Feel free to make comments about the weather. I will begin by sending our friends in Australia our sincere wishes, and hopes for a speedy return to normality. We will be thinking of you during the next few days, and watching the news which is keeping us up to date with your ordeal.
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The opposite of the heat and horrid weather it can bring is what we have here in Canada ( and the US ) where anywhere between 15 and 60 cms. of snow have just hit us as well as temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius. Sounds bad but when you are ready for it and have the infrstructure to deal with it it does not seem too bad. By tomorrow the city will have cleared our street yet one hundred yards away ( in the City of Montreal ) it will probably take up to a week. My house is warm and dry and we have wine in the firdge so life is good !
ReplyDeleteDown here in the English Riviera we very rarely get any awful weather. If we get one inch of snow everything stops and after living in yorkshire most of my life it seems laughable to me, mind you I do drive a Rav4 which helps me get around.
ReplyDeleteRight Dave. It was supposed to be a "monster storm" according to the media. Don't know how you fared in Montreal but here in To. I would guess we had about 15 cms snow mixed with a little ice. They forecast 30 to 40 and scared everyone to death. It took me about an hour this morning to clear the snow and another 30 minutes, including a chat with my neighbour Jim, to get rid of the days accumulation this afternoon. It is still snowing lightly but I think its just about over.
ReplyDeleteNick loved his walk in the park this morning galloping through the drifts. The Zamboni had the ice cleared and there was a pickup game going on. Temperature a comfortable -5C.
Hi Ray ! We will eventually end up with about 20-23 cms in Montreal and it is up to about -12 now with -20 overnight. There was one major pile-up on the Trans Canada jus east of Montreal and miraculously only three minor injuries . You are braver than I am since we have someone clear the snow and driveway . My son , who is an OPP officer, will be busy on the 401 and 417 I can assure you.
ReplyDeletePeter, I saw the effect of the small amount of snow can have in the UK when I was visiting my sister in January of lst year.Being the resourceful person she is they made sure they were able to get out to the village pub in rural Oxfordshire ! In 16 days I saw one snow plough !!!
Love the story - for my sins I decided to spend Christmas in Scotland leaving my sub-tropical (by comparison) beloved Cornwall .The day I travelled was the day the snow started . Never again will I spend a winter in Scotland the absolute worst weather I have ever experienced and I have lived in the American North West.Pleased to say I got out of the mess on the 6th January courtesy of KLM and am now residing in Cape Town until March. Will never complain that it is too hot.Wish I could send you some of this sun. Jean (Greaves)Wright
ReplyDeleteI will send your weather report from South Wales if you wish me to
ReplyDeleteI will send your weather report from South Wales if you wish me to
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sunny day here in Salisbury. We went up the valley and walked up to Ogbury ring (prehistoric earthwork !) and then called into the Black Horse for a pint and lunch. Eccentirc landlord has notices scattered around....the newest one " I can only be pleasant to one person a day. This isn't your day and I'm not very hopeful about tomorrow." Which for some reason seemed to echo the feelings this damned long winter has given me and I came away feeling perhaps I wasn't the only one to have the grumps and that and the walk brightened me up considerably!!
ReplyDeletePlease do Bill is is worse than Scotland? or better than Cape Town??
ReplyDeleteWhere was I to buy a retirement place?Thorne?No I decided on St Lucia. So here I am . The temperature in the low 80'sF ,blue sky, gentle trade winds. Coconut tree and banana plant in my yard. It's a hard life though not as hard as the golf course here. It's even been cold.icy and snowy in Atlanta so glad to be here.
ReplyDeleteRetirement place? We wanted somewhere not too hot nor too cold,with no hurricanes or floods,and our only solution so far has been to live in two places,in Canada where we had been working for 25 years and then Portugal for the winter.After 14 yeas we moved to a warmer,calmer place,Malta, and have been here 11 years,still spending about 4 months in Quebec.Weather was one of our main considerations. I still live on the illusion that I'm a European and couldn' t live full time on another continent,but England,though never extreme is an uncomfortable place.The weather there is just a nuisance most of the time,that's why people talk about it so much.Occasionally it is much worse than a nuisance but the people who should do something about it just don't seem to bother.
ReplyDeleteThe appropriate term for British weather, is nuance, with gradations of appreciation.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, How wrong I was! I thought it was a nuisance, and like hell, with gradations of damnation.
ReplyDeleteMy stepfather was posted to RAF Lindholme for the winter of 62-63 form SINGAPORE!.
ReplyDeleteImagine how we felt the cold and it FROZE for 5 [?] weeks.
I was visiting my girlfriend in Thorne when the call came through that the road was blocked by snow.I stayed the night at her place and went home 24 hours later when the snow plough had been through.
Thank goodness that the married quarter we were in had an AGA in the kitchen. Mu mum threw a wobbly after a week and demanded a tumble dryer because there was no way of getting washing for 4 kids and husband dry without. Washing froze on the line but didn`t dry.
Gavin.
62-64 at TGS
Not many of you will remember the Great Rains and Great Flood of about 1927 or 8. I was small enough to ride on my Dad's handlebars,through shallow puddles at the botom of Broadway to the outer reaches of Stainforth.There we stopped and beheld a great inland sea, strteching far beyong Fishlake and Sykehouse.I looked in vain for Noah's Ark.
ReplyDeleteSent a weather report yesterday but cant see it in here - has anyone else read it. Bill Anderson.
ReplyDeleteSent a weather report yesterday but cant see it in here - has anyone else read it. Bill Anderson.
ReplyDeletei remember the winter of 1946/7 having to paddle with brush handle on blocks of ice to Stainforth Junction Road School. Malcolm Orridge and i thought it was great going to school in that manner - kids just dont go nowadays. Bill Anderson
ReplyDeleteStill in South Africa now on the Garden Route and I never thought I would say this ,but I am actually enjoying the rainy day we are experiencing -cool,cool,cool.Temps have been as high as 37 degrees,lucky we have a pool in the garden.I think I might even swim in the rain.
ReplyDeleteI joined the Army on 25th Oct 62 and spent 18 weeks square bashing and trade training in the very hard winter we had baed in Cove, Hampshire,snow and ice far too deep at times but we still had to play soldiers.
ReplyDeleteThu 10 Feb - All we have had so far this week is Fog in mornings - accompanied by drizzle, followed by light rain getting heavier as the afternoon and evening progressed. Waiting for snow and sun to get a full house. Bill Anderson
ReplyDeleteAfter a rainy Friday we had a complete change on Saturday. There was Blue Sky, sunshine and temperatures of 11C., verging on Spring weather. Didnt last long though - turned into rain , quite heavy at times, in the evening, and has continued all day today.
ReplyDeleteI have just returned from a cruise arund NZ.The ship was the 'Pacific Dawn' with 1700 passengers and 700crew. We boarded in Brisbane... lol ...from the wharf that had been 3 metres under the week before!
ReplyDeleteAfter 3 days of sailing across the Tasman (only the first day was queasy)...we could not go through Milford Sound ...it was too rough,but was ok for the other 3 Sounds, they were spectacular!
In Dunedin (I wore my heavy arranknitsweater) we explored the city and shopped. It rained in the afternoon but did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Pipe Band that played for us as we sailed away.
Christchurch was lovely sunny weather (27C) and although battered by many earthquakes was mostly beautiful with many grand buildings, already repaired or about to be,some church steeples and the University Tower had been repaired and were on the ground waiting for final placement.
Wellington was in carnival mode ..sunny, warm weather and the Grand Finals of the "Rugby Sevens".all the supporters did not go to the "Cake Tin" but hung around the city in the most outlandish fancydress(I'm sure all enthusiastic Rugby players can imagine).. moving from pub to pub! The stadium(EggCrate) is very close to the where the ship was docked...ppl seemed to be going in and out at all times.
Napier(the art/deco city) was cool but sunny. When we left there at lunch time.There was a Veteran car display on the wharf ....about a dozen beatifully restored and maintained cars,their owners (in appropriate period dress) were at hand to tell you about their type and vintage.There was also a Jazz Band with panama hats and striped waistcoats,enthusiastically playing all the jazz songs from long ago.
Tauranga was a great day ppl set off on tours to see Waitomo(glowworm caves),Rotorua(moon landscapes with boiling mud and geysers),Helicopter rides etc. All said the weather was perfect...lol.. i did not go ashore, just lounged in the ship's spa pool and got sunburned! I have toured North Island in a campervan,with a friend from the UK, 4years ago.
Auckland was the last port of call before Brisbane(home)...it was cloudy and humid but still droves of ppl went on bus tours from the ship.
The Tasman was rough for the last 3 days... I met ppl who were seasick... again.. in spite of treatment..medical and folk!!
Brisbane was hot and humid... but I stayed with my son and had 2 days with my grandchildren Byron (5) and Rhiannon (3).. I only see them 3 or 4 times a year...now I am home, but still in holiday mode... lol.. the bills will have to wait until I am in the mood!!
You sound to have had a lovely time June, and managed to miss out on the awful weather and cyclones and things. It was nice that you stayed with your son and grandchildren. Have you come back down to earth yet?
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by this thread but miss a lot of pleasure as I don't know where some of the observations are from. June's is obviously the Antipodes but it would enhance our enjoyment of our miserable weather if we could compare it with that of sunnier climes. So might I suggest that we add our place of residence.
ReplyDeleteToday in the sunny south it has rained continuosly ...slow and steady, nothing dramatic just a murky, wet, grey day when you can't believe Spring will ever come.I like running in the rain but it is a bit boring when your horizons are limited by the murk and even the cathedral spire is lost in the gloom.
Salisbury.UK
We are having a fantastic day. Blue cloudless sky. Strong sunshine. The snow looks blue, and so was my nose walking Nickers this morning through the park with a temperature in the negative teens without the wind chill factor. Yesterday was much warmer. The icicle above the front door was steadily dripping and seven sparrows were waiting for number eight to finish his bath in the few square inches of step that were the drip target zone. He was lying on his stomach with his wings outspread and no thought of the waiting flock. Eventually there was a bit of a barney and the next visitor to the spa took his/her place. Tomorrow is to be warmer than today and Thursday-Friday may bring record high temperatures for those days. That would be about 10 Celsius. Average for this time of year, is zero Celsius but this winter has been much colder than average. 33 days to Spring! Nice write up June, enjoyed it muchly, thank you.
ReplyDeleteToronto, Canada.
Here in south Lakes peninsula, Cumbria UK, the morning was cold and grey. The plump robin, as usual, hopped up the steps, stared through the glass door to see what I was up to then hopped off to snatch a few more red berries from the banking. Outside you could feel tiny darts of cold sharp moisture and if you licked your lips you could taste the sea salt. Had a visit from the Big Blackbird who brought a pal with him today. They whiled away a few minutes chewing the fat at the table before moving on to the berries. 11.30 pm. a cold rainy night and the goose down quilt awaits.
ReplyDelete.
This Morning SLCumbria. Dazzling Sun Pale Blue Sky Sharp Air.
ReplyDelete..
Thankyou, Mick and Shirley, thats great. So what about this mornings run?....Lovely blue sky with lots of little fluffy clouds. Last years cygnets ( nearly white now with just a few splodges of fawn) were cluttering up the path and were disinclined to move. I told them I knew them when they were eggs and should show more respect to old ladies. They hissed and moved over. The cathedral was spiking the clouds with the sun lighting up the south side.So perhaps Mick's 33days will pass in no time.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed June's cruise...felt as if i was there. I know Tauranga well and have often had lunch on the wharf watching the huge cruise ships. My brother lives at Kati Kati. Salisbury UK
In spite of what many people think, even Moorends is good this morning, with blue skies, and not a cloud in view. It's still very cold, but the crocus and snowdrops have at last shown up. Spring doesn't seem too far away today. Unlike yesterday, which began much the same today, but ended with torrential rain and darkness very early.
