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

Hi, hope you got the last email ok, and hope you're back to taking steps again.

I'm sure I used to have a thread on your doorstep here, but I couldn't find it.

Anyway, I'm partly here to say voting in the Presidential elections started early and the polling centre is here A5889261 (well actually the instructions on voting are there), should you wish to cast your vote.

And partly here to say I hope all's well.

My house martins have fled back to Africa, large flocks of Canada geese are starting to fly past (I love the sound of them, especially when they fly so low over the roof you can hear the air through their wings), the plums are finished and the damsons almost so and I think I should bring the geraniums in.

I'm going to go and light the central heating boiler now. Once it's lit I keep it going (or try to) right through until April/May. It's good to have a fire and hot coal in the house. It's like a mini furnace when it gets going.

Take care,
Waz

Hey again, was that good timing or what?

It *was* cold that night. I lit the boiler, and now we have what the weather forecaster says is a tropical heatwave.



It's *not* tropical, but it is too warm for a 24/7 boiler.

I've never lit the boiler this late in the year before. I've always given in by mid September before. Definitive proof of global warming . What's George Bush's address?

Dearest Waz, big

At last!!. I never saw all these postings and am having a great time catching up with old friends, and two new ones, Phred and Scorpio!!.

I did not get your email. butI am sending you my addy and hope you will reply as I would love to put a voice to you!. How are the family anmd all your many interests? I miss our talks about the wild flowers. did you go to Spain this year?

Hope you can disentangle this christianeatceliasdotwanadoodotcodotuk andthatisthat.

How is the job? I saw that shrewsbury School the music form did extremely well in the Young Musicians with a tympanist(percussionist) wiinig the prize in his section. well done. there was also a wonderful trumpeter from up north. Much better than here. I have really been enjoying them these last few evenings.

fond
Hope to hear from you soon.
ChristianeAr1

AR1! Good to hear from you . I read a couple of your journals, you seem to have had some torrid times with your pc. Hope it's all sorted out now and your writing's going well and that you and K are well. (Do you still have your red hair?)

I'll try that email.

Spain was great, as usual. Great walks in the hills, lots of flowers, butterflies, birds ... plus good food and sangria in the sun . The job is good but a bit fraught just now - might have to go full time for a couple of months. That'll be a shock to the system.
Waz

Hi my dear friend,

Thank you for your reply.
Yes I still have red air - and it gets more and more red each time it is tickled up - fortunately not "orange" though I suppose there is time for that.

So glad you enjoyed Spain. where do you go to and where are the flowers. I suppose it is inaccessible to wheelchairs. Have you written about it in the Underguide. Are you still working as hard at that?
Sorry about the job. I thought youhad always worked full time!. I was very chuffed to see that a pupil of Shrewsbury School for Boys got into the finals of the Young Musicians of Britain . He had a formidable array of percussion instruments. I listened to the final concert and thought that the young lad who played the clarinet was a deserved winner. He seemed such a happy relaxed person.
I celebrated my 78th birthday (which is tomorrow) with a party yesterday and to which came my very dear nephew and his wife and my neice and her husband and three children - whom I had not seen for over five years. also my eldest son and his wife and my eldest grandson. We were 26 in all and I had started cooking at 5 a,m, on Saturday morning!!. It was such a success and I loved every minute of it. I feel blessed and loved which is wonderful. We held it in K's house and he was splendid.
with much affection
Christiane AR!
Nothing has arrived on email as yet.

My very dear friend ,

Not a peep from you for some time. have you taken off on holiday to one of your super islands.? I miss our regular chats.Please do write and send me your news.,
I have not heard from abbi, nor Willem either. and now Gnoman is threatening to go climb a tree. Makes me sad losing all my frinds!!.

With much affection
Christiane

Hey Christiane - I'm around, just preoccupied just now with ... well, all sorts of things. And all that Spring stuff going on outside the window gets very distracting. 'Things' mostly includes work, (essential-right-hand-man leaves tomorrow , builders and procrastinating the housework.

Willem usually only posts on Sundays so it's seems a while when he misses one.

