RIP wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:54 am The moan was going to be why do people sit in cars fiddling with their mobile phones, with the engine running? I've seen drivers doing that for minutes on end. It's often the case of starting their engine then doing the fiddling, whereas good sense might imply the other way round. Anyway, just been to town, and went past one bloke who was doing just that whilst also sitting on double-yellows. So that's THREE offences in one go - good score that man!

This really winds me up too. Rode past a Range Rover parked up on a farm track earlier this week. Owner was nowhere to be seen, but the engine was running and you could smell the diesel fumes. It's a poor excuse, but some people will say they need it on for the aircon in this weather But this person had left the driver's door wide open, so it can't have been that... Unless he was on a misguided mission to cool the world down

Anyway, I have (most of) a garden fence that I didn't have yesterday, having found the time to fix what Storm Arwen left us. I also have aches where I've never had them before, but surprising lack of sunburn.

RIP wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:54 am - "So You Think You're Clever?" (Oxford/Cambridge Uni interview questions, "here is a piece of bark please talk about it", hmm, probably why I ended up at a Poly)

I've started this, with another brew and another biscuit (your basic HobNob as it happens). Getting really into it! Here's one: "will this bag ever be empty?". As the author says, it's obviously not just about "the answer" but how you answer it, with an oblique off-the-wall response presumably getting you in even if it was completely wrong! Any brainy Boners had that lucky(?) experience? So one could say the whole purpose of a bag is to contain things? So if it was was indeed empty, would it still be "a bag"? Of course, it's really a physics question (as well as a philosophical one), and can be taken right down through "what is a vacuum" etc. to the level of quantum mechanics and field theory - even if there was no matter with mass in there, there could (must?) still be electrical and gravitational fields waving around.

On a hot day like this, I reckon just sitting still and thinking must be the least-uncomfortable pastime, and the book certainly enables that.

Have you read this Reg?



I've had Dave B's copy on rotation around a few of my dorky mates for about 3 years now. It's high time it moved on so would be very happy to post it down to you. Offer also goes out to any other Boners, including Dave I suppose

Up early as I do, Death Trap all polished / fettled for a trip to (nearly) the seaside tomorrow to look at more shiny choppers ... but this week it's with the NCC who'll be much less hipster than the crowd last weekend, which I'm sure will suit me better. Paul has also just been to purchase my Ramin which made us both cheery and I'm now off to do some strimming before Ruby and myself have a close look at the plunge pool in the river ... all in all what's not to like

In Reverse wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:06 pm Have you read this Reg?

I've had Dave B's copy on rotation around a few of my dorky mates for about 3 years now. It's high time it moved on so would be very happy to post it down to you. Offer also goes out to any other Boners, including Dave I suppose

Ah, good old Jimbo. Ooh, no ta not read that one. Happy to receive if going spare thanks; do I then "return to rightful owner" or just pass it on again to give Dave the challenge of working out who's actually got it?

(And to answer the "Clever?" book's question: "hopefully clever enough to do the things I'd like to do", although maybe one only likes to do the things one is clever enough for? Arg. Or maybe "cleverer than a rook". But I read somewhere about an experiment where they put some rook food (a worm?) down a thin tube which rooks couldn't get their beaks into. The worm floated on some water which partly filled the tube. How would the rooks get the worm out, if at all? The rooks eventually dropped little stones into it to raise the water level until the worm reached the top of the tube!!! Worryingly I'm not sure I'd have come up with that. I'm thicker than a bird!!)

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:06 pm Ruby ....close look at the plunge pool in the river ...

Got a nice cozzie, or skinny (hairy) dipper?

thenorthwind wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 2:44 pm Rode past a Range Rover parked up on a farm track earlier this week. Owner was nowhere to be seen, but the engine was running and you could smell the diesel fumes. It's a poor excuse, but some people will say they need it on for the aircon in this weather But this person had left the driver's door wide open, so it can't have been that... Unless he was on a misguided mission to cool the world down

Anyway, I have (most of) a garden fence that I didn't have yesterday, having found the time to fix what Storm Arwen left us. I also have aches where I've never had them before, but surprising lack of sunburn.

Dave you should have jumped in and gone for a joy ride, leaving it parked in a supermarket car park disabled bay with the engine running, so someone else could have a go

Well it's very sunny here again so I'm off for some bike riding tomorrow, possibly in the Ben Alder area. This evening I'll go for a burble around on the newly rebuilt trumph to see if it will go bang or not followed by a beer or three in the back garden

Got a nice cozzie, or skinny (hairy) dipper?

I assumed you asked knowing that I'd not be able to resist?

Of course! .

