text:
In today's jewelry industry, there are many different types of metals commonly used in manufacturing jewelry. It is important to understand the differences between each metal when choosing an engagement ring or wedding band. In a diverse market, the metal types are commonly split up into two families- the precious metal family and the alternative metal family.
The precious metal family includes platinum, gold, and palladium and is most noted for its inherent value and durability. The most intrinsically valued of these metals is platinum.
Platinum is a naturally white metal that maintains its white color and finish for a lifetime. Platinum is also a hypoallergenic metal because little alloys are used to make the metal jewelry quality. Platinum reigns supreme in the jewelry industry because it is a solid, heavy metal that will maintain its density for generations.
Though platinum is dense, it is still very malleable- which works in the ring's favor. When a platinum ring is polished, bumped, dropped, or nicked, the platinum simply moves to the side, and can be polished back into place to look good as new. Many jewelers refer to platinum as 'heirloom quality' for this reason.
Gold is a precious metal that is naturally yellow. It comes from the earth very soft and is mixed with alloys to make it hard enough to use in jewelry design. The ratio of gold to alloys is denoted by the karat. For example, 24 karat gold is pure gold, 18 karat gold is 75% pure gold and 14 karat gold is about 58.33% pure gold.
Gold can also be mixed with different alloys to make it appear different colors such as black, green, red, and most commonly white. White gold is mixed with alloys like palladium, nickel, and zinc to give it a white tint. A white gold piece of jewelry is dipped in rhodium once it is polished and complete and this is what makes a white gold piece of jewelry rival a platinum piece. Through time, it is common for the rhodium plating to wear off the surface of the ring and to reveal a more yellow patina. A white gold ring can be re-dipped in rhodium easily and often to help maintain its white finish.
Palladium is an element found in the platinum group metals family. For that reason palladium has similar characteristics to platinum. Similarities include color; palladium is a naturally white metal and will maintain this color for a lifetime. Palladium is also hypoallergenic. Palladium's primary difference from platinum is an important one- it is far less dense. For that reason, it is not recommended to use palladium when setting diamonds with prongs alone. Palladium's most common use within our industry is to create Men's wedding bands.
Alternative metals are unique because these metal types are commonly used in other applications outside the jewelry industry like machinery, surgical tools, and artificial joint replacements. Within the jewelry industry- the alternative metals are most commonly used in men's wedding bands.
One of the most noted distinctions from the precious metal family is cost, alternative metals cost far less than the precious metals. This is because the alternative metals are not made from materials that are considered valuable commodities. In jewelry design the most commonly used alternative metals are tungsten carbide, titanium, and cobalt.
Tungsten carbide, titanium, and cobalt have similar characteristics. They are very hard, scratch resistant, shiny, light grey metals. Most are also a hypoallergenic. Because of these characteristics, the alternative metals do not require much maintenance. Alternatively, due to hardness, these rings cannot be sized or engraved. They can also be very brittle and have been known to chip, crack, or shatter when dropped or slammed against a hard surface.
Regardless of certain risks in choosing a ring made of an alternative metal, Diamonds Direct works only with the most reputable wedding band designers who stand behind their product. These designers will provide you with a lifetime guarantee that will cover you if a ring needs to be exchanged due to sizing or exterior damage.


text:
BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that novel biologics must demonstrate improvements in efficacy, safety and cost-benefit compared with currently listed agents for a given disease to be included on both national and institutional formularies in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. According to the new Strategic Insights report entitled Trends in Reimbursement of Biologics Across the Growth Markets: Focus on Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, numerous novel biological agents are in late-stage development for a range of oncology indications, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, and could reach these markets in the next two to three years.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130103/MM36784LOGO)
The report notes that the market for biologics is lucrative, and growth in this sector will outpace the overall oncology and rheumatoid arthritis drug markets, resulting in an increase share of biologics in these markets.
"While approval from the regulatory bodies of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico may be reached shortly after a drug's approval in the major pharmaceutical markets, it may precede inclusion on formularies in these markets by several years," said Decision Resources Group Analyst Natalia Reoutova, M.A., M.Sc. "Historically, authorization was sufficient for market access terms but today, it's only one step toward favorable market access."
About Strategic Insights
Strategic Insights is a new series of high-level, strategic rep
|SOURCE Decision Resources
Copyright©2012 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved

subset: commoncrawl


text:
See other Madrid properties
Way Hostel
Real Reviews
Real reviews from fellow travellers
These are trusted reviews from guests who have actually stayed here. We hope you find them helpful.
Note: we only give a property a rating once it has received a minimum of 3 reviews.
- " Great place. The staff is awesome and helpful. If your visiting Madrid and want to meet people from all around the world way hostel is the right place for you. "
- 26 Aug 2015 Joonas Finland
- " Location was very good, just a little walk away from the Plaza Mayor and other sights and shopping area. "
- 13 Aug 2015 Meri Finland
- " Great location, helpfull staff, good vibes. The beds are comfort and clean. Showes gives you privacy and that's awesome. it is just a great hostel and excellent choise for a few days in Madrid !!! "
- 14 Jul 2015 Lotem Israel
- " I had an amazing time. Everybody was so nice and polite, made me feel like home. I loved my room, it was very dark to sleep in, and bright and fresh in the morning. I was very glad to discover they had activities everyday, and everything was very organized. Will definitely come back! "
- 09 May 2015 Isabel Brazil
- " Best hostel that you'll find in Madrid because of the atmosphere it carries. Starting with an incredible staff team, the hostel has everything that you would want when you're staying in the amazing city that Madrid is. Simply put, look nowhere else for your next stay. Felipe "
- 07 May 2015 Felipe USA
- " Nice Hostel if you are planning on going out. Showers are small and could be a little cleaner "
- 02 May 2015 Anonymous USA
- " The Way was an awesome place to stay. We didn't have a lot of time in Madrid, but the staff was super friendly and helpful, giving us tips on where to find the best food and marking everything on a map for us. Also, the walking tour was a great way to get oriented and hear about some history (thanks Harry!). She also showed us a route in order to see the remainder of important buildings when the tour was finished. Overall, Way is a really cool place, wish we had more time to hang out! "
- 24 Apr 2015 Ashley USA
- " Great place!! "
- 22 Apr 2015 Anonymous Brazil
- " Excellent place, Cool Staffs, Nice Atmosphere and great location!!! "
- 06 Apr 2015 Anonymous Brazil
- " This hostel was amazing! They gave us so many opportunities to learn about Madrid, for both the history and the nightlife! Everyone of the staff members were generous and helpful. We love the pub crawls and the tapas tour, the walking tour was also very informative, Harriet was hilarious and definitely knew what she was talking about! Hope to come to this hostel again someday! "
- 30 Mar 2015 Giovanna USA


text:
WALLA WALLA - Amy Hasson outshot the opposition 10-9 all by herself, and Whitman College finished with a 3-to-1 shooting advantage overall, but George Fox held its own in a 1-1 double-overtime soccer draw Sunday afternoon at the Whitman Athletic Fields.
Whitman (4-7-2 NWC, 6-9-2) nearly won the game in the final minute of regulation, but a 35-yard free kick by Jaclyn Rudd kicked off the crossbar.
Whitman, which thoroughly dominated the first half, did the the same in the two 10-minute overtime sessions, outshooting the Bruins 9-2 while taking the only three post-regulation corner kicks.
But George Fox keeper Alyssa Montero made two of her six saves in the second overtime to hold off a relentless Whitman attack.
A scoreless first half saw Whitman fire off 13 shots while George Fox (2-7-3 NWC, 2-9-5) managed just one, which Melanie Gaither took early in the ninth minute.
The second half was more evenly played and it was Gaither, quite possibly the fastest player on the pitch, cracking the scoring column in the third minute after the break.
Gaither ran onto a long ball on the right side, manuevered around a defender and drilled a left-footed strike to the upper far post.
Whitman pulled even in the 63rd minute when MacKenzie Hughes made a run up the left side and crossed a ball into the box. A sliding Hasson met the ball with a foot, slicing it into the netting.
It was Hasson's NWC-leading 13th goal of the season. She finished with 10 shots while Rudd added seven more.
Hughes was one five Missionaries taking two shots; the others were Taylor Chock, Julianne Masser, Marisa Poorboy and Pamela London.
Gaither generated six shots but was the only George Fox player with more than one attempt.
Goal keeper Emily Davis made two saves for Whitman.
Whitman stays at home this weekend, hosting Lewis & Clark on Saturday and Linfield on Sunday. Both games start at noon.
More like this story
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
May 2012 Calendar of Events
May 1-31
X-Stream Green Field Trips
Location: Kemper Outdoor Education Center, Fleming Park
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, April, May, August & September
Price: Call for Fee Scale
Phone: (816) 229-8980
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
(By advance reservation only)
These innovative environmental education field trips feature multi-station experiences for school groups of up to 150 students. Teachers design their own field trip by choosing 4 to 6 topics from a menu of twenty. Topics include live reptile and amphibian programs, habitat hikes, birds and binoculars, skins & skulls, wild canids, soil conservation, recycling relays, bats, humane education, nature scavenger hunts and a variety of ecosystem choices.
May 5
31st Annual Kids Fishing Derby
Location: At Lake Jacomo on Beach Road one-half mile north of Colbern Road.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Registration begins @ 8:30 a.m.)
Price: No Charge.
Phone: (816) 229-8980
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Introduce your kids to the sport of fishing at this fun-filled family event at beautiful Lake Jacomo. Children ages 2-15 will be testing their skill and luck. A casting clinic and other demonstrations will help hone their skills. Prizes are awarded to Derby winners. Children should bring their own tackle, bait and buckets to hold their catch!
Download the event flyer here!
Sheep Shearing
Location: Missouri Town 1855, Fleming Park
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Price: Adults, $5.00; Youth 5-13 and Seniors, $3.00; Under 5, Free
Phone: (816) 503-4860
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Our Missouri ancestors depended on flocks of sheep not only for food but also for their valuable wool. The entire process of using wool including shearing, washing, carding, spinning, dyeing and weaving are presented in this annual event. The antebellum architecture and unique charm of Missouri Town 1855 creates the perfect setting as skilled artisans demonstrate these time-honored tasks and share their knowledge with our guests. Join us for an entertaining and educational fiber arts event!
Artifact Road Show
Location: Fort Osage Education Center
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Price: Adults, $7.00; Youth, $4.00; Seniors, $3.00
Phone: (816) 503-4860
Email: email@example.com
Have you ever been curious about that box of arrowheads that you might have found or had been given to you by a relative? Join us at Fort Osage where professional archaeologists will be available to determine the approximate age and origin of the archaeological material, and other historic and prehistoric artifacts. Your artifacts will be placed in a historic context which will help you better understand who made the object and how it was used. Expert advice will also be available on how to properly store your artifacts.
May 12
Spring Nature Walks
Location: Fort Osage Education Center
Time: 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Price: Adults, $7.00; Youth, $4.00; Seniors, $3.00
Phone: (816) 503-4860
Email: email@example.com
The diverse terrain surrounding Fort Osage presents a perfect setting for this guided program. After a brief introduction in the Education Center by our staff naturalist, the group will embark on a guided tour of both the upland and floodplain zones. Various species of plants will be identified with special attention given to those which were identified during the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Participants will see how invasive, non native, species threaten plants native to Missouri. Please wear hiking boots or shoes and bring insect repellant and a canteen. Binoculars, cameras and sketchbooks are also recommended.
May 20
Summer Softball Leagues
Location: Frank White and 140th & Holmes Softball Complexes
Time: Varies
Price: $475-$825/Team - Frank White Jr. or $750/Team - 140th & Holmes
Phone: (816) 503-4878
Heat up your summer by joining a Summer Softball League. Men's, Church, Senior and Coed Divisions are offered. Register online, call or email for more information. Deadline for registration is May 11.
May 20
KC Triathlon at Longview Beach
Location: Longview Lake Beach
Time: 7:00 a.m. Pre-Registration Required
Price: TBA
Contact: www.kansascitytriathlon.com
The Kansas City Triathlon is quickly becoming one of the largest triathlons in the area. There are many exciting activities that make this event special and unique as it caters to the participating athletes, families and friends like none other in the Kansas City Metro Area. The Kansas City Triathlon is a destination event that all triathletes from novice to elite will want to make part of their 2012 race plans.
May 26 - September 3
Beach Season
Location: Longview and Blue Spring Beaches, Longview Park and Fleming Park
Times: WEEKDAY HOURS:
May 29 - June 1 | 3-7 p.m.
June 4 - August 10 | 1-7 p.m.
August 13 – August 17 | 3-7 p.m.
August 18 - September 3 | Open Weekends Only
WEEKEND & HOLIDAY HOURS | 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Longview Beach closed Tuesday, July 3rd and Wednesday, July 4 for
4th of July Appreciation Celebration
Longview Beach closed Sunday, August 19 for Jackson County Triathlon
Price: Adults $5, Children/Seniors $3 - Family Passes Available.
Phone: (816) 503-4876
Splash into summer at two of the most popular swimming beaches in Jackson County. Enjoy sandy beaches, certified lifeguards and shower and restroom facilities.
Privacy Policy |
Site Map |
Contact Us |
© 2015 Jackson County, Missouri


