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

Mornin' all, too!
Woke up early to another beautiful day - I s'pose it will change for the weekend

Work during the day - then doing a car park duty this evening at The Stables (Dankworth/Laine Jazz venue where I'm a volunteer). I'll have a peek but probably won't stay on for the show though as it'll be noisy - a Queen tribute band and too much noise triggers my tinnitus. There is a show on at the Stables' Stage Two whihc is a little intimate, cabaret type venue alongside the main auditorium. It may sound interesting - cutting edge experiments on early English traditional music - but I suspect that with 'contemporary arrangements on bowed guitar and double barrelled recorders and crumphorn' it won't be my cup of tea.
I might look in though.
That's the joy of being a volunteer - you get to choose to see the show for free if you want. Otherwise you can go home when you've finished your duty - I'm on car parking.

Have a nice day everyone

A very early morning to you, Polly and Rikki.

I woke up to the dawn chorus - either that or it was my bladder s usual - and as I'd been away all day yesterday I thought I'd catch up on things.

Another beautiful day in prospect and set to continue into next week - great as I've got Monday off work.

Spent yesterday in your neck of woods, Polly, visiting Jan's v elderley aunt and uncle in New Milton. Believe it or not, having arrived at about 11, we spent the whole day cooped up in their house - they even closed the patio doors even though it was about 24 outside. So when we took our leave at about 6.30, we had to go down to the front and walk about a bit. Went down to the sea at Barton (via that long slope by the cafe, Polly) and sat on some rocks by a bit of beach.
We were enjoying the peace when, within 5 mins, a very earnest photographer had turned up to take photos of the groyne and various bits of flotsam; a young family with their spaniel arrived. The spaniel - I think he was called Bozo! - absolutley loved the water (but then they are water dogs, aren't they?) and rolled about in the little waves but, to my disappointment, never shook hiself once over the two little girls who were encouraging him by throwing sticks.
Then a man and teenage son arrived with an inflatable dinghy, outboard motor and fishing rods and kept us amused by pumping up the boat, getting it all kitted out, trying to keep Bozo out of the way (until the owner dragged hi off) and finally setting off out into the great blue yonder - well, about two hundred yards, actually - where they phut-phuttered about trying to find the great shoals of mackerel or whatever that were probably just a few feet below them, laughing their scales off.

So, what was to be a quite few minutes of fresh air before the 3 1/4 hour back turned into quite an interesting divertisement.

Today, I'm preaching at 11 at a local church - Pentecost, I like this week - and then sorting out the parish council accounts ready for submission and a meeting on Tuesday. Then out into the garden for a few hours work and zizz .

Have a good day, you two.

Hi Folderol,(Polly appears to be missing,P C prob's)well you certainly seem to have your life very well organised,I mean you fit so much into a day.

After getting up at five different times for work this week my head feels a bit out of sinc,the lads and I are still awaiting the companies discision as to our new employment arrangements,which I must admit they are certainly taking their time with,I remember you once saying you liked to distace yourself from your work associates,well? when like myself you are with the guys 24-7 working away from home etc sharing lodgings etc I suppose you do get to know just what makes people tick.

Still enough waffle,it's so hot here in Brum this morning I'm thinking of doing a bit in the garden,I realigned a few slabs with the spade yesterday evening and was absolutely melting afterwards,but I do still have to erect my bean sticks(which I replaced last year)I could'nt get 7'-0"s so I had to purchase 8'-0"s so it's a little harder to reach the tops.

anyway Folderol I wish you and yours all the best on this spendid day.R.

Morning all,I'm off to sunny High Wycombe today.

Mornin' Rik - Where oh where is our Polly?

Have a good day in Hy-wy-com-bee (as my friends and I call it). I'm off to work too in a mo, but then the big event today is the Annual Parish council meeting - I'm clerk, you may recall - when we elect or re-elect chairman, etc as well as a normal meeting, which is likely to be spiced up by a resident who likes to stir things up and whom we've got news is going to come and try and badger the council into doing all sorts of things his way. Problem for us is he's a retired barrister and so used to haranguing others. Problem for him is he can only be invited to speak, he cannot address us unless we let him. The chairman is determined to keep him quiet and not to rise to the bait. I'm sure there's a plot for the Archers in their somewhere.....

Enjoy your day - and you too Polly if you can hear me

Hi Folderol,more twists and turns than Dick Dastardly?

Me? I had quite a hard day in High Wycombe,yet the biggest bonus of the day was on the M40 as you are approaching High Wycombe going up the very steep hill there must have been at least ten red kites all airborne and flying around in a huge circles.

Over the last few years I have seen them multiply in that area,there must be dozens of them now.

Anyway Cambridge for me tommorow according to my local weather forecast today appears to be the last day for a while of the wonderful weather we've been having

Still as I managed to put about ten canes in for the French runner beans the plants are not quite tall enough yet to entwine around the canes yet,so my bean plants will love all the rain they can get.

I presume the red kites you mention were the feathered kind and not some Ancient Chinese ritualistic gathering! Lucky you, though, I've never seen a red kite. Plenty of kestrels of course and, where we go camping in west Dorset, honey buzzards.

The meeting was a bit of a damp squib - the barrister didn't turn up and anyway, it was decided the matter was so important and complex we're to hold a separate meeting next week. Still the meeting still provided enough work for a few evening and days off in the coming weeks.

Day off tomorrow - but as it includes a morning in a parish council training session followed by a nasty seesion at the dentists, it isn't a day to relish. At least there's art group in the evening which is always a very sane time with pleasant people and enjoyment all round, even if my finished painting might go straight in the rejects file.