About Spain, did you ever read this -> A3032650, about Cielo? That's where we go, and where the flowers are. Not up the top of Cielo - I've only climbed up there the once, but around him.

More later, lunchbreak's finished. I'll email later too, though probably tomorrow as it's a dancing night tonight. We're having proper lessons at the moment - proper steps and all that sort of thng .
It's good to have you around again,
Waz

Thank you for guiding me to your Cielo article.

It is outstanding, and I was really enthralled with it.

I try not to thhink of the things that I miss being in in a w/c. But when I have it so beautifully written it gives my heart a great big lift.

With
Christiane
My reply is entitled Goodness,Gracious, Me! (just in case you do not realise it!.)

Hi Was,

Have you gone on holiday again. Or flown the country? Or fallen down a hole?

Now that I have got a super computer that is doing what I expect it to do I want to talk to all my friends!!

Do let me know how you are. I have been chatting to Hypatia and her friend Phred who is really a fascinating person with a lovely wife. His pictures are something unbelievable.K., abnd I gaze at them and long to be there. Willem has also got some super pics of the most elegant giraffe at a dam near his hime called Turfloop.
Incidentally is there a plural form of giraffe? I tend to think that there is not.

Go well,

Christiane <schooloffish<

It's Giraffii, Christiane .

I've fallen into a work hole - working full time just now.

Phred's pictures are really good - I was following his trek across various deserts in the Post. There were some stunning images of a sandstone canyon that wind and water had carved into wonderful shapes.

I'm fine, apart from work, and work's ok too in it's way. Quite exciting not knowing if you're going to meet deadlines or not .

A super computer? Very impressive .

Hey, I saw your message on the Cielo entry - yes, I suppose Sangria's not the most sensible drink to go mountain climbing with. But we weren't thinking of it as a hike, more of a day out. We had water and orange too - and it did make the trip more fun. It was a really good da that one. It's still a little hard to believe we actually got up there. Especially this spring, when there was quite a bit of snow showing.

If you've got a super computer, I could email you a picture of those miniature daffodils. They're very pretty.

Waz

Hi Waz,

Well I am glad that you have not fallen into a hole!

Yes I would love to see the photos. You have already sent me one - of you on the island by the sea. which I treasure!.
this is just my old computer hotted up. I really do not understand much of what has happened, but it does not break down all the time, but now the mouse has decided to stop working every now and again. Very bothersome.

Phred's photographs are quite stupendous. And I really feel as if I am travelling with him. It is a precious gift to have.

I had a marvellous marning gardening, and balancing buckets on water, and clinging onto the metal rails on either side of my
wheelchair ramp. My back feels considerably stronger and when I do stand I can stand and sit much more upright. so this bucket watering is doing me a load of good!!.
It seems that there was quite a todo whilst I was off line. I do not know what it is about, but I must say that your friend Hypatia is a ball of fire and very enthusiastic about so many things. It has been heartwarming to be able to chat to them.

With much affection and hope to hear from you soon.

Are you still doing so much work on the Under Guide? Is frontiersman one of your friends? I sem to remember his name mentioned by you.
How is the Scottish Dancing?Do you know the island that Simon King from Spring Watch is broadcasting from on spring Watch?

Christiane AR1

Hey , I've tried the email address in post 3 on this thread, does that one work?

You should have email if it does - I attached the photo of the miniature daffs to it.

Waz

Hi my dear friend,

No I am afraid that my email has once again gone down the plug hole. so I am once again going to try and get myself a new computer.

It is so strange that I can email on this thread but cannot send or receive emails outside on my server's line.

I think that I really must buckle down and finish the work that I have to do. I Have been flitting across the pond and am actually in a daze as I do not understand or know what anyone is talking about! Time to quit this part of the world!!.

K. fortunately is so much better. But I am feeling the heat quite bqdly. And yet October in Harare was so much worse!

Have a good weekend.

Christiane

It got through in the end. I'm glad, and I've answered .

It was a good weekend. Saturday - Jazz evening/picnic at another village, met the local undertaker who was very jolly, had the 'Axe-Man's' house pointed out (he's in prison at present, thankfully), and also the ring in the middle of the road they used to tether the bull to for baiting...

