The Night Mail

[SM42]

The sun's been out and so the grand prix on the ring road has started a day early. 

 

Just waiting for the loud crunching noise after the tyre squeal noise. 

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

Well it has been a lovely day here in Manutopea. It did start of a bit chilly but gradually as the day passed the warmth built up.

 

And to round the day off we had a tw£t riding a motorbike or rather standing on the seat I should say through the park. 

[Craigw]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Thanks Craig,  I had a 50% chance of getting it wrong, and I succeeded.

 

My interests are more with vipers and pit vipers rather than elapids.

 

I live in the land of the elapids.

 

When I was in Alice Springs a few years back, I went to the reptile zoo there and they had just put an Inland Taipan back in its enclosure. When it had shed its skin, the cap over its eyes stayed in place and they had a couple of handlers holding said snake whilst someone used tweezers to remove the caps. That would be entertaining to say the least!

 

Craig W

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[jjb1970]

9 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Matthew had done quite a lot travelling staying in hostels or backpacker hotels. He was quite convinced all the male Australians he met were a special “export model”, not at all like the people he met in Australia. 

 

It seems to be widely applicable,  for some reason travel either changes some people or exaggerates traits to the level of caricature. There's a certain type of jolly brit overseas who is an embarrassment  and sadly it's hardly unique to us or even that unusual.  As those who look at the pictures of ships thread know I like to take a lunch time walk (in the shade) around Marina South Pier to enjoy the water front and take snaps of ships in the anchorage,  cruise terminal and Roro terminal.  Observing visitors from visiting cruise ships heading to the city or returning can be quite funny or cringe inducing. Most are just ordinary people but I see some which make me question why they were ever allowed to have a passport.

[BR60103]

Quiet day today.  SWMBO had a physio session as her back is giving her pain as if she twisted it.

One of our neighbours started the day presenting us with a pot of poppy.  When the house next door was sold the garden was removed and grassed over.  Last week we noticed that the poppies were starting to poke up through the lawn.  One of the other neighbours asked and got permission to dig them out and passed one on to us.  I started to dig a hole in a bank of earth and found a yellow cable under it.  Hole was shifted a few feet sideways.

Tomorrow we celebrate a half century of marriage.  To avoid being made a fuss of, we are going to Stratford for Cymbeline.

[jamie92208]

2 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Quiet day today.  SWMBO had a physio session as her back is giving her pain as if she twisted it.

One of our neighbours started the day presenting us with a pot of poppy.  When the house next door was sold the garden was removed and grassed over.  Last week we noticed that the poppies were starting to poke up through the lawn.  One of the other neighbours asked and got permission to dig them out and passed one on to us.  I started to dig a hole in a bank of earth and found a yellow cable under it.  Hole was shifted a few feet sideways.

Tomorrow we celebrate a half century of marriage.  To avoid being made a fuss of, we are going to Stratford for Cymbeline.

Congratulations to you both, it's 45 for us next month. 

 

Jamie

[SM42]

Yikes!

 

I thought 16 years was a long time. 

 

Still seems like 5 minutes. 

 

Congrats @BR60103 

 

Which reminds me, the start of year 17 rapidly approacheth.  Must go shopping. 

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

36 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Yikes!

 

I thought 16 years was a long time. 

 

Still seems like 5 minutes. 

 

Congrats @BR60103 

 

Which reminds me, the start of year 17 rapidly approacheth.  Must go shopping. 

 

Andy

Year 17 wouldn't happen to start tomorrow would it by any chance.

[Winslow Boy]

I must warn my fellow TNM'rs that yesterday's warmth has reached a critical mass and even though there is still an 'a' in the month that, not only have the shorts been deployed, they are also being worn. Yes I know but what can one say.

 

Whether this will continue is hard to say. Stay tuned for further updates.

[pH]

7 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Most are just ordinary people but I see some which make me question why they were ever allowed to have a passport.

Perhaps in the hope that they wouldn’t be able to find their way back home?

[SM42]

28 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Year 17 wouldn't happen to start tomorrow would it by any chance.

 

Fortunately no. 

 

Couple of weeks yet.

 

24 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I must warn my fellow TNM'rs that yesterday's warmth has reached a critical mass and even though there is still an 'a' in the month that, not only have the shorts been deployed, they are also being worn. Yes I know but what can one say.

 

Whether this will continue is hard to say. Stay tuned for further updates.

 

Been in shorts here for at least a month and no, I am not a postman. 

 

Meanwhile, the skys above SM42 Towers are thick with gulls again. 

 

Can hardly hear oneself think for all the sqawking. 

 

I wonder if I can make a noise complaint against the RSPB or Natural England. 