text:
Images of Germany
Saturday 10 July 2010
A small selection of images from the Society's German conference held in May 2010 and centred on Frankfurt and Kassel has now been placed online. SIS Members who have obtained the necessary password from the Executive Officer may log in to view the new category within Gallery Two.
Everyone else may see the group photograph taken on a footbridge in Frankfurt in Gallery One.
Frustrated at not being able to see all our images? Why not join the Society?
Participants on the conference (or indeed anyone who was unable to make it) may also wish to purchase a souvenir CD containing many more images than we could ever place on line. Details from Dr Bob Wismer.
|Last Updated on Saturday 24 July 2010, 11:01pm


text:
Windsor,Ont.Feb.13/1967-Looking west on Riverside Dr. is Le Goyeau apartments under construction on Riverside Dr. E and Goyeau St.
Lively discourse is the lifeblood of any healthy democracy and The Star encourages readers to engage in robust debates about our stories. But, please, avoid personal attacks and keep your comments respectful and relevant. If you encounter abusive comments, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. The Star is Using Facebook Comments. Visit our FAQ page for more information.


text:
Three product levels to meet your needs
Come in every day 9-5pm and grab a desk. Take your stuff home with you at the end of the day. Access to conference room. WiFi, printing, coffee are all included. Get out of the coffee shop and into a professional workspace.
Permanent Desk
Work at a big desk in that`s always yours and leave your stuff there every night. Get 24/7 access, access to gym with showers, phone, meeting rooms, in addition to all the co-working benefits.
Private Office
$750Starting at
Get the privacy of a closed door office that will seat two people. Get the openness of Launch Pad with privacy when you need it. Includes all the benefits of the co-working & permanent desk memberships too.
All memberships include
- high-speed internet
- programming & events
- conference facilities
- printer, fax, copier
- gym
- free coffee every morning to fuel your day


text: marco polo - Unregistered February 26, 2013 8:02 PM TETLEY... it was stated at the last test that cal had a new engine upgrade, the same as what lorenzo finished 2012 on. so yeah he didn't have anything new for this test because he already got it. so him and vale were on the same bike today. 0 agree 0 disagree


text:
JPS Board Approves Final 2013-14 Budget Proposal
April 24, 2013
The Jamestown Public Schools District's final proposed budget for the 2013-14 school year has been approved by the board of educatio....
Just remember....the biggest cuts to education in regards to layoffs/cuts have been under Obama and Cuomo/Patterson. They have also handed you the Common Core...they have to be the most anti education regimes in the past century.
0 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
so tired of money paid for students who do not speak English this money should be used for other needs these students should be demanded to speak English get angry every time I hear they don't know our language they live here so learn it stop getting free rides
0 Agrees | 1 Disagrees | Report Abuse »
Showing 2 of 2 comments
Post a Comment
You must first login before you can comment.
News, Blogs & Events Web


text:
To make reservations by phone, call 1-800-321-2211 in the USA and Canada (or any of our worldwide reservation telephone numbers).
It Pays to Book Direct™
It Pays to Book Direct™
Courtyard Missoula
4559 North Reserve Street
Missoula, Montana 59808 USA
Missoula, Montana - MSO
Airport Phone: +1 406 728 4381
Hotel direction: 3.5 miles SE
From Missoula International Airport, turn right on Broadway, left on Airway Boulevard, right on Express Way, left on Reserve and then left on Schramm.
For more information call the general manager of the hotel


text:
OK my desktop starts up normally, but then anywhere from 2-5min the computer just powers off, no warning. Everythings new on my computer except the psu and drives. So, easy answer, what you thinks the problem?
No blue screens? Just shuts down without warning? Could be the power supply or an overheating CPU...is there a shutdown temp setting in the BIOS?
Your old PS may not have enough capacity for your combo of new components, and/or the PS may be defective, or at least unable to handle the new larger load on it.
Go into the bios Setup and look at the +12, +5, and +3.3 values - they should be within 10% of those values, and be stable - that is, they should not change much as the PS and computer warms up. Your VCC (cpu core voltages(s)) should be within 5% of what it's (they are) supposed to be. It (they) should be very stable.
Even if you do not see any improper voltages, your PS may be still be inadequate or defective.
Also check to see whether the PS is getting hot rather than just warm in a short time.
You may have installed the heatsink on the cpu improperly and it is overheating in a short time - depending on settings in the bios that you can or can't change, the mboard may shut down when the cpu gets too hot, or the cpu itself may shut down all on its own, to protect the cpu. Boot up and go into the bios Setup and watch the current temps for a while - the cpu temp should rise slowly if the computer has been off long enough to cool down, or very slowly or not at all if the computer is already as warm as it gets, then eventually stabalize at a reasonable value, well below the critical temperature. If the temp does not eventually stabilize and continues to rise, either the heatsink is not installed properly, or the cpu fan is inadequate - it will rise more slowly if it is the cpu fan.
Even if you do not see any improper voltages, your PS may be still be inadequate or defective.
Many recent mboards must have a three wire fan for the cpu, connected to the proper 3 pin header for the cpu - on some if the mboard hardware monitoring chipset detects the rpm is too slow or not spinning, depending on settings in the bios, the mboard may shut down automatically. If you have a fan that spins slower than the hardware monitoring expects, it's rpm may be detected as zero or some other improper value - if you are sure it is spinning at a speed that is normal for that fan, you may have to turn off any protective actions in the bios to do with that rpm of that fan. If you want to monitor the rpm of a 3 wire fan the harware monitoring chip(s) does (do) not detect properly, get yourself a freeware third party mboard monitoring utility in which the rpm monitoring can be adjusted (most of them can be) that runs in Windows.
In rare cases, even if you do not see any temps that are way too high and the temp stabalizes okay, the cpu may be defective, or the mboard may be defective.
Thanks tubesandwires ill try out your suggestion. i have an cool running athlon64 chipset and i heard they can run fine even really hot. like i said there's no warning (no slowdown,lockup,message). i think all the dirt/dust has finally gotten to the psu.


text:
LAS CRUCES >> Tuesday's Las Cruces municipal elections was a night for incumbents.
Pricey pooch: $10K dog found after being reported stolen
BEAVERDAM, Va. (AP) — Call it the caper of the pricey pooch. The Hanover County Sheriff's Office says in a press release Friday that it has found a rare South African mastiff valued at $10,000 after the dog was reported stolen by its owner. Full Story
The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store
iTunes' Official Music Charts for the week ending Oct. 8, 2015: Top Songs 1. Hotline Bling, Drake 2. Full Story
(Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)
John Goodman loses massive amount of weight
"Trumbo" star shows for London premiere looking almost unrecognizable.


text:
Kenneth Jay Lane
Women's Gold & Black Square Watch
$119 Gilt
- Color:
- black
Qty: 1
- 1
- 2
- 3
Please select an available size.
Please select a size.
- Square yellow gold ionic plated stainless steel case with textured black dial
- Yellow gold ionic plated stainless steel and black resin bracelet with jewelry clasp closure
- Japanese quartz movement
- Water resistance tested at 50M
- Case measures 29mm (1.14 inches) wide
- Bracelet measures 23mm (0.91 inches) wide
- 2 year limited manufacturer warranty
- Please note: IP or ionic plating is a plating process that is primarily used for wear resistance and corrosion protection
Material: Yellow gold ionic plated stainless steel and resin
Brand: Kenneth Jay Lane
Origin: Imported


