are parts of the country that are fine.  A little bit of snow on the hill tops here in Oban and Mull but nothing down at ground or should I say sea level.

Nothing much happening on the ferry either, awful quiet on here some runs to Mull and we are struggling to get into double figures for passengers and cars.  

No Booker prize for me.

I must apologise to my readers, if there are any of you left, as I see that my last post was pre-Christmas and you may well have given up on me.  Well I have been up to stuff since then, most of it isn't really of interest to you dear reader, but I haven't been hibernating.  Firstly Happy New Year folks,  I hope that you had a good one and that Christmas was fun too.
Today I had a wonderful bus journey up to Oban to join the ship, the majority of my fellow passengers were of the older variety, one can tell as they just flash the entitlement card as they board, no money changes hands for those over 60 in Scotland.  They looked a healthy lot clad in North Face and Berghaus Goretex with  haversacks and trekking sticks. There was a lot of fog around but then tantalisingly the cloud parted to reveal snow covered hills shining in the glorious sunshine.
Now back on dear old Daisy, aka The Isle of Mull, pretty quiet at this time of year but steady.  Off to Colonsay tomorrow maybe see a bit of snow on the way.