Now that photo is easily the cheeriest thing of the day, for several reasons . And I'd go as far as saying that it gets my vote for best of 2022 by a looooong way

But I also meant Ruby

Cheery Friday here, took the day off work and headed to the seaside with my daughter. Bury Port was already a favourite place to go for being quiet, with a huge sandy beach and a bit of a proper little harbour, coop and good chip shop, etc.. Managed to top all that today when we found the car park is still free, now has an electric charging point, and the disgusting public toilets have been replaced by a great crepe ice cream burger cafe bistro thingy, which we visited not once but twice.
The beach was glorious and near empty as always, with a bit of a breeze, and I actually spent a very very long time just floating about on a lilo, rotating from back to front occasionally, surrounded by loads of sea birds on the shallow mussle banks, and humongous shoals of tiny fish. All I needed was a fag in one hand and a pint of lager in the other, and it could've been a scene from Benidorm

Verena wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:53 pm crepe ice cream burger

Want one please!

RIP wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 5:45 pm that photo is easily the cheeriest thing of the day

I'm sure there's a bikepacking connection in there somewhere. I just can't, er, quite put my finger on it for the moment.

At the very least there must be a knob joke in there!

Keep the book in circulation.

I’ve got some others you may like Andy.

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:45 pm Dave you should have jumped in and gone for a joy ride, leaving it parked in a supermarket car park disabled bay with the engine running, so someone else could have a go

Thought about it - I think by the time I'd managed to do a three-point turn with with vehicle trailer on the back, the game would be well and truly up

RIP wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:31 pm Ah, good old Jimbo. Ooh, no ta not read that one. Happy to receive if going spare thanks; do I then "return to rightful owner" or just pass it on again to give Dave the challenge of working out who's actually got it?

Consider this my application to be the next (but not final) link in the chain, please, if Dave's happy with that. Sounds right up my street.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:58 pm

Got a nice cozzie, or skinny (hairy) dipper?

I assumed you asked knowing that I'd not be able to resist?

Is it just me or are the snorkel & mask are the most disturbing part?

faustus wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:11 pm Most major supermarkets are withdrawing disposable BBQs from sale

And there we go : "A leading firefighter in an area that saw a major fire on heathland on Friday ..... Jason Moncrief, area manager for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire at Studland Heath, which has since been largely brought under control, looked like it had been caused by a disposable barbecue"......

RIP wrote: ↑Sat Aug 13, 2022 5:20 pm

faustus wrote: ↑Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:11 pm Most major supermarkets are withdrawing disposable BBQs from sale

And there we go : "A leading firefighter in an area that saw a major fire on heathland on Friday ..... Jason Moncrief, area manager for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire at Studland Heath, which has since been largely brought under control, looked like it had been caused by a disposable barbecue"......

I saw this week that a fire on the hills was caused by an empty plastic bottle!

voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Sat Aug 13, 2022 5:55 pm I saw this week that a fire on the hills was caused by an empty plastic bottle!

Pretty well anything that can act as a lens can start a fire. The actual curvature of the bottle may be relevant - the focal distance needs to be roughly the same as or slightly greater than the diameter of the bottle to be able to get material to heat up and burn, if it's shorter then the focal point lies inside the bottle so the sun's energy is basically heating air.

whitestone wrote: ↑Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:15 pm

voodoo_simon wrote: ↑Sat Aug 13, 2022 5:55 pm I saw this week that a fire on the hills was caused by an empty plastic bottle!

Pretty well anything that can act as a lens can start a fire. The actual curvature of the bottle may be relevant - the focal distance needs to be roughly the same as or slightly greater than the diameter of the bottle to be able to get material to heat up and burn, if it's shorter then the focal point lies inside the bottle so the sun's energy is basically heating air.

My mums carpet years and years ago melted due to a paper weight in the window! Took a while to figure out where the burn marks came from, thought it was the candles nearby

Just made the first of this year's chutneys/pickles - about 4kg of plum chutney

The way that the courgettes are going I'll be making the same amount of courgette chutney, make that 5kg, or 6 or...

The apples are still a couple of months away, hopefully a bit of rain will get them to fill out as they are the size of golf balls at the moment.

Woke up warm, dry and comfy in my hammock in the woods, my first school night bivvy in what feels like ages, to the sound of ravens doing their thing very nearby, not long after followed by a beautiful sunrise and sheep bleating, otherwise blissful silence.

Feeling refreshed mentally, as for some reason I'm not sure of I've been feeling a bit stressed/ overwhelmed this week....

O and the really cheery bit is, I went out late, and it was completely dark of course, and I thought how this is what it's going to be like now for the next good few months, and I'm thinking, you know, this isn't so bad, autumn and winter will be FINE

whitestone wrote: ↑Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:23 pm The apples are still a couple of months away, hopefully a bit of rain will get them to fill out as they are the size of golf balls at the moment.

Had to check that this was a current post as Mum's been making crumbles with hers for a few weeks. The pears on my tree are now past ripe and falling off so the rabbits are eating them. The birds/wasps usually get to them before I do anyway.

Happy Anniversary to me and Helen. 27 years!

Congratulations Dave - when is Helen getting her medal?

Congratulations Dave & Helen!