Early Risers.

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[Ozexpatriate]

I took my son and daughter-in-law to the movies today. (I can't not watch new Pixar movies and like to have someone to see them with. I'm grateful to be so obliged.) "Onward", set in a world inspired by Dungeons and Dragons-style fantasy games, was entertaining. It's not a transformative cinematic experience. I went to see it as a Pixar fan and I'm not exhorting anyone to rush out and see it - this would raise expectations too much - but it made me smile all the same.

 

The bigger treat was a "Simpsons" short film - with Maggie (the baby) as the protagonist and no dialog. It was loaded with visual gags. The common denominator between the two is that they are both dominions of the house of mouse empire. Pixar has not released any of their hallmark short films since being assimilated into the house of mouse.

 

Saturday saw me "modelling" assembling No. 7810.  No, LEGO have not beaten Dapol to the post. It doesn't look anything like "Draycott Manor". 

 

Apparently LEGO systems trains are 40 years old. This commemorates that milestone.

 

It looks very German. If it's going to carry 7810 it needs some brass work somewhere. Maybe a coppercap?

 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well I spent the whole day in the garden, mainly working in the back garden. However, once I’d filled the wheelbarrow for the first time, I put a few tools in as well, then wheeled it round to the front and emptied it into the green bin. I then tidied up the front, which was mainly brushing up some dead leaves. But I also tackled the few weeds growing in between the block paving and pruned some fuchsia bushes. I was almost finished when it started to rain, thankfully it only lasted for a couple of minutes and I was able to complete the task. Once that was done, I returned to the back garden and continued dead heading and pruning the various roses and hydrangeas etc. It’s still nowhere finished, but it’s starting to look a whole lot better than it was earlier on. Towards the mid afternoon, another wheelbarrow load was taken round front, the green bin is now practically full, so no more gardening will be done until after it’s been emptied, which is next Friday. 

 

Yesterday I was chatting to a neighbour and I asked her if she was still interested in an old Dexion shelving unit I was getting rid of,  (I’d offered it to her last year). She said that they were, so this afternoon I dragged it up the outside cellar steps on my own, put it on the wheelbarrow and took it round. It was quite a substantial unit, having 5 shelves, 18” x 30” wide and stood about 4’ tall, so leaves quite a bit of empty space in the cellar now. It was in the cellar when be bought the house 40 years ago and was made from old heavy gauge metal. When I dropped it outside their shed, where it is destined to go, her husband was very surprised at how heavy it was! If they hadn’t wanted it, I’d have eventually dismantled it and taken it all to the local tip. 

 

Time for bed, goodnight all 

Edited March 9, 2020 by BSW01

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Been discussing the Coronavirus with other SEERS members. It could be a problem as many of the members fall into the category most affected by it. male and over 65. The first case hereabouts has just occured in Southend, not just getting closer but here already. 

[The Stationmaster]

G'night all

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[petethemole]

I have discovered that I am actually good at something. It would seem I am a master of Tsundoku;  https://www.treehugger.com/cleaning-organizing/tsundoku-practice-buying-more-books-you-can-read.html?fbclid=IwAR2joa3z5CAb82aNs44krZDhHzHmhIwuUfOEZhRU21130Xg0lBht24B-t-0

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44981013

 

I do not regard this as a bad thing.

[PhilJ W]

2 minutes ago, petethemole said:

I have discovered that I am actually good at something. It would seem I am a master of Tsundoku;  https://www.treehugger.com/cleaning-organizing/tsundoku-practice-buying-more-books-you-can-read.html?fbclid=IwAR2joa3z5CAb82aNs44krZDhHzHmhIwuUfOEZhRU21130Xg0lBht24B-t-0

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44981013

 

I do not regard this as a bad thing.

Welcome to the club.

[AndyID]

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Saturday saw me "modelling" assembling No. 7810.  No, LEGO have not beaten Dapol to the post. It doesn't look anything like "Draycott Manor". 

 

Apparently LEGO systems trains are 40 years old. This commemorates that milestone.

 

It looks very German. If it's going to carry 7810 it needs some brass work somewhere. Maybe a coppercap?

 

 

Dare you to post that on Wright writes.

[AndyID]

18 hours ago, Barry O said:

Of course there is no NHS or BBC in the USA ..so you wouldnt be aware of the advice we receive.

