Just a glimpse...

[Ajarn Philip]

and I remember when members of the labour party wanted distances to be measured in "voersts" (? spelling - it was apparently the Russian word for a kilometre)

How many sausages from here to London?

[sejintenej]

How many sausages from here to London?

Are you talking about chipolatas at 23 mouse droppings or Toulouse sausages which come out at about 3 double arm spans?

Toulouse or not Toulouse, that is the question. (There - I've sad it 4 U )

Of course the answer would be wrong. The locals last century decided to have a measure which would be one tenthousandth (subject to checking) of the distance from Paris to the North Pole. They got the length of a metre wrong.
When the ancient Egyptians measured the diameter of the earth they used a base line from somewhere in lower Egypt to somewhere in what is now Ethiopia - and they got it far more accurate than the French centuries later.

[gma]

Think I'll go back for another Cuba Libre and commiserate with Amy

Is looking like the commiserating is going well from the above posts but what in heavens name is Philip drinking?

[Ajarn Philip]

Is looking like the commiserating is going well from the above posts but what in heavens name is Philip drinking?

Judging by the time and content of the post, I was probably on sang som, which roughly translates as gut rot. Consumed with Pepsi by those with a sturdy constitution, it acts as a very effective nightcap.

As for the sausages, well, I just thought David's 'voerst' looked/sounded a bit like 'wurst', but that really wasn't worth explaining...

[gma]

As for the sausages, well, I just thought David's 'voerst' looked/sounded a bit like 'wurst', but that really wasn't worth explaining...

Completely agree, I just love the tangents that well educateed and public school formulated minds take off on! More power to you!

[sejintenej]

Is looking like the commiserating is going well from the above posts but what in heavens name is Philip drinking?

I don't know what Amy was on but I'll have some

As for the sausages, well, I just thought David's 'voerst' looked/sounded a bit like 'wurst', but that really wasn't worth explaining...

That is about as wurse as it gets

[gma]

Got home and made 11 jars of strawberry jam (about 5 1/2 kilos) and I have enough strawberries and sugar to make the same again. Also got to make a couple of kilos of mint sauce for the next 12 months.
Today, Sunday, we had yet another visitor - a large moth 15 and a half centimetres (slightly over 6 inches) across.

What was he there for, the mint jelly or the strawberry jam?

(going to leave the 'wurst/e' well alone and hope it gets better!!)

[sejintenej]

Got home and made 11 jars of strawberry jam (about 5 1/2 kilos) and I have enough strawberries and sugar to make the same again. Also got to make a couple of kilos of mint sauce for the next 12 months.
Today, Sunday, we had yet another visitor - a large moth 15 and a half centimetres (slightly over 6 inches) across.

What was he there for, the mint jelly or the strawberry jam?

Anything she could get her feelers on; thre cherries should start being ripe soon, then it is plums, then greengages ,..............going through to figs, sweet chestnuts and rose hip syrup . I suppose we have 10 different types of edible fruit here so why pay supermarket prices? The ceps (porcini) tend to be unreliable - masses one year, almost none the next year but meadow mushrooms - they come out at up to 10 inches across and taste good!.

[Ajarn Philip]

The tears are streaming down my face, Alan. I confess I saw that on tv, what 30 years ago? I'd forgotten how funny it was.

[sejintenej]

My grandmother has a Westie and it used to come bounding up and say "Hello, Hello, Hello". It was intriguing as it sounded exactly like a parrot speaks; the same "recorded" quality to the sound. It made me think a little about animal comprehension and the fact they may be more intelligent than we give them credit for.
Oddly enough the habit stopped when Gramps died. It was obviously something she associated with him.

One thing about this area is the number of village lunches / dinners which are almost invariably excellent value. Just got home from one which was even better than average (which is pretty unbelievable. 15 euros - £12 for an aperitif, 7 courses plus wine and "champers" and preceded and followed by dancing to a live band) and then I saw that post. Of course in the third word the letter "h" got transposed with "w" (a problem with having dyslexia or whatever they call it) and I did a double take. Wow, wow, wow.

Hello, Hello, hello? Well, we have just decapitated Aloe Vera as her head got too big for her pots (we can still use the head for skin cream!), and every Friday night we foregather at the local Allo, Allo - yes, it does have ancient lino table covers, and it is just as the Germans left it except her with the bubbies has lost them!

It's just a habit ......................



I think I mentioned that we had a swarm of bees in the house. This is where JR moves on - please (we don't want you in hospital because Mr Kirby isn't around to sit beside you again).
I got it wrong - we had two swarms in the attic - one in each window. It got complicated. The first swarm split with a group keeping separate from the queen which is most unusual - we couldn't get them all in the special carrying hive easily so we left them overnight. The second hive was OK - moved in with no problem but we had to wait until early morning to ensure we got the foragers and guards.
Next morning the swarms had merged again (we still don't know if there is one or two queens) but both were out of the boxes and up by the skylight. (There is a word for that which is too polite for most female company). So we put a carryiong hive by the skylight and at last inspection everything looked good but we must wait until after dark to get the foragers and guards; lets hope.

I am working with an experienced beekeeper who has been wearing mask, boots, gloves - and still got stung. I have no mask, wear trainers, dark clothing (a no-no) and gloves only when my hands are actually carrying bees, have had bees walking over my face and in my hair and not a sting. (Oh, I am full on anti-histamine so they can't hurt me anyway!).

I think I'll keep the bees so somebody ask JR to give me lessons!
SWMBO is unhappy. there is a plague almost on ancient Egyptian proportions - we have snakes in and around the house - two Western Whip snakes and one viper in the house in the last few days plus a couple outside as well. At least they were small- 8 inches long or less. At least we don't have the other animals that friends have.

[Ajarn Philip]

a cobra in my neighbour's garden the other day.

[gma]

What were you doing in your neighbour's garden with a camera...................?

[Ajarn Philip]

I don't have wimpish wrists like that... anyway, I was standing about 10 yards behind the wimp...

[gma]

OK, I'm buying that, much more attractive thought than the one about you stalking your neighbours!

Looking forward to Alan P5age's next youtube link in this regard tho', should be a doozie!!

[Ajarn Philip]

Can you see what it is yet...?