ReplyDeleteMoorends, South Yorkshire
No C.H. required today. Yippee. First time for months. Room Temp of 17.2 and 7.0 down the garden. Snowdrops and Primulas/Primroses (those little yellow things) sprinkling the grass, back and front. They need to start early. By the look of things the grass will be cut in a couple of weeks. The council are out already, cutting back the brambles and all that tall stuff that seems to thrive on grass verges.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
My bulbs are coming up too. I put some extra ones in last autumn.....a mixed bag going cheap,didn't know what they were and I appear to have put all the big ones at the front and the little ones at the back! Still they don't know and they are really enjoying the sun here in Salisbury today.
ReplyDeleteI love this personal interaction, but a quick short circuit would be to use the home page I have - homealot. This is full of useless info like weather anywhere in the world, plus yr own post code for weather every hour today, and a 4 day projection. London Tubes, Trains, Planes, AA Maps, and for the posh people RAC Maps. Plus Google and a lot of other stuff. Or press buttons and discover a "Tropical Mercator composite of the entire globe using the I.R. Channel." After dinner stuff like "During the equinox the geostationary satellite passes thro the earth's shadow. Because of this the transponders of the satellite are switched off to conserve battery power. So some images are not available."
ReplyDeleteGo on have a look.
Be Happy Allan
Pat - cannot claim ownership of mine - freebie from the council about 100 yrs ago.
Hyah stranger - billctkagain. Not seen you before. Welcome to the mad house. Where do you live in S. Wales? I am up in the sticks, north of Pontypool. Allan
ReplyDeleteYou must have a very nice council.Do they plant leeks for you as well? Its much more fun hearing weather reports from everyone.....more personal like. I mean Shirley's birds have really captured my fancy and as for Michael's I just love them fighting over the patch of water. Now you won't get that on that other page,Allan. You should get out more.
ReplyDeletePat in Sarum
Hello there alanswales - I live on Outskirts on Caerphilly just off B4263 - Heading for Abertidwr and Senghenydd Bill
ReplyDeleteHyah Bill - only 20-30 mins away. Must meet. Pub Lunch or more sound O.K. Al
ReplyDeletePersonal Weather report coming up:- Very strange day. Thick thick fog/mist/cloud down to roof top height and then clear as a bell below. Ever so strange that you could see O.K. in the horizontal, but not up. The trees looked odd. Thick black trunk, black branches, black twigs groping up into the gloom like umbilical cords looking for colour and life. Very poetic I feel today. Sheila Hancock was on Telly this morning telling the world how Turner used to fiddle his paintings by standing them on their lower edge and then throwing a glass of water at them. So you got that runny down ethereal atmosphere. That's what I have just outside. Turner comes to Abersychan.
ReplyDeletePat, I must own up to an even greater crime. I have an app on my computer that sends me local (post coded) weather like now, and ahead, on the first screen you see, along with all the little icons. As for getting out more - 2 days out tomorrow on a boys weekend up in Hounslow, Tuesday up in Forest of Dean seeing how Romans made iron, Thursday family over, Friday V.I.P. Reception at Vauxhall Garage, Saturday I am the guest of Em and Al at Splott Rugby Club (big matches this Saturday). Sunday - News of the World. Pressure, pressure.
Be Happy Allan
Rugby in Splott eh Allan - we have a home foxture for a change = first since end of October, except for Swalec Bowl. Hoping for another win, keeping us on top of league.- already beaten our opponents -Crumlin - in the league at their place. Bill
ReplyDeleteMy comment re getting out more was very tongue in cheek as I know you a playboy at heart.
ReplyDeleteThe weather here was the same.....misty up on the hills and the Spire and clear lower down......midday was 7 degrees and 60 humidity according to my garden wotsits.
Well now we have you beat, temperature wise, over here in the Great White North.(Poetic license as our latitude is close to that of the Riviera) Yesterday was a record 8 and this morning was 9 all of which went a long way to melting the banks of snow and ice that seem to have been around for weeks. Problem is the soil is still frozen so there is nowhere for the melt water to go. It just sits in great ponds in the park, liquifying the earth below it to filthy great stretches of mud that can transform a petit basset with 4 short legs and one long body into the swamp creature from hell in about seven steps. Now, mid afternoon ,the temperature is dropping and a cold front approaches from the north west to replace our southerly flow of warm American air with a true north strong and free blast from the Arctic. What fun when all that surface water freezes hard overnight. You will need crampons to go down the garden path tomorrow. The snow is still white in the garden but anywhere near traffic it's blacker than a month old banana. Spring in just over 4 weeks.
ReplyDeleteToronto, Friday,2.23 p.m.
This can get confused, Bill. My daughter Em trained at the Heath, so left home and moved around Cardiff in student digs. Around abt then she changed from a "Valley Girl" to a "City Girl". So when she qualified she bought the cheapest she could find in the city, and moved into Splott. After a few years Splott boomed, so the two of them sold up and moved out to Risca. Liking a pint she became a "Rugby Girl", so her old mates lured her to Splott Club to get the right atmosphere for the internationals. Sat. week is crucial for England and Wales, so she has asked her dear old Dad to join her and Alex down there. Wales did a cock up sending their seconds to Italy last year so need a result badly, and can England keep on the crest of their current wave? So you see, it is highly unlikely we will be out on the field. (Plus Em holds the Urology beer kitty.)
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is "live" - Harlequins v Sale Sharks.
Cheers Allan
Just got back from my "boys weekend". Very interesting watching the big boys playing club Rugby. Good sprinkling of internationals past and present. The pitch was soddened and cut up from the start. Plus a greasy ball. Sheridan is a mountain of a man. Charlie Hodgson, Monye, Danny Care all came up to scratch. But Quins were so much the better. Kept the Sharks in their own 25, held on to possesion, and just fed those huge forwards to go for it. And of course a few lemonades before and after in the holy of holies - The Stoop Bar - passed the time along.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
Saturday it was forecast rain and fog to be blown in off the Atlantic, get thro Wales o'night and go for the Home Counties. And that is how it was, but I got lucky. When I left the rain had got thro, and the fog. The clouds were low and we needed headlights all morning. But we never caught up with the fog. So easy peasy - Cruise Control @ 70 - sit crosslegged, and gobble up the miles.
ReplyDeleteToday the same grey/green atmosphere and low cloud base, temp of +5C, but it stayed dry all the way from Home Counties to S.E. Wales.
Be Happy Allan
Sat Result for Allan. Senghenydd 41 - 0 Blaenavon. Because of backlog of fixtures this was a dual purpose fixture. Being as we hadnt yet met in the league the WRU decided that it could be played and the result would count for both League and Swalec Bowl purposes and to treble up up it was also a Silver Ball fixture.. Cant complain at that at all. Bill
ReplyDeleteI found you in Wales on Sunday. Plus a report of the Quins game. Sheridan claimed that coming back from injury he enjoyed the romp in the mud, banging into people. I think at 6'5" and 23 stones I would too. Damn it all, his only other option would be painting the kitchen ceiling!!
ReplyDeleteI guess this warm (ish) damp weather is getting our gardeners excited. Don't forget, forcing rhubarb is tantamount to vegetable abuse.
Be Happy Allan
Nothing to report this week other than rain, mist, fog and , in general, miserable weather. The only good thing was that the rain relented on Thurs evening to enable us to play Rugby. At the time of writing , my son and grandson , who have never been in the direction of Thorne, are there in the Coronation Club- the compulsary police stop off for football supporters travelling from Cardiff. Silly really 230 miles without a break and then , when only 36 miles to travel have 2hrs before being allowed to continue on to Hull. Ooh sun has just come out and it has stopped raining, maybe we will get a nice weekend - fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteBill - I must be no more than 15 miles east of you but when I jumped out of bed today (like 10.30 a.m.) the sun was boiling down. And kept it up all day. The clouds must have got trapped with you. But it has been lousy all week.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of buses having a break of that length. Stagecoach go Cardiff/Heathrow no prob. But comical yr rellies end up in Thorne, when I guess you are a Thorne bloke. I've had some good nights in the Coronation.
Be Happy Allan
Allan - The buses are private trips - Cardiff City supporters to Hull - organised by my son. The Police make sure that all coaches RV and are escorted to the away ground so that alleviates the possibility of any gang warfare. It just so happened Thorne was en-route and not too far from the KC Stadium in Hull. Never did any drinking in Thorne except the Rugby Club, all mine was carried out in the Central Club in Stainforth, before joining the Army in 1962.
ReplyDeleteSunday morning has brought a fresh overnight build up of 9 cms. of gleaming white snow. It's the kind that sticks to everything so every leaf,twig and branch has a layer of white upon it. A Colorado low is headed our way and the current -3 will be rising to 1 above this afternoon. Tomorrow is plus 3 and heavy rain, a couple of cms. That means todays wonderland will be washed away, to be followed by more fresh snow mid-week. Temperatures supposed to go below zero again,just in time for ice fishing on Thursday.
ReplyDeleteMick - Well we are almost equatorial compared to you. +8C out of bed. Hiccupped down to +6 by midday, and then climbed back to +8 again. Clear sky with lotsa blue and lil fluffy white clouds. Just a bit of a breeze from the West to give you some chill factor. Didn't hang abt much - rugby on telly beckoned - didn't seem to be much sun in Murrayfield, but there again I didn't see any cases of frost bite either. Mebbe a wee dram was helping!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy yr fishing................Allan
Cannot remember having a drink in Stainforth. Was it "The Fox" where the buses turned round? Might have had the occasional one in there.
ReplyDeleteWould have answered earlier, but been in deep thought over my cooker. It wouldn't go yesterday so I read the book. "Cooker won't go if clock not going." So I revved up the clock and cooker immediately operational. Great. Thinking of having my tea just now and found I had set the wrong time yesterday - out by an hour. What can be the thinking that allows cooking when you have no idea of the time (even tho one is displayed), but cooking not allowed if the display is a permanent 00.00. And is cooking banned across midnight? I'll have to ask Shirl. She seems to know abt these things.
Be Happy Allan
Even "Orbital" - electronic musicians from at least 20 yrs ago - knew that "even a stopped clock is right twice a day." Or have you not heard of Orbital?
ReplyDeleteOld curmudgeonly thoughts about the weather -We are suffering. Normally Spring comes in mid January,but we've had rainy mornings and cold nights You have to wait till midday to go for a walk in the sun.You may even get caught in a shower, and how do you survive that? We've even had to put a radiator on.First crocus didn't come into bloom till 25 Feb.It is royal blue, Why is my first thought- TGS blazer blue. Are we all haunted,pursued, inspired by those distant years?
ReplyDeleteYes Allan - the Fox was almost next door to the Central Club. No much change in the weather so far this week - very cold and overcast. However we have been promised ablue sky and funny yellow thing up there later on possibly Thu or Fri - just have to wait and see.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful spring day here, with blue skies and sunshine. It's quite warm in the sun, and the crocus and snowdrops are all in bloom, and glow when the sun is shining.
ReplyDeleteA happy St David's Day to our Welsh members.
Ta for those kind thoughts Eileen. Did you see Aled on Sunday? Lovely hymns and choral work.