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Forgot Password? | Not a User? Sign up
Advanced graphic design students at North Hardin High School created mixed media artwork entitled 'Reflections,' in which they were to illustrate their personality through the use of the elements and principles. Students enhanced and edited their artwork and included their portrait using Adobe Photoshop CS5.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The News Enterprise, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
If you are new to the award winning The News Enterprise and wish to get a subscription or simply gain access to our online content then please enter your ZIP code below and continue to setup your account.
|ZIP Code:


text:
Executive level information graphic to explain key benefits and points of a project to potential customers.Graphic Design, Illustration2015
Poster highlighting aspects of VEDPs annual report.Graphic Design, Illustration, Print Design2015
Cover design for SAIC propsalBranding, Graphic Design2015
Logo design for specialized trainging division within Dovel TechnologiesBranding, Graphic Design, Typography2015
Marketing Materials for Dovel Technologies' training to Northwestern University. Client wanted to reflect the end customer's colors in the tailored materials.Branding, Graphic Design, Print Design2015
3D illustration of gunpowder production.Graphic Design, Illustration, Print Design2015
Vendor information slick for Pole Con 2015Branding, Graphic Design, Print Design2014
Branding and marketing design for The International Pole Convention 2015Advertising, Graphic Design, Print Design2014
Information graphic created for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) for their Going Global Defense Initiative (GGDI)
GGDI is a program to help VA based companies expand into international markets and understand the intricacies of working abroad in different cultures and business environments.Graphic Design, Illustration, Print Design2014
Multiple information graphics developed for various customers.Advertising, Graphic Design, Print Design2013
Two samples of foldout graphics created for a government contractor.Graphic Design2013
Multiple map oriented information graphics that were developed for different customers.Advertising, Graphic Design, Print Design2013
Maketing slicks created for Exceed Resources.Advertising, Branding, Graphic Design2013
Corporate capabilities slicks for Bid to Win. These were designed to be used as a whole or individually depending on the potential customer.Advertising, Branding, Graphic Design2013
My personal wedding design. From initial invitation to the flag that is hanging outside of my home, every step of every item was created from scratch and with purpose.
Branding, Graphic Design2013
1/3 horizontal ad created for ArdentMC that will run in Hawaiian Airlines' Hana Hou magazine.Advertising, Graphic Design, Typography2013
Open house job advertisement poster created for DCCA. The poster was hung in a local Cafe where many technology professionals visited.Advertising, Graphic Design2013
Logo and brand creation for the Bid Alliance. The Bid Alliance is an organization of companies that support bids/proposals/presentations around the world. With partner on every major continent they are able to service clients needs anywhere in the world anytime they need them.Advertising, Branding, Graphic Design2013
Spreads from the article "Case Study: An American (a)Broad: The story of one small business expanding internationally" out of the APMP Journal – Fall/Winter 2011issue.
As the head layout designer for The APMP Journal from 2007-2012 I was responsible for all design aspects of the 72 page publication. Approximately 50 pages were designed from scratch each publication for new articles.
For this article I was also the photographer for all of the photos. Most of them coming from my travels with my wife (pictured) around the world for business and vacation.Digital Photography, Graphic Design, Print Design2013
Spreads from an article for the APMP Journal Spring/Summer 2010. The APMP Journal is a two color magazine, typically black with a highlight spot. As a volunteer I was the head of layout design for The Journal from 2007 to 2012.Graphic Design, Print Design2013
A selection of proposal covers for projects I have worked on over the years. Most of these were for U.S. Government proposals.
Advertising, Graphic Design, Print Design2013
Redesign of G&B Solutions LogoBranding, Graphic Design2013
Multiple logos I have created over the years for various clients.Branding, Graphic Design2013
Mini flyer for the 2013 APMP Conference highlighting 24 Hour Company's online training webinar.Advertising, Copywriting, Graphic Design2013
Step by step creation of a proposal graphic, from initial client submitted material through concept to final rendering across multiple graphics.Graphic Design2013
A before and after look at BBDS Ltd.'s advertisement.Advertising, Graphic Design2013
Marketing and trade show materials created for 24 Hour Company.Advertising, Graphic Design, Icon Design2013
Brochure redesign for 24 Hour Company. The primary function is for use at trade shows and conventions. The white lines down the center are solely there to distinguish the two pages per spread.Branding, Graphic Design2013


