General Witterings -
All Quiet on the Rosy Front

Visitors came during the week - Mike and June from the nb Temujin (being the given name of Ghengis Khan).  They are over-wintering a bit further north.  We were making plans for 2004, as we may be travelling together - more about this later.

Several folk have expressed some interest in Briare.  Yes, it IS possible to be craned in here.  A boat arrived by truck in early January, having been bought at the Paris boat show, and was easily craned into the Port de Plaisance - at one point the road is directly adjacent to the water, and only a foot or so above it.

Any Wizards or Witches reading this?  I have available half a dozen puppy dog teeth, Fanny being in teething mode.

Poor old Jess has been a touch unwell, with a lump in her neck.  Apparently the vet has diagnosed it as a ganglion, probably resulting from the sting/bite that I wrote about a few months ago.  Apparently the vet is pretty sure that it was a snake bite.

A ganglion (for the interested few who can't be bothered looking it up in a dictionary!) is a lump formed on a nerve.

I've had an e-mail from a Diane Bogenrieder who says:

"I am a 55 year old woman planning on travelling on the rivers of Germany and France during Spring, probably May and June.  I am interested in anyone's ideas regarding me kayaking, or crewing on a boat in those countries.  So if you have ideas or know looking for crew please send me your ideas, web pages, contacts.  And feel free to pass on my e-mail address: bogenrieder@yahoo.com."

There is not much news this week, but there is a story that might appeal in particular to those of the Scottish persuasion:

An American comes to visit the UK, determined to see as many of the "old" things as possible.  He starts off in England, and early on his travels he visits his first UK cathedral - Canterbury.  He is much impressed with it, but is intrigued by the Golden Telephone, with its notice "Phone God for 10,000p".  He queries a passing clerical gentleman, who assures him that indeed, for 10,000 new pence one can have a one-to-one telephone conversation with God, and that, yes, such facilities are available in other cathedrals as well.  The American verifies this during his visits to Winchester, Salisbury, Peterborough, Durham and St Giles in Edinburgh.

However, continuing northwards he arrives in Aberdeen, and sure enough, there in the cathedral is the Golden Telephone, but this time the notice reads "Phone God for 10p".  He accosts a passing clerical gent, and enquires about the 10p.  "Och Aye," says the reverend gentleman.  "Ten pence is the correct charge here.  After all, you are now in the Highlands of Scotland, so it's only a local call".

I feel it's about time I mentioned spelling.  I know that there are some picky people, so I'm sorry about the odd seppling mistooks.  The problem is that I use Agent as an e-mailer (rather than Outlook).  My version comes with a US dictionary only, so those British English words that I'm a touch iffy about tend to get USised (or USized).  Sorry.  [Every attempt has been made to correct such infelicities when Bill's e-mails are transferred to this web site - Ed.]

So, finally, as the Frenchman said who had an egg for breakfast every morning, "Un oeuf is un oeuf".

Toodle pip!

Bill