ReplyDeleteAre you up to answering my cooker query? I am not very happy about it. You buy a state of the art cooker, with obligatory clock (which I don't really want or need) only to find they have engineered it so that no clock going, you cannot use the cooker. My attitude to life does not take kindly to this approach. I know life has to contain compromise. But not in something as simple and straightforward as this.
Allan
The front of my house faces south. It's old by Toronto standards, 1880, and leaks heat like a sieve leaks water. This combination of aspect and warmth usually brings out the snowdrops early in the bed by the house but so far not a sign and only 3 weeks left before Spring. Today we have sunshine although it was -10 overnight. With the 3 degrees and all the rain we had yesterday, followed by the freeze, everything is iced up. The park has a great sheet of ice across it and the commuters heading for the local subway station have to detour from their usual path. Most of the sidewalks are dry but deadly slippery in a few spots where snow banks have melted across them and refrozen. Hobnails and segs would do the trick but who hears of them these days?
ReplyDeleteAlan don't anger the cooker gods. The timer is a portal into another dimension incorporated by aliens with the intention of starving us to death. The first thing mine did was stop the oven from working. I thought it was a problem with the gas service or the ignition and did without it for several months. The frying pans got a good workout. Eventually I got it going again but the digital read out is 3 hours and 29 minutes ahead of the real time and I'm not touching it. After seven years I've got used to it. It's not every house has a clock set to the time in Bora Bora.
ReplyDeleteMy new state of the art cooker is the same. I was floored when it stopped working until someone pointed out to me that my clock was at 00.00 after a power cut!
ReplyDeleteThank god I am not on my own at this time of crisis. I just used to bang it on and take no notice for 10 mins, until I bunged the food in. So now every cooking expedition is fraught with not only will the cooker survive the ordeal, but will the clock survive too. Bring back coal fired ovens 'cept I haven't got a fire place!!! MIck, I have just reread yours and I see they have infiltrated gas firing too. That's another sword Damocles is holding over my head. Here we are in the 21st century and starvation rife amongst pensioners unable to read and understand cooker instruction books. I have to vote tomorrow in the referendum, and I will have to raise this before I make my mind up. Will dumping Westminster help our cause? Watch this space.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
Before I forget - weather. Did alright for sun - blue skies and it beamed down on us. But had a prob raising temp much above 5C. Even so, with loads of I.R. thro the windows, I saved a bit on C.H. But my flowers are being conservative. First time for years my daffs have not made it for St. David's. But everywhere else, it is sprutting madly.
ReplyDeleteI must tell you this. With a bit of sun on my back I thought new clothes. Had a look at some new jeans, and only spotted 501's. Very good vibes of Jimmy Dean and me out on the open road. Wind in the blond hair, streaming back the bleached tips. So mosied over to have a look. 74 quid. I am not joking. £74.00. Fashion? Parsimony? Bankruptcy? Soup kitchen? I walked. Probably regret it tomorrow. Soon cheered up. Went to see toe lady and she was playing "If you leave me now" by Chicago. It's a beautiful song.
Be Happy Allan
Veryy Nippy today when i went to vote. However, there isa yellowish object in the blue sky. Any ideas as to what it is please?. Last few days havent been too bad really - no rain or drizzle even if temperatures have only been arounf 4/5 C mark. I agree with you Allan saying no to pricey Jeans. I have 2 grandsons who think figures around £70 for Jeans ,Trainers and flimsy jackets is quiet okay and even pay £30 or so for a T Shirt and think nothing of it. Would rather have a George shirt from Asda at an affordable price. Bill
ReplyDeleteBill - get yourself on the postal voting list. My Polling Station is 50 yards away and the post box is 100 yards away. But you get yr postal vote papers 2 weeks in advance, so you can hang on for good weather, good mood, etc etc before you pounce. Tease em a bit, before you give any commitment. Or if you like, it gives you a fortnights notice of something that had slipped by you. Time to bone up and make an informed guess.
ReplyDeleteBe Happyu Allan
My voting station is only a few more yards than yours Allan prob 100 max. Thought i had better get a breath of fresh air and move away from TV screen and Cricket for a while.. Bill
ReplyDeleteIt's 10.45 - complete cloud cover - Temp = 4.5C. But with just a whisper of a breeze from the North, it doesn't have any chill in it. And in any case the nice little weather lady on Telly told us the northerly would bring a stinking hot day with all of +8C. Roll on Summer. And you take care Bill, gallivanting in this cold stuff. Hope you brought yr muffler with you from the North. Have you noticed all the old codgers are breaking new ground with headwear this winter. Out goes the Dai cap and in cometh a variety of Bobble hats, Bobble hats with ear muffs, fur lined leather bobble hats with ear muffs. The odd stetson. Any day now I expect a resurrection of the 1948 vintage pixie hood. I blame it all on Lady Gaga. She started the trend.
ReplyDeleteMind I was in Ikea Cardiff, yesterday, and a girl was causing a bit of a stir in there. Must have been 6' tall for starters, 6" platforms and 9" heels, skeletal body, and spray on hand knitted shorts just skimming her crotch and a revealing top. Don't rush. She has probably gone home by now.
Be Happy Allan
Told you. I got called away. Sun out now, (11.13) and Temp graph nearly vertical as it steams up to 5.1C
What a lovely day - clear Blue Sky and quite warm, i even ventured out without a coat this morning, hope it stays the same for Rugby tomorrow. Having simple bets in the Club as to how many ringers we will be facing tomorrow - our opponents are renowned for chancing their arm with players not even knowing team names. Bill
ReplyDeleteCongrats Bill. You hammered 'em, ringers an' all. But looking in the Sundays, I see you also play Blaenavon, Talywain and Cwmbran in the league. All 3 are only a step away from me, so let me know when you are over here and I'll come up. Watch the match, and if you are not too committed with club things, maybe have a pint and get to know each other. Just for the record today is blue sky, hot sun, no breeze, 6 was 8. Bowls Commn. Meeeting today with all the blokes itching to get home and get stuck into the garden. No such rush of blood from me. I belong to the Yorkshire school of thought - as long as your roses are pruned before Good Friday you are alright.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy............Allan
Lovely outside - but a bit chilly. Will leave the garden for another week and see what happens. Have already visited Cwmbran - last wednesday evening and Talywain three weeks ago, won both. Have got Blaenavon on the last day of the league season Allan - April 23rd - let you know if i am on "Away Duty" or at home with the Rags . Bill
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame. We might have blown it. In April we try to give everybody a run out in Bowls Friendlies ready for the League start on 30 April. So hit and miss if I can make it. But let's think positive and keep in touch for each other's availability.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
Another Spring day - blue sky and hot sun. Never took the temp. Now at 21.55 it is dark and cold. A bit of uncertainty abt Temp. My P.C. says +1C in Newport. My mobby says +1C in Abersychan. And my trusty garden thermo says -1.1C. The trend is steep steep down. Windscreen to do in the morning no doubt, so early call needed. I know this - next Winter I do not do 10.00 hrs appts.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy ALLAN
"Life is a dream, that keeps me from sleeping."
ReplyDeleteOnly two weeks 'til Spring and still no snowdrops.The thing about our weather is the rapidity with which we go from Winter to Summer and vice versa. Spring is over in a blink unlike Yorkshire where it sort of staggers in, falls down, gets up and progresses for week after week after month after month getting steadily better and better. It gives you 4 definite seasons and months of Spring flower blooming. Our snowdrops show,eventually, and then get gobbled up quickly by a bullying sun or a killing frost. Same with crocus and daffodils. Out, bloom, gone. Speaking of flowers there was a beautiful photo of the Keukenhof (?) gardens in full bloom in our week-end paper.
ReplyDeleteTemperatures remain steadily below freezing and last weeks ice fishing 'expedition' onto Lake Simcoe found ice about 18 inches thick. We tried several places with limited luck but a bunch of alcoholics fishing about 100 yards away were in a hot spot catching a bucketful of perch. We went home with a bagful of their fish. Freely given. It was about - 6 but the sun was out most of the day. We didn't have a hut but dragged a sled out from shore, complete with lawn chairs, sandwiches, soup, home made wine and lots of layered clothing including a thick wool touque, hooded parka, padded over trousers and deerhide fleecelined mittens.Even so when the sun went in and the wind came up mid afternoon the party was quickly closed and we headed back to shore. The ice was so smooth that the sled almost felt like you were pulling it downhill. Next ice fishing for me is our annual guys trip to Manitoulin Island in a couple of weeks time. The perch up there is the best eating fish. It is firm fleshed and good fried, baked, or in fish soup or fish tea which is a sort of stew.
That's not any old quote you know - straight out of the top drawer. Oscar Wilde indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mick. Been thinking. If there are oodles of fish. And the best part of the water is frozen. Like the water supply is depleted. The solubility of gas in water goes down as water cools. Right. So. Where do all these perch get their oxygen from? Do they hold their breath from Sept. to April? Just idle curiosity. Goldfish and tiddlers are my forte. Goldfish are easy. Give the rag and bone man a pile of rags. Job done.
"A baby sardine
Saw her first submarine:
She was scared and watched through a peephole.
"Oh, come, come, come,"
Said the sardine's mum,
"It's only a tin full of people."
Boom boom.........Allan
Mixed bag regarding the weather so far this week. A bit of drizzle, some light rain and yesterday Spring Sunshine. Was going to cut this grass but got sidetracked - had to go shopping. Another league victory last night Allan - beat Crumlin 34 - 3 only need to turn up to turn up for remaining fixtures to become league champions. Bill
ReplyDeleteMarch winds with a vengeance here, but still a bright sunny day.
ReplyDeleteBill - congrats - wowee - zipper didodar - Allan
ReplyDeleteHot sun and lazy wind. (Heard of a lazy wind? Goes straight thro you and not round.) Made 12.5 C. Went to Cardiff. Daffs out on the verges. Went down the Bay and pansies all over. Thought I'd have a look at politics at grass roots, but nobody in The Senned. Beautiful building if you like minimalist. Slate, a bit of wood, lotsa glass and a bit o aluminium pipe holding it all together. Decent coffee, anda gift shop selling Welsh tat. Odd that. Collection of photos of people who have altered history. Like LLoyd George, Aneurin Bevan and Ray Gravelle. Who's that? He's up there with Gareth. Who's Gareth? I give up.
Got carried away with it all and went into the Old Coal Exchange. Real history. Coal making Cardiff the biggest port in the World. The Coal Exchange being the price fixer for coal exports all over the world. All based on Welsh coal being the best. All gone now and put over to tourism and entertainment. Go there.
Whoops - spelling error. SENEDD. Type it into Google (as I did just now) and you get piccies and all sorts of info. Didn't see it in there, and I never mentioned it, but a bit of heraldry outside did not go down very well with me. 3 flag poles outside, with priority given to the Euro flag, then the Union flag, and trailing in last, the Red Dragon.
ReplyDeleteLook out, we are moving on girls. My green budded daffs, and similar in the grass ouside the front, have suddenly become yellow buds. Tomorrow? Watch this space. After a tidy day of sun and warmth - 13ish - we go back to +1 or - 1 tonight. But I bet I make it tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
But I was wrong. Compensation tho in finding some croci have made it, and those dwarf hyacynth thingies. Clematis going like the clappers. 12" of new growth in places. And how abt this - no C.H. on at all today. 14C today and at 22.46 hrs is still 6.4C outside. "Something tells me we are into something good."
