Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

Now if only Tonuy had shouted earlier as we have supply of half coconuts sitting in the porch - feathered friends for the use of, starlings are rather partial to them.  This evening we have had a good bashing of windy to go with the wet which has lasted most of the day and the lad's turns at the great cockcrow Railway tomorrow for their halloween event have been cancelled because the car park is just a muddy morass, presumably sunday's running will go the same wy.

 

For those who haven't heard Hilda has been duly delivered of her litter - seems cats don't hang about in Ambridge.  And on the subject of broadcast media we saw Richard Gibson in a stage show a while back at the Mill at Sonning and he's actually something of a song and dance man, and he wasn't even wearing a leather overcoat.

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Finally managed to catch up after the internet outage yesterday. Still blowing a hooley outside but no sign of rain yet and Arthur Itis is not giving any notifications of same. According to the forecast the rain will arrive late morning but clear by tomorrow night.

[brianusa]

Continuing the deck rebuild, all the old wooden decks have been cleared away, a new gravel sub base (reqd) laid, the new lumber delivered and already a start on the smaller one of the two.  This guy works hard and all by himself too!

      Brian.

[AndyID]

2 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Now if only Tonuy had shouted earlier as we have supply of half coconuts sitting in the porch - feathered friends for the use of, starlings are rather partial to them.  

 

 

Chickadees here are very similar to bluetits. I've tried to educate them about the joys of hanging upside down from an inverted half coconut without any luck. They are just as acrobatic as their European cousins but they don't seem to understand that it's food.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

The weather forecasters were right, it had started to rain just as I arrived at the car park of the Trafford Centre. When I went to the butchers, my original intention was to buy myself a pastie for dinner, but they had a new pie on sale, Cumberland and cranberry. Naturally I had to try one and I can say with all honesty I wasn’t disappointed, it was delicious. Whilst eating dinner, I also heard Baz’s request on classic fm. 

 

After dinner I read the latest RM and did a couple of sudoku puzzles, as well as a couple of enigma puzzles too. 

 

James and Amelia turned up just after 4:30. I was already in the kitchen, having started making tea a few minutes before hand. During tea we were all talking about various films we’d watched etc and the film ‘Coraline’ was one that was discussed. Amelia mentioned that shed not seen it, I then told her we had it on DVD. So, once we’d all finished at the table, we decamped to the living room and watched it. 

 

Once they’d gone home, it was a quick tidy up and then we opened a bottle of Malbec.

 

Goodnight all 

[Ozexpatriate]

2 hours ago, roundhouse said:

Ford Probe

And it still runs! Congratulations sir.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I decided to cheer myself up with some fancy new glasses. There were a very nice pair of octagonally shaped frames in the opticians, but when I tried them on I looked like Otto Flick (of the Gestapo).

I don't know if my behaviour was sensible or ridiculous*, but never having worn eyeglasses this sort of outcome was precisely why I was too intimidated to fill a prescription for eyeglasses that was written for me perhaps 10 years ago and muddled through. I remember seeing my company president wearing ill-suited eyeglasses. (They did nothing for his gravitas.)

 

* It was ridiculous. I write it off to not having a better half / fashion consultant to advise and critique.

 

With the prospect of losing my employer paid vision care plan, I recently succumbed and filled a more recent prescription. Despite her originally preferring to look at her computer screen, the woman at the opticians was helpful and I am satisfied with the look.

 

I'm still struggling to adapt to using them - I now realize that I really needed the three different focal lengths in the prescription - reading / computers / distance and did not want trifocals. I have a pair of distance glasses (driving, cinema etc) and a pair of bifocals for reading / computers. I'm wondering if a graduated lens might have been better than bifocals. Reading a large tabloid newspaper, the two different focal lengths worked well, but with a big blurry bit in the middle. Even now I am cheating and not using them. 

 

Weather since I returned from the Sunburnt Country** has been scintillating. I love the Autumn in Oregon, even though I missed the peak of the Fall colours while I was away. 

 

** I refer the spell checkers here.

 

There's still a lot of this sort of thing around:

 

Today a potential for rain was forecast and materialized. Sunny weather is expected to return for the weekend, which should be good for Rapido's scanning party on Sunday even if it will be slightly cooler. If they are scanning one of the residents, and assuming that will not be a steam locomotive, the field is narrowed down a bit. We shall see.

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[Ozexpatriate]

56 minutes ago, BSW01 said:

During tea we were all talking about various films we’d watched etc and the film ‘Coraline’ was one that was discussed. Amelia mentioned that shed not seen it, I then told her we had it on DVD. So, once we’d all finished at the table, we decamped to the living room and watched it. 

A delightful film and quite seasonal.

 

Here are my grubby mitts on one of the puppets used in stop-motion filming.

Laika (the production company, not the canine cosmonaut) is local - a benefice of Phil Knight (founder of Nike) whose son is a principal in the company. At an animation festival in 2012, a Laika animator brought puppets and facial inserts for a little show and tell. It was very enjoyable.

 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Ozexpatriate

[pH]

We got a new car today. I've had a quick read through the owner's manual, but the four-year degree course doesn't start till next month .

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

The slow cooker has been put into service and delivered a most satisfactory beef hotpot.  Now what I need to do is learn to occupy myself fruitfully while the meal is cooking!  It’s back to conventional cuisine over the weekend though, as I have selected a sirloin steak for Sunday and have some leftovers to use before much longer.

