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

Just realised we are not 'friends' on h2g2, so I added you!

Glad you made it back safely, and just thought I'd drop round to say how great it was to meet you, and how much fun Sunday was!

Hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.

Thank you! I just saw you included the Garden in your Blog, and a shot of 'our' pub Your tour was the highlight of my trip, of course I will give most of the credit to Herself Thank you again. Good to have you as a friend, in more ways than one.

F S

If you liked the Garden post, you'll love the latest one!

Well done, it almost makes you think you were there, Wait, I was there
I have sent my story into , if you want a sneak peek I do have it posted on my 'working entry' link.

I loved the Christopher Robin and Alice quotes! Where do they come from? I associate Christopher with Pooh Bear and Alice with Louis Carroll, or are they a different pair of characters, or am I just being dense?

F S

Read it! My, you were busy! Best way to be, of course. Sounds like you had an excellent time overall!

The Christopher Robin quotes are by the author of Winnie-the-pooh. He wrote a couple of books of children's poetry as well as the Pooh stories, and Christopher Robin (and Pooh) are in some of them. They are fab.

It will amuse you that our copy has a drawing of Christopher and Alice watching the changing of the guard, in admirable solitude, totally unattended by crowds.

Just one question - I'm looking forward to the photos! But none of them are of Herself are they? I try to keep Herself off the Internet, but I keep forgetting to tell people this in advance.

The bear for Elaine was a lovely touch. So glad you made it to the Isle of Wight. Every h2g2er should go!

I did include herself in my 'Pub Lunch' Photo, it was one of my favorites, but I have asked the Post Team to not publish it. I will apparently be published as a three part series.

F S

I must say I do sometimes curse the ban I have imposed on myself. I should probably set up some kind of closed flicker group so that at least friends and family can share.

Thanks for understanding!

A few comments on your Blog, I find the 71 gun salute interesting, particularly the 'chaos' of firing the shots. At the end of each of our re-enactments we fire a final salute volley, primarily to make sure that all the weapons are empty before we allow the public to come forward and meet us. The Army and other regular forces try to make a single bang at the order to fire, the Indians (Native Americans) like to count to three. By tradition they begin to shoot on two, or before and continue a ragged fire for the next minute or two - Indians can't or don't bother to count they say

I have never considered myself an 'entertaining conversationalist' most people find me quiet and shy, thank you.

As to 'Changing of the Guard' vs 'Guard Mounting' I have always used the later term for actually marching the Guard to their posts. If there are 10 guard posts you need to man every hour or so (depending on the orders of the post and persons available) a unit will be assembled with the number required and stop at each station. The person, or persons at the front of the line will go and relieve the guard, receive the standing orders and the old guards return to the end of the column. When mounting guard overnight it is very important to know where each of the relief are sleeping, so you can rose them and get them into line.

It was a great time, even if we did not get to see a lot, at least we saw a bit more than 'herself's' sea of bottoms!

I did look up AA Milne's poems, and thought the 'Buckingham Palace' the best of the few I read.

I'll post a bit more on the subject later, remind me if I don't.



F S

I have read your latest blog on the 'Tretyakov' I find myself intrigued by the painting of 'The Dragonfly' can you tell me a bit more about it? I thought she was balancing on a tree branch, but I saw on a web-site it is actually a fence. I can see the resemblance to herself. Not only in the physical features, but the position. After watching her balance on the crowd control chain, I can well imagine her on the rail in a few years.
Is there a particular Russian tradition that makes him refer to her as 'The Dragonfly'? The web site said it had to do with freedom and flighty behaviour, in the US we would tend to use the 'Butterfly' as a more appropriate nick-name.

I would like to find a lithograph of this painting. It is a great depiction of the innocence of childhood.

Just curious, as it is November I won't expect a quick response.


F S

Hi Sol

I see you have been busy on your BLOG, very interesting as always

Your visit to the Scottish Owl preserve reminded me of a story I would like to share.

It was back in the mid 70's, I had a friend from high school who was serving in the Army. He had a few weeks leave before he had to report to his next station in Alaska. He ordered a brand new 4-wheel drive pick up truck that was only delivered the afternoon before he had the start heading north west.

He wanted to try out his new truck and show it off. He asked me to go for a ride. There was a large island in the area http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/ at the time the county was working out plans for the park, but they had cut off all the roads with 6 foot high piles of dirt to keep out teenagers and vandals. Shifting the truck into 4-wheel drive made no barrier for us at all. once on the other side there were dozen of dirt roads that led us past Indian Mounds and mangrove beaches. (yes we were probably trespassing and breaking the law, but the statutes of limitation have long ago passed).

The reason I mention all this is that along one road there was an owl sitting on a branch in a pine tree at just about eye level. We must have passed him a dozen times, and each time we could see him turning his head watching us drive by - he never left his branch while we were there.

Just as a fun conclusion, by the time we got back, my friend Billy decided it was too late for sleep so he grabbed his duffel bag and left a note to say good-bye to his mother. On a whim I rode with him as far as Atlanta and grabbed a plane home. I almost forgot, as we got to the airport Jimmy Carter and his family were filming a campaign commercial (he was president from 1977 to 1981).

Take care and say hi to herself for me.

F S

Gah! I bookmarked this to reply to, and then my utter inability to multitask took over again. It's at times like this that I remember DNA's line about the human mind not being able to remember more than 7 things simultaneously. Luckily we watched another flying show today at a Country Fair and it popped back into my mind.

Anyway. Great story! I can quite see why the whole incident, down to the owl, has stuck in your mind. Made me think of how my parents moved into what was then one of the very few purpose built 'new towns' back when it was still under construction, and how they tell me about what are very established landmarks for me were at the time just fields.

Sorry too that I seem to have missed the Repin post! November. Well, yes, one post does get swamped. It's a great painting, I agree. I have never thought about whether or not 'dragonfly' is a typical label, like 'butterfly' for us. I shall ask V.

The Tret Galleries are terrible about merchandise, but they do the odd reproduction. I shall look into it when we are there this summer!