Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. Washing is done, washing up done but pruning the shrubbery only just started. It's not as easy as I thought. When I planted the (four) shrubs many moons ago I placed them about two metres apart. They have grown so much that they have merged in to one thick hedge and it took me the best part of this afternoon to prune the first one, getting the loppers in and in the right place can be a problem. Tomorrow and the weekend are predicted to be dry so I hope that I can finish the job then.

[DaveF]

I had another nice walk at the beach this morning, while I was there the cloud was quickly building from the south and the sun gradually faded away, then it turned cooler.  I had a quick look at one of the new shops which sells clothes, supposedly for outdoors, looking at the printed T shirts I think they would suit younger people though their gilets looked good.  I called at Greggs and bought a Belgian bun to have with my coffee when I got back home and a sausage roll for tea.  That was probably the highlight of my day.

 

As I arrived at home I had a talk with another neighbour who was passing by on her way home from the bus stop with some shopping.  Later on, while I had coffee, I finished my book "History of Northumberland" which was interesting, thought provoking and enjoyable.  I may read it again one day.  That took me to lunchtime.  

 

During the afternoon I've done some more in the garage and picked what will probably be the last of the sweet peas if the wind does get strong.  At the moment it is raining and much cooler with a breeze developing.

 

If I can stay awake after tea I'll probably read and watch TV.   I have just spent some time looking at a puzzle in the Radio Times for next week.  You are supposed to be able to make a word using all 9 letters in a square.  I can't find any words with the letters in let alone any word which follows the rules of the puzzle.  Perhaps I am just being thick.

 

Edit - I finally found a word which is the dictionary.  I won't put it here in case anyone else is going to the puzzle.

 

David

Edited September 27, 2023 by DaveF

[The White Rabbit]

Afternoon all,

 

So far at least it looks like we're missing the worst of the storm. There's been some rain and wind but nothing really horrible. Though watching the TV news suggests sympathies should be with those in the track of it - like Wales, Man and Scotland. Fingers crossed for you. 

 

Lunch was the anticipated venison sausage roll and veg, very nice hot, two rolls were saved for a tea, probably tomorrow. It was a temptation to scoff the lot but we resisted. (See, it's not just Bear that can be heroic...). For anyone tempted to have a go themselves, it was about 300g of venison mince and 150g of [pork] sausagemeat with c 250g of puff pastry, which made five and a half rolls, cooked for around 30 minutes at Gas Mark 6. The mince was fairly matted together so I didn't bother trying to disentangle and then mix, I just rolled it out into a thin layer and added a thin layer of sausagemeat on top. The twin layered patty was sliced into individual rectangles and rolled up, the venison on the inside so the pork juices could percolate (or sink?) through to the venison. It seems to have worked, the venison was piping hot but still moist. 

 

In other news, a (part) day of oddments. Some more printer ink was ordered as I'm using a bit at the moment and one cartridge is about to run out. A few plants moved and another tray of cress seeds planted. Two dogs greeted and tickled behind the ears. Some HG Wells read and an old book on British Battlefields scanned, from one of the boxes of books stashed away pending an expansion in our bookshelf capacity. Now, time to go and read what the Q's been up to. 

[Tony_S]

We are back from Enfield. MiL’ s fall alarm system was upgraded to a snazzy new digital double sim system.  All checked out. New pendant is showerproof too. We will be back tomorrow as she is having her hearing aids replaced. The hospital audiology department isn’t far from where she lives but we will get there early and have lunch with her.  She usually goes with Aditi’s sister but she is in the Canary Islands  at the  moment. We had a message from the Canaries that MiL needed her Covid jab organising so we organised that for next week. I managed the booking without knowing MiL’s NHS number which I thought we would need.  Birthday and postcode sufficed.  
Aditi has a French Circle conversation this evening. We are home in time for her to have dinner and then start the proceedings. She did have back up plans in case we were delayed. Plan A was for someone else to host the Zoom meeting or Plan B use an iPad in the car as I drove  home. Fortunately neither was required. 
I will find something to watch on the television while, the French conversation takes,place. I can find plenty of films Aditi isn’t that interested in. 
Tony

Edited September 27, 2023 by Tony_S

[Ian Abel]

HUMP day...

