Thursday, January 1, 2015

Stonehaven Fireballs - Links and Saying Thank You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCif9XkL34Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXlSYeNTTBk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm5cqvnZ2eE

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSou3h2A3xmL1U_o3agfCRWlUOZMjxp0F0l-jDLcKdT3CUcdiFtNA

This image goes with the photo URL above.
SPECTACULAR

I watched it from a live feed and here are my comments:

2014  12  31  1630  (US Central time)

Holy buckets! I have to get myself to Stonehaven or they’ll be doing the fire walk thing without me!

SOOO excited! People, people, people … so many people.

I was afraid I’d missed it, not thinking of the time difference, right? But those people aren’t leaving the area, and there are more and more of them coming … so maybe I haven’t missed it after all …

The Stonehaven Fireballs have a camera posted with a live feed. I’m watching with more intensity than I could have possibly thought likely for an event that’s taking place clear on the other side of the world.

1710 – it’s 2310 over there …
More and more people are crowding the sides of the street and people in what looks like black pants and white vests are the only ones who are really in the open area, keeping it clear I reckon …

Oh I hope to high heaven this connection doesn’t fail!

SUCH a crowd!

1720

Ach buffering … ! It stops the video feed …

Who are the ones in the white sleeves I wonder …

I could go watch last year’s, or the year before … but I want to see NOW, to almost kind of be there … sigh.

1725 is 2325 and it’s buffering again … even so, I can’t WAIT! I can feel the excitement from clear over here!

1728

Ah, there’s an ordered group in black … wish there was audio or a commentator or something … oh but this is FUN!

There’s a truck, coming this way … oh it’s stopped … nope moving on now …
How excited I get over this  … who would think?!?!?

1736

OH! Were those pipers? It’s so hard to tell and I’m so ignorant (not by choice, mind you, just circumstances beyond my control).

1740

Here’s where I’m watching from:
‘The web cam is mounted in the clock tower and gives a view up the High Street towards the Cannon. Web camera kindly provided by SoilEssentials, Brechin, and the broadband connection by Craig-ma-Cair B&B, Stonehaven.’

1743

A little group with a lady …
Buffering … the only good thing about buffering is that I get a chance to feed my fire here. The kitchen wood stove is keeping me toasty on this cold Dakota Long Dark night!

1745
There’s a group, are they drummers? WISH I could hear!
And yes I know I can wait and watch it later, but that wouldn’t be the same at all, would it? Dang the connections while blessing them in the same breath … I get so impatient …
I wish I had a Stonehaven friend, someone who could take me places and to events and stuff – like Tess takes me shopping with her in Minneapolis … electronically, since I can’t be there really, either. Sigh.

1755 buffering again
Do I wait it out or refresh the page and hope for the best?
Refresh the page.
Blue – I’m seeing blue at the top of the screen …
I  AM going to have to watch this later, but I’m not giving up, buffering or not.
This time I’ll wait it out, see what happens.

Maybe.

I am impatient, you remember …

1800 here

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO STONEHAVEN!

Cameras flashing all over the place!
It’s a white glare in the street.

AAAUUUGH! ‘We are unable to connect … blah blah blah.’
A flash of movement and light then ‘We are having problems with playback …’ … sigh …
By the time I get connected it will be over and I’ll have to sit here and weep.

OH there they ARE!

What a thing to watch, even from across the world and fighting buffering and etc.

At least this time it stopped with a darned impressive picture on the screen, moving lights halted in place, filling the street.

1812
Ah it’s magical, beautiful … sentimental me, my eyes are blurring the view.
It’s all moving lights and once in a while you see the people who are swinging the fires.
How I wish I could be there for real … even though this is very special for me, how oh how I wish I could be there for real.

What must it feel like to be a part of something this magical and powerfully moving … I am so very glad that there’s someplace in this world of ours that holds fast to such things.

Kudos to Stonehaven’s Fireballs.

Totally impressed and moved to tears and almost beyond words.

1822
Holy buckets look at the crowds filling the street!
And I thought I was impressed before.
Well yeah, I AM impressed – but the sight of THIS takes it to the next step.
Wow.
This time I really am going to wait out the buffering. Gives me time to dry my eyes and such.

What an awesome thing for Stonehaven to not only protect and preserve but to share with me (others too of course, but I don’t know about them – I know about me) from clear the other side of the world.

Call me a sentimental fool, but Holy Mother of Christ I love this. And don’t fret yourself that I might be using profanity – I’m not and the Mother is not offended, trust me on that one.

