Early Risers.

[jjb1970]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

 

In other news:

It seems a certain London Mayor is proposing to scrap Day Travelcards.  T0sser.

 

 

Great move....... the day travel card is still an excellent option for visitors. One of the things that always strikes me as a bit bonkers is making places less attractive for visitors if you actually want visitors and tourist £££££££s. 

[iL Dottore]

@Winslow Boy What maggots?

Are you confusing the crabmeat starter or Arabic rice with chicken and cashews for an insectoid treat?  Now I am not adverse to culinary adventures, but I do draw the line at eating anything that you’d call the exterminators in for.

 

And before you ask, NO, I’m not going to try Fugu when I’m Japan

[jjb1970]

The best airline food I've ever had was Air India, it didn't look especially attractive and I won't try and claim Air India is the best airline in the world (though I enjoyed the experience) but their food (at least in business class) was superb. Not just superb 'for airline food', but genuinely superb.

[tigerburnie]

15 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

You've just reminded me that I'd better get off my ar5e and do something about mine

I'm my log man(and the daughters too), had the chain saw serviced and a new chain fitted ready for work in the Autumn, I have some stuff to cut up that's two years since felled, we mostly burn birch up here.

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone 

 

As usual for a Sunday, we had a lie in and breakfast in bed. So, once out of bed I headed straight outside to do some work in the garden, lots of dead heading to do etc. The weather is glorious, but after dinner it will be too hot and uncomfortable to do any more work, so I'll spend the afternoon in the workshop. 

 

Having filled and emptied my gardening bag once already, I'm currently sat on the bench under the workshop window having a well earned muggertea. 

 

Back later 

 

Brian 

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. I've been up since six catching up on the housework and I did not realise how time passes when your having fun. Still more housework be back later.

[Coombe Barton]

Today is 'Fill up every possible space in the house with stuff from the caravan' day.

 

It would all have been good had I done this when the weather wasn't quite so warm.

[woodenhead]

14 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Today is 'Fill up every possible space in the house with stuff from the caravan' day.

 

It would all have been good had I done this when the weather wasn't quite so warm.

Better warm than wet - thunder due later

[woodenhead]

Yesterday was a good day - few drinks in the garden with Mrs W, then into town for a bite to eat/drink and found our chosen establishment now has a new menu and it was good, lots of options.

 

On the way we had to take back an unsealed pack of Flora - why did I forget to check when I bought it, usually do.  Then we had to purchase a new one on the way back - the joys of late opening supermarkets 🙂

 

Of course the second visit meant browsing and we came away with not only Flora - also 4 luxury Belgian chocolate cookies, a packet of chocolate covered finger cakes and some stroopwafel.  The cookies were eaten before we'd even walked 2 minutes from the Supermarket, the finger cakes half demolished at home and then I wonder why my stomach was not happy around midnight.

[Coombe Barton]

49 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Better warm than wet - thunder due later

Want the wet later - soften the outside dirt before washing it.

[Barry O]

Breakfast in the garden this morning..

 

[The Johnster]

3 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

The best airline food I've ever had was Air India, it didn't look especially attractive and I won't try and claim Air India is the best airline in the world (though I enjoyed the experience) but their food (at least in business class) was superb. Not just superb 'for airline food', but genuinely superb.

My mum, a fairly regular visitor of friends and grandkids over the pond in the late 60s and early 70s, preferred Air India for New York trips because of the standard of service (she said they treated her like a princess) and the food, and she didn’t fly business class.  I visited family in Ontario in ‘85 with Air Canada, in the cheap seats, and was fed an excellent fillet mignon with saute spuds, and given a Cornish cream tea later, fresh cream shipped up to Heathrow overnight.  As we were about 7 miles above the frozen desolation of Labrador at the time, I did ponder on the supremacy of the human race over nature and it’s fragilty; dressed as I was, I wouldn’t have lasted five minutes down there!

Edited June 11, 2023 by The Johnster

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

17C out there officially, get out of the breeze off the sea and it feels a lot warmer.

 

There's an aircraft out there doing aerobatics.

 

Three barrow loads of bricks removed from the pigsty wall. It turns out there was a layer of good post 1840s bricks, very hand made though. Then there were two layers of part bricks and a lot of lime mortar.