 

Getting mentally exhausted with the changes needed and new reports requested, auditors are a pimple on the arrsole of the world!

 

See above, busy all yesterday and today working away at financial cobblers, nothing much in store later, just relaxing.

Mrs is off to dog-sit for a while then run some errands.

 

Earlier some activity on the railway line as several vehicles, small, medium AND large paraded along the line cutting back branches that are growing too close. First time I've seen such a determined effort in the 4 years we've been in a sight line of the track. Of course, idiot that I am, I didn't bother to get any pictures to share <sigh>

 

13c first thing, overcast but doesn't look like rain clouds. 20c the expected high.

 

Back to work...

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Ian Abel

[BoD]

Apropos of nothing in particular …

 

A week come Friday I can claim my senior citizens bus pass.  I had a look on the County Council’s website where it said I could apply online and up to two weeks in advance. Great I thought, I will sort that this afternoon.  Their idea of applying online is to download the application form, print it, fill it in, scan or photograph it and then upload it (and scans/digital photos of  other supporting documents).  I can appreciate uploading or attaching copies of other documents - but the rigmarole for the ‘online’ form?

 

That was nearly a rant. 

[pH]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

That was nearly a rant. 

A penerant?

 

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pene-

[tigerburnie]

Storms here a bit wet wild and windy but doesn't sound too bad, tomorrow will see what damage is done, hopefully none, I won the euro lottery yesterday, 3 numbers and a lucky star and won..........................................a flippin' £5 for four numbers, time to rethink my strategy as it could be me, but only for peanuts it would see lol.

[BoD]

24 minutes ago, pH said:

A penerant?

 

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pene-

Yes, the real thing will almost (see what I did there?)  undoubtedly follow.

Edited September 27, 2023 by BoD

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. I received an e-mail late this afternoon offering me the covid jab. There's a lot more places offering the jab than last time but only one in Basildon but that is at least accessible. The next nearest is Stamford-le-Hope  and a couple in South Benfleet. I'll be calling all four tomorrow to find out if any of them will do the flu jab as well. 

[Coombe Barton]

... It is said that abandonment of HS2 would mean the end of levelling up. I’d have thought that was guaranteed when they gave Michael Gove the job ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/09/27/no-covid-data-but-still-there-and-hs2-not-going-away/

[Dave Hunt]

5 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Those were very high storm clouds at almost 40,000'. Are you sure it wasn't 12,000'?

 

I've had fairground-ride takeoffs where the pilot circles and banks around towering thunderstorms to avoid storm cells. They do get very high, but cumulonimbus tops out around 12,000m. The stratosphere is 6,000 - 20,000m.

 

 

I have seen thunderheads in the far east well above 30,000'.

 

Dave 

[Erichill16]

Evening All,

Busy day here involving dogs, mil, nephews,  visit to the old lady opposite, bookwork, tax returns, phone calls and shifting money about.

I have had chance to see what @polybear and @PupCam and @Barry Ohave been up to! Excellent work but 50 hours on a wagon, luxury!

Anyway Goodnight, early(ish) start and a busy day tomorrow.

Robert

 

[PupCam]

Evening All!

 

Well, what a splendid day I've had!       A certain Bear was allowed into Puppershire for an early (for Puppers)  rendezvous at Puppers Towers before we set-off up the A1 to visit Tony W and another opportunity to play with Little Bytham.       What a superb model railway that is.  It evokes so many memories of the ECML that I'm very familiar with (albeit set just a few years before my own spotting days).  Wonderful! 

 

Great company and playing trains, what more is needed?       Thanks to Brian, Tony & Mo for a great day.