ReplyDeleteBe happy Allan
Fantastic day out on the ice. Caught a bucketful of perch and not one could tell me where they got their oxygen from . One of my fisherfriends says there is a gap between the bottom of the ice and the top of the water filled with air ? and another one says there is a constant addition of oxygenated water from the rivers that flow into the lake throughout the winter? The ice was busy with cars, trucks, quads, snowmobiles all busy hauling their ice fishing huts off the lake as the end of the season approaches. We augured several fresh holes and the ice is close to two feet thick so it will be safe for some weeks yet.
ReplyDeleteStill no snowdrops and spring is only a week away. We lost an hour of sleep at the weekend as the clocks moved forward. Maybe that will wake the snowdrops up.
Mick - I am a bit baffled. We need Ron with his keen knowledge of water chemistry. As I see it you have subzero temp. A lake with 2 ft deep of ice and 2 ft. dia holes. River water above zero enters, but does not melt the ice or use the fishing holes for pressure relief. So you must have a weir overflow. So if the hi temp oxygenated river water is continually being renewed & keeps the fish alive, why does it not melt the ice then? We have a tidal river called the Thames and back in the good old days of Oliver Twist and that lot, when it got nippy it just froze over. But yr descriptions of old codgers sitting round a hole with their rods and dragging in perchs by the bucket full is great. But how abt this? Something you need? Been to a Bugatti Museum today. All abt Mr Bugatti and the racing and road cars he designed and built, When not doing cars he was a bit of an inventor too. I spotted he had patented a motorised reel for fishermen. No more winding like mad. Press a button and the fish just arrives. Knock it on the head with yr Judas, and back down the hole again.
ReplyDeleteAllan
SIMPLE,from Miss Whereats learned discoursewhen I was12 at TGSand from living on a lake for many years I know that the ice can't freeze all the waydown to the waterbecause the moving water is pushing it up a bitand the water is about a degreeunder freezing so it won'tthaw the ice.
ReplyDeleteSIMPLE,from Miss Whereats learned discoursewhen I was12 at TGSand from living on a lake for many years I know that the ice can't freeze all the waydown to the waterbecause the moving water is pushing it up a bitand the water is about a degreeunder freezing so it won'tthaw the ice.
ReplyDeleteSIMPLE,from Miss Whereats learned discoursewhen I was12 at TGSand from living on a lake for many years I know that the ice can't freeze all the waydown to the waterbecause the moving water is pushing it up a bitand the water is about a degreeunder freezing so it won'tthaw the ice.
ReplyDeleteSIMPLE,from Miss Whereats learned discoursewhen I was12 at TGSand from living on a lake for many years I know that the ice can't freeze all the waydown to the waterbecause the moving water is pushing it up a bitand the water is about a degreeunder freezing so it won'tthaw the ice.
ReplyDeleteSIMPLE,from Miss Whereats learned discoursewhen I was12 at TGSand from living on a lake for many years I know that the ice can't freeze all the waydown to the waterbecause the moving water is pushing it up a bitand the water is about a degreeunder freezing so it won'tthaw the ice.
ReplyDeleteTakes a bit of believing, but you are the kiddy. So there you are Mick. The Whereat Effect guarantees you can have fish for brekkie, lunch and supper. Have you got an electric motor on yr rod yet? A typical Italian invention.
ReplyDeleteAl
Thanks Ron. Also Alan, this lake is not like the boating lake. It is over 100 feet deep and several miles across and twice that in length. It has a flow under the ice that runs from south to north. Numerous rivers and streams flow into it year round and the exit at Orillia is about 50 yards wide with a strong outflow into another,currently frozen, lake. The ice is always thinnest where the current is the strongest so the narrows between the two lakes, Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchching, thaws before either of the lakes.
ReplyDeletePoints of interest; Lake Simcoe is named after the first Governor of Upper Canada, Lord Simcoe. He decided that Toronto would be the new capital as the old one at Niagara was too near the Yanks. The Admiralty issued tents to Simcoe that had been issued earlier to Captain Cooke and that was where he and his wife lived 'til they built a home they called 'Castle Frank'. This house was named after their son who was killed in the war in Spain against Napoleon. I remember it well from History classes- Wellington, Lines of Torres Vedras, Corunna, Badajoz. And more recently the TV series Sharpes Rifles(?)
One other thing. The holes we poke through the ice are drilled using a hand powered auger.It resembles a giant corkscrew combined with an old fashioned hand drill.The augers cut a hole either 6 or 8 inches across. I was totally knackered after drilling one hole with our 8 inch auger through 2 foot thick ice. Had to sit for a minute to let my heart slow down. Power augers are available but we didn't have one. Unless you are fishing for white fish or lake trout which are bigger a 6 inch hole will be wide enough for the biggest of 'jumbo' perch.
No electric reel yet but one of my friend has got battery powered electric socks!
Now you are talking, Mick. Completely understand. (Not really - but I am caught up by the romance of it all) Go to LakeSimcoeFishing@www.icenews.ca You get a vid of a house burning down while the fishermen carry on regardless. (Sensible thing to do.) Gene Autry, or is it Neil Diamond, sings, "Ring of Fire" Some Germans comment (in german) plus recipes, and that will keep Ron in his eye holes. See what you have done now. Made lotsa happy people.
ReplyDeleteHappy fishing Al
Johnny Cash you dumbo.
ReplyDeleteSnowdrops have arrived today. Spring in just a few more days.
ReplyDeleteI consulted the supreme Authority,a fanatic fisherman also a chemical engineer who said;
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to understand how fish get oxygen under ice. The more so in Lake Chestermere,W.Canada ,ice 3ft thick, 2ft water.Lots of snow on ice so no photosynthesis. Yet pike had reddish gills so well oxygenated.Normally such shallow lakes go anoxic.There's no flow through now,canal feeding it is high and dry.No air under ice.this only occurs when there is fluctuation in water level. Very mysterious.Pike flesh was pink - they mostly eat shrimp.Water has a maximum density,volume at about 4c so warmer water does fall to bottom this is why lake does not freeze bottom to top,0C water
is lighter han 4C water.
This Supreme Authority is my son in law so he must be right.
I had an aunt who lived in Vancover and in the winter when my uncle brought home fish, the scales were very slimy....this is all I know about fishing in the ice in winter in Canada.
ReplyDeleteHyah Pat - how you doing? Hands covered in blisters after buttering bread and slaughtering cows to feed large extended family? Ho, ho.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for you Ron. Just whose side are you on? I say something and you argue. S-in-L says it, and it becomes gospel.
Back to the Ponderosa - today has been perfect. Just like Summer is here. Bright hot sun. No cloud. No mist. Not even a hint of a breeze. I went out and cupped my hands and collected a golden football of sunshine in my palms. Opened my fingers and it trickled down onto the ground like molten sand.
Went 500 ft lower down to Cwmbran with no. 2 son Pete, and it was even hotter down there. We started with another go at the Indian Buffet. Weakening. 4 mains and 2 puddings and we had to leave, replete. Took a stroll round the shops. Girls flashing the flesh after 3 months of woolies etc. Almond trees in blossom, daffodils and all sorts of bulbs. Happiness everywhere.
Even had a laugh in ASDA. 7ft tall Dad having a disagreement with daughter over which cake to buy. Face chipped out of rock. Huge biceps with tats tightly stretched. Little dwt just over 18 months, with great big blue eyes and blond curls. "This one." "No, this one." Keeping her end up well, until Dad hurls, "Have you never heard of the word compromise?" Argument over. Dad won. Little kid stores that one away for when she is married.
I am watching a prog on TV abt the Japanese disaster. People monitoring people for radiation exposure. The monitoring team are wearing particulate respirators. But the nuclear contamination is largely non particulate. i.e they should be wearing respirators fed from an air bottle on their back, or some other source of compressed air. Just a thought.
Be Happy Allan
There,there,Allan, don't fret. I don't mind telling you I disagree with my son-in-law on everything except fishing and chemistry.For good reasons.
ReplyDeleteAs you say,one should play to one's strengths.
Did we ever disagree? Well, yes once or twice. The first time was when you committed the artrocity of suggesting that the Welsh double LL was a guttural sound.
As a former disciple of Daniel Jones, the Father of Modern Phonetics I had to bring you back to the path of righteousness by telling you it was a laterally exploded lingual fricative.I am sure wheneve you hear that sound today you say aha, laterally exploded lingual fricative, as Ron and Prof Dan told me told me long ago
And to respect the theme of this thread I should say something about the weather or forces of nature. Well at noon yesterday there was a 4.7 force earthquake,epicentre about 8 kilometres from the place where we live, Lakefield, Quebec, but we don't live there in winter.Once we had a water pipe broken in a more severe one though only one corner of the house shook,after a big bang. Not the Big Bang they forgot to include in the Old Testament.
ReplyDelete"When the night wind howls, in the chimney cowls" tra la la. We are due for a Spring Equinox to coincide with a full moon so dash out and get garlic folks, to hang round yr doors. Don't you bother Ron. Any spectre dropping in on you at midnight will be driven mad by the dialectics, and push off to find an easier jugular to bury his fangs. That reminds me. Fancy a problem? No looking up mind. What's the difference between dialogue and dialogite? Too hard? Give you a clue? O.K. It near enough defines the difference between you and me. Now there are 3 matches tomorrow, so that's one long orgy of food and drink and go to bed hammered. You might have to wait until Sunday. Talking of Rugby - did you know Paddy Powers, the Irish Bookie, has returned all the stake moneys lost on bets saying Ireland would beat Wales last time out. You remember, the ref failed to blow for a glaring Welsh infringement allowing Wales a 7 pointer and so beating Ireland by 6 points. He didn't feel it fair. Cost him 200 grand. Very generous gesture. You don't get that sort of news in the Maltese version of the Observer.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
Just been thinking. Quite a long haul this afternoon and evening. Already got wine and beer in the fridge. Should I nip out and get a bottle of Sanatogen?
ReplyDeleteHot sun, no breeze, no mist, 9.7C, and steep gradient up.
And no answer from Ronaldo. Well I am not telling, so there. Sunday morning is the moment of truth.
Be Happy.....................Allan
Sun, blue sky, lotsa white cloud. Beautiful Spring day. 14.9C @ 13.09 hrs and a steep gradient up. Croci, primulas having a ball. And finally I have a daffodil. That took its time.
ReplyDeleteI see you chickened out Ron. O.K., I'll just have to tell you. I consider dialogue to be one of yr strengths. Now this is a bit out of yr ken - but you see I was once the U.K. major producer of Manganese Carbonate which is posh for dialogite. Back in those heady days of Trannies (everybody was buying one) it created a huge need for Manganese compounds. These were required to manufacture the ferrite rods to provide an internal aerial for yr transistor radio. You might be thinking what's up with just buying in the metal, instead of having to convert the carbonate? Money. Money. You see I was at M. & B. and they had a huge waste stream of manganese sulphate liqs. Just tipping it down the drain, they were. Plessey had the demand. We supplied a cheap pure carbonate made from these liqs, and easy peasy for them to extract the metal. No apologies abt the chemistry plus finance lesson. All helped with my pension.
Be happy Allan
Well folks - billcktagain might be fairly new, but has arrived with a bang. Senghenydd won again. Look at the stats. Played 15. Won 14. Lost 1. Top of their Div'n. and 13 pts clear of second placed Nelson. He must be walking 10' tall. T.G.S. rules!
ReplyDeleteHappy Allan
Bill - if we don't make it this season, I can see opportunities next season. You'll be having fixtures agst Garndiffaith, Croesyceiliog & P'pool Utd. All of em close by. Allan
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Summer day. Blue sky and hot sun. 16C and breeze (6 k.p.h.) from east. Flung open the windows without a care. Hottest day for 6 months.
