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

Yeah, it is, isn't it? A very atmospheric place, is Gettysburg.

I don't suppose you saw the ghosts?

I'm sure there ought to be ghosts but I didn't see any.

I was going to write a poem about the of the Circle Line but it wasn't working.

Oh, darn. That sounds delightful.

Done it A87842109

Hey! I like that one.

And it's definitely going into week after next.

Hey and yay! and welcome home, mvp!

I'm running late this week. Have to catch up on all amazing postings and all the hootoo everythings.

We've been riding our bikes and absorbing the late Autumn sunlight. We are waiting for the avocets to arrive on the Exe estuary, their flight must be running late. Where do they fly in from? I must find out. Have to know our facts around 'ere. RSPB country. Yikes.

Imagine being a bird, eh? No airport check in. Nice.

I've also been trying to write a two paragraph non-story about a plastic fried egg , for a writing group I just joined in town. It's a low pressure group, great people. How long I will last remains to be seen. Watch the sky for the great eclipse of the plastic fried egg intentions.



I've just been reading The Ghost of the Circle Line. That's amazing, mvp!!! Is there really a ghost on the Circle Line? The London Underground and the paranormal. This could have great potential! I must know more.



Back later to read about your trip, and all postings, and hullo everyone!

Speak soon.

I like the idea of the eclipse of the plastic egg intentions!

I think the Circle Line ghost is an urban myth, but I believe there are ghost stations. Stations that have been closed and mothballed. Those would be spooky.

New issue of is up with an entry by Rod. His entries are always fun.

What are the ghosts of Gettysburg?



Your trip sounds great, though, mvp, despite the weather. You left your camera on a rock? Oh no!! I was eagerly awaiting those photos. You'll just have to write your photos. Like, remember every single photo you took, and write about it. heheh. And send them to me.

I love stalagmites and stalactites. I've never seen any for real. I wonder where I can see some, I think maybe in Cheddar Caves in Somerset?

Can't believe your close brush with Gonzales. We have a friend who lives in Bermuda. She said it got a bit scary out there. She described to me just how loud a hurricane is.



Did you go through any places called Wilmington? . Our friend Phreddy Firecloud (of hootoo fame), is travelling across the States, again, with his lovely wife, and he told us that they seem to travel through places named Wilmington in every state.

Perhaps Mister D and Elektra might confirm that there's a Wilmington in every state. .

So we told him that we go through two places called Wilmington when we go to Sussex. Wilmington near Honiton, Devon, and Wilmington near Eastbourne, of Long Man of Wilmington fame.



That's interesting isn't it? Sort of. A bit.

Ahh Maria I love your description of the Spanish hootoo meet. I dream, I dream. A la Agatha Christie, without the murder. heheh. That's great.All these interesting characters, from all walks of life, drawn together by a shared context. Glad you said without the murder.



Imagine an Agatha Christie book without the murder! I'd quite like it, in fact, because I like obscurity and stories that run backwards. Or upside down. . There would seem to be a murder, but turns out there wasn't. Have to ask mvp how to write that one.



Damn, I forgot to photograph the seasonal mallows in the cafe this morning. Was going to send to for Hallow'een, but of course I'm late for that anyway. They were little cakes, called seasonal mallows, presumably marshmallows, in the shape of pumpkins. They all had a grin, and I was going to write all over the photo and give them lyrics. Like, a band called Seasonal Mallows.

Send us the mallows, anyway! Never too late.

Ghosts of Gettysburg...letm e see if I can find any...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xlyofmznOs

No guarantees, of course - but many ghosts have been seen on that battlefield.

Very compelling.

In a class with a photo of a ghost of Charles Darwin I've seen.

Also reminescent of the grounds in front of the Grant County Courthouse in Oregon, at midnight, where they used to have the gallows and public hangings in the wild west days.

http://0.tqn.com/d/np/ghost-hunting/9781598699203_0185_001.jpg

eek! The ghosts in the camera. Or beyond the camera. Interesting! Thanks!

Evening all

The Ghosts in the Camera. That would be a good band name. eh? heheh. Better than the Seasonal Mallows. Or, by the time I get it together, The Unseasonal Mallows.

I will see if the aforementioned Mallows are still there, next time I'm there, but I suspect they will have been eaten. My art has been eaten! (cluches brow).

But I haven't forgotten Post contributions. Lucky you.

Typo. Of course I meant clutches brow. One cannot cluche a brow, this we know.

I can't type on our little netbook any more. It is acting so strange. Mind you, it is quite old. I think it hears me. I just announced that I was going to ask our tech guy to come over and gently remove its hard drive, and frisbee it across the yard , because it is moving so slow, and now it is moving so fast, I just have to press one key and it writes a novel for me in 23 seconds.