text:
Thanks to the Speyside
Heather Garden & Visitor Centre for this information
When God first made the world, He looked at the bare and barren
hillsides and thought how nice it would be to cover them with some kind of beautiful tree or flower. So he turned to the
Giant Oak, the biggest and strongest of all of the trees he had made, and asked
him if he would be willing to go up to the bare hills to help make them look more
attractive. But the oak explained that he needed a good depth of soil in order
to grow and that the hillsides would be far too rocky for him to take root.
So God left the oak tree and turned to the
honeysuckle with its lovely yellow flower and beautiful sweet
fragrance. He asked the honeysuckle if she would care to grow on the hillsides and spread her beauty and fragrance
amongst the barren slopes. But the honeysuckle explained that
she needed a wall or a fence or even another plant to grow
against, and for that reason, it would be quite impossible for
her to grow in the hills.
So God then turned to one of the sweetest and most
beautiful of all the flowers - the rose. God asked the rose if she would care to
grace the rugged highlands with her splendour. But the rose explained that the wind and
the rain and the cold on the hills would destroy her, and so she would
not be able to grow on the hills.
Disappointed with the oak, the honeysuckle and the rose,
God turned away. At length, he came across a small, low lying,
green shrub with a flower of tiny petals -some
purple and some white. It was a heather.
God asked the heather the same question that he�d asked the
others. "Will you go and grow upon the hillsides to make
them more beautiful?"
The heather thought about the poor soil, the wind and the
rain - and
wasn�t very sure that she could do a good job. But turning to God she replied that if he wanted her to
do it, she would certainly give it a try.
God was very pleased.
He was so pleased in fact that he decided to give the heather some
gifts as a reward for her willingness to do as he had asked.
Firstly he gave her the strength of the oak tree
- the bark of the heather is the strongest of any
tree or shrub in the whole world.
Next he gave her the fragrance of the honeysuckle
- a fragrance which is frequently used to gently
perfume soaps and potpouris.
Finally he gave her the sweetness of the rose
- so much so that heather is one of the bees
favourite flowers. And to this day, heather is renowned especially for
these three God given gifts.
the name most commonly used for this plant, is of Scottish origin,
presumably derived from the Scots word HAEDDRE. Haeddre has been
recorded as far back as the fourteenth century, and it is this word
which seems always to have been associated with ericaceous plants.
The origination however is obscure, and
the variations are many. Hader is found in Old Scottish from 1399,
heddir from 1410, hathar from 1597 (although this form of the word may
also be seen in place names dating back to 1094) and finally heather
from 1584.
The botanical name for the Heath family
is Ericaceae, which is derived from the Greek 'Ereike�, meaning
heather or heath. The name is generally, and more properly reserved for
the most widespread of the Heath family Calluna vulgaris, (Calluna from
the Greek �Kallune� - to clean or
brush as the twigs were used for making brooms and vulgaris from Latin,
meaning common.)
However the plant is sometimes also
referred to as Ling - derived either from the old Norse �Lyng� or
from the Anglo Saxon �Lig� meaning fire and referring to use as a
Whatever the exact origin, one thing is
certain. Heather moors cover a vast amount of Scottish countryside. With
approximately 2 to 3 million acres of Heather Moors in the East and only
slightly fewer in the South and West, Heather is without doubt one of
Scotland�s most prolific and abundant plants.
A Plant in Abundance
There are a number of reasons why
heathers are so abundant with such a wide distribution. Firstly, the
plant�s reproductive capacity is high with seeds produced in very
large numbers.
Each tiny heather flower has 30 seeds, so
it is quite possible for one large plant to produce up to 150,000 seeds
per season. Small and light, the seeds are readily dispersed by wind and
insects, with the germination period lasting up to six months. This long
period is advantageous to the heather as it means there will be reserve
seedlings to take over if the first seedlings should fail.
Most heather seeds are normally shed
during November and December, with germination proving most successful
on soils with a pH of between 4.5 and 7.5 (although it is better on
soils tending to the lower end of this scale). But Heather is a very
versatile plant. It readily adapts and thrives in soils which are not
only acid, but also those which are poorly supplied with the mineral
elements normally essential to plant growth. Heather can survive in many
soil types, from those which are peaty with a high water content to
those which are free draining and relatively dry.
Despite repeated grazing, heather is
relatively resistant to feeding cattle and sheep. With reserve buds
readily replacing those which have been cut back by the animals, this
hardy plant is really only damaged and destroyed when grazing becomes
The hardiness of heather is demonstrated
by its ability to flourish despite recorded temperature extremes. At
ground level, temperatures have been recorded in Strathspey as low as
-32�C (-18�F) in winter and as high as 38�C (100�F) in summer.
Life expectancy of heather is approx.
40-50 years.
Heather Burning & Regeneration
One of the most common and effective ways
of managing heather clad land is the age old method of burning. Heather
burning or �Muirburn�, as it is called in Scotland, was, and indeed
still is, necessary for a variety of different reasons.
Originally the process was used not only
to prevent tall shrubs and trees taking over the moor - limiting the
number of older Heather plants which were tall and woody with few young
shoots. But it was also used to create open spaces of land which made it
difficult for preying wolves and foxes to approach domestic herds
Now however, heather burning is primarily
used to create the conditions necessary for uniform regeneration of
young heather plants - encouraging high reproductivity of edible new
shoots which are essential to animals and birds dependant upon heather
for survival. Grouse shooting employs many people and brings in valuable
revenue in sparsely populated areas of Scotland.
Burning, as you might expect, is
restricted by law.
In order to cause as little disruption
and damage as possible to both nests and wildlife, the period for
burning in Scotland currently begins in October and lasts until 15th
April. Traditionally however most burning is carried out in Spring,
although some estates maintain that regeneration is better after burning
in the autumn. A saying from North Uist, which has been passed down
through generations, refers to the heather burning which had to be done
in a bad season;
�Is fearr deathach a� fhraoich, na
gaoth a reodhaidh�
(Better is the smoke of the heather
than the wind of the frost.)
After burning almost all of the above
ground parts are destroyed. But reserve buds at the base of the stems,
which have been shielded by earth and moss, are protected from the heat
and give rise to new growth the following season. This is known as
vegetative regeneration, with the new growth, referred to in Gaelic as
Mionaa (Meanbh) Fhraoch.
However, this is not the only
regenerative process. Another, although somewhat slower way, is by seed.
Germination of heather seed occurs in the gaps between the burnt plants
- usually where there is a moist seed bed and fluctuating temperatures.
Heather in the Food Chain
Domestic and Wild Animals.
Although few
animals rely on just one food source, many depend
significantly on heather for survival. - Red Deer, Rabbits and Hares, to
name but a few. And it is the heather�s young shoots with which most
of these animals supplement their diet.
One look at a typical example of a food
chain shows just how important heather is in the cycle of moorland life.
Heather shoots.. eaten by caterpillars..
in turn eaten by Meadow Pipit.. preyed upon by Hen Harrier.
At their best, the shoots provide
important minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen, magnesium and
potassium, with their nutritional quality determined by the particular
soil quality in that area.
The shoots may be grazed throughout the
year. In winter, the green shoots are eaten followed by the new green
shoots in May. In summer the flowers are eaten, in bud and bloom, along
with the seed heads. And in autumn, even the seed capsules help to
sustain wildlife on the moor.
The Red Deer browse heavily on the
heather, particularly in the winter months when other food is hard to
find. The Roe Deer also graze on the plant, preferring to stay in the
longer heather. Even the Reindeer which were introduced into the
Cairngorm area in the 1950�s, have also come to rely on this popular
food source. Other �nibblers� include Mountain and Brown Hares who
require the young heather for browsing, and rank heather for cover.
Rabbits living on moorland also enjoy young shoots.
According to the Scots National
Dictionary the Wild Cat was also referred to as the Heather Cat.
Of course domestic animals too, such as
cattle and sheep, also benefit from grazing on heather - in areas which
have been specially designated and managed solely for this purpose.
Cattle use the heather to supplement
their winter diet of hay, turnips and manufactured foods. �Teck' is
the name used in Shetland to describe the long heather which was used as
fodder. However it is perhaps, the hardiest of domestic breeds which is
the main beneficiary - the Blackface sheep. For many years to the
present day, sheep farmers have taken their sheep to the heather to give
the resultant lamb �that special flavour�. Indeed the Blackface
Sheep Breeders Association is pushing hard to have the pure-bred �Blackface
Lamb from the Heather', officially recognised as one of Scotland�s
gourmet tastes, comparable with grouse, venison, whisky and salmon.
There are, however, drawbacks as the
following extracts from "The Scots National Dictionary"
outline: Heather Blindness � a disease of sheep.
Contagious opthalmia is a specific
disease of sheep that is common to most sheep-raising countries,
including Scotland, where it is often referred to as "heather
Heather Cling - a disease
prevalent among sheep that have been grazing too long on heather.
Heather Claw - A dog�s dew claw,
which is apt to catch in heather with resulting pain, and is therefore
often cut off.
Heather Clout - Also in reduced
form Clu.
The fettock, joint or ankle, the external
and posterior part of which is protected by two horny substances, which
we call heather-clouts.
A Natural Habitat for Birds
The bird most associated with heather is
the Red Grouse, sometimes referred to as �The Heather Bird�. The
Gaelic term for the male bird is Coilech-Fraoch, the Heather Cock, with
the female equivalent being Cearc-Fraoch, Heather Hen.
Apart from nesting time when the bird
feeds primarily on insects and grubs, the Grouse will feed on young
heather shoots. Using grit to grind up the hard fibrous heather in it�s
gizzards, the bird is able to turn much of the lignin and cellulose,
(the woody part of the plant), into usable energy. So even in heavy
snows when the heather can still be seen sticking up through the icy
cover, there will be no lack of energy to maintain life. Indeed, this is
why grouse are seldom found starving during deep snows.
Breeding tends to be more successful on
more nutritious heather.
Of course, Heather is more than just a
food source. Heather is also a natural habitat for the hundreds of
different insects, animals and birds all of whom are inter-dependent on
one another.
Providing nesting sites, shelter and
protective cover from predators there are many different types of bird
to be found thriving on the moor.
Red Grouse: Relies on heather not just
for food but also as a protective cover from predators such as the
Golden Eagle and Peregrine Falcon. In Caithness, it is common to see
bunches of heather tied to the top of deer fences which warn these and
other low-flying birds, to take evasive action!
Black Grouse: The best stocks of this
bird are to be found on a moor with a mixture of scrub, tall heather,
bogs, shorter vegetation and farmland. The hen chooses thick heather for
her nest and then moves her chicks to damp ground with rushes, tall
heather, bog myrtle and scrub. Known as the Heather Cock, this bird
consumes the Heather Beetle in great quantity.
Ptarmigan: This bird is normally found on
higher slopes, but in severe winters it will come downhill in search of
the young shoots.
Capercaillie: The Turkey Sized
Capercaillie uses pieces of heather or pine needles to cover its eggs
until its clutch is complete.
Golden Plover: This bird with its
beautiful, plaintive cry nests in the short heather.
Dotterel: Like the Golden Plover and a
member of the Plover family, this bird makes its nest on a carpet of
prostrate heather, high in the Cairngorms.
Lapwing: Sometimes referred to as Peewit
or Green Plover, this bird can be found in short heather close to the
grassland of nearby crofts and farms.
Curlew: For me, Spring has arrived when
the beautiful bubbling calls of this bird can be heard as it glides back
from wintering at the coast to its nesting site in the long heather.
The Common Snipe: Sometimes referred to
as the Heather Bleat(er), gets its name from the sound made by the male
with its tail feathers in flight - mainly during courtship.
Ring Ouzel: Known as the �Heather
Blackie�, this bird is very much the �Mountain Blackbird� and
makes its nest from coarse grasses, heather and mud.
The Meadow Pipit: Also known as the
The Heather Lintie: Also referred to as
the Twite or Mountain Linnet breeds on the moors and open ground.
The Heather Peeper: Another name for the
Common Sandpiper.
The Heather-Cun-Dunk: A sea bird, either
the Goosander or the Northern Diver.
Golden Eagle: this magnificent bird
constructs its nest, or eyrie, from twigs of heather and preys on
moorland creatures such as Red Grouse and Mountain Hares.
Other birds of prey which are associated
with the heath include the Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, the Merlin, Hen
Harrier and Short Eared Owl.
Heathers are affected relatively little
by pests. However there are certain types of insects which can be found
living on the plant. These include the Heather Gall Midge (Wachtiella
ericina) and the Heather Beetle (Lochmaea suturalis).
Other types of insect to live on the
heather are the Sap Suckers. One such example is the Froghopper,
sometimes referred to as the Spittlebug, because of the froth of bubbles
with which it surrounds itself. These bubbles are created from the sap
of the heather plant and are a familiar sight to many people.
The Emperor Moth is a caterpillar which
feeds on the young shoots. It is camouflaged magnificently with its
green body taking on the exact colour of the heather, whilst the pimples
on its body resemble the colour of the heather flower.
The adult moth has tremendous �eyes�
which help to ward off prey as it flies over the heather throughout
April and May. After mating the female flies by night to lay olive-brown
eggs on the heather.
The Northern Eggar Moth is another
caterpillar which is also common on heather moors. feeding, once again,
on the young shoots.
In Banffshire, the Dragon-Fly is better
known as the Heather Bill.
There are a few reptiles to be found
living amongst the heather It is not unusual to see Adders basking in
the sun on hummocks before slithering off to hunt for toads and frogs in
nearby pools. In Caithness, frog tadpoles are called Heather-fish.
Associated Plants
On well drained areas Calluna is
generally accompanied by Erica cinerea (Bell Heather), Tormentil and
Common Milkwort. While on wetter soils, Bell Heather is replaced by
Erica tetralix (Cross-leaved Heath) accompanied by other plants such as
Bog Asphodel and Sundew.
In open pine woods, where the ground
vegetation is heathy in nature with plants such as bilberry, cowberry
and crowberry, and grasses like wavy haired grass and soft grass,
heather is once again a prominent member of the plant community. Even in
the Birch woods where the canopy is light, this versatile plant is not
hindered in its growth and is surrounded with bracken and bilberry.
Carline Heather: The bell heather of
Erica tetralix and Erica cinerea. Used also to describe French Heather,
Fraoch Frangach, by old Perthshire hill-folk.
Cat Heather: This is a name used to
describe various types of heather including Erica cinerea, Erica
tetralix, or Calluna vulgaris.
Dog Heather: This is the Aberdeenshire
name given to the ling heather.
Heather in the Construction of and
Thatching of the Dwelling Place
Heather thatch on house in Sidinish, North
As one
of the most common and readily available resources in the countryside,
Heather has always played an important role in the traditional
construction of buildings, particularly in areas such as the Hebridean
Islands where construction was strictly determined by the availability
of natural materials and their proximity to the proposed site. As a
result, heather was used to build many dwelling houses, churches and
farmhouses. From walls and thatching to the ropes and pegs which
actually held the building together, Heather proves its versatility once
Thatching with Heather was carried out in
areas as far apart as Shetland in the North and the Island of Arran in
the South West. Buildings which were Heather Theekit - (thatched with
Heather), were generally a better class than those which were thatched
with straw. The old Blackhouses of Lewis for instance which were
thatched with straw and constructed without a chimney or smoke hole, so
as to impregnate the straw with soot for future use as a fertilizer in
the fields were, despite being the possible forerunners of our present
day recycling philosophy, unpopular as they had to be replaced annually.
A Heather roof however, according to J.
Smith in the �General View of Agriculture of Argyll (1798), will last
100 years. He tells us that, "Heather roofs are more suited to
Farmhouses, as they, along with our ordinary timber, can be had for a
trifle, last almost as long as slates and give less trouble in
repairs.... It is astonishing that, in a country in which Heather
abounds, these roofs are not more common. They are indeed heavier than
straw roofs; but by making them a little steeper, and placing the
couples a little nearer than ordinary roofs, most of the weight will be
thrown on the walls, which, if made as they ought to be, of stone and
lime, will not feel the burden. It makes a neat warm and durable
The thatching of these roofs was done by
a �heatherer� and various methods of construction have been
recorded. One method however, which was perhaps in most common use was
to make a covering of divots (thin sods pared off by a spade made
specifically for that purpose) above the wooden framework. Over that was
then spread a thin coat of thatch which was then fastened down by straw
or heather ropes, crossed through each other in a net-like fashion, and
with stones suspended.
Heather divots would frequently be used
to cover the crofters byre and stable roofs and quite often the
crofter's own cottages too. But most often, they were used for covering
potato and turnip pits in winter. The divots were clean and warm, and at
the same time, provided better ventilation than grass sods. Using the
heather divots in this way, laid on like slates, heather side down,
there was no danger of the crops sweating and rotting.
The heather-thatched shielings of Glen