ReplyDeleteBut - today Liz Taylor died and Toyah Wilcox was seen down the W.I. Knocks you back a bit when you get terrible news like that.
Be Happy Allanb
That was true abt Toyah Wilcox. Swindon W.I., I think.
ReplyDeleteBut today. Another hot sunny day, 16C, with a tiny breeze (9 k.p.h. from the East). Took a stroll down the valley to Cwmbran and what a difference. Council have cut the grass verges, but left the daffs looking great. All new stuff on the roundabout flower beds. Forsythia very obvious under the trees. Just the Silver Birch could do with a lick of paint. The silver has got tatty thro the winter. And how abt this - a good mile of the road home was like the Somme with all the potholes after Winter. But no longer. New tarmac - no holes - posh new road markings. But. (There is always a but.) To make some money out of it the cops were out. State of the Art, hand held cameras nowadays. All the cars were like Blackpool Illuminations flashing their headers like mad. Poor dab - never made a halfpenny!!! Get arthritis he will squatting down behind a car all afternoon watching 30 m.p.h. motorists.
Be happy Allan.....................P.S. Don't forget to call in on the Joke page after this.
Nice weather here today as usual,20C going down to 10 at night.
ReplyDeleteJust a few miles from where we live there used to be what looked like the highest hill in the island, but it was actually a garbage tip,a century or two old. But it was closed down a few years ago and covered with millions of tons of earth (imported from Italy,just like the 10lb bags people buy for their window-boxes,it's all part of a plan to eliminate Italy and make Malta the biggest country in the Med.
This newly clothed mountain was reported in the local newspaper,seven years ago to the day,as the site for a future ski slope.Snow is of course unknown in this country, but why not take the Italians' alpine snow as well as their soil?
Now five years to the day after publication of that report I can tell you that the plan has yet to be executed, but there is still hope.Then an attractive feature of holidays in Malta will be not only skiing but also skating and hole-in-the ice fishing for Mick and my son-in-law because the plan includes the freezing over of the Mediterranean.The new target date is 1 April 2012 ,or perhaps some other April 1st.
Nice one, Ron.
ReplyDeleteWent down to Teignmouth over the weekend to see No. 1 son. Brill on Sunday morning. Sun beaming down from a blue sky. So we got up late, just had a cuppa and got down to the beach. Hot, dry, golden sand thro yr toes, is when you come alive. And to sugar the pill, shoes back on and a full English in a Beach Cafe. Jump in the car, back to theirs and a family goss. Perfect.
ReplyDeleteAllan
Flookburgh April 8th 8.30am
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful warm and sunny day here in my Lakeland village primroses and cowslips in full bloom no tractors trundle by a silence fills fills the air, daffodils and armed Police surround my house and I am 'contained' within.
My road is sealed off a siege is taking place. My very nice neighbour, a troubled young man who lives three doors away has threatened harm to himself and refuses to comply with a request to come outside.
Throughout the day there is sweet birdsong and the soft cadence of the Negotiator as he assures TYM there will be no arrest, he will be searched and put in an ambulance.
4.30pm I see from my windowTYM dressed in cool summer clothes walking calmly into the ambulance. The good humoured and courteous Policemen nicely tanned after their 8 hour vigil in the hot sun start to disperse I leave my house to walk to the shop for morning paper and milk to find the Square is crowded with people in shorts and T shirts reporters with television camera they've had a good day out.
TYM has been handled with care and now, as the dazzling sun begins to sink his neighbours gather in our quiet backyards to drink to his health and wish him well.
.
Winter is back - bang on schedule. The Green was opened last night, so all the boys were down for a roll up. Time to get down to the hard yards of getting yr eye in, plus getting ready for an opening Friendly on Sat. But by, it was nippy and overcast. A night for a sweater. I was selected as a Lead (he's the one who throws the little jack for all the others to aim at), so went down today to get some Training done on sending the jack to where required. Quite tricky. The shortest distance allowed is 25m and longest 45m. Your skip will normally tolerate a metre either side of his mark, but nothing more. Anyhow it was hissing down, so no go Will have to try and fit in both tomorrow now. Cutting the grass on Friday so I'll take my woods and might get a bit in. Friday evening is a Celebration Dinner & Dance to kick off our 50th Anniversary Year. How abt this? I am selected to do Grace. You won't believe this, but it is true. I am friendly with a Churchwarden. So I tapped him up for one. Did me well he did. You see it is not what you know, but who you know, who knows what you want to know. I did think of asking him to send up a prayer for me too, at 19.30 Friday, but chickened out. It gets worse. After Grace I have to sit down and entertain the Welsh President, the County President, and the Valley President and their wives. All I know abt social chit chat is...."Heard the one about the....."
ReplyDeleteShould be hilarious. Any suggestions gratefully received.
Be Happy Allan
Friday night was a belter. Wore my natty silver grey 2 piece - the one with a shiny finish - & which Pat and Geoff think I look nice in. And everything went off tremendous. Everybody was on time, ate like horses, drank like fishes & danced like dervishes. And I might have recorded an international first. 3 people came up and congratulated me on my Grace!!! I have never heard the likes of that before. And the Welsh boy gave us a nice little commemorative shield to hang on the Clubhouse wall. This has the makings of being a good year. Particularly seeing 12 hrs later we were inspired to tear Llanwern to shreds as a season opener in boiling sun. Yesterday we were over the bridge at Avonmouth playing Mixed. Always good fun to get together with our Ladies. Plus the hospitality at Avonmouth is very good with them having their own kitchen and bar. And another win for us. Lovely ground. Hot sun. Green green grass. And all lovely pink speckles on it as the Almond/Peach/Magnolia blossom (don't know which really) blew in.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Sun beaming down,hot dry golden sand, boiling sun, blossom, hot sun, green green grass. It will be Tom Jones pushing the bloody roller next. Guess what we had. Snow, hail, below freezing overnight and daily highs round about 5 to 7 degrees. I love the sun and it's out right now but you need a thick sweater, coat and hat just to take the dog a walk.The breeze is cutting. As for waxing the boat prior to launch at the end of the month you need 10 degrees plus for the polish to go on and dry properly before you can buff it so that's a job hanging over me.The trouble is that when we do get warmer weather it rains.Last year Spring was a good couple of weeks early but this year we are definitely behind. We planted a couple hundred daffs. in the park last Fall and not one is in bloom yet.You can see the yellow flower but they are not coming out of their tight wraps 'til it warms a bit. Might be tomorrow with a forecast of 17 and rain. Hope it happens as it will be the warmest day so far this year.Of course once the weather picks up Spring will be over in a flash and all those flowering bushes,trees and bulbs will be trying to do their routines before they get scorched to death.
ReplyDeleteHere we go again. Just beat a shower of hail-freezing rain home yesterday afternoon. The forecast high of 17 for today has been dropped to 9. At 11 a.m. it's only 5 degrees and it is raining. The back garden is muddy but good feeding ground for the pair of robins that seem to have moved in. Not to be confused with the English robin the Canadian version is about the size of a blackbird but does have the red 'stain' across its breast. It wouldn't surprise me to see them show up wearing little green wellies.
ReplyDeleteSolar Envy.
Tough Mick - while we just lie back & soak up rays which are hotter than poor old Ronaldo's in Malta. Yr own fault. You all mocked me for my connection with Robert Service, so this a sort of revenge. But. I will own up to this, that on Telly tonight they could hardly contain themselves, so ran a still from a lane in 2009. Thick thick snow everywhere. Same lane fast forward one year, black tree trunks with black twigs, last night greenery and growth. And a ruddy farmer moaning his crops had already wilted and keeled over. You can't win em all. But I'll bet yr fish wouldn't mind an oxygen mask by now!!
ReplyDeleteBe happy.............Allan
And to rub it in Mick. Been stinking stinking hot today too. Down the Green this morning in vest and shorts and sandals doing little jobs. The pace of life a bit too much, so put my lounger on the back grass took off the vest and kipped for a good hour in the afternoon. Just to cheer you up a bit, urbanised areas are suffering from some atmospheric effect or other where the hi temp is trapping aerial pollution down at low level giving asthmatics etc a hard time. Just in case you are a bit puzzled by the previous entry, the piccies were from the same date. Thought it was obvious but not so sure now.
ReplyDeleteBe happy Allan
All your warm weather is surely an adumbration of Things to Come.
ReplyDeleteYou have to put two and two together.Now Higgs Boson,also known as Piggs Boson in certain quarters like this site, is back in the news.
It's a cute sort of particle,eternal,ubiquitous and all powerful,capable of various little stunts like the Pig Bang (that created the universe)the despatch of meteorites to wipe out the dinosaurs and make room for us sapiens and neanderthals etc etc.
Now I don't know much about science but perhaps Allan can confirm my predictions.It will be a cinch for this particle to adjust your weather,it's already happening,it's all a matter of physics and chemistry and that means particles, they are running the show. Now all that remains is to saw off that little island (yours,not mine) and shove it into the mediterranean, so we'll be neighbours,all basking in the sun all year round.
Some say the French are behind it all,they want to get rid of the English Channel and rebaptise the water as the French Ocean.
We can all relax. Today the top egg-heads at Cern have denied the rumour about the discovery of Piggs Boson. So you can all go back to your favourite delusions and enjoy a nice cool English drizzle or a fine welsh perishing thunderstorm.
ReplyDeleteAnd we can start planning our annual transhumance out of the furnace of the Maltese summer to lie down in greener pastures.
Ron my old mate - far too late for anything erudite. But I do owe you the courtesy of an answer. Only heaven knows how you have gained virtually overnight, this intimate knowledge of nuclear physics but I will answer you tomorrow (today actually, but ca 20 hrs on). In the meantime you will have to put up with a little poem (and Mick too, if he is into poetry like what you and me am) :-
ReplyDelete"Oak before the Ash,
We are due for a splash.
Ash before the Oak,
We are due for a soak."
This is a reference to Derek - our Radio Wales weather man. He has been keeping his eyes open as to which has sprouted into greenery first. Then he could quote this old wives tale. And all over Wales the Ash is winning hands down. So it's Hi Ho for another wet summer.
Must tell you this. What a pair of lunatics. Yesterday I went down to get my eyes tested. A shop with racks and racks of glasses with an island desk in the middle. In I toddle. Not a soul in sight. So I just hang abt looking lost. And suddenly the 2 young assistants leaped up from their hiding place under the desk and hollered "Boooooo....". Even the Optometrist came out from the back and had a giggle. Life is for fun.
Be happy Allan
Ron if the wet weather continues your green pastures are going to be so lush that the Fugawi birds will be bleating.
ReplyDeleteWhat crazy weather. A monster storm from the Gulf of Mexico to New York State built up yesterday bringing severe weather along its front. Over 200 dead,so far, in huge tornadoes, particularly down in Alabama. We have had 3 touchdowns to the west of Toronto with minimal damage, blown out bus shelters and uprooted trees. In Toronto we are under a wind warning for gusts up to 100 k. On the Skyway Bridge gusts to 120 k. have been recorded and so closed to traffic. Empty trucks easily flipped by such strong winds. Before the driving rain and thunderstorm arrived yesterday afternoon the temperatures rose to 21 degrees in Toronto and St. Catharines, near Niagara Falls, had the warmest temp. in Canada yesterday at 28 degrees. The warmth opened up the first of the daffs in the park. I saw it this morning already beaten down by the wind and rain in its first day of bloom. We are on the back edge of this storm, fortunately, so it may be gone by tomorrow. The wind is already weakening but there is still a low ceiling , periods of rain, 100% overcast and a temperature of 11 degrees.