Enjoy your day, Rikki, I always like going there and as I can get there in an hour and a half with my free bus pass - the joys of being over 60 - it's something I do occasionally.

Morning all,brollies and wellies today

Hi Folderol,(still no Polly)it's a lot cooler here today my runner beans have hardly moved in the ground this week,still not tall enough to start climbing.

I trust you have had a good week,I was up early every day last week and next week I am in Liverpool(yuk)for four days so we'll be hitting a dodgey B and B somewhere for a few nights,hope it wont be raining too much else the lads will be content just lounging in some grotty boozer every evening(it'll be like getting let off the lead for me though)anyway all the best to you and yours, hope your sermon goes down well,ta ra

Thanks Rikki - Lovely day here today but has been a bit naff lately. Still, next sunday we're off to Spain for a week - hopefully it will be warmer there - although my youngest is out there this week and it's not that good.

Quiet week for me this week starting with a day off tomorrow but instead, a hospital visit about my waterworks . Then Weds pm and all dayt Friday off, so not too bad.

We fly out next Sunday pm, so I prob won't be in touch much from then for a week.

Do hope Polly's OK, she doesn't look to be signing onto any other threads, either, so I presume she's away on hols

Mornin Rik. Another lovely morning though a bit chilly.

I've been thinking about Polly and worrying. The last message was, I think at the beginning of last week - Monday I think - and ne'er a word about going away. I really hope it's her pc that's keeping her away, or that she suddenly got the chance of a holiday at short notice.

I dare say you are still away, Rik, as I write - Weds morning - but I hope you are able to enjoy this sunshine at least a bit.

I'm off work this afternoon but loads to do on the pc following a special meeting of our Parish Council last night that created a load of letter for me to see to.

Have a good day - I miss Polly - are you there Poll?

HELLO! dear Rick and Folly.

Thank you so much for your concern. It is the computer that has kept me away for so long. I'm trusting that I shall soon have a new pc. Getting here at this moment in time takes absolutely ages. So I rarely bother.

I pray that you are both well. And that you both have a happy bank-holiday weekend. I shall be away for the week (am going this afternoon).

Take care, and I hope to be conversing with you daily very soon!!


Warmest wishes to you and your families.

Polly


XXXX

Hi all,well I must say I was pleasantly suprised,Liverpool (Sefton Park)was not yuk at all,in fact it was a smashing park,sadly though at the moment the central water area is being cleaned out (desilted?)with all the water drained off all I could see was thousands of old bottles that lazy beggars?had casually disguarded over the years.

With all the wildlife still standing in tiny puddles,apart from the really unpleasant smell there appeared to be dozens of species of birds I saw a rather nice Heron and one tree was marked as being the natural habitat of a rare type of bat.

Hello Polly and welcome backenjoy your break.

Hi Folderol,I 'am working in Wolverhampton tomorrow,But I think I have got a 9-oclock pm start in Hull on Friday night,so that'll shorten the weekend a little,all my best wishes to you and yours enjoy your holiday away and I hope to hear from you again soon?

Hi Rik - good to hear from Polly and that her absence is not health based which is what I feared. Pity I've missed her before her hols.

Sorry to make you gloat, Rik, but I'm off work tomorrow and Saturday then off to our place in spain for a week. So you'll be all on your own. Do you ever get a holiday?

The lake or whatever at Sefton Park seems interesting - not often one gets the opportunity to see a drained lake. In D H Lawrences @Womein in Love, a young couple went missing at a country house party and they drained the lake to find them - they were curled up naked on the mud hugging each other - ooer . I remember the film just showed mud - no thousands of bottles!

Anyway, have a good weekend and a good week - don't work too hard. I'll probably look in at this trhread on Friday and Saturday but then not for a week.

¡Hasta la vista!

Hi Polly,

Hi Folderol,I bet you're well tar brushed now,trust you and yours have had great weather and a great holiday.

I was a bit peeved yesterday problems with my wireless router again,this morning I went in my lads car to PC world and bought a completely new router set,now (lord almighty)my youngest son's laptop is not working(my fault he claims)yet it was OK when my PC was'nt working yesterday,still all's fair in love and family's

Still missing you Polly

Hi Rikki - and Poll if you're around again.
Got back at 1.30 a.m. this morning and up at 7 for work so not on best form at present. Had a good week although only 2 sunny days. 2 rain non stop days and rest were ok ish. Had a v relaxing time, though and some lovely walks. As usual went tot he bird reserve and this time saw three firsts - cuckoo in flight, serin - a little yellow bird that obliged us by hopping around on the track in front of us and a little plover.

Still no Polly? I wish she could get her pc sorted, I know we both miss her - DID YOU HEAR THAT, POLLY?

Trust you are well and haven't been working too hard. I can quite understand anyone's frustration with pc's and things electronic. My broadband won't go faster than 1.8 meg even though 'they' say 'up to 8 meg' etc. Why? 'cos our phone exchange is so old and BT haven't got round to upgrading it yet. So I just have to put up with it.

Hi Folderol,working too hard??????? as the old slave driver gaffer says"you can only do eight hours work in eight hours"
Still no Polly

Normin' Rik

I was getting used to this semiretirement lark Only 4.5 hrs per day and 3.5 days per week (plus my parish council work that I fit in when I like). Then I had last week away - great. This week I'll have done only 3 days, but then! Next week 4 days and the following week - every day!! What is the world coming to? That's 22.5 hours!

Sorry! I know you must be doing a tad more than htat - like double - but, as great uncle Albert used to say, 'When you get to my age, you'll realise what it's like to get to my age.'

Hey ho - at least there's the weekend to look forward to -

Have a good one