Sunday - mealies, trout rissotto and hand-picked-bilberry pie lunch in the garden plus a walk along the canal at my sister's.

So a kind of , and weekend.

About the heat - I know. I remind myself every so often. The key is slowing down and relaxing when it builds up in the afternoon. I do like it though.
Waz

Hey , I found this thread!

You made a very kind invitation in my Ash Produce Show/Pumpkins thread, F40352?thread=3458665&latest=1, and I wasn't sure if you caught my reply in there. Which was, basically, to say that it was very tempting, and Kew was very tempting, but I'm going to be in North Yorkshire that weekend.

I hope you have a really good time and Kew puts on its best for you. I was there in July, you know. For the first time in years and years. Found a mulberry tree with ripe mulberries on it . Ended up with very purple fingers.

Hope your Zambian friend is recovering from her accident too, and that K's doing well and you're looking after yourself too,

take care,
Waz

Hi dear friend,

Thank you so much for this reply. It is nice to have a special thread. You are so popular and have so many interests that sometimes it seems a long time before I get to contact you.

Yes K. is now at his new Art School for the second week. It is quite fraught sometimes. Quite understandable because when one think that literally for 32 years he has been existing - happily as he was so "tanked" u[p woith medication - and now he is attempting to get to grips with the RL world. He is doing some marvellous sketches. He really is very gifted and I hope that he is able to complete this course and make a whole lot of friends.

How is your nephew?
With much affection
Christiane AR1

Right, now ... what did I come over here for?

Oh, yes. I remember! To explain pension millions and value added tax.

But first - many thanks for the flowers. That's a striking and beautiful mix and very scented. They're on the table here by the pc and being virtual, will never wilt.

Islands - much better that VAT. You asked in the other thread whether I'd got to the islands. No, not this year. But Aberdeen was really good. It was a week of light, space, sea, seabirds, sand and granite. It was even warm and often sunny.

One strange thing I saw - a swan out at sea. I have a picture of it - the swan looking very sedately swanlike, quite large waves and an oil rig supply boat on the horizen behind it.



You mentioned threads up there, you know, sometimes I read your journal threads and end up not posting because you have so many replies from people I don't really know. A right pair, aren't we?

My nephew - he's ok, but healthwise not as good as he was. He was quite ill for a couple of weeks in early summer, which knocked him back. He's had various tests to find out why - so far inconclusive. But he does seem to be improving slowly.

Non healthwise - he's learned not to drop the spoon between mouthfuls. Which is very sensible of him. If he'd just learn not to drop cups - that'd be handy! He also has a new electronic drum kit which is very loud and has sound effects on it. Like ringing phones. Great fun for aunts to play with.


Fingers crossed for K at the art school and his finding an outlet for his talent. I do hope it works out as you'd like. His having a real life of his own would take such a weight from you. Or so I imagine.



hmm, think this post is long enough. I'll leave VAT and pensions for another time.


take care AR1-the-Red/Christiane

your aged friend,
Waz

Pssst, Christiane, you're online. I thought you might like this link http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F135418?thread=3682137 It takes time for my PC to load it up, and it might not work properly but if it does it's rather beautiful and a beautiful idea. Got to . It's lunchtime. I need a sandwich!

Thanks so much dear LLWaz.

I had sent a message to pheloxi but had not done anything about the tree.

It is getting really cold now.

Affection

Christiane AR1

Hey, you're having a rough time these last few days, with your brother, and with K being upset.

I so wish it really were possible to take an hour out and teleport to the Sahara for moonlight motorbike ride across the sand, as you once did on a thread a while back.

This isn't the Sahara, and maybe it won't work for you as it did me, I have always liked watching seagulls. But I found a lot of peace in reading this - it was like a time-out. Maybe it would be for you too? Anyway, just in case, A17402564.

Ignore it and forgive me if this isn't the right time for for this, will you? It's just - I know two ways for this website to help. There's the support of friends, which you already have, and there's the break that distraction can give.

Take care AR1 , I don't know how you do what you do.
Waz