Mind you, I'm quite old also, and moving slow, and I would object if someone came along and removed my hard drive and frisbeed it across the yard.

Is there a verb to frisbee?

If not, there should be.

heheh yes.

Strange time, Hallowe'en. I've been rootling through the trick or treat shelf in the department store, just in case any kids come by tomorrow night. Having considered the packet of skulls with the red jelly centres, the milk chocolate eyeballs and the sugary bats , I chose some stretchy yellow jelly skeletons, and green spiders.

We've never lived in an area with trick or treat potential. Our neighbours where we lived before were retired and distinguised ladies who were not well versed in the ways of the stretchy yellow jelly skeleton and green spider culture.

Neither are we of course, not having been parents. And I'm a retired and distinguished lady myself. Ahem. We know nothing of trick or treat culture.

I must admit, I'm rather hoping we won't be visited, and that I can place my candy in a bin the next day, surprising a passing urban rat.

Not that I don't appreciate the kids, the kids are cool , but what if the age of chocolate eyeballs is in fact totally over, about twenty years ago in fact, and they are more looking for a fully functioning skull shaped i-pad.

How to write a scene where there appears to be a murder but it turns out to be an illusion?

Didn't Tom Stoppard write a comedy where a man gets into a tangle changing a light bulb, but people see the scene from outside and think someone's been hanged?

It might be fun to write a parody of the country house murder, building it up with the isolated house, the people who've all got reasons for hating the rich man who owns the place. Then someone hears a shot, hurries to open the door of his study and finds ...

How to write a scene where there appears to be a murder but it turns out to be an illusion?

Didn't Tom Stoppard write a comedy where a man gets into a tangle changing a light bulb, but people see the scene from outside and think someone's been hanged?

It might be fun to write a parody of the country house murder, building it up with the isolated house, the people who've all got reasons for hating the rich man who owns the place. Then someone hears a shot, hurries to open the door of his study and finds ...

The nasturtiums are up, annually reseeding themselves.

Planted out herbs, basil, oregano, cilantro, garlic chives and my 'bane of Georgia Tech wild onions'*, along with miscellaneous flowers, collards (2), brussels sprouts & kohlrabi (3), Chinese cabbage, (something I'm trying here for the first time).

Tomorrow, I'll be putting in some turnips (4), a 1m circle of zinnias and starting some flowerpot tomatoes in a conservatory cage, as usual, things exotic enough I'm not likely to find them in the supermarket.




Central American wild yams germinating.

They appear to be a biennial crop locally.




African yams doing well, should make a nice floral show in the spring.

Still haven't used up the last the tubers harvested at the beginning of summer.




*So called because they come up as weed in grass turf, making slippery patches.

As an herb, they can be harvested and used like chives, though they're more strongly flavored than actual chives.

Grown in full sun locations, rather than flowering, they make ~1"/2.25cm clusters of tiny bulblets, varying from 0.125"-0.25"/3mm-5mm,
best used by means of putting the entire cluster in a garlic press and squeezing it onto one's onion bread or toast.

They only flower and seed in full shade conditions.

A common and ubiquitous wild herb throughout the State of Georgia, wherever its got well lit, open areas to grow.




(2) I've not so far succeeded with collards in the Salton Sea area.





(3) So far my two most successful winter green vegetables.

Kohlrabi, is usuaslly a biennial, but here makes market quality vegetables in a single season.




(4) Turnips usually produce a winter crop on rainfall alone west of the coastal range in California, but here in the desert require irrigation.

heheh, yes mvp, and finds ... and finds... ??? I love it.

Tom Stoppard probably did write the comedy about the man changing the light bulb, I'm going to find out, sounds hilarious.

It's NaJoPoMo season again! I'm reading all ye and yours and brilliant they are!! I should do it really, do you just make a new journal entry and entitle it NaJoPoMo 2014? I've still got a few hours left of Nov 1st. Or not.

Hallowe'em turned out really great, although we missed the little trick or treaters because we were out and about till later, lurking in the sports club bar, which was Hallowe'en-free apart from a lifesize green sparkly skeleton lurking unconvincingly in the entrance.

Earlier I traded the still packaged candy for some wholesome fruit, because the incredibly pure vegan sugar-free husband said we shouldn't encourage sugar consumption in the kiddies.

Next year we will pull fifty pence pieces out of our ear and sugar- free white mice will leap out of the garden hedge.

In the coffeeshop, in the morning, the guys n' girls who work there were all dressed so gorgeously in red satin black lace goth and vampire chic, it gave me heart palpitations, and still does, just thinking about them.

Have to change postings, to catch up with ITI's horticultural activities.