 

I was mildly amused to hear of Amazon’s drop in profits over the past six months, coinciding a bit too closely with the time that my e-friend Harry has been in their employ!  Even if I were tempted to rib him about the news, I can’t at the moment, for he is in Athens on holiday.  At odd times during the past week or so I have been quarrying that wonderful website, The Man in Seat 61, for ideas for places to go by rail.  As it happens, I checked out Athens: it would have taken three days by rail and boat.  A friend tells me that if I wish to use the train ferry to Copenhagen I had better not leave it too long.  When I have got a few jobs out of the way I will sit down and make firm plans.  I’m actually spoilt for choice.

 

Today the search will resume for the missing frets with hope of finding them fading daily, though I will swear on a stack of bibles that they were last seen in this very room.  81C, I will give further details of what is missing when I have organised replacements.  This is because the maker posts on RMweb and I had better tell him myself what has happened.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[TheQ]

Mooring Awl inner Temple Hare, 

A good nights sleep, no during the night coughing,  though I ve just had an episode.. 

 

Still windy outside,  I'll find out if it's soggy shortly.  I'll take SWMBO her tea in half an hour as an hour later we'll set off for Sheringham,  aiming to be there by 09:00 in order to get parking.. Being in the landrover I need more manoeuvring room. 

 

I didn't put off wearing glasses when I needed them,  but it was some time before I got used to them.. 

 

Hopefully once we've returned the stuff will have arrived to finish the stove rebuild.. 

 

Time to lie back and do nothing... 

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Still dark but not raining ..... yet. Forecast says it will later this morning and get heavier after lunch.

Not posted for a couple of days as we've been away on a mini cruise on our favourite floating gin palace/block of flats. Went to Zeebrugge/Bruges with son Steve and we also took Nicki, Joe and Gemma to give them an idea of what it's like as the kids have never been on any ship other than the IoW ferry. Abbie didn't want to come as she doesn't like anything that floats on water. We had a really great time although it was over much too quickly. They all said they'd love to do it again so that's a possibility for the future.

Watched Bath manage a narrow win against Exeter last night in terrible weather conditions but a much better result for them after last week.

Today I will of course be cheering on England and hoping that they can pull something out the bag to defeat NZ, however that is quite a large mountain to climb.

Have a good one,

I. L. Iveinhope.

[roundhouse]

Morning.

 

I have been up into the shed this morning and its very breezy outside with odd spots of rian starting to fall. Not a hint of movement in the shed though.

 

Wired up a cheaper decoder into a brass loco for someone, just to test to make sure all works including in the correct directions before putting the expensive sound decoder in it and add the front headlight - its a USA loco.

 

That will have to wait till tomorrow though as out again today.

[jamie92208]

Morning all.  A lovely sunrise this morning with the crescent moon still visible. The nurse has been and the builder has also been to put the last of the levelli g compound on the new bathroom floor.  This neatly covers and protects the underfloor heating.  He's hopint to start tiling on Monday.  Beth us up and ensconsed ready for the rugby. I've got a couple of errands to do , includung vusiting the girls to see if they've laid any presents.  

 

TTFN

 

Jamie

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Sounds a tad wet outside.

 

First u.a visit for my flu jab followed by..model railway show.

I may be forced to have a hot breakfast...well for £4 it would be bad not too! (But I don't  get staff discount....Pah!!)

Enjoy your day.

Baz

[roundhouse]

1 hour ago, chrisf said:

 A friend tells me that if I wish to use the train ferry to Copenhagen I had better not leave it too long.  When I have got a few jobs out of the way I will sit down and make firm plans.  I’m actually spoilt for choice.

 

 

Supposedly ceasing when the winter timetable comes in. I think that may be in December but do check that out very very soon if you do want to make that trip. The first time I did that trip was in a couchette on an overnight service so didnt see much but the second time in 2008 was in a DMU during the day.

[tigerburnie]

Off to Aberdeen MRC show, see ya later...………………..

[Sir TophamHatt]

Moooorning.

 

Finished watching Chernobyl (for the 2nd time) yesterday.

I can see why it's rated the best TV Series - the directing, acting, scenes - all truly great, and fairly educational too.

 

Have a busy weekend ahead though, meeting family down Worcester way and then some round to ours tomorrow.  Must remember to pick up a chicken to roast!

 

What are other peoples plans?

[Tony_S]

Morning all.
 It is rather cloudy here and as Phil mentioned forecast to rain this afternoon.

 Aditi will be cooking stuff to take to Enfield tomorrow. I suspect I will be making tea and coffee as required. 
Tony 

 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A quick hello as I'm off shortly to the toy fair, be back later.

[Happy Hippo]

England v NZ about to start.

 

I'd like to see a draw, followed by the 20 minutes extra time, followed by the sudden death.  It could go on for hours!

[southern42]

' morning all from red dragon swamp land.

It is a bit wet out...

 

13 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Things are not going my way!

 

I decided to try growing a beard, but ended up looking too much (for my liking) like Gerry Adams.

 

So having shaved it off, I decided to cheer myself up with some fancy new glasses. There were a very nice pair of octagonally shaped frames in the opticians, but when I tried them on I looked like Otto Flick (of the Gestapo).

 

After this I went home and finished a bottle of Penderyn.

 

I feel  much better now.

 

Paid a visit to the optician's during the week to make an appointment and looked around at the frames on display.

Er...I do not want to look like Nana Mouskouri - I did that in the '70's.  I'm retro enough, thank you.   I just want to look like me.  

And, Just as a reminder, you might want a hanky for this one...  

 

 

Wasn't she great!

Hope all your memories are good uns.

________

Best wishes

Polly

Edited October 26, 2019 by southern42

[Stubby47]

47 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

England v NZ about to start.

 

I'd like to see a draw, followed by the 20 minutes extra time, followed by the sudden death.  It could go on for hours!

 

That would suit us, too