Saturday, starting at 7a.m. is launch. We hire cranes to swing the boats back into the water after their winter on the hard. If the wind is too strong we have to cancel 'til it slows down to a safer level so, touch wood, for some seasonal conditions at the week-end.
Mick, you say your weather is crazy.Well what can you expect when you live in a little country wedged between the North Pole and the Gulf of Mexico and a place hemmed in by yankilands like Michigan and New York State,the land of the loony,they say though I think it's so named because of the bird on the coin, you might say it's all for the birds..
ReplyDeleteWhen we are on that side we live in Argenteuil,canton de gore,where
tout est calme,ordre et beaute
though I do remember one or two times.....there was for instance the Great Ice Storm about fifteen years ago.We had to dodge around fallen trees all the way from the airport and the electric pilons were all smashed.I had run out of wood so I pinched two dozen logs from my neighbour who was away in Bermuda. Later I confessed and he said Forget it, I was helping myslef to your heap of topsoil all the time you were away.. I piled logs onto the hearth and the stove downstairs all night and kept the temperature just above freezing.
But I hope you can get out and vote for Monsieur Duceppe next week. I thought there were five parties,Harper's Lager, Ignorantieffs blinis,NDP (no damn party at all),Green peas,and peasouper bloc heads??
You are right. I missed the Greens.
ReplyDeleteSaturday dawned sunny and at 6.30 it was 3 degrees. Launch began at 7 and at 9 'Nonsense' went back into the water. Started at the first turn of the key and off to my dock. What a beautiful morning with sunshine, light wind, and temp. up around 15. Yesterday was cool and tomorrow is supposed to be wet but today is perfect-so far. Blue Jays play New York Yankees later today (baseball) and a win for the Jays would be icing on the cake.
ReplyDelete2 days heavy rain in Anglesey over the weekend exceeded the total rainfall of the whole of April. Bet Prince William enjoyed the chance of a long lie in!!
ReplyDeleteThat's all............Be Happy..........Allan
Yesterday we had a record high of 33.3 degrees which beat the old record of 32.2 established in the early 1950's. With the humidity factor it felt like 40 but I was doing some varnishing on the boat and the breeze off the water together with a cold can of Dab made things more than tolerable. Of course it couldn't last and by mid afternoon some big clouds began to build up. The rain held off but the sky started to darken and turned that unpolished pewter. Thunder in the distance then lightning close by,a torrential but brief downpour and strong wind that arrived out of nowhere and went away just as quickly. The temperature dropped to 24 but the air was saturated and everything wet through. The basil I had planted earlier got a refreshing soak as did the roses that were the first to blossom just that morning.
ReplyDeleteNow we will see what today brings.
If you want variety this is the place to be. It was cool this morning, but being an optimist I got a line of washing out. No prob getting it dry. I've only got one set of Bowls kit, so it has to be a quick turnround from Thursday to Saturday. (And even quicker from Saturday to Sunday. Cross that bridge when I get to it.) Then down to the Green for an Internal Competition Match. Shirt sleeves, sun beating down. Perfect couple of hours. I am jampacked full of Vitamin D now. Coming up the valley & listening to local radio, and it had been teeming down up at the top of the valley, best part of the morning. And you'll never guess - snowing on the top of Snowdon!!! We might only be little, but we do like a change.
ReplyDeleteBe happy Allan
Back from the heat and civil unrest in Greece to find a riot in my own backyard. The roses are in abundance virginia is running wild and the hydrangea is climbing up the wall temperatures continue to rise, it's time to apply the water cannon.
ReplyDelete.
This week is already a scorcher. Each day has temperatures over 30 with humidex readings around 40. Thursday is expected to reach 37 and 47 with the humidex. That is going to be interesting. Night temperatures go down to the mid 20's. Last nights low was 23. At the same time there has been little rain in Toronto, only 20% of the usual this month, so the lawns are going brown. Usually we get a few thunderstorms but so far this year they seem to have run north and south of us. Fortunately we have Lake Ontario as our water supply so no water limits-so far.
ReplyDeleteTime to take the dog a walk before the heat builds up. It is already 25 so we shorten the walk-for both our benefits.
Thursday. This is the day when we have a chance to break the all time record high temperature for Toronto. That was 38 recorded back in August 1948. Right now, mid-afternoon it is 37 with a humidex reading (feels like) of 48. Last nights low temperature was 26 which is uncomfortable for sleeping but now,when you go out, it is as if someone wraps you in a hot wet blanket. The city is the warmest place in Canada today and is under what they call an 'extreme heat alert' Public buildings provide air conditioned rest areas and water for those wishing to use them. Tragically the heat has led to a number of drownings and on Tuesday night as we were sailing out into Lake Ontario for the start of a race there was a Mayday, the first I had heard. It was for a 13 year old girl off Hamilton Beach, quite far away from us. When I got home that evening the news reported her death.
ReplyDeleteRon, I imagine this so called 'heat dome' extends into Quebec. Are you by a lake that you can jump in and cool off? It is several degrees cooler by Lake Ontario but unfortunately today is also very gusty with strong winds so the sailboat is not an option. Next week supposedly continues warm, though not record breaking. Three of us plan to sail across to Wilson in New York State so that will be a nice trip. Its' about 30 miles across and depending on the wind will take between 6 and 10 hours. If we can't get 3 knots out of the wind we will motor (the iron jenny) until it picks up.We planned the same trip last year but the weather didn't co-operate but this year, with a fridge full of Pilsner Urquell, Black Seal, ginger beer and limes, the prospects are good. Yo Ho Ho.
Mick,the temperature here is just a couple of degrees cooler than Toronto,but we live about 1000 ft up,in the foothills of the Laurentians, and we only have to walk down twentyfive yards to get into the water. It's a small lake, no more than a mile long and half a mile across, with the advantage of no motor boats allowed.But we are not well organised and find ourselves driving down to the steamy heat of Lachute or up to St Sauveur in its tropical hollow,about 25 miles either way, for shopping and various appointments about 3 times a week.There are usually no more than 2 or three heat waves in the summer so we've never had airconditioning in house or car. In the worst weather we are still glad to be in Lakefield in Summer, away from the 45 C of Malta, and in Malta with its springlike January temperatures in winter.It's also good to have a stimulating mediterranean life in winter and a slow sleepy summertime.
ReplyDeleteTemperature got to just over 37 so no new record. As it turns out the previous record is from the period where continuous readings have been made, 1938 I think, but there are incomplete records from before that which show readings of over 40 on two continuous days in 1936.The hottest place I was ever in, apart from standing outside Dora Goslings study waiting to be told off, was Nok Kundi on the north-west border of Pakistan.
ReplyDeleteHottest I've been in , Accra and Toronto.
ReplyDeleteColdest,right here in Lakefield (a bit north of Montreal) about 42 below freezing, C or F it's the same. But being in a cold place and suffering from the cold are different things.Now we have cars and central heating and power failures don't last for ever. Worst place I've known was London in Feb 1947.
Since Sept of the same year I have'nt lived
in UK.
We were told at TGS thatr Canada had a warm dry climate in Summmer and a cold dry one in Winter.Correct except for the dry bit, that is dead wrong for Toronto and Montreal, and isn't that where everybody lives?
August has arrived with slightly cooler temperatures and a drop more rain. After a really hot and dry July, with less than half the normal rainfall, the grass needs some refreshing. It has taken on the colour of a Lahore test wicket on the 5th day of play. Temperatures near the lake have been more bearable though humidity has been high. Night time temperatures have also been unusually high, often remaining well over 20. Another aspect of the warming trend?
ReplyDeleteLast week three of us sailed across the lake to Wilson in upper New York State. It seemed a little cooler over there as the harbour is a sheltered inlet surrounded by trees, very rural as opposed to the citified Toronto end of the trip.On the way back we had some rain and nobody cared about getting wet. The distance is 32 miles,as the crow flies, and it took 7 hours with following winds and waves.
As usual we are in the grip of extremes. Teeming with rain in the North. Woman blown off the cliffs into the sea in Seahouses, Northumberland, flooding and Footie called off at St. James Park due to wet pitch. Stinking hot but hi humidity down here. England v Wales Rugby (World Cup warm up) played in Summery conditions up at Twickers. England were hammering Wales and took their foot off the gas, and Wales nearly caught up. Totally understandable. A Welsh boy had his leg broken. So why take any chances and maybe lose out on a trip to New Zealand this winter. My Kiwi mate, who is an All Black supporter, has just sold his house in Brisbane (Oz) to move to Dunedin (Enzed). He'll be there 3 weeks before the World Cup starts, which strikes me as, at least, a lucky coincidence. Mary, his Wallaby wife, had never even seen snow until they came over here a couple of years ago and did a bit of Europe, including Switzerland. Don't know why I told you that - nothing to do with now and local weather. Just seemed a natural progression. A bit of a change from wearing shorts and feeding the Budgies, to thick woolly drawers and throwing crusts to the penguins.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
My on the spot reporter living up near Seahouses tells me it is a real tourist attraction. Beautiful views, millions of gulls of all types nesting in the rocky cliff. But in a high wind and rain the dirt path can be treacherous. Nothing new there.
ReplyDeleteBe happy Allan
This global warming (or is it cooling - get muddled at times) is getting too personal. Got a Friendly Bowls Match tomorrow night away at Pontymister and seeing the competitive season is now over, they were buying in special Faggots and Peas and laying in extra beers. Due to the forecast of high winds and rain so they have cried off already. Big pity, but I had a fallback. Going on a sharrabang ride first to Barry. Catch the paddle steamer Waverley and go up the estuary and pass under the 2 bridges connecting England and Wales. Have a few beers with the boys, lunch out, and then paddle back. Just had a phone call that it has been called off due to the weather. Woe is me. And Pat/Geoff I have read on fb that a gang of sheep ran amok (or was it a flock) into Boots in Glastonbury. S'pose that was global warming too.
ReplyDeleteBe happy Allan
Signs of summer ending..
ReplyDeleteHad to wear long pants and a sweater for the first time in weeks as the temperature highs for the day have dropped into the mid teens.
Last night was the last regular series boat race.After an excellent port start we crossed the line first only to be passed by about half the fleet during the race.
The walnut tree down the lane has dropped most of its nuts. They are about the size of a tangerine,the nut being surrounded by a spongy protective layer and an outer thin layer of green skin. The squirrels love them.
Am thinking stew rather than b.b.q.
Mick - you can be a Cannuk first. Over here squirrel is the new steak. Plus we have all been indoctrinated to love red squirrel and hate the grey ones, so every time we eat a grey squirrel the govt. are getting a yes vote. I think I'll wait a bit before thinking of a walnut flavoured grey squirrel stew. Think more of sliced and panfried like Southern Fried Chicken. Or served "en croute" as a starter.
ReplyDeleteAnd the weather did live up to forecast. Gales and heavy rain all morning. The poor old Waverley is hundreds of years old, and would have been a gonner. But it is due for retirement later on this year, so would have been nice to have had a last ride and a beer. Equally sad not to be over at Pontymister enjoying their faggot hospitality. Famous for it they are. Always the next time. Like we are over in Ross-on-Wye playing on Sunday. Lovely old market town with lovely old pubs with excellent Sunday Lunches. And the post match hospitality from the Ross Club is first rate. So, fingers crossed.
Be happy Allan
Thought I had better mug up on what I have missed, so went onto Wikipaedia etc. Quite romantic. Sir Walter Scott was having a trip round the Home Counties and was quite impressed with the first Cistercian Abbey called Waverley Abbey. So much, so he called his first novel "Waverley". The Scots worshipped Sir Walter and were fond of embracing everything he did as Scottish, so it wasn't so long before they thought of using Waverley as a boat name. An ocean going paddle steamer. Rather interestingly it has no differential on its paddles. No hand brake turning either, so it is hell of a long job if it wants to turn round and go back anywhere.
