I‘ve been asked by one of our blog followers where the information for our last blog on the US elections comes from. Was the framework drawn from some wider blogging source? If only! The short answer is that we’ve been reading loads of newspapers and blogs, searching the web, talking to people, listening to a supporters’ web conference call with Barack Obama and watching television. All to try to get a fair overview of US style 2012 electioneering.
I should add that we’ve also been out on the streets in Seattle, picking up vibes from anywhere that looks promising. Our picture above was taken on 4th November, two days before the election, when the family was out for an early Sunday breakfast in Queen Anne’s 5 Spot diner. The numbers chalked on the windows tell the story – 23,109 and 17,160. Entry by the left blue door is a vote recorded for Obama and by the right red door is a vote for Romney. The percentages are not far different from the final voting figures for Washington State – 55.3% for Obama and 42.4% for Romney!
Though the BBC has had a big presence in the US for the election, they did not get that indicator! And a careful reading of our original post, ‘US Elections matter’ also shows that the first three words (‘Four more years’) of the post were to be the tweet from Obama posted on Twitter when he was sure he had won.
Interesting? Why yes, because this three word tweet has of today been re-tweeted a record 802,000 times! (See tweet and photo opposite) It’s an indicator of the extent to which the new social media has been used with such success by the Democratic campaign. Our UK blog followers know they first read these words a day earlier!
POSTSCRIPT.
For the record Obama received 50.5% (61,122,638) of the popular vote, while Romney received 48% (58,130,991). This represents 332 seats to 206 seats in the Electoral College. Votes cast represented about 54.5% of total voters. Of the 9 ‘battle ground’ states, Obama took 8 with 49.9% to 52.8% of the votes cast.
Now even more serious is the threat to the native English ash tree, which could be decimated if the spread of the ash dieback fungus, appearing last month in East Anglia, is not stopped. The cause appears to be unregulated importing of plants from other countries. The Government needs to act soon to address this serious threat to the countryside. Spread the word if you can.
You know the scene, only too well these days! You’re inside the house and have finished off a job, sent off some emails and now want to go to the shops, stretch your legs in the park, go biking or have a short fell run up Cat Bells above Derwentwater.
The app uses GPS information for your position and deploys weather radar data and some sophisticated software and algorythms to predict type, extent and timing of the rainfall. It does not attempt to predict weather over more than one hour in advance. It is not clear how accurate it will be in very mountainous terrain where weather patterns can change very fast and unpredictably. The app was developed by a small company, kickstarter.com with financial backing from 1200 people. A detailed account and visualisation by the developers of what the app does can be found 
But these last two weeks I’ve been intrigued by two apparently unconnected examples of how the power of water has been harnessed to improve living conditions, grow produce or promote new industries.
On a walking holiday in southern Turkey this month, we climbed on the hills above Patara, an important Lycian seaport c 120 BC in Roman times and had the opportunity to explore a huge aqueduct there, made up of hundreds of massive precisely shaped square stone blocks. (See top photo)
The surprise came this last week while I was doing some clearing at the top of the garden at The Larches. 
I had known there had been been a pipe line from the old dam at the top of Comb Beck from sections I had seen further down the valley. This had been used for the Thornthwaite Lead Company’s mine at the bottom of the road and had been built in 1908.
Seven years ago we went trekking with our son Barney and daughter Chloe through the Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunaan, China. We marvelled at how as travellers we were able to communicate with the outside world.
Fortunately Barney has helped here by arranging for 
The challenges facing the project are considerable which is why the New York based Explorers Club – where Chloe is one of the youngest members – has agreed to loan one of its coveted flags for the expedition.