 

 

I'm a lot more aware than you seem to think. There's BBC America and the BBC website is also a great source of news from both the UK and ROW. Flu vaccinations are free here too for those of us on Medicare, which is every bit as good as the NHS if not better.

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention "Prime Minister's Question Time" is also broadcast on C-SPAN.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by AndyID
moinfo

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, petethemole said:

I have discovered that I am actually good at something. It would seem I am a master of Tsundoku;

...

I do not regard this as a bad thing.

So long as they "spark joy"; to invoke another Japanese lifestyle movement.

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Ozexpatriate

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

 ...snip...  Flu vaccinations are free here too for those of us on Medicare, which is every bit as good as the NHS if not better.

Plus when I get mine from Publix (a grocery store chain) I get a free $10 Publix gift card!

 

And now a good night owl from a soon-to-be significantly warmer Piedmont.

[pH]

From our grandson's second birthday celebration yesterday:

 

 

(Party animals!)

[pH]

From a walk at a local lake this afternoon:

 

Essential Canadiana:

 

 

There's a nature trail at the lake, with various information plaques. Here's one about a parasitic plant with an interesting method pf propagation:

 

 

And here's a particularly picturesque example of the "witches' broom" described in that information plaque:

 

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

It is a nice bright morning in this part of the world.  Relatively mild for the time of year, but there is supposed to be another storm approaching.

 

Time for a coffee!

 

Have a good day everyone...

[chrisf]

Good morning one and all

 

Once again there is not much in the diary for this week.  On Tuesday I will be with Poorly Pal in Stevenage where some m*d*ll*ng should take place in the shed where the l*y**t lives.  There is a gathering of the LGBT mob in a Bedford coffee bar on Friday afternoon.  Sadly it looks as though the social group is no more but we shall see.  On Saturday I will be heading for Didcot to attend the seventh Chris Kedgley Skills Day.  For the time being I prefer to keep quiet about what will be happening on Sunday.  Mysterious or what??

 

Yesterday I visited the Leamington and Warwick show, pausing at the ‘Spoons in Daventry, the Saracens Head, for breakfast.  It was significantly cheaper than the one I had in Bedford on Saturday but much as I would like to have breakfast in Daventry every day it is just not feasible.  On impulse I had lunch at the show.  Chicken and mushroom pie hit the spot just fine.  Less welcome were the aches and pains in my knees.  Despite my having forgotten to apply ibuprofen gel to the affected area last night the pain has receded.  I do not want it to rise again if, as I hope, I march through two city centres during the summer.

 

I have been struggling with the search for missing magazines.  More have gone AWOL than I realised and it is far from obvious where they might have been put.  Separately, I have recently allowed two subscriptions to lapse and may cancel a couple of others in the near future.  Building up a good collection of back issues seemed like a sound idea at the time but I have found that I refer to them much less frequently than I had envisaged.  I never thought I would say this but I am seriously considering a cull.  I hate to throw anything away but needs must.  It is a daunting prospect.  Is there anything in the run if this or that comic that I want to keep?  I should hate to dump the whole lot in the recycling bin only to find, months later, that something has been chucked out by mistake.  As a by-product of the process I have found that collapsible plastic crates are described as such for a reason.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris

[jamie92208]

Morning all from the Charente.  It's not raining, another miracle morning.  Not a lot to report from here.  The main news from the village is the local council elections  which are coming up.  We will only be observers as the B word has lost us our vote.  7 cou cillors needed, 9 candidates.  7 of the candidates are from 3 of the old farming families. The other two are recent incomers.  It will be interesting to see what the result is.

 

Anyway, more painting today and a trip to the post office, hopefully some muddling time will be had.

 

Regards to all and stay safe out there.

 

Jamie

Edited March 9, 2020 by jamie92208

[TheQ]

Mooring AWL, Inner Temple Hare, 1000/625

An  Odd nights sleep I fell asleep early, woke early, was awake for a long while, then fell asleep again, awaking at the right time, but not wanting to get up..

 

1000 days to retirement , another milestone,

 

The local elections in France were featured on TV at the weekend, mostly to do with a distinct lack of Mayoral candidates over 1000 vacancies with no candidates..

 

Ben the Border collie wanted out this morning, full moon and getting light. First the first time this year I turned off the stairs light when I left..