ReplyDeleteJust thought you would like to know - Be happy Allan
Was thinking of stewing beef. Haven't tried squirrel.....yet.
ReplyDeleteMy Mum lived in Ross for a number of years.It is an attractive little town with a great location above the river.There are all kinds of interesting pubs and good food in the area. Hay, or is it Haye, no Hay looks better, on Wye isn't far away and there is a super little Norman castle just a mile or three down the road. Took my 2 boys there years ago and they have never forgotten it.
Too bad about your weather. I have been to the Goodwood Festival a couple of times and it is about this time of year.For anyone interested in old racing cars from 20's Bentleys to racing e types(up to 1966) and equally old planes-featuring Spitfires this year-this is a must but rain would be a real spoiler and make the racing dangerous too.
Good memory there MIck. We played at Hay on Wye a few weeks ago and it is as you say. We booked the whole coach load in for Lunch at a lovely olde worlde place. The sort of thing Brits are good at. Bare stone and huge oak beams above you. A bit like in church. Swords and shields hanging on the wall and suits of armour here and there. Everything except a courtesy call from King Arthur or Merlin.
ReplyDeleteIf you are a bit of a petrol head, Prescott is quite close. Home of the Bugatti Owners Club. They have a Hill Climb track next door with regular meets. Very demanding. Really steep and hairpin bends, chicanes etc. The next Meet is an American Weekend on 1/2 October. More detail from prescott-hillclimb.com
By the way, Jaguar have just announced a prototype E-Type and going into production next year. Very similar body design to the iconic E type including the oval rad grille, 2 seater, long thin boot. (Lucky if you can get yr golf clubs in.)
Be Happy Allan
P.S. Don't play golf - but I once knew an E-type owner who did.
You win some, you lose some. We lost out for good on The Waverley trip. Retired now. But the trip to Ross went ahead on Sunday in good weather. Warm and the sun shone all day. Spoilt for choice with olde worlde pubs, but we stayed together as a club and enjoyed an excellent Lunch, plus lemonades of course. Then down to those wonderful club members at the Bowls. Great people. Highly competitive. Hurray. They lost. Hurray. Salad and black pudding and all sorts for tea. In commemoration of our 50th they had made a great big birthday cake for us. Icing and decorations - the lot. Aren't people lovely. We are supposed to be in the grip of a hurricane, but altho it is knocking hell out of the west coast we have seen nothing. Until yesterday. Gale all day. A few tree branches down but no real damage. Then rain coming down stair rods this morning. Thank heavens it cleared and the sun came out. Important day today. Memorial match. Men and women members meet at the Green to remember those who didn't make it thro the season. Brass plaques on benches. Then a fun match between the men and the women to celebrate the lives of those no longer with us. Jelly and custard and trifle etc to follow. The men won. Doggy bag for Allan to take home. It's lovely being single. The women get all mumsy and make sure I have a big doggy bag to bring home.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
The weather is cooling down and this morning was 3 degrees. So far, but not for much longer, we have not had a frost and so some of the roses are still blooming in the front garden. To delay the onset of winter I am leaving on Monday and driving down to Key West. A pal has 'bought' a condominium just north of Fort Lauderdale,which is just north of Miami, for ten dollars. It belonged to his wifes uncle and when he died his sons put it on the market, for progressively lower prices, as it did not sell. It isn't on the beach. In fact it is closer to the 'glades than the Atlantic.Eventually Lou got it for the 10 spot, just to make ownership legal, and now owns it with 3 other family members up here in Toronto. No one has used it for a couple of years so we will be doing a clean-up and then a bit of fishing and getting back to Toronto mid November. The drive down there is an interesting one as we cross the Niagara River near Buffalo and then head south through the Appalachians- very scenic hills and valleys all the way down to Georgia. Then down the Atlantic coast of Florida from Jacksonville to Key West passing through St. Augustine, the oldest city in the USA established by the Spanish in the 16th century.
ReplyDeleteAm 4 days into my annual cold that arrives with the change in the weather. Oil of Oregano has been suggested as a natural antibiotic. Anyone ever heard of it? Or used it? Grandma Wood swore by a wee drop added to her tea. I find a couple of slices of ginger, same of squeezed lemon and its skin,dollop of honey,small shot brandy and top with near boiling water more to my taste. Any other family recipes,tonics or cures out there to help cope with the agues of the season?
ReplyDeleteMick, here is some of my usual (useless)advice. A Spanish proverb says "Todo el monte no es oregano" i.e. the whole of the forest is not oregano".Always remember this, and that it is spelt with an i not an e in Italian,and with stress on the 3rd syllable not the 2nd.
ReplyDeleteThen, do like me.I never have a cold. An exray showed that I have slight chronic bronchitis and slight emphysema,so that s the way to go.
Finally, if nobody in Toronto has heard of oregano, they may call it majoram.To get the oil I suppose you just have to soak it in whisky.
Mick I covet your travel itinery and I envy your adventurous opportunities but Autumn, that lashing rain glistening colour invigorating wind fiery sunset, is here in beautiful England so I've nipped jealousy in the bud.
ReplyDelete.
Mick, I was in Fort Lauderdale in July 2010, the hotel cost somewhat more than $10. Enjoy!.
ReplyDeleteWhilst teaching in Rossington many years ago, some pupils bought what they thought was cannabis, turned out to be oregano.
Hi Ken. Got back from the keys today. More on that later.
ReplyDeleteAlways thought you had a dark side but never imagined it would be specialising in weed!
Key Largo, Islamorada, Pine Key,Seven Mile Bridge. The road, Highway 1, leads south from Miami through a wasteland of malls, car dealerships, suburban sprawl, condominium complexes, Everglades remnants, Dunkin Donuts, KFC's and liquor outlets(buy one Jim Beam get second half off).Through Homestead and Florida City the ugly landscape continues with its only bright note the blue sky and close to non stop sunshine. Then come those wonderful subtropical exotically named islands starting with Key Largo. The Keys are only a few feet above sea level and look to be raised reefs. Less developed ones are surrounded by mangroves with many roots going down into the salt water. The closer keys are joined by causeways where the water is shallow and bridges where they are more distant. About halfway to Key West is the Seven Mile Bridge built on caissons stretching ahead almost to infinity. Driving south the Gulf of Mexico (Gulfside) is to your right and its water is azure and to the left is the darker and deeper blue of the Atlantic(Oceanside) About 100 yards away and running parallel to the Seven Mile Bridge are the remnants of the railway bridge that was built early twentieth century to link Key West to the mainland. Passengers would travel by rail from Miami to Key West and then transfer to the steamer for Havana. Cuba is only 90 miles from Key West.The rail bridge went down in a hurricane and was not rebuilt.
ReplyDeleteApart from Hemingway and Tennessee Williams Key West has been home to a number of authors and artists and it continues to attract a Bohemian element as well as overnight visitors,longer term visitors, passengers from the monster cruise ships that sail down from Fort Lauderdale and regularly discharge hundreds of passengers onto the narrow streets for a good time. Duval Street is lined with saloons where Hemingway allegedly drank. Sloppy Joes, The Hogs Breath, Captain Tonys' among them. Tatty gift shops abound but I did see some hilarious t shirts. Mallory Square is at the bottom of Duval and is the place to watch for the 'green flash', sometimes visible as the sun sinks below the waters of the Gulf. Two massive cruise liners moored bow to stern of each other pretty much obliterated that view.
Cigar rollers, descendants of the Cubans who had a thriving cigar industry here in the 20's, have a number of small boutiques where you can choose one of many types of locally rolled cigars and enjoy it with a drink outside and watch the passing parade which can be quite outrageous at times. There is also a gay community that has located here and thrives openly and obviously in an uncritical environment.
Cuban coffee, a small cup of ultra strong ultra sweet was a new discovery for me. A fish sandwich made with cod was not what I was looking for but the dolphin, baked with herbs and lemon made up for it. This dolphin is not Flipper but a locally caught fish.
Driving back to Toronto was interesting scenically and weather wise. Temperature on departure was 28, bought a bag of grapefruit on Floridas Turnpike. By the end of the day we were in Virginia and the temp. dropped at 6 pm from 24 to 21 during a sharp rainfall. Deciding to wear shorts, sandals and a t for the second day was a mistake as the temp dropped from a morning 18 to a mid day 12 with periods of rain. By 4 pm the temp was 2, then 1, then 0 and on the outskirts of Pittsburgh light snow. Winds from Lake Erie brought in snow squalls, almost a white out at times. We tucked in behind a large truck that obviously knew the road and reached our days destination,Erie,and the temp was -1. My sandals shorts and t were definitely not appropriate. Day 3 was just a 3 hour or so through New York State to Buffalo and across the Niagara into Ontario and back through the wine making district to Toronto in bright sunshine, long pants, shoes socks and a sweater.
You've given a lovely descriptive account Mick, and interesting to hear about the quick changes in temperature. I'll have to read it again to really digest it, but I enjoyed reading about your adventures. Thank you for posting it Mick.
ReplyDeleteWhoooo Key Largo... Humphrey Bogart Edward G. Robinson Mick Horner. No hurricane?
ReplyDelete.
No hurricane Shirl. No Lauren Bacall either.
ReplyDeleteEileen,this isn't really weather related and I'm not sure of the interest but do you think a What's Cookin' blog would go? With Christmas coming up I'd like to get and share some well tried time tested and proven family favourite recipes and tips. My Mums Christmas Cake for a start is one I will share. It is without a doubt the best you will ever ever taste.
ReplyDeleteNo sooner said than done Mick.
ReplyDeleteIt was raining this morning at 5. Heard it pattering on the skylight. !.35 in the afternoon and it's heavier now. The Doppler radar screen shows a rainstorm extending a thousand miles from sw to ne. Rain shows up as green on the radar screen but this huge green cloud has a pink border on its' trailing edge in the mid-west and that means snow or freezing rain. The current temperature is 5 Celsius so it will have to drop a bit before we get snow but this time of year anything can happen.Had to take the dog out in it for his morning constitutional. He won't go in the garden which is considerate of him but it means having to get coat and brolly on and head out.
ReplyDeleteHe does well as he is now over 15 and continues to mark his territory with unbelievable capacity If it was an Olympic event he could pee for Canada. As an un-neutered male he makes it his number 1 business to stake out his territory. Trees, bushes, flowers,stairs, fountains, pools, memorials, tennis balls, snow balls,nothing is sacred and size is no object. Usually he is quite open about it but now and then he goes .....
... with a degree of circumspection
a rear leg lift, a genuflection,
the little hint a tiny dip
the slightest lowering of one hip
to left or right it's arbitrary
My dog Nicks' ambiurinary.
With apologies to all expecting just a weather report.
Temperature is 2 degrees this morning. The rain cloud has passed on and is now skimming Cape Cod and wetting down New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before continuing east to Newfoundland and maybe Blighty in 2 or 3 days. The forecast calls for possibility of rain and wet snow today and they have already had some down in Windsor.
ReplyDeleteWe have just had our first snowfall of the year and the ground is covered in a thin layer of wet snow. It's the kind that makes hard dense snowballs that really sting if you get one back of the ear. I hope it goes away soon.
ReplyDeleteWe were snowbound this time last year......I hope we don't get any yet!
