h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Do you mind If I put you on my friends list?I used to enjoy reading what you had to say using Minas place but as she isn't doing much anymore It would make easier for me if I just put you on my list.

When I lived in the states I enjoyed smoking a green coloured cigar I don't remember the name but they came in a box of fifty , they were a good size not small, I would like to recommend them to you as you seem to like cigars.

I'm very partial to cigars indeed In fact I'm thinking about lighting one right now. The green-coloured cigars you're talking about might have a double claro wrapper on them. It's a kind of tobacco that's picked young and dried quickly. I've never had one of those but I'll keep my eye out. I buy most of mine from a place in San Antonio that makes its own but also sells well known names like Cohiba and Romeo y Julietta. It's a strange experience for me - I've been vehemently anti-smoking all my life, although I liked the smell of pipe tobacco and cigars when I was a kid. I guess it's just cigarettes I don't like.

And I'd be honoured if you added me to your friends list. Perhaps I can return the favour. Where in the States did you live, and where are you now?

I miss Mina

I used to live in Santa Cruz Cal in the seventies but since the early eighties I have been in Japan the last ten in Nara .

I still read Fred's blog

Santa Cruz... very nice. I passed through there once as I was driving down the PCH. Came over from London to visit some friends in LA and hired a car for a week so I could see CA. I went north through the Owens Valley as far as Lake Tahoe, across through Sacramento, up through the Napa Valley (I think it was Napa), over to Eugene and then all the way back down the coast. That was an eye-opening drive.

Japan though, now that's a place I'd really like to see one day. Is there still much of the gaijin attitude in Japan these days?

Santa Cruz was an art/hippy place when I was there ,now its a computer based Uni, lovely bay.
I also went to Tahoe, Reno, across to the coast and down through the redwoods even drove through some trees .

As for Japan, I find it ok , some people hate the Gaijin and some Idolize them ,It feels like there are a lot of Gaigin around now , I'm just about retired now but I think it's a lot harder to make money here nowadays for the young kids coming over and of course only teaching english jobs really,I was lucky and able to work in craft but then married to a Japanese made staying/working here easier. http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/dna/h2g2/brunel/F1694533/ext/_auto/-/http://www.flickr.com/photos/21128589@N02/

I saw the General Sherman tree Big Sur was everything I hoped it would be. Downtown Carmel... I don't recall too much about it. Never got to see Cannery Row, which perhaps is a good thing because it could never live up to Steinbeck's Cannery Row, which is one of my favourite two or three novels. I do wish they'd put that film out on DVD. Must be about time I read the book again.

I've seen your pictures before... was it you who asked me about the cacti and succulents?

Well strap me to a tree and call me Brenda - they *have* put it out on DVD

Sorry been away from the computer watching Pheasants in my garden ,Yes it was me asking about cacti and we did buy one, I like the Monterey Aquarium it's well worth a visit, but then I'm into fish, My wives cousin has a large fish farm I'm planning to take my camera to pretty soon he's breeding large koi which I would love to keep, just no energy now to dig a pond

I just got some snaps of three Pheasants in my garden ,The male was displaying to the females,made my day.