Lyon between 1837 and 1841, were described by Duncan Campbell in his
book, �Reminices of an Octogenarian Highlander', as not much to look
at on the outside, but rather substantial and roomy on the inside. Built
of stone, thatched with heather and well constructed for dairy purposes,
recesses, or rather cupboards, were built into the thick walls with
flags for shelves on which milk vessels were placed. Planks were placed
at intervals across the building from one top of the side wall to the
other. And it was here that the cheeses, partly taken out of their
presses, were placed to harden and become partially smoked with the reek
of the peats and the remains of the heather stalks which had been burnt
to the ground the year before.
In ancient times, Churches too were
generally thatched with heather.
The roots of heather served as effective
nails and pegs - used especially for hanging slates. But it was the
small twigs of heather, trimmed and shaped with a knife which were used
to peg down the heather divots in the thatch. Once pegged down, a thick
fringe of heather was arranged to project under the lowest layer of
divots in order to carry rainwater drips away from the roof, clear of
the walls. If however the house did let in water, fesgar, a facing of
straw or heather, would be fastened with boards around the outside of
the house. (Fesgar is also referred to as a strengthening rim for straw
or heather baskets.)
Walls were constructed of Heather-An-Dub
(Heather and daub, sometimes spelt dab) which was a combination of
heather with mud or clay. Built with an inner and outer skin of stone,
the walls had a central core of heather divots. There were many types of
resulting buildings. Basket Houses for instance on the island of Mull
were constructed by wattling together heather and branches of wood. And
in Strathspey, it has been recorded that heather brushwood was used (in
conjunction with wild juniper) in cavity walls of houses to act as
insulation and soundproofing. And talking of insulation, it has also
been used by hill people as insulation against the cold by packing it
down trousers and inside jumpers!!!
ROPES AND LADDER: The Skara Brae
excavation in Orkney revealed a prehistoric village dating back to
around 2000BC. Amongst primitive tools and animal bones they discovered
Seomain fraoich - Heather rope.
Seomain fraoich was made from long stems
of the Heather plant, pulled and woven by hand, and used for a variety
of purposes - from holding down thatch to securing fishing boats. It was
even used in Harris to gather in the seaweed for the production of kelp
which, in turn, yielded iodine essential to the manufacture of glass.
In the Helmsdale area ladders made from
heather ropes, bound together and swung over the cliffs, were used to
give direct access to the shore.
Inside The Home
Even to the present day, crofters and
farmers rely upon heather as an abundant and efficient fuel for their
fires - with the part which is most generally burnt coming from the top
layer of the peat bog. Once cut, stacked and dried it was used for
heating the dwelling place, cooking, drying (especially for drying corn
before it went to the mill), brewing and baking. The small heather stems
were also used as they were found to make excellent �kindlers� for
starting the fire. The crofters even found a use for �Heather Birns�
burnt heather - using the short, charred stalks of the plant as writing
The Skara Brae excavation in Orkney
revealed evidence of beds in the form of stone boxes, lined with either
heather or straw and dating as far back as 2000 BC. The original heather
Obviously these beds were developed over
the years with crofters gradually perfecting their construction
techniques using only the longest, straightest and finest stalks of the
young heath. These stalks would be pulled at their highest in bloom and
fragrance, with as little root as possible. Once they had been left to
dry for a few hours to evaporate any dew or accidental moisture, they
would be placed together as thickly and closely as possible, with their
tops arranged uppermost. Inclining a little towards the head of the bed
- which was generally against a wall, the stalks would be held together
at the sides and foot of the bed by logs of wood which had been cut to
appropriate lengths.
Even an outdoor heather bed has its
And just in case you were wondering about
the support afforded by a heather bed, you might be interested to note
that, according to Mr R. Oldale, Kilchrenan, Argyll, the anvils below
the huge drop hammers in the Sheffield Steel forges were sited on beds
of heather. These heather beds were apparently sufficiently well
cushioned so as to absorb the tremendous impact delivered by the hammers
and thus prevented the anvils from fracturing!
Inside the croft, heather had many
practical uses - from baskets and brushes to pot scrubbers and doormats.
Thanks to Bob at Brooms; Brushes and
Sundries at www.besombinder.com
for the above old picture of a Scotsman selling Heather Brooms.
Heather brooms were made from the long
heather stems which were gathered in spring when they were at their most
pliable. These would then be bunched together and guilloteened to form a
trim broom.
Many types of besoms and brooms were made
in this way, and the art of brush making became a small, rural craft
industry. Types of brushes and besoms varied, depending on locality, and
were sold roundabouts by Heather Jennys and Heather Jocks (the nicknames
for the men and women who sold heather goods). Indeed a great trade was
long practised in the making of heather goods as, until around 1860,
there were few modern brushes to be found on an ordinary farm.
A Curing Heather Cow was the term used to
descibe a broom made of heather twigs whilst a Heather Range(r)/ Reenge
- sometimes referred to in Orkney as a Heather Scratter -was the name
given to a bunch of straight heather stems cut to equal lengths and
bound firmly together for use as a pot scrubber or for brushing the flue
of a chimney. In-fact, to this day, Chimney Cleaners in Lewis still use
bunches of heather tied to to the end of ropes as they insist that it is
the only way to get the job done properly.
Heather doormats were also common in the
croft. Mats would be specially made for the kitchen using long, thin
heather stems. They would be woven in many different patterns with the
bottom side rough where the clipped ends were concealed and the upper
side smooth. In Islay, these mats which were woven from young heather
were known as �peallagan�.
Baskets were made all over the highlands
and had many uses round the croft. Using long heather stems, they were
made either to be carried on the human back or as pack saddles which
were carried by horses. They were also hung on walls for storage. The
Saalt (Salt) cuddle from Shetland, is just one example of such a basket
which was hung beside the fire and used to keep salt dry.
Of course there were many other different
types of basket each with a specific role. The Mudag (Wool Basket) for
instance, was specially made to hold wool before carding, and the Maisie
- a large meshed panier of bent rope or heather, was used for carrying
sheaves and peats.
In Orkney, one particular form of basket
was called a �Heather Cubby'. These baskets were made in various forms
but the most common one was woven from long, fine, straight heather
stalks, not rough or crinkly, and was used for carrying turnips from the
shed to the byre for the cattle. Carried on the back, they were also
used to bring peats inside from the stack. Another type of basket was
the �Sea Cubby� - so called because it was specially used to carry
home fish. Other baskets including the Heather Caissie (from Orkney) and
the Heather Wuddie/Widdie were made to hold fish, fishing line and bait.
Even the lobsters of the Hebrides which were sent to London where they
were in great demand, travelled packed in heather.
Examples of these and other utensils can
all be seen at the Highland Folk Museum at Kingussie.
Uses of Heather Outdoors
Abundant and readily available, heather,
with its twiggy nature and durable characteristics - even in bog
conditions, was often used in the making of roads, tracks and footpaths.
It was mainly laid as an intermediate layer between a base of brushwood
and a surface of gravel. And it was this method, which was reportedly
used, in laying tracks across Rannoch moor.
In Mediaeval times, the otherwise useless
parts of a sheep�s fleece, known as �daggings�, were laid and
mixed with heather to form footpaths across the heath. This ancient
practice is currently experiencing a revival, with daggings by the
hundred-weight being airlifted by the RAF to reinforce foundations along
the popular walkways of the Cairngorms.
Depending on the drainage, lighter soils
can be prone to �silt up�. To avoid this happening, the tops of old
heather would be placed in the bottom of a trench to act as a field
drain. Another way in which heather was useful as a �conservation
method� was in the production of stabilising banks. These banks, in
conjunction with planting marram grass, would be made from long heather
twigs and used to stabilise dunes - a method employed, particularly in Holland. Used for protecting sheep
and other animals in the winter months, sectioning them off into
particular areas, fences would be made from the longest, most supple
stems of rank heather, intertwined between stakes and posts.
Heather branches were very often used to make walking sticks,
particularly in Colonsay where the rich peaty soil on the east of the
island made ideal growing conditions. Two such specimens were sent to
Edinburgh University. One branch was measured at 6ft. whilst the other
was a mere 4ft. in height!
Salmon Fishing
Heather was often burned as a fuel for cooking and heating. But it
was also used for lighting - Salmon
Lighting that is. The following extract from �Days and Nights of
Salmon Fishing in the Tweed� by William Scrope, descibes how heather
was used in an age old technique for catching salmon.
"We went to the barn and tied up twae heather lights frae a
bunch or twae which I had gead the miller lad to dry in the kiln ten
days before. They may talk o� ruffles and birk bark baith, but gie me
a good heather light, weel dried on the kiln for a throat o� the Queed."
Bunches of heather which had been thoroughly dried were placed inside
a special basket-like carrying device. Once set
alight, this �heather torch� would be held at the water�s edge
where the flickering flames and lights would attract the fish from the
low water, (known as �burning the water�). The salmon would approach
the lights, whereupon they would be speared by a five barbed, long
handled fork, called a "leister". This method of fishing was
legal at the time.
Raising the Sails
A story, taken from a book by John Mowat,
tells of another rather ingenious way in which heather was used by James
Bremmner - a famous ship builder and harbour engineer who was born in
the Parish of Wick in 1784.
"The brig Isabella of Sunderland was
driven on the sands of Dunnet in a storm, and was held fast in the quick
sand. Trenches were dug with a view to floating her, but every becoming
tide refilled them. Mr Bremmner was a little puzzled and, turning to his
foreman said, "John have ye no plan?"
On receiving an answer to the negative,
he sharply replied, "Then awa to the hill and poo heather!"
Not knowing to what purpose this was meant, the man quietly submitted
and was soon reinforced by a number of women and children from the
neighbourhood, organised for the same purpose. On the tide receding, he
built up the sides of the trenches with the heather, a plan which
effectually prevented them from filling in again. Anchors were put out
astern and as the tide flowed, he summoned the whole neighbourhood to
pull the vessel off with tackles. The Isabella soon slipped into the
From Floor Tiles to Jewellery
Shortly after the second World War, a
restriction on the use of wood was initiated. Ground level houses were
unable to have the normal timber floor boards and were mainly
constructed of concrete or stone. But these floors were hard and cold
underfoot, and they had no �give�. So, in answer to this problem, a
small factory employing three to four people, was set up at the side of
Loch Lomond, in Dumbartonshire. The factory then set about the
production of floor tiles made from the woody heather stem. The
resultant tiles were extremely hard wearing and lasted a good length of
The tiles were made by compressing the
heather stems together into blocks using a special bonding agent. Then
they were cut transversely, producing the resultant floor tile.
When eventually restrictions on the use
of timber were relaxed, and normal building techniques resumed,
production of the heather floor began to dwindle as it proved too
expensive to produce.
However the basic technique which had
been developed by this small factory of compressing the heather stems
was essentially a good one, and was put to a more cost effective use by
the jewellery industry.
Initially small blocks were recessed into
wood and staghorn to form brooches and pendants. Then a method of dying
the stems was developed which resulted in more colourful and interesting
jewellery. In time, the small craft workshop became more and more
sophisticated in techniques, design, production and marketing.
Paint Colourings and Dyes
Born in 1772, Dugald Carmichael, a
little-known botanist returned to his native Scotland after a lifetime
of exploring the world in search of new plants. Dugald�s other great
love, besides botany, was painting. But he had great difficulty finding
the exact colours he required, so he started to use the natural pigments from plants to
colour his paints. And it was to the tops of the heath that he turned to
for the colour yellow.
Of course the art of using natural pigments for colouring has been
around for centuries with crofters relying on the heather to dye their
wool and cloth.
A Traditional Recipe for the Dying
of Wool
Gather the tops of the (Barr An Fhraoich) Heather. Gather when they
are young and green, and growing in a shady place. Place a layer of wool
and heather alternately on the bottom of the pot until the pot is
filled. Then add as much water as the pot will hold. Put on the fire to
boil, but do not allow to boil dry. The wool will dye a lovely yellow
colour which is a good basis for green when indigo is added. If a moss
green is require, add gall apples and iron mordant towards the end of
dying. Purple and brown tints can be obtained by using old heather tops.
If wanted for winter use, the tips of the heather plant should be
picked just before they come into flower. If it is to be used fresh, it
can be gathered as long as the flower is in bloom.
The resultant dye is a mordant dye which means the fibre requires
special preparation before it can absorb the colour. The treatment is 4oz alum and 2oz
cream of tartar to every 1 lb of wool.
A Taste of Heather
HEATHER ALE - A Galloway Legend
From the bonny bells of heather,
They brewed a drink Lang Syne
Was sweeter far than honey
Was stronger far than wine.
R.L. Stevenson
Heather has been used over the years to flavour many different foods
and drinks. Little is actually known about the early beverages of
Scotland. However, many tales are told of brewing ales and wines from
heather flowers. One such brew was known as Heather Crap Ale.
Ingredients: Heather, hops, barm,
syrup, ginger and water. �Crop the heather when it is in full bloom,
enough to fill a large pot. Cover the croppings with water and set to
boil for one hour Then strain into a clean tub. Measure the liquid and
for every dozen bottles add one ounce of ground ginger, half an ounce of
hops and one pound of golden syrup. Bring to the boil again and simmer
for 20 minutes. Strain into a clean cask. Let it stand until milk-warm
and then add a teacupful of good barm. Cover with a coarse cloth and let it stand till next day Skim carefully and pour the liquid
gently into a clean tub so that the barm is left at the bottom of the
cask. Bottle and cork tightly The ale will be ready for use in 2 or 3
days and makes a very refreshing and wholesome drink as there is a good
deal of spirit in heather�
As recently as 1993, an AlIoa brewery went into production of Heather
Ale using an ancient recipe.
1 �Ibs. Heather Tips (in full bloom)
1 Gallon water
3-4 lbs. Sugar (according to sweetness desired)
2 Lemons
2 Oranges
1 teasp. dried yeast
1 teasp. yeast nutrient.
Cover heather with the water and boil for one hour. Strain off liquid and measure. Restore
to one gallon, and add sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. When the
temperature drops to 70F, add yeast and nutrient. Leave for 14 days.
Then strain into fermentation jar, and when fermentation ceases, strain
and bottle. Keep for at least six months!
Gather the flowering heather and after breaking off the hard woody
pieces, spread it in a cool open space and leave for approximately 12 -
16 hours. This should, in theory, allow a slight wither to take place -
but with heather having a hard leaf, this is not too noticeable.
Put the heather into a liquidiser and
bruise and break-up the heather as much as possible. After this spread
thinly in a cool place and leave for a minimum of 3 hours to allow a
ferment to take place. This should be apparent from a darkening of the
mash. After this, put into an oven, temperature 200-250F until the
heather is dry and crisp. The tea retains its misty mauve colour and
looks attractive. Used on its own, the product gives a thin liquor.
Mixed in equal parts with ordinary tea however, it gives a much stronger
flavoursome brew. This is a proper tea - not herbs masquerading as tea.
Tinkers Tea
Trout fishermen having a day on the loch
use the following method to make tea - they fill the kettle with loch
water and take it to the shore, a sprig of heather and tea is then
deposited in the kettle. Next, set old dry heather under and make a
mountain of heather over the kettle and ignite. By the time it has burnt
out the tea is ready and has a heathery flavour. This method was
described to me by Mr George Sproat, 4 Rockfleld Road, Tobermory, Isle
of Mull.
On the Isle of Skye they had a very
simple remedy for tea which had been ruined by smoke from the fire. The
solution - a sprig of heather simply placed in the cup!
Heather Whisky
It is said that some of the finest brands
of whisky derive some of their most delicate flavours from the heather.
At the Highland Park Distillery, in
Kirkwall, Orkney, there was a peculiarly shaped timber building,
referred to as the �Heather House�. This was where heather, which
had been gathered in the month of July when the plant was in full bloom,
was stored. Carefully cut off near the root, and tied into small faggots
of about a dozen branches each, the heather was used on the peat fire to
help dry the malt and impart a delicate flavour which, was claimed, to
give Highland Park Distillery its unique taste.
It is interesting to note that in former
times the wooden containers for fermentation, known in whisky
distilleries as �washbacks�, would be cleaned using heather besoms.
And when new stills were installed, bundles of heather would be placed
in the water and boiled in order to sweeten the still before the first
distillation took place.
In the nineteenth century and possibly
even earlier, illicit stills were used to make whisky - in broad
daylight. The crofters were able to do this because, by gathering up and
using old stumps of burnt heather, they could make a fire without smoke,
and so not raise suspicion!
Heather Honey
There is no other honey quite like
heather honey.
Quite different even physically from all
other honeys, pure heather honey is sought after by the epicure and
commands a high price. Bright golden brown with a pronounced and