1830
Okay, eyes dry and all that. Let’s see what happens with a reload this time.

Oh my. A very full street with everyone going the same direction, very few going against the flow. Where have all these people come from I wonder. Stonehaven can’t have THAT many people, can it? Ha. What a question. I would be there my own self if I weren’t poorer than the proverbial churchmouse.
Now I can search on line and see if anybody’s got stuff posted yet. I want to see it all in one piece …

I have to say I’m darned pleased that Dunnottar snagged me, truly happy about that I am.

1900
*big sigh*
Of content because I got to ‘see’ the Stonehaven Fireballs presenting that astounding display, and all the people who were lined up (and behaving themselves, which in many places wouldn’t happen, you know)?

Or do I sigh because I’m not quite all the way content with seeing it from across the world? Grateful for the chance, bet your bottom dollar on THAT, but still …
Well maybe one day I’ll find a way; in the meantime I’m quite very happy to pop in now and again to see how things are going. Thanks to the Mearns Leader, and hibernator that I am, I think I keep better track of Stonehaven than I do of my own little Small Town USA.

And why do I snoop on some place that’s clear across the world from me?

Because it pleases me to do so.
Even more pleasing is that I’m finding a community of which the SONG Characters (fictional though they are) would be all-fired proud. If they were real, and if they were NOW, the whole lot of them would be preening, I tell you. Preening. And I wish I could somehow let Stonehaven know how precious it has become to me.
I know that sounds downright weird. I don’t know a soul there and not a soul knows me nor probably would want to.

Even so.

Me and the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz … ‘If I only had the nerve …’

Sadly, I haven’t got the nerve.

But Danann and Sidhelagh now, that’s another Story. Those two have nerve and to spare.

No I haven’t lost all my marbles (got one on a chain around my neck to prove it). I know Danann and Sidhelagh don’t exist; they’re fictional Characters for heaven’s sake, made up out of my own head as a matter of fact.
But, as my sister said, ‘They can still have their Voices, can’t they? Even if they’re dead.’ Even if they never existed in the first place?  Maybe.
Hell, the two of them have been spouting off about this, that, and the other thing all along, dead or not, real or not.

And I have this internal debate, right?

The Celt in me says, ‘Go for it!’
Me:         They’d think me crazy.
Celt:        Well, and aren’t you?
Me:         Shhhh!
Celt:        *laughing*
Me:         I have no c-c-c-courage.
Celt:        Ah, but I do. Don’t you read your own books?
Me:         No.
Celt:        No?
Me:         No. I write them down is all.
Celt:        *laughing uproariously*
Me:         Quit laughing at me.
Celt:        Cluck.
Me:         What!?
Celt:        Well I don’t dare QUACK … you don’t read your own books and wouldn’t get it.
Me:         Quack you, Celt.
Celt:        *snicker* Cluck.
Me:         I just want to tell them thank you, that’s all.
Celt:        Well for pity’s sake, just do it then.
Me:         Cluck.
Celt:        Quack.
Me:         Exactly what they’ll think of me.
Celt:        Who cares?
Me:         I do. They might think I’ve taken liberties with their community.
Celt:        Newsflash. None of them were alive in AD 487.
Me:         Newsflash. Neither were you.
Celt:        You sure about that?
Me:         *frown*
Celt:        Quit dithering and just do it. You’re not insulting them, you’re telling them thank you. What’s to get upset about in that? If they don’t like it, what’s for you to worry about? They’re clear on the other side of the world.
Me:         *sad eyes turning away* I know.
Celt:        Aw, c’mon. What’s the newspaper there that you read sometimes?
Me:         Mearns Leader
Celt:        There you go then. Blame it on Danann and Sidhelagh; they don’t care – they’ve been dead for fifteen hundred years.
Me:         They’re fictional. They can’t be dead because they never existed in the first place.
Celt:        Sure about that, are you?
Me:         I’m beginning to wonder.
Celt:        You know the Celtic people always win in the end. One way or another.
Me:         Okay, you win. If they hate me forever it’s all on you.
Celt:        What the heck. They’ll probably be polite and say ‘You’re Welcome’.
Me:         That would be ‘You’re so very welcome’.
Celt:        Thought you didn’t read your own books.
Me:         I don’t. I just pay attention while I’m writing them down. And did I not just tell you that you win? I’m going to tell Stonehaven thank you now.
Celt:        Good.
Me:         Do you ALWAYS get the last word?
Celt:        Yes.

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