Then it was onto the pre 1840 bricks, sadly it was also where the inside of the Portland cement lining starts. it looks like a very professional job the lining, very smooth and the lime mortar had been raked out by about an inch. Even with my best efforts of chiselling away at the Portland it tend to rip off the face of the soft Norfolk Reds.

 

So about half are coming off are damaged, I've built a U of good bricks on a bit of pathway near the well, with post 1840s at the bottom., The inside of the U has the larger broken bits. The small bits and the lime mortar will join the foundations of the future loom shed.

 

Then it was beer o'clock, after which it was time for Ben's patrol. He tried to persuade me to go the full long route but with his black coat in the sun I refused. We took a shorter route with more trees to give shelter from the sun but the light breeze was along the track.

 

On return an hour of mowing was done, but the mower engine started playing up, I suspect a bit of dirt has got past the filters again.

 

It's now time for a fridge raid which will be accompanied with another doom bar.

[southern42]

On 10/06/2023 at 05:21, iL Dottore said:

marmite on toast

 

Watch what you say about that! I have just had it for lunch.

 😋

[polybear]

16 hours ago, PupCam said:

 

Robbie Stancombe - He was indeed a top a guy.    Whatever machining skills and talents I may have are mostly down to him.    He was taken far too young although I don't recall the cause of his demise.

 

Heart attack at work IIRC, though I think the Apprentice Training Section (as Robbie knew it) had been shut at that point - he was doing some pretty thankless task in B1 (B2?) at that point.  I don't think he ever really got over the ATS being closed.

B'sterds.

 

16 hours ago, PupCam said:

 

 

Who's the one in the Hat? (the wearing of which was no longer required when Bear was an Apprentoid I'm pleased to say).

 

1 hour ago, woodenhead said:

Of course the second visit meant browsing and we came away with not only Flora - also 4 luxury Belgian chocolate cookies, a packet of chocolate covered finger cakes and some stroopwafel.  The cookies were eaten before we'd even walked 2 minutes from the Supermarket, the finger cakes half demolished at home and then I wonder why my stomach was not happy around midnight.

 

Definitely hunger pangs - you'd forgotten to scoff the Stroopwotsit.

[jjb1970]

41 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

My mum, a fairly regular visitor of friends and grandkids over the pond in the late 60s and early 70s, preferred Air India for New York trips because of the standard of service (she said they treated her like a princess) and the food, and she didn’t fly business class.  

 

The reason I enjoyed it was just that. The aircraft was slightly tired (though clean), the in-flight entertainment was mediocre at best and overall their overall offering is nowhere near the best airlines. Except for the attitude and service from the flight crews and the way they clearly genuinely cared. And the food which was superb. That counts for a lot in my book. I'd rather have a tip top crew looking after the passengers and live with mediocre in-flight entertainment etc than the inverse. Of course it's nice if an airline gets everything right, but that's a hard act to pull off.

[polybear]

25 minutes ago, TheQ said:

Even with my best efforts of chiselling away at the Portland it tend to rip off the face of the soft Norfolk Reds.

 

 

A neighbour 3 doors away decided to have their house re-pebbledashed some years ago (no idea why - the original looked fine), which involved chasing off all the old stuff which in the process took the hard face off all the brickwork.  Worst thing they could've done.  Whilst it's not caused any problems I wouldn't be very happy.

[southern42]

' afternoon all from red dragon land.

 

Yesterday's yellow warning of thunderstorms did not materialise, here. Only a few spots of rain so watering of pot plants and the hibiscus took place, again, this morning.

On standby for today's warning. So far, it has gone cloudy with poor visibility but no sign (yet) of rain. lightning, nor thunder.

 

I went mad on the flute yesterday.... and filled in the rest of the twiddly bits for the first section of the new song. What lies ahead is countless repetitions so it all blends in nicely and sounds like a piece of music. rather than a musical jigsaw! It should keep me busy...for awhile, anyway.

 

Whilst in the parched desert garden, I discovered this gorgeous looking new visitor! Unfortunately, it will have to be disposed of as I read that it spreads like wildfire via its runners....