characteristic flavour, the harvest of heather honey is the premier
honey crop in this country.
In some respects, gathering the honey
from heather is easier than gathering honey from any other flower
source. There is little likelihood of bees swarming when taken to the
heather, routine inspection of the hives can be dispensed with and the
expectation of a good harvest is reasonably certain - dependent on good
weather and no early frosts.
Transportation of the hives to the
heather moors is generally undertaken between the end of July and the
12th of August, although this can vary according to the season. However
it is advisable to try to catch the best of the Bell Heather and Cross
Leaved Heath Crops when they are in the first flush of bloom.
Transportation of the bees is best carried out either in the cool of the
evening or the early hours of morning. This reduces losses by
Due to the flowering structure of the
heather plants, where there are numerous flowers on spikes, close to one
another in vast expanses of bloom, a considerable amount of honey can be
collected in a comparatively short time. Being bell-shaped, the flower
is easily entered with the nectar readily available to the visiting bee.
The corolla tubes of these small flowers are approximately 2-3mm long
with the nectar being concealed at the flowers base. This is easily
sought out and collected by the honey bee�s spoon-tipped tongue which
is approximately 6mm long. The nectar is converted to honey by the bees
Bell Heather honey is a thinner honey
with a port wine colour and a strong characteristic flavour, whilst
Cross Leaved Heath Honey is much thinner and lighter in colour.
Weather Predictions
Even predictions in the weather have been
associated with heather. It is said, in Scotland, that an extremely rich
blossom on the heather during August and September, is followed by
severe weather in winter. Whilst another widely held belief,
particularly throughout the south of the country and the Cheviot range,
is that the buming of the heather �doth draw doon the rain�!
Plant Badges of the Clans
As already mentioned, Heather can be
used, in conjunction with deerhorn, silver and pewter, to make colourful
and effective jewellery. But another important decorative use for
heather was as a plant badge of the clans. This was used long before the
tradition of heraldic badges with the appropriate chiefs crest, straps,
buckles and mottos.
Referred to as �Heather Taps�, these
natural plant badges were worn by the Highlanders in the seventeenth
century, if not before, and were placed behind the crest in the bonnet.
Heather (Fraoch) was the emblem of the clans MacAlister, MacDonell,
Shaw, Farquharson, Maclntyre and Mac Donald, with white heather (Fraoch
GeaI) pertaining to MacPherson.
It is said that the chiefs of the clan
Donald carried into battle, as an emblem of their race, a bunch of wild
heather hung from the point of a quivering spear.
Another way in which heather was used
decoratively was in the form of dirk handles. Made from the stems and
roots of the plant and carved deeply in Celtic designs these were worn
on kilts around the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
The Healing Properties of Heather
The healing properties of heather have
been recorded as far back as the middle ages, with books on other herbs
and their uses dating even further back to the seventh century.
A German book, written in 1565, describes
the famous doctor Paulus Aegineta as using the flowers, leaves and stems
to heal all types of sores incuding ulcers - both internally and
Fuchs wrote in 1543 that the healing
effect of the plant could ease insect bites. Whilst Matthioulos, who
lived round about the same time, used the plant in drug form to heal
snake bites, eye infections, infections of the spleen and in preventing
the formation of stones in internal organs.
Nicolas Alexandre, a Benedictine monk,
wrote that boiling heather stems and drinking the liquid for thirty
consecutive days, morning and evening, was sufficient to dissolve kidney
stones. He added, that the patient should also bathe in the Heather
Heather has even been found to help
nursing mothers produce more milk. Schelenz wrote in 1914 that Heather
was a household remedy for all sorts of illnesses and complaints.
However by the turn of the century, heather, in medical terms was
generally associated with the prevention and treatment of stones in the
bladder and kidney area.
Since 1930, Heather, referred to by the
medical profession as Herba Callunae, has been acknowledged by many
doctors and chemists as effective against arthritis, spleen complaints,
formation of stones, stomach and back ache, even paralysis and
tuberculosis. This remarkable plant, which is quite safe for use by
diabetics, is also known to be good for sore throats, gout, catarrh and
coughs. Some say it even cleanses the blood getting rid of exzema and
Medical herbalists, to this day, use
Calluna vulgaris in the treatment of certain disorders. Containing
tannin and several other components, it is used particularly in the
treatment of cystitis (bladder infection), as its action is diuretic and
In the mountain regions of Europe the
plant is still used to make a linement for arthritis and rheumatism by
softening the herb in alcohol.
Honey for Hay Fever
Pure Heather Honey is recommended for hay
fever sufferers.
Heather was not only associated with
curing illnesses - it was, according to the Scots National Dictionary,
also used figuratively, to describe ailments and other peculiarities
common to country folk. HEATHER ILL This was the description used
to describe constipation of the bowels. HEATHER LAMP A springy
step common among people accustomed to walking over heathery ground. The
term �heather lamping�, refers to lifting feet high when walking -
sometimes called a �heather step�. Walking with a step high and wide
was described as walking with �heather legs�. HEATHER HEADED Sometimes
referred to as �heather heidit�, this is the description given to
someone with a rather dishevelled head of hair - and indicates a rustic
or country background. HEATHER GOOSE This was the term used to descibe a
dolt or ninny. HEATHER PIKER This
term was a contemptuous epithet for a person living in a poverty
stricken or miserly way. HEATHER WIGHT The
name given to a Highlander. HEATHER LOWPER A hill dweller,
countryman � known as a Heather-Stopper in Perth. HETHER MAN, HATHER
A heather seller. Also found purporting to be a term in free
A Heather Garden
As a plant with so many advantages for
the present day gardener, it will come as no surprise to find that
Heathers are more popular than ever! Providing colour all year round
with foliage and flower, heathers are evergreen and will thrive for many
years. Inexpensive to purchase and relatively easy to grow, heathers,
once established, will provide a weed free garden which requires the
minimum of maintenance.
Easy to propagate, heathers are also
relatively free from diseases and pests. Small wonder then, that
landscape projects large and small, from industrial sites and motorways
to housing developments and car parks, make great use of this plant.
Until recently little scientific work has
actually been carried out on the hybridisation of heathers, but yet,
hundreds of different cultivars are now available from specialist
nurseries. Many of these cultivars have been found in the wild as �chance�
seedlings, perpetuated by vegetative propagation. Other cultivars arrive
as �chance� seedlings in nurseries - as sports or mutations in
gardens. Each with their own distinctive qualities.
For instance, plants brought back from
the remote island group of St. Kilda, (approximately 50 miles west of
the Outer Hebrides and 100 miles from the mainland), are extremely dwarf
and spreading. They remain so even in cultivation, their characteristics
having been developed to cope with the extreme exposure experienced on
the islands.
Cultivars discovered quite by chance
include one which was found growing as a sprig on Calluna �County
Wicklow�. �County Wicklow� has double pink flowers, but this
cultivar had double white flowers. The sprig, found in a garden in
Argyll, has since been propagated successfully and is now catalogued
under the name Kinlochruel. (A selection of cultivars are listed towards
the end of this section.)
The heather gardener has many cultivars
to choose from and one glance at the photographs in this page should
help to convince even the most reluctant gardener that, together with a
few conifers and shrubs, an attractive and easily maintained garden can
be easily achieved.
The Heather Society
Founded in 1963, to assist in the
advancement of horticulture, and in particular, the improvement of, and
research into the growing of heaths, heathers and associated plants.
It publishes a Year Book and three
Bulletins annually to keep members up to date. It maintains a slide
library, provides free technical advice and arranges local and an annual
national conference.
For details of membership contact: Mrs
A. Small, Administrator, Denbeigh,
All Saints Road, Creeting St. Mary,
Affiliated Societies
North American Heather Society.
Secretary: Walter H. Wornick, Highland
View, P0. Box 101, Aistead, New
Hampshire 03602, U.S.A.
Nederlandse Heldevereniging �Erlcultura�.
Secretary: Mr. J. Dahm, Esdoornstraat
54, 6681 ZM Bemmel, Netherlands.
Gesellschatt der Heldefreunde.
Chairman: Fritz Kircher, Tangstedter Landstrasse 276, 2000 Hamburg 62,
originated in 1972 - by David and Betty Lambie with the intention of
being Scotland�s Heather Specialists. Located appropriately in the
heart of Speyside in the central Highlands of Scotland amidst glorious
scenery the award winning centre now attracts aprox 85,000 visitors
Any enquiries the reader may have should
be addressed to:
Heather Garden & Visitor Centre
Skye of Curr
Dulnain Bridge
Scotland PH26 3PA.
Tel: 01479 851359
International: +44 1479 851359
Fax: 01479 851396
Email: email@example.com
The Lambies
Our thanks to the author of this
book, David Lambie, for letting us take part of his book to publish
here. The whole book is available for purchase at their web site and
includes details of the many heathers available and how to grow them as
well as suggested heather garden layouts. When you visit their centre
make sure to visit their Clootie Dumpling restaurant!
Heather Garden & Visitor Centre
The Heather in Lore, Lyric and Lay
By Alexander Wallace (1903)
RUSKIN, in one of his friendly lecture-talks on art, with the
sympathetic spiritual perception and originality of thought
which characterize his unique genius, says: "Now, what we
especially need for educational purposes, is to know, not the
anatomy of plants, but their biography�how and where they live
and die, their tempers, benevolences. distresses and virtues."
The quaint sentiment voiced by the great philosopher many years
ago is somewhat significantly in harmony with this dawning time
of a simpler and brighter understanding of humanity and of
nature. And could we find for such a flower biography a subject
more entrancing, so seductive, almost eerie, so plaintively
sturdy, so instilled with romance, with patriotism and with
pathos�as the Highland Heather?
There dwells, perhaps, no
solitary plant or flower in the sheltered garden or in the
lonely wild, whose family ties show no modest record hidden
somewhere in the stately annals of history; but the crude fact
of history, like a tale that is listlessly told, has little
power to charm where lack the flash and glow of emotional ardor;
and so I have invoked to my humble biographical narrative of
this bonnie floral hermit on our bleak majestic Highlands, that
ancient patron Muse of Scotia's departed minstrels�the Spirit of
We learn from the histories of the vegetable
kingdom that Calitma vulgaris�the generally accepted botanical
term for Heather�has a wide distribution throughout European
countries, and in other parts of the world. But so closely has
the word Heather become associated with Scotland, that whenever
we hear it spoken, or see it written, the fancy instinctively
roams to the "land of brown heath and shaggy wood," the beauty
of whose stem mountains, softened with their autumnal vesture of
purple and brown blending in every-varying and never exhausted
tints, has baffled the painter's genius, enchanted the poets
vision, and inspired monarch and peasant alike to sing its
The Heather enters into the literature, the poetry,
the lyrics, and into the home life of the Scottish people, to a
degree unsurpassed by any other plant in the history of nations
and the wonder is that its own interesting story has not before
been told in some complete form. Scotland and the heather are
inseparable; the flower derives its inheritance of unique
renown, and somewhat, too, of rugged temperament, from the
Caledonian mountain wild which has become so characteristically
its home; thus it is in its identity with the land of Bums that
I wish principally to consider it.
For the purpose of a
clearer elucidation of the history and utility of the plant
itself, however, it has been thought necessary to go beyond
Scotland's borders; still it is believed that this further subject
matter presented will be welcomed with interest in localities
wherever Scotsmen gather�and by those for whom all things
Scottish have a fascination.
A more opportune time, perhaps,
could not have been chosen in which to tell the absorbing
nature-story of the Heather than this year, the centenary of the
council at which Science, in its discernment, removed from the
plant its ancient and ill-deserved appellation of Erica, and
clothed it with its present designation of Calluna, so much more
truly expressive of its unique beauty and charm.
"Co attempt
has been made to enter fully into the botanical or cultural
details connected with the plant. These have been treated only
in a casual manner: still, it is hoped sufficient information
has been given to prove serviceable. The effort has been rather
to cull from the multitude of references to the Heather
abounding in Scottish and other literature, and to weave the
sprays thus gathered into a literary garland the beauty and
attractiveness of which shall lie in the depth of the sentiment
pervading it, and in the aroma of patriotic love that it
Defects in the treatment of the subject may assert
themselves to the critical reader. No one will be more conscious
of these imperfections than is the author; but, in the language
of an old writer, for faults of omission and commission, "I
referre me wholy to the learned correction of the wise; for t'el
I wote, that no treatise can alwayes be so workmanly handled but
that somewhat sometyntes may fall out amisse. contrarie to the
mmdc of the vryter, and comrade to
the expectation of the reader; wherefore my petition to thee,
Gentle Reader, is to accept those my travyles wyth that mimic I
doe offer them to thee, and to take gently that I give gladly;
in so doing I shall thinice my paynes well bestowed, and shall
bee encouraged hereafter to trust more unto thy courtesie."
To the friends who have so willingly and
generously assisted me in the collection of the information
submitted, I tender my sincere thanks. Particularly, in this
respect, am I under obligation to Mr. Robert Cameron, Curator of
the Botanic Gardens, Harvard University: Mr. Jackson Dawson, of
the Arnold Arboretum; Mr. William Falconer, Superintendent of
Allegheny (FL) Cemetery; Mr. George W. Oliver, of the Bureau of
Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C; and
Mr. Joseph Meehan, of Germantown, Pa.
Especially am I indebted to Miss Elizabeth
I. Bierstadt, daughter of Mr. Edward Bierstadt, of New York
City, and niece of the celebrated American landscape painter of
that name, for the charming life-like painting of the sprays of
Heather, reproduced from flowers received from Scotland, which
form the frontis. piece to this work.
I also tender my acknowledgments to Mr. H.
C. Dugan, of Aberdeen, Scotland, for photographs of Scottish
mountain scenery.
I send forth
this little volume, the result of some years of painstaking
research during the spare moments snatched from a rather busy
life, as the tribute Of an expatriated Scotsman to the mountain
flower of his home land, hoping that a perusal of its pages may
but deepen the ardor of Scotland's sans and daughters everywhere
to continue to sing, with the best heart and voice at their
command, the praises of their native Heather.
New York, December, 12.
Botanical History
Distribution of the HeatherThe
Heather Abroad In America
Cultivation in America
In the British Colonies In
Australia In New Zealand In South Africa
In IndiaVarieties of the Heather
Symbiosis of the Heather
Economics of the Heather
Heather Thatch
Heather Beds
Besoms and Scrubbing Brushes
Uses in Dyeing
Medicinal Virtue
As a Forage
Plant Bees and Heather
Miscellaneous Use
Peat Making
Heather Ale
Heather Burning
Heather Bells
in Scottish SceneryThe Magic of the Heather
Heather, the
Martyr's FriendThe Heather as a Clan Badge
Heather Lore
White Heather
Shadow Folk of Heather Haunts
Heather Jock
The Comrade of the Heather
Grouse: The Heather Bird
Chimings of the Heather Bells Love Among the Heather
At Rest, where Heather BloomsHeather Lays A Bit of
Heather The Bed of Heath Heather Ale, a
Galloway Legend Heather Burning Moorburn
The Wee Sprig o' Heather Heather Musings
Scotch Heather My Wee Bit Heather On a Spray
of Heather Heather Jock The Rose Among the
Heather A Sprig of Heather The Flowers of
Scotland A Sprig of White Heather The
Heather The Faded Heather Heath
The Heather at My Door To a Wild Heath Flower
Scotch Heather The Heather Clover and
Heather The HeatherSongs of the Heather
Among the Heather The Plaid Among the Heather
The Heather Belt The Hills of the Heather
The Hielan' Heather The Hieland Heather My
Heather Hills The Land of the Bright Blooming Heather
Sweet Heather Bell O'er the Muir Amang the Heather
Amang the Braes o' Blooming Heather When the Heather
Scents the Air My Heather Land
Poetry and Songs
Quoted from: Bonnie Auld Scotland Our Ain
Land The Land o' Cakes The Freedom of the
Hills Know'st Thou the Land? Hurrah for the
Highlands The Covenanter's Tomb Cailleach
Bein-y-Vreich The Cameron Men Is Your
War-pipe Asleep?.. The Yellow Locks o' Charlie
Wha'll be King but Charlie? When Charlie to the
Highlands Came Shagram's Farewell to Shetland
The Scotsman's Farewell Farewell to the Land
I'll Loe Thee, Annie The. Hills of the Highlands
The Chieftain to His Bride Ca' the Yowes
O'er the Mountain The Crook and the Plaid
I'll Twine a Wreath The Heathy Hills Lass of
Logie My Highland Cot Scotland Dear
Scotland's Hills The Hills O' Gallowa' Hame
Flowers of the Moorland On the Hills
Send a bit
of heather o'er the sea To Scotia's sons, where'er they be;
Its bloom will bring to mind Scenes and faces left
behind,And anew each heart will bindTo the old countrie.
Send a bit of heather o'er the sea; Transported back each
heart will be To fair Scotland's wooded hills, Hear the
music of her rills,And the mavis as it trillsIn the old
Send a bit of heather o'er the sea;
Simple offering though it be,Prized 'twill be where
fairest flowers Blossom in their tropic bowers,Or where
iceberg frowning towers O'er the sea.
a bit of heather o'er the sea; A dear remembrance may it be
To the ones now vigil keepingO'er our soldiers quietly
sleeping;Send the heather�Scotland's greeting�O'er the
�M. CARTER, in Scottish American
Return to our
Online Books page
This comment system requires
you to be logged in through either a Disqus account or an
account you already have with Google, Twitter, Facebook or
Yahoo. In the event you don't have an account with any of these
companies then you can create an account with Disqus. All
comments are moderated so they won't display until the moderator
has approved your comment.
powered by Disqus