 

Andy

[iL Dottore]

15 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

To say it was an  “amateur” production brings forth stereotypes of hammy acting and wobbly scenery, but that show was “professional” in so many ways

I think that "amateur" as a term has gone from just meaning "not paid for it" to a connotation of - at best - semi-competence. Yet "amateur" theatre can be better than "professionals" 

And let's not forget that many of Britain's most eminent Victorian scientists, naturalists, geologists etc were "amateurs"

7 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

 

It seems to be widely applicable,  for some reason travel either changes some people or exaggerates traits to the level of caricature. ..... why they were ever allowed to have a passport.

Hmm

I think I know what you mean. I found out, when I was in Japan, to avoid tourists - especially Western tourists.  Apart from appalling ignorance of local culture and customs, loud and raucous behaviour seemed to be the norm (definitely NOT on in Japan).

OK, a lot of them were kids (so under 40) but even so....

And, yes, the stereotype of the "ugly American tourist" (sadly) is firmly grounded in fact!

6 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Tomorrow we celebrate a half century of marriage.  To avoid being made a fuss of, we are going to Stratford for Cymbeline.

Congratulations, Mrs iD and I are chugging along at 32 years and counting.

It does seem, nowadays, that marriages either dissolve after a few years OR go on forever (generally happily).

Of course, I'm sure that you've noted the irony that in a marriage- unlike a prison sentence - good behaviour means time ON not time off....

 

Edited May 10 by iL Dottore
Spelling

[Happy Hippo]

33 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I must warn my fellow TNM'rs that yesterday's warmth has reached a critical mass and even though there is still an 'a' in the month that, not only have the shorts been deployed, they are also being worn. Yes I know but what can one say.

 

Whether this will continue is hard to say. Stay tuned for further updates.

I always wear shorts.

 

I know it doesn't look like it, but  my legs are vertically challenged.

[SM42]

 

Prison sentences tend to be shorter.😁

 

 

Andy

Edited May 10 by SM42
To be less down with the kids

[iL Dottore]

11 hours ago, Craigw said:

I have two pet pythons that live in my modelling room. My daughter left them behind when she moved out. 

 

If you need a break from snake-wrangling, I have it on good authority that one of our resident ursines, a certain @polybear, is really enthusiastic about such reptiles and will happily "snake-sit" for you...

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, SM42 said:

 

Prison sentences tend to be shorter.😁

 

 

Andy

Like my legs!

[iL Dottore]

....and if you ( @Craigw) also have a terrarium with some tarantulas, orb-spinners, red-backs and the like to look after, @polybear would be ecstatic.

 

 

Edited May 10 by iL Dottore
Added name

[SM42]

Mrs SM42 has left the building. 

 

This means I can now don my bucket hat, short shorts, vest and mirror shades and break out the lawnmower. 

 

I like to look the cool dude whilst gardening, make the effort to look good and so on. 

 

Got some bedding plants to put in too. 

 

Later I may just turn the supply to the outside tap back on and wash the car, or not, or just hose myself down on the drive. 

 

Andy

Edited May 10 by SM42

[SM42]

7 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

I always wear shorts.

 

I know it doesn't look like it, but  my legs are vertically challenged.

 

It's all that jumping out of aeroplanes. 

 

Are you sure they are not normal size but just start at your shoulders?

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

9 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Fortunately no. 

 

Couple of weeks yet.

 

 

Been in shorts here for at least a month and no, I am not a postman. 

 

Meanwhile, the skys above SM42 Towers are thick with gulls again. 

 

Can hardly hear oneself think for all the sqawking. 

 

I wonder if I can make a noise complaint against the RSPB or Natural England. 

 

Andy

I don't like Gulls, but I can cope with the noise they make.

 

What is not so pleasant is the heavy plant operating in a field nearby, where they are erecting a warehouse.

 

Again I can cope with the engine noise and the rattling of tracks, but what is really annoying is the reversing horn(s) which sounds like an Bullfrog.  It's very noisy, and since we can hear it clearly from over 200M away, is probably excessive.  Getting it for about 8 hours a day is not amusing.

 

 

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, SM42 said:

 

It's all that jumping out of aeroplanes. 

 

Are you sure they are not normal size but just start at your shoulders?

 

Andy

A good point

 

It would also explain why my mouth and a*se are interchangeable.

[SM42]

I've just poked my head put of the door and decided that short shorts and vest may be too much. 

 

Budgie smugglers and espadrilles will now complete the hat / shades ensemble

 

Andy

[Dave Hunt]

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs BR60103. Jill and I have had 25 years of wedded bliss - and have been married for nearly 54 years 😅

 

Dave

[Dave Hunt]

As far as the wearing of shorts is concerned, our postman has only been known to wear long trousers when most people would be in thermal suits. Although I am currently wearing shorts at home, I don’t wear them outside as there are some horses that live near here and I don’t want to frighten them. A combination of operation scars, varicose veins and a shape usually associated with sparrows’ legs is not all that attractive.

 

Dave

Edited May 10 by Dave Hunt