 

Fox and cubs Pilosella aurantiaca

 

Up until last year, this raised bed was filled with crocosmia which Ray dug up. It is now a wild plant's paradise...but not for long. I have plans!!!!!!

 

This cotoneaster, a bit further along the traditional slate fence, had been a tiny thing in a pot for years but last year it was repotted, is excelling itself and looking ready for a permanent home.

 

And, despite having been cut back a couple of times, the rock rose has start flowering profusely and attracting callers on the hunt for refreshment.

 

Time for a mugadecaf.

Take care. Be good. Enjoy the moment.

Polly

[jjb1970]

How to win friends and influence people:

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/11/romania-recalls-kenya-envoy-for-calling-africans-monkeys?fbclid=IwAR0X7NC8WmJSYEOCV9Gh8XnpI3SU0z7ti1r6skMoNCR6Qi9I4h9R7hbF8tc

 

I'd have thought a key skill for any ambassador is to be capable of respecting the local culture and society of whichever country they're posted to. 

[Winslow Boy]

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

@Winslow Boy What maggots?

Are you confusing the crabmeat starter or Arabic rice with chicken and cashews for an insectoid treat?  Now I am not adverse to culinary adventures, but I do draw the line at eating anything that you’d call the exterminators in for.

 

And before you ask, NO, I’m not going to try Fugu when I’m Japan

 

Cashews you say I'd check that they didn't crawl across the plate if it was me. Did they bring you some ketchup after the photos then?

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, Barry O said:

Breakfast in the garden this morning..

 

 

Nice Zacestrandra

[polybear]

Bear here.....

Danglin' done.  Tick.

Skirting for the hallway rescued from the loft (you do all have a 3m length of 120mm skirting in the loft, don't you?), along with the plasterboard offcuts - these turned out to be smaller than thought so I've binned them (I must've used all the big offcuts when boxing in the radiator pipework in the hallway).

 

Apart from that it's been din dins then watching a rather good film on Prime - "Guy Ritchie's The Covenant", all about an Interpreter in Afgan saving the life of an injured US Serviceman; an excellent movie - and the US Gov don't come out of it very well because of all those Interpreters left behind (despite promises of Visas) who are now in hiding or who've already been murdered by the Taliban.  B'sterds.

That's a Rant.

[polybear]

Bozo's problems have got nothing on Nicky's:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65871857

[Coombe Barton]

... where's it all coming from? ...

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2023/06/11/zoe-up-43-67-in-four-days-and-were-not-prepared-for-next-time/

[DaveF]

I did get my (fairly) peaceful day for once.  After the usual phone calls and e mails I went to church. I did know beforehand that I was doing the prayer after communion and the closing prayer, I managed to do it at the right time and read the right ones - it is the first time I've done them at the main service but have done them at other services before.  Once again the sermon raised some interesting points.  After the service I made sure I checked the time and venue of the meeting I am going to on Wednesday about the churches together organisation in town, I was pleased to find out that I had got it right in my mind, it is now written down.

 

I came home for coffee, did some more e mails and then got a good dinner.  Afterwards I went out to post a birthday card I didn't post yesterday, I am hoping it will get there on time.  I know the present has already arrived.  While I was out I went to the Quayside, had a short walk and called in at the RNLI shop at the lifeboat station.  I now have two new key rings which I have been meaning to buy for a while together with various other odds and ends I decided I would like.

 

When I got home I potted up 15 coleus plants, having first made room by moving some chrysanthemums outside as they will be planted out during the week and they can have a few days to acclimatise first.  By now the sun was shining more strongly so I just sat in the garden watching the birds and insects.  There were the usual house sparrows, dunnocks, starlings and blackbirds finding things to eat and making quite a lot of noise while overhead the usual herring gulls, greater black backed gulls, crows and various pigeons were flying about.  I also saw my first swift of this summer.  The air seemed to full of bees looking for the flowers they wanted to visit. 

 

Every evening recently I've gone outside just after sunset and have seen the bats flying round after insects.  The houses near me are all 1980s ones, but I think the bats live at the cricket and rugby club a few hundred yards away.

 

Next will be tea then more reading and music together with a little bit oif TV.

 

David