 

I'm  a bit worried about @New Haven Neil so here's a little test for him.  I think I know the answer .....

 

 

 

Nothing else to report, back to RD fettling tomorrow.

 

Night All

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by PupCam
Added test for Neil

[Erichill16]

Forgot to say, the hand is improving, the swelling and redness has almost completely gone but their is still a bit pain. Mustn’t grumble, could have been a lot worse.

[Tony_S]

25 minutes ago, Erichill16 said:

50 hours on a wagon, luxury!

I had to wait  nearly 60 hours to open the boxes for some wagons I ordered last week…

[polybear]

Bear here....

As Puppers has mentioned, a most excellent day today (thanks to Puppers & Tony, Mo & Jilly); it's quite possible that Bear *may* have become custodian of yet another kit-built Loco (a rather nice Ivatt Mickey Mouse with Portescap) in exchange for muddlin' tokens.  I call that a Very Big Tick.

And did Bear succumb when presented with the opportunity to scoff a rather nice lump of LDC? (even though I did mention at the outset that cake scoffin' whilst out n' about isn't against the 31 day Great Cake Famine).  Nope.  Well 'ard.

It is possible that I may have downed an Ice Cream Sundae instead though - but there's no cake in one of those......

 

And now there's a very good chance that Bear will enter snoozybearland rather easily tonight, as I'm a rather tired teddy.  Hopefully I'll be able to say there until morning as well, but I suspect that may be rather wishful thinking.

 

And finally.....

Bear's Hero Of The Week Award goes to:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-66938579

 

Bear Gone.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Whilst the weather remained dry, my first task in the garden was a bit of a tidy up. There wasn’t many weeds, but a lot of dead heading needed to be done. I also cut back some of the climbers that were growing out from the hedge I stop along it. I filled my garden waste bag up twice. I’d just sat, down to have my mug when it started to rain, so I decamped to the workshop to finish it. 

 

The rain was continuing to fall after dinner, so I went out and locked up the shed and workshop for the day and came back inside to the cellar. There I applied painters caulk around to the architrave around the the access door to the underfloor storage area, the top of the door and the top of the fireplace, as these sections of architrave are permanently fitted. I then gave the door frame a coat of ordinary primer. By tea time the rain had stopped and the sun was shining again, although this was accompanied by some strong gusts of winds for a while. 

 

After I’d finished work for the day, I finished making the fruit tea loaf that I’d started and left soaking overnight. The kitchen had a lovely aroma as we sat and ate tea. 

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Sidecar Racer]

9 hours ago, pH said:

From descriptions of a certain phenomenon provided on here, steering clear of a hippo’s gut would seem to be a very good idea.

 

 The front end is'nt to safe either .

 

 

[jjb1970]

8 hours ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Those were very high storm clouds at almost 40,000'. Are you sure it wasn't 12,000'?

 

I've had fairground-ride takeoffs where the pilot circles and banks around towering thunderstorms to avoid storm cells. They do get very high, but cumulonimbus tops out around 12,000m. The stratosphere is 6,000 - 20,000m.

 

 

Unfortunately this is a lousy picture, but this was at 12000m, cruising altitude. The flight went down the Malaysian peninsular, usually Singapore-Bangkok routing is over the Gulf of Thailand so I'm guessing the pilots were trying to skirt the worst of it.

 

[jjb1970]

Showing the mercurial nature of the weather in SE Asia this was the aircraft at the gate after landing in Changi, not too bad, by the time I got home in Nanyang it was a lovely bright and sunny evening with clear blue sky.

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I have seen thunderheads in the far east well above 30,000'.

Certainly, and routinely I would think.

 

9,000m (~30,000') is well under 12,000m (~40,000').

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

44 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

I'm guessing the pilots were trying to skirt the worst of it.

Interesting - but I'm guessing they're not cumulonimbus storm clouds. Cirrostratus perhaps? They are certainly dark.