ReplyDeleteWeather is not worth writing about here.We are suffering from the cold but don't have to put on any extra clothes when we go out.It's 17C in the house and 15 out (in the evening,a bit warmer during the day.
ReplyDeleteBut at the moment I can't help thinking of the nineteen thirties headline:
FOG IN CHANNEL,CONTINENT ISOLATED
Of course,we are talking about the weather,not politics or useless politicians.
Wotcher Ron. And Eileen, Mick, Shirl. And anybody else still hanging around. I really did think that this site was dead. And only today was I regretting the passing. Then when I look it is still ticking over. As you might expect I have a story to tell. But not to muddle the situation go & read the Dragon thread. Without a publicist they have just carried on regardless, doing mad lovable things. See you over there in a min.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
P.S. Ron - a very dear friend of mine and his wife have just got back from 2 weeks in Malta. I gave him a very good decription of you and
Whoops - yr address. So he managed to avoid you. And as a result had a great hol. Wants to go back indeed. C yah in a min.
ReplyDeleteForecast for today:- tipping it down, really cold & 150 m.p.h. gales. Trees uprooted and roof tiles a gonner.
ReplyDeleteReality :- sunny, warm (temp in shade = 43F) & not a breath of a breeze. Steam from Chippy ventilation system is vertical. Who's a lucky boy?
Mind, roof tiles are purely theoretical - just put it in to add a touch of drama. Don't have a roof you see.
Be happy Allan
We are having a series of sub zero days. Today reminds me of those winter days when the high pressure over Russia would extend across the North Sea and bring cold clear blue sky days to Thorne and Reg. would send us off down the lane on a cross country run.Ron Darley would be off like a shot and when he met us coming back we knew that marked the turning point for us as well.
ReplyDeleteThe tennis courts have been deliberately flooded in the local park and they are building up a base of ice by repeatedly flooding ,freezing, and running the Zamboni up and down to skim the surface and keep it smooth. You can still see the tennis court lines through the ice so it's not too thick yet but they will be skating any day now. I walk by there most mornings with Nick. He hasn't been too well of late but seems to be making a recovery.
Allan,
ReplyDeleteAlan re your p.s.of 10 Dec,don't you know that AND is not the best word to end a sentence.What are you trying to tell me?
ReplyDeleteHow come out and back? In the old days we had a circular track. Church Balk - turn left into Stonegate - turn left into Foot Trods - turn left into a grassy lane - turn left into Church Balk - uphill finish. Haven't any idea how far, but 3 miles at a guess. Hardly cross country. 50/50 mud and tarmac. I had to wait 50 yrs to find real X-country.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
Forecast same as Dec 12. Result - not much different. Temp. = 37F. Thin rain. No wind. S'posed to be rising in t'West Indies, picking up speed across the Atlantic, and then giving us a pasting. Mebbe the earth is going the other way round and they have forgotten to tell us. Can somebody better at it than me, get out of bed early tomorrow plse, and check which side of the street the sun rises?
ReplyDeleteHappy but puzzled.................Allan
Out the boys gate, or across the school field and over that 5 bar gate(that was only open once a year on cross country day) and turn left to the bottom of the lane where there was only a right hand turn. Follow that past a couple of farms until it eventually made a y junction. Take the right fork til it came to either a railroad or the canal or both?Can't remember this part well as I never got that far on account of Darley and Malcolm Painter already being on their way back. I suspect residential development may have interfered with your circular route Allan.Our 'training' route was all paved but splattered with cow flop, but on x country day instead of going to the y junction we turned off left along some hedgerows, left, and then left again back to the lane.I remember this as quite wild and kids ending up with that blue stuff all over their legs when they got back.(some kind of medicine?)
ReplyDeleteThe ice is good and skating has commenced.Half the area is for free skating and the other half has the boards round it and a couple of nets for the hockey crowd.They play five or six a side and often there are another five or six on the bench for each team. It's a fast game so they play in shifts of just a few minutes.
Gentian Violet. They slapped it on anything Did no good but highly inhibitory. You looked such a berk, you never did it again!! Stone Age Chemotherapy.
ReplyDeleteTa for explaining yr route. You'll be right. Helluva lot of building since my days. Yr direction was South, so I guess you were near Thorne South Station and its Doncaster/Grimsby/Cleethorpes line. Canal nowhere near.
Be Happy Allan
Over the aforementioned 5 bar gate, right turn, across the road and then into Church Balk and onto Southfield Road, past the cemetery, first house on left, Derek Gorst's house, half an hour of cigarettes and jazz records before rejoining the throng for shower after an exhausting 'run'.
ReplyDeleteYou've opened a can of worms now, Mick. Gentian Violet can be used for Wrestlers Jock and Thrush. The mental pictures had me doubled up with laughter.
ReplyDeleteBut if you want a laugh - go to theoatmeal.com/comics/cat_vs_internet When you recover from that work your way thro the list. The "pros and cons of making pro and con lists" is a good un too.
Ta Kenat. Edit my route to be same as yours = Church Balk, Southfield Rd, Cemetery and carry on until almost at Thorne South. Then left onto Foot Trods.
Ber Happy Allan
And I thought it was woad
ReplyDeleteStill can't get handle on our weather vis a vis Met Office Forecast. Thin drizzle & a vertical Chippy plume. Teatime a bit of hail, but a rather half hearted attempt. Particle size about a grain of rice. Gave up and back to drizzle. Gales again tomorrow??? Temp of 39 deg F and the graph is level. Watch this space.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
The Met Office have finally started taking notice of me Without any further prompting, we now have an Easterly air flow for tonight & tomorrow. But same dire threats of snow and all that goes with it. You know. Take warm clothes out with you in the car, and don't forget to charge yr mobby tonight. Watch this space, but Reactolites have been the best option this week.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy Allan
We compromised somehow. Blue sky, brilliant sun, 1/2 inch of snow which is melting rapidly, 36 deg F. Mountain looks lovely. Brilliant white sparkling in the sun. Black trees etched on top. Looks like a Lowry painting.
ReplyDeleteBe Happy ALLAN
Blue sky,85F,gentle breeze,watching the coconuts and bananas grow in my garden.No I am not in Atlanta but in my other home in St Lucia.It's all a long way from Thorne!
ReplyDeleteNot fair. South Wales is a long way away from Thorne too, but we don't get weather like that. I'll just have to see our Met Office. Too many inconsistencies in my life.
ReplyDeleteBe happy Allan
The Phoenix weather forecast is calling for a haboob and the eastern U.S. has just suffered from a derecho. Never heard of them you say. Me neither but perhaps new terms are needed for new weather patterns. I just read that U.K. rain totals for June were higher than anything since record keeping began. Having watched the Queen and P.P reviewing the boats on the Thames a couple of weeks ago can't say I'm surprised. I will be in the Lake District for a few days in early September so am hoping for some drier weather at that time .
ReplyDeleteA haboob is a dust storm. Sounds like an Arabic word. A derecho is an intense wind storm associated with a thunderstorm and sometimes a tornado. The storm might be a hundred miles long and boomerang shaped and moves rapidly eg 600 miles in 10 hours.It has been called a land hurricane. It is triggered by intense heat and we have been having that. Last week Toronto had 3 consecutive days over 33 degrees and this week temperatures are hovering just above and below 30. The radar is showing a line of thunderstorms approaching Toronto so that should drop temperatures a little this afternoon and bring some much needed rain. The lawn is going brown.
The heat and lack of rain is having a negative effect on crop yields, especially in the mid west states like Illinois. Already the corn crop forecasts are down and the weather forecast of hot weather for the next 4 days will cause further reductions.
Although it is only July 3rd and summer barely started officially it seems that we have been having summer weather for a couple of months already. Our spring was very early this year and it has just kept going. I love the hot weather so it suits me down to the ground. Clematis and roses have been very showy but peak of first flush is now over and if heat continues the second blooming of the roses may not be up to par.
It did rain yesterday but not in Toronto. There were thunderstorms all around but my grass just got browner. Haven't had the hose out to water the garden yet this year but will have to do it today before it dies of thirst. It is 11.30 am and the temperature is already 31 with 34 forecast for this afternoon. With the humidity it will feel like 42. The heat and humidity will cause isolated thunderstorms but they tend to be local so that places just a few miles away get drenched but we don't get a drop. The fact that I am going to do some watering will probably mean that we will get the thunderstorm just after the watering is done! It's one of those 'rules' like how it rains after you wash the car, or you lose something and find your insurance has expired.
ReplyDelete.....of you buy all weather outdoor furniture and the rain never stops
ReplyDelete.....or a spill on your new tie
ReplyDeleteJuly 4th saw hotter temps than expected with a record high for us of just over 36 feeling like 44. Not sure what that is exactly in old money. Maybe 110? Today is expected to be 36 and no, we did not get any rain. It took several hours to water the garden. The ground just absorbed water like a giant sponge.
ReplyDeleteThe wild mulberry tree in the garden has fruit on it at the moment. The birds love them. Problem is they eat and perch right above my car which gets targeted for purple poop.
We've had non stop torrential rain for what seems like days now. It was warm yesterday, but it's turned colder today. There are flood warnings all over Yorkshire, and there are severe problems in the Hebden Bridge area. My back garden is under water, so I don't have the problem you have Mick.
ReplyDeleteI have a berberis which has purple berries in front of my window, and they target my window with their purple poop.
My second attempt today.
ReplyDeleteSaw on the weather channel the rain and flood conditions for England yesterday then turned to Wimbledon for the Murray v Tsongas game. The court was bathed in sunshine.
Here in Toronto, after another hot one yesterday, without rain, this morning was cooler- about 20 degrees. Had an early morning cup of tea in the garden as the sky darkened. Came in . Wrote this email and tried to send it at the same time as a thunderstorm broke. The email went somewhere without record and the internet was down for a few minutes. In the meantime lots and lots of lovely rain and yes,I did wash the car yesterday. The combination of watering the garden on Wednesday and washing the car on Friday was just too much for the rain gods to resist.It's after five now, overcast but pleasant. There's a baseball game,Jays v White Sox and a 'football' game, Argos v Eskimos, on T.V. and the BBQ is loaded and ready to light when Marly calls to let me know she is leaving the dressmakers.Souvlaki with homemade Tsatziki sauce. Litre and a half of French red plonk ready to go and a cucumber, sweet onion, and tomato salad with some basil and thyme from the garden.Crusty roll. Life is sweet.
Corn futures are sky high as the heat and drought continue in the mid-west. That will trickle down as higher prices in a wide range of products from energy to food. We had the one thunderstorm about a week ago but the lawn is still brown and the nearest rain chance is several days away. Temperatures for the next 5 days range from daily highs of 27 to 33. When I lived in Australia, Melbourne, we had some hot summer days but I don't remember such long dry spells as we are having here in Toronto.
ReplyDeleteI have a flight reservation to Manchester early in September and am getting excited at the prospects of my nieces' wedding in Cheshire. and a family reunion, seeing my old TGS friends, Graham Harker and Norman Naylor and possibly Paul Staley.. Hope to get over to Bessacarr to see Uncle Kev and down south to see some cousins. My relatives and friends from TGS days are now scattered to the four winds. That has to be one of the biggest changes in family and social structure. We used to stay put but now the world is our back yard.
British Summertime South Lakes
ReplyDeleteAs London rejoices in gold and sunshine here the grass is green the rain persists. Jumping the puddles at the local Farmers Show lowering cloud and calf deep in mud are we browned off? No. At the carboot sale on the disused airfield junkers peddle their wares punters splash the cash and the blooming weeds run riot. Are we weatherbeaten? Yes and the spirit fails to be dampened.
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