 

Unfortunately I left in the car, The landrover wouldn't start again. This will annoy SWMBO as she was going today to teach the widow painting, She now feels she can start returning to normal life.. Unless something is discharging the battery, then I suspect the starter motor is on the way out... It just went "Click " today.. I'll check the wiring first though..

 

In the garden yesterday was a yellow butterfly... very early, and overnight some deer looking at the tracks down the garden. That had Ben nose to the ground following the scent..

 

I have 3 major systems to do this week, which is impossible, I'll go see what they will release to me first..

 

Time to,.. go do some work..

 

 

[Barry O]

Ey up!

 

Lots to do today so..

Carpe Diem!

Baz

[BlackRat]

Morning one and all, just returned from a fantastic week skiing in the Austrian Tirol...

 

Chris........ get rid!

 

A good cull of of magazines is sooooo therapeutic. I tried giving them away, no one but no one wanted them...   even the preserved lines, who apparently have them by the wagonload.

 

I think I dumped something like 15 or 1600.... all kept for reference etc but the internet has overtaken them.

 

Even books now I find I rarely use.

 

I dump the mags now every few months, a friend takes some the others go to the recycle centre.

 

5 a month soon pile up, I've no idea how many you get, but I find I was buying mags that I wasn't even bothering to read.... just flicking through looking at the pictures and captions.

 

Once you reach a certain point, they become a burden, and you can spend more time trying to find an article for what it's worth.

[Joseph_Pestell]

46 minutes ago, TheQ said:

 

 

The local elections in France were featured on TV at the weekend, mostly to do with a distinct lack of Mayoral candidates over 1000 vacancies with no candidates..

 

 

 

With the exception of Paris (directly elected, I think), nowhere in France has mayoral candidates. There are lists of candidates from opposing groups and it is the convention that the first person on the list will be elected Mayor if that list gets the most councillors elected. But it is perfectly proper to present your list alphabetically or randomly and leave the Mayoral election until the first Council meeting.

 

This is particularly relevant in the smaller communes (<3,500) where voters can mix and match between lists.

[Kingzance]

Mawningawl,

Overcast now as a little blue sky has been displaced. Precipitation is quite likely later. Orders awaited but not too much would appear to be on the calendar. Images sent off to Camera Club competition last night, I am far less confident that these will be as well received as the last entries.

Our downsizing house move two years ago had prompted a massive sort-out. The roof space alone took three trailer-loads and seven other car-loads tip-wards and I vowed never to allow such accumulations again. Of course adding 31 years (the length of our residency there) to my age would make me a centenarian, something that I neither expect nor wish to become. Since then, only small amounts of “must have” r**lw@y m*d*ll@ng items have been accumulated.

It must be later, precipitation is now present. Hopefully any sufferers are improving, my ribs seem to be. I need to do as bid by Mr O, back (even) later. Be good etc.

[jamie92208]

25 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 

With the exception of Paris (directly elected, I think), nowhere in France has mayoral candidates. There are lists of candidates from opposing groups and it is the convention that the first person on the list will be elected Mayor if that list gets the most councillors elected. But it is perfectly proper to present your list alphabetically or randomly and leave the Mayoral election until the first Council meeting.

 

This is particularly relevant in the smaller communes (<3,500) where voters can mix and match between lists.

That sort of answers a question. There is no separate election for Mayor and Helene is retiring this year.  However we only have one list, with a population of 60 there's not a lot of point. I presume that the 7 successful  candidstes will elect a Mayor from among their number.  Even with such a small village  the Mayor still gas a very important role. As I found out last year she even acted as Coroner.  At the moment we have no udea who will emerge as Mayor. I'm not sure how many names are on the electoral roll, probably about 40, but that number has now reduced by 7 with the expats being excluded.

 

Jamie

Edited March 9, 2020 by jamie92208

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

I was awoken around 3 o’clock this morning by some very heavy rain, thankfully this has stopped and the sun is attempting to shine! I’m hoping to once again start work on the inner cellar door. I’d started to strip the paint from it last October, but had to stop when Ava fell and lost her tooth. Then followed Sheila’s eye op’s so I had to remain ‘clean’ after them as I was needed for eye care. So now that this has all finished and the few small tasks in the cell have been finished I’m hoping to do the same with the door, which has remained in the workshop ever since. There isn’t much to do on it, so I’m hoping that by dinner time, I’ll be able to get it back into the cellar ready for painting. 

 

Enjoy the day, back later.