General Witterings -
Ooops from 'Rosy'

My apologies to those folk who thought they only got half an episode last time ('Rosy has a Visitor')

Your delusion is entirely my fault, as I'd felt constrained to try to introduce some humour into an otherwise rather dry episode.

You may recall that the episode ended:

The sudden finish was meant to suggest that the 'ill effect' had suddenly taken hold, and that I had expired.

To avoid any further confusion, I'll try to keep this a humour-free episode.

Well, winter has arrived here.  Frosts in the morning and a 'nasty nip in the air' (being the last words of the Captain of a US warship in the Pacific in 1944, and uttered 5 seconds before he and his ship were destroyed by a Kamikaze 'plane).

Further famous last words are:

"I think I'm feeling a little better" (Neville Chamberlain - the 'Peace in our time' Prime Minister).

"Such is life" (Ned Kelly, the well known Oz outlaw/folk hero)

"I hear that you can also make it with grapes" (a Cypriot wine maker)

Jess the dog (that I'm still looking after) likes custard.  I know she likes custard, 'cos I ate a bowlful, and gave her the bowl to lick out - which she did.  Thoroughly.  Ten minutes later she gave it another thorough licking, and ten minutes after that, another one.

I'm getting very confused about this Euro thingy.  I've previously mentioned that things are cheaper here in Euroland than in UK.  I had thought that this was because the pound is strong (and, hence, that if the UK 'goes into the Euro' the pound must re-align itself hence (since my income is in pounds) things will be as expensive for me here in Euroland as they are, at present, in the UK.

Now, however, some 'voices off' are saying that this is all cobblers.  Prices are low in Euroland precisely because of the coming Euro!!  Manufacturers have a price for Europe, which, generally, is the lowest of the prices that used to pertain in the different European countries.  This has been brought about by suppliers scouring Europe for the best prices.  Hence if UK joins the Euro, differences in prices between UK and Euroland will become so obvious that UK consumers won't stand for the higher prices.

I've also heard from several sources that in many instances, UK-Euroland trade at present is inhibited because of the fluctuating pound/Euro exchange rate.  The theory is that business hardly cares what the rate is, so long as the rate is constant.

So one ends up not knowing what to think, and opening another bottle of fine claret found at a good price in the local supermarket.

I've finally cracked the mystery of the black swans of Briare.  There were six bought in by the town council as a 'feature' aka 'attraction'.  They failed to clip the wings of one of them, which flew away.  One 'disappeared'.  It is unclear whether it died of natural causes or was eaten by person or persons unknown.  The four that were left had an internal dispute so that three now go around together, and the fourth is always on his or her own.  The threesome is one male and two females.  They are, currently, at the bonking, so I assume they are still on Australian time, and think that it is now spring.

I've just read a book I've been after for a long time - Basil Lubbock 'Round the Horn before the Mast' - the true story of a sailing trip from Frisco to Birkenhead on a four-masted ship, around the Horn, in 1899.  It's brilliant.  Lubbock was an Old Etonian who went to America, prospected in the Klondike (amongst other things) and then worked his passage home.  Wonderful language.

"'Port buntlines and clew-garnets first!' yells the mate ..."

"....  amid pillows of pink and yellow clouds and a counterpane of deep purple shading to mauve and lilac, his majesty the sun went to bed ..."

At one point he discusses vicious and brutal Captains, and complains of "Captain Slocum of the 'D.G.  Tillie'".  Surely not Joshua Slocum of 'Spray' fame?

He also has the words of several sea shanties.  I hadn't realised how many of our 'traditional' songs are shanties (e.g.  'Shenandoah', and 'Away down Rio')

Finally, a new award.  'Turd of the Week'.  Our local, small supermarket is set back a bit from the road, and has some big concrete planters along its frontage to stop people parking on the forecourt (there is good parking round the corner).  The planters are far enough part to be able to get push-chairs etc between them, and they are full of flowers.  A dog had laid a particularly well sculptured spiral turd exactly on the centre line between two of these planters.  Someone had picked a flower, and planted the stalk in the turd.  I went back to Rosy to get my camera, but when I returned it was all flattened by a footprint.

Toodle pip!!

Bill