text:
This monitor could be what you want.
LED back light, good resolution, and it is DC powered so I know the components inside are thin.
I want a 10-15" monitor with a resolution of at least 1024.
It will be hidden from view when the car is parked.
Mounted to the roof where it either flips down, or you just pull it off with velcro and put it on the dash while its in use.
It will be a secondary display.
The primary display will be a 20x4 alphanumeric LCD, for basic stuff like playing music etc.
The LCD will be for web browsing, email, navigation, etc etc.
Things I don't care about:
* If the LCD comes with a flipdown mechanism
* Touchscreen (would be nice, but don't need it)
Things I do care about
* Must be thin
* Must run on DC (12V or Laptop LCD)
* Price $250 or less.
* Minimum 1024 native horizontal resolution
Most of the touchscreen LCDs I've seen are some combination of thick/low resolution/expensive/small compared to the following 2 options.
There are a lot of 12V desktop LCDs that are cheap, but they are also quite thick/heavy.
Is it possible to remove most of the electronics and junk from the back of a deskop LCD so it can be as thin as a laptop LCD?
Laptop screens (running off the laptop they came with, with extended LVDS wires) require no power supply and are extremely thin and lightweight.
It seems the most practical solution is to buy a laptop, then extend the LVDS cables to a few meters so the laptop is somewhere inside the dash and the screen is on the roof.
Even a brand new laptop with 15" screen and resolution of 1366x768 is only $400.
I know its been done before, so I'm not worried about the wiring.
I'm not worried about electrical noise, I can always use twisted pair with extra ground wires. Or use shielded cable etc.
I'm basically wondering if the desktop LCD can be made thinner/lighter. Because they are a lot cheaper and most of the components that come with a laptop I don't want/need. So its a bit of a waste of money.
Setup I'm thinking of
USB wireless adapter (mounted on/near roof)
USB 3G/HSPDA adapter (mounted on/near roof)
USB GPS receiver (mounted on/near roof)
USB Soundcard (mounted next to amp)
20x4 Alphanumeric LCD in the front
15" LCD on the roof
Mouse/keyboard stashed away somewhere.
This was my last install. The panel containing the 20x4 LCD and keypad could be pulled off then dropped inside the dash when the car was parked.
(The opening was in 2 sections, it was missing a bottom panel, which I didn't get around to making)
This monitor could be what you want.
LED back light, good resolution, and it is DC powered so I know the components inside are thin.
Here is the screen that I use. It is the only good priced one that has VGA built in. Its bigger then you want though. http://www.eonon.com/Car-Monitors/Flip-Down/E1019.html
Here are pictures of mine installed. This screen is somewhat heavy and I actually had to make reinforcement bars for it.
I will say this though, the screen has a few cool features like IR headphone use, nice bright display, and even battery protection. If your battery is too low, the screen will not power on.
The screen does not have touch screen, but since it is for the rear, they can control it with a windows media remote that has a built in mouse.
Nirwana Project, the Android/Win 7 hybrid system!
1X Ainol Novo Flame Tab
4X MK808b
3x Perixx Touchpads
3x 7 inch Screens
1X 7 inch motorized Screen
1x Win 7 PC
tft_lcd_org: wow that monitor is CHEAP! nice find. low power consumption too.
But being in South Africa its more practical for me to just get this LG E1940S
(its nearly double the price, but brighter, bigger, double the contrast, and thinner: only 17mm)
I do have a friend who comes here regularly from USA who I can ask to bring me stuff, but I try keep it to small stuff
HiJack: Thats pretty cool
Nirwana Project, the Android/Win 7 hybrid system!
1X Ainol Novo Flame Tab
4X MK808b
3x Perixx Touchpads
3x 7 inch Screens
1X 7 inch motorized Screen
1x Win 7 PC
I don't wanna be a product of my environment.
I want my environment to be product of me.
Its actually not built cheap at all. Its built very very well. Picture quality is awesome. Ive had the monitor for about a year. Have only used it a few times. The only issue is the weight, this screen is very heavy. If you reinforce your roof like I did, you will not have issues. I tried to install without the bars and 2 months later it came off the roof.
Nirwana Project, the Android/Win 7 hybrid system!
1X Ainol Novo Flame Tab
4X MK808b
3x Perixx Touchpads
3x 7 inch Screens
1X 7 inch motorized Screen
1x Win 7 PC


