WEEK 84 CORONAVIRUS: COLOURS OF AUTUMN AND 3D COLOUR X-RAY RESEARCH

The leaves are now going from the trees, the days are getting shorter; autumn is upon us.

THE GARDEN

Alastair's pumpkin with a pencil skewered into its skin while awaiting the face being carved.  The reflection isn't art... unlike the one below.

Non-skewered subject (source is below)

Ralston Road

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The Conkerers!

Harriet (8 years) after school 

Getting ready for Hallowe'en

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Speaking of colours, this item was recently brought to my attention by a friend who used to work at CERN in Switzerland: new 3D colour X-rays. This is an X-ray of wrist bones with a metal implant shown in blue.

Behind this technical feat lie the Medipix3 detector chips, developed at CERN within the Medipix3 collaboration. Originally used in particle physics detectors, these chips are used for medical applications, and also in space and for art authentication. Their precise particle imaging and detection abilities allow them to obtain high-definition images of the density and composition of human tissues.

Article about CERN and Medipix:  CERN and MEDIPIX 3D COLOUR X-RAY

Video of work being done in New Zealand:   New Zealand 3D Colour Research Work

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Post-Script

Grape vine leaves in the garden

‘Still Life with Cheese’, by Floris van Dijck, c. 1615 

WEEK 83 CORONAVIURS: RETURN OF LOCAL CONCERT

Coronavirus report:  The numbers of people having coronavirus continues to be 'high' and has plateaued (44,000 cases in the UK today).

Iain got his booster this week having had a letter from the GP to make an appointment.  They have been calling the over 80s and then will start calling in the over 75s in somewhat the same fashion as they original vaccination roll-out.

He's actually been down to the Town Hall to turn up on a walk-in basis (if not busy, they take you), only to find it shut.  I guess they are starting to limit the days now.

I got notification to attend an appointment for my booster (which I got 2 weeks ago).  I find I cannot cancel it (though can change it) using the website.  Therefore I will probably be counted as a No Show. Hey ho.....

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Milngavie Music Club's first concert of the season was a great success with about 175 people turning up in Cairns Church.  

Such a joy to meet and greet again after 19 months of lockdown.

Consone Quartet played for a very appreciative audience.  Yes, we remained socially distanced, everyone had to wear a mask, no mingling at the interval and egress at the end was like when we were at school doing the Fire Drill.  Everything was all very well organised and orderly so we seem to be off with a good start to the season. (And the weather was kind; I forgot how it gets dark now about 7:15 pm!)

Autumn flowers from the garden for the hall desk.

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CLOTHES ....

[1]   I was attending a concert in the local secondary school and was struck by this photo on the bulletin board near the entrance.

Douglas Academy girls' school uniform

[2] The V&A 2022 calendars are now out.  They are quite beautiful.  I bought this one at Waterstone's bookshop.  (Later, I noticed that it wasn't for sale in the V&A online shop....)  When in Waterstones I offered to buy Ishbel a calendar. Her reply was "I don't use a calendar."   Fair enough; I suppose this is another example of our paperless society!

Art Deco Calendar for 2022

WEEK 82 CORONAVIRUS - RYAN CORBETT WINS MUSIC PRIZE

Coronavirus report: Had my booster shot today and also my flu jab.  It has been exactly 6 months since my second Covid shot.  They seem to keep good records; I confess that I don't (and should!).

Alastair has now received his too. Like, Ishbel, he says most students appear to have taken up the offer.

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Here is a young friend, Ryan Corbett, who is a final year music student at the Conservatoire in Glasgow. He won a competition recently and a prize of £5000!  It's been a long haul for him; we are all so pleased for him!

LINK:  Accordionist Ryan Corbett wins ROSL keyboard final | Classical Music

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Louise was here en route to Canada.  We had a great visit and also paid a visit to CVD as she wanted to see the family and changes to the house.

While there I took this photo of 3 of them on the deck.  Ishbel is behind the curtain.

Harriet (8), Alastair (13) and Ellie (6)

 

WEEK 81 CORONAVIRUS: OLD PHOTOGRAPHS BOOTH FAMILY SALMON ARM

Corona As At Position:  Ishbel (14 yrs) has now received her vaccination.  Done at school. Most people, she reckons, have taken up the option to be vaccinated.

Booster shots are now available. I received a text saying that the doctor's surgery was not offering this but it was the Health Board doing it.  I still have to go on to the website to book an appointment which is being done locally in Milngavie Town Hall.  Apparently they do the annual flu jab at the same time.

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I have been clearing out old photos and came across some which relate to my brother.  As it was his birthday recently I offer this selection:

This is the house on Broadview Road, Billie Kalke left, my mother and Don on the right.  '57 Chev in which I sat my driving test aged 16 (1960).

Don responded to this photograph with a huge amount of detailed family history:

Wow, my youth. Allen and Margaret Booth house on Trans Canada Highway, east of Salmon Arm, next to Broadview Road. Harry Kalke on L, died 1988; Margaret Booth, 2003; Don Booth on R, now 76. 

Car is 1957 Chevrolet 4 door 210 sedan. Could not buy 2 tone so mom had roof and triangle trim on rear sides painted black. Red and black, sharp car. Not another one like it. 

House in the background [very hard to see in far distance]  was Marsack, later was Bleumenaur. 

House [Booth family home behind the Chev] built by Roberts Bros. in 20’s. Purchased by Allen’s mom Gladys Bessie after their Craig Ewan house burned Boxing Day, 1938. Allen purchased from his mother near the time he married Margaret, Aug 1, 1943.

GB Booth purchased Rattrey place on other side of Broadview, [later owned by Jesperson's]  then moved to [Golf Road] Victoria in 1952.

 Don about 12 years old. Truck was a Chev (They were either Chevs or GMC as I recall).

WEEK 80 CORONAVIRUS: iPHONE UK TELEPHONE NUMBER FORMAT NOT WORKING - WORKAROUND

TECHNOLOGY AT ITS MOST CHALLENGING: IPHONE WORKAROUND

If the iPhone telephone numbers are correct but the spacing is wrong i.e. European spacing, the number will not work. [0123 456 7890 or 01234 567890 to 01 234 56 78 90] . Very tiresome.... but here is the workaround.  The problem is FORMATTING.    

[1] Get into the region as this is where the workaround all takes place:

SETTINGS - GENERAL - LANGUAGE & REGION - REGION  UK

[2] The REGION NEEDS TO BE 'RE-SET'.  Done by (1) 'unsetting' it.  Tap on 'United States ' bar and a menu appears 'Change to ENGLISH (US) (2) Tap on that  (3) wait until it has done that, then (4) go back and do the same thing again the other way around, i.e. Scroll up one bar to 'United Kingdom and tap on it. Tap on 'Change to ENGLISH (UK) and wait for it to change.  Now back where you started. A long way for a short-cut?!   But this works.  And it may need to be done again as another device (or iCloud/) seems to cause it to go into European format again.

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TECHNOLOGY AT ITS BEST

We had an occasion to use the  NHS Test and Trace kit which was given to us some months back when we were at our local vaccination centre.

Iain has a cold, and, as it turns out, does not have covid.  He tested himself; it was all quite impressive. 

It is a half hour DIY test kit where you take 2 samples and place them in a small test tube then place a drop on a measuring stick (left in photo).  After 30  minutes you read the calibrator: C for negative and T for positive. Easily done and came with a well laid out, clearly written instruction booklet.  And it also required that one report to the central government statistical data collection point, again well laid out and done without difficulty!