text:
I have read a few posts about samba in here already, and my setup seems to be just like what people suggest to do. I created a user on my Win2k Box named rick420 with the same pass as the user rick420 on my linux box. (I am logged in as rick420 on both all the time) I set it to user level security and encrypted passwords.
In Win2k Network Neighborhood I can see the linux box (high-on-linux) but when I try to access it, it asks for a username/pass. If I click cancel I can see the shares I created on the linux box, but cannot access them. Win2k just gives me the error : cannot find network path \\high-on-linux\Downloads.
From the Linux box, I really dont know how to even try to access the Win2k box. How do I do that by the way???
What am I doing wrong???


text:
There's a charming theatricality to A Fine Frenzy (a.k.a. Seattle singer-songwriter Alison Sudol)—no surprise given that both of Alison's parents were dramatic arts teachers and Alison took her stage name from a line in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. A Twitter phenomenon, with one million followers, A Fine Frenzy offers a contagiously giddy second album, full of joyous yelps, yodels, handclaps, guitar and electric piano, best heard on the breezy single "Blown Away" and the boisterous ballad "Stood Up."
September 2009


text:
Alyson Campbell
Porter Novelli for HP
+1 212 601 8060
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Hewlett-Packard Company
3000 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Summer promotions help people save memories and money
PALO ALTO, Calif., July 22, 2009 - Snapfish by HP, the No. 1 online photo service, today kicked off its "Save Summer" programs with a variety of fun and creative photo activities, product discounts and consumer contests.
The programs encourage families to enjoy the simple joys of summer by giving them creative ideas for capturing special summer moments.
The promotions offer Snapfish customers exclusive discounts as well as the opportunity to win Snapfish merchandise by submitting photos of their favorite summer memories, such as cookouts, reunions and road trips.
"We know this summer has been tough for a lot of families, and we wanted to remind people they don't need a lavish vacation to have a great summer," said Ben Nelson, worldwide manager, Snapfish by HP. "Great summers are about cookouts, ice cream cones and climbing trees, and we want to help customers celebrate what summer means to them in a uniquely fun and affordable way."
The Snapfish "Save Summer" contests include:
With more than 100 customizable, high-quality projects and gifts to choose from, Snapfish customers can do more with their photos any time of year. With Snapfish's 9-cent everyday price on photos, free online photo sharing and free photo editing tools and software, customers are able to save and share their memories without unexpected costs.
All of Snapfish's "Save Summer" offers, including additional contest and prize details, are available at http://www.snapfish.com/savesummer.
About HP
HP, the world's largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
Note to editors: More news from HP, including links to RSS feeds, is available at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2009 and HP's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
© 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.