Just to tie together previous mentions of folk music, and more recent mentions of Water Falling From The Sky, I give you the incomparable Dubliners, over in sunny Norway in 1980, with 'The Spey In Spate' (and 'The Mason's Apron'): https://youtube.com/watch?v=TQM6t2-pDh0&index=6&list=RDMMMCUjdgdqE90
They don't make 'em like that anymore, though AFAIK John Sheehan is still in the land of the living!
This Scottish/Irish person gets all leaky-eyed when he hears this stuff...
A current young band I like with a similar sound is Gnoss - they are playing London as a foursome later this year. I saw them as the original duo some years back at Folk by the Oak - and that duo come from Orkney. Or there's Fara also from Orkney - also playing London later this year (and played Folk by the Oak and a few other places).
We got a fairly decent thunderstorm this afternoon - some quite impressive rumblement and the odd flash (you don't notice it so much in daylight, although it had got quite "lowering") plus a fair modicum of rain. Fortunately it started just after I'd gone for an amble - the first rumbles and drops of rain were happening just as I got back to the château.
It has cleared the air a bit (although there's more in the immediate forecast) - it's now 19°, which feels really quite civilised.
It seems to me that the blimps are a perfectly good way of registering one's displeasure - they don't involve any violence, and show a bit of creativity and fun - and even the demonstrations seem to have been of a very good-natured and wittily British nature - there were some very amusing placards*. There were smaller demonstrations in other parts of the country; even Orkney had one, which took the form of about 100 people gathering with placards on the green outside the Cathedral and having a picnic.
I mean, how civilised is that?
ION, the OT lesson went off without a hitch, even the word "Obededom", about which I was particularly worried.
* I particularly liked Your Majesty, don't give him the good biscuits and Feed him to the corgis - poor wee dogs!
Was there was a blimp outside St Magnus's?!? Brilliant! Even if not, a picnic on the green would have been lovely. I have an abiding affection for Orkney, its people, and its dogs. (Fantastic dogs! Who's the good dog? Aye! You!)
It’s that time again, we are saying goodbye to Keir today. His bag is packed and he’s going on to start his formal training. A real mix of emotions for me, proud and heartbroken.💔
We loved every minute with you, Keir, you have a beautiful, gentle nature.
Go well, work hard and play lots, handsome boy.
Have a great time at Big School, we will always love you and can’t wait to hear how you are getting on xx
That's a lovely photo of Keir, @Boogie . I'm sure he'll do really well at Big School. Won't stop you missing him though.
It is very cloudy here, and a bit cooler, but no rain forecast. I'm getting well fed up of watering the garden, and if it doesn't rain soon, the water butt, which I use to water my lime hating plants, will be empty.
Here is Keir with his new lead just before he left.
His trainer came and spent a couple of hours here chatting about Keir and getting to know him. Then he jumped in her car and off they went. 💙
He’ll go to School for the afternoon, getting to know his new buddies, then she’ll take him to his boarders this evening. Just like a school boy he’ll be taken to school at 8am and picked up at 4pm, spending weekends at his new home (a young couple).
I’ve had a good weep, now it’s time to care for the little whippersnapper!
Lovely gent, Keir. He looks (a lot) like a friend's service dog, Gordie. I strongly suspect that my friend has Gordie not for his medical issue (which is real), but (surreptitiously) more for his psychological issue. Either way, Gordie is a Godsend. (And he loves to gnaw gently on my hand if I've eaten something salty, like a pizza slice - Gordie, that is - not my friend - while my friend and I have a pint.)
As you can tell, Boogie, I hate dogs. But thanks for sharing. ;-)
He does look so proud -- well done, Boogie and Keir! Thank goodness you have the little whippersnapper -- and Tatze -- to help you through the teary part.
Working Dogs of all sorts (and sizes) are a common sight in the UK nowadays, which is IMHO a Good Thing.
This is a fairly recent phenomenon, though, no? When I was a little lad (O so many years ago!), I'm sure we only saw the occasional Guide Dog, and maybe a Police Dog (usually in a van, rather than on paw).
I wonder just how many working dogs there are in the country these days, and how many difficult human lives are made just that bit easier by their work? (Unless you happen to be a malefactor, being apprehended by a Police Dog....).
How many have you had now Boogie? Do you know what has happened to all of them? Thinking of Keir as he takes his next paw steps.. and you as you deal with the hole in your home..
I've never had a dog - when Ah Wor A Lad, we had a cat or two - but now, in my late (and sometimes lonely) 60s, I rather like the idea of the companionship one can find with a Civilised Animal.
Alas, it would be too much of a responsibility for me now.....
I quite like the idea of a pet too but it's not really practical. I know people do keep cats in apartments but it doesn't feel right to me. A small dog can live in an apartment but you need to be home considerably more than I am. 😯
I could, in theory have a Cat* (a most sagacious animal, and greatly to be admired), but I am, alas, allergic to cat fur, to the extent of once having to go to A & E before I went blind!
Exercising even a small Dog (and I much prefer the larger breeds, as Labradors, Retrievers, German Shepherds, and suchlike) is not at the moment a realistic option.
*One never owns a Cat. Dogs have owners - Cats have staff.
ION, BBC News reports the sighting of Large Sharks in St. Ives harbour, Cornwall.
Sorry, but I'm irresistibly reminded of Lotte Lenya's version of 'Mack the Knife', the first line of which refers to the shark's teeth...perhaps one of the most spine-tingling songs ever written....
:https://youtube.com/watch?v=aPG9GcykPIY
Other YouTube versions will provide an English translation, but this is The Best Ever!
I could, in theory have a Cat* (a most sagacious animal, and greatly to be admired), but I am, alas, allergic to cat fur, to the extent of once having to go to A & E before I went blind!
Exercising even a small Dog (and I much prefer the larger breeds, as Labradors, Retrievers, German Shepherds, and suchlike) is not at the moment a realistic option.
*One never owns a Cat. Dogs have owners - Cats have staff.
How many have you had now Boogie? Do you know what has happened to all of them? Thinking of Keir as he takes his next paw steps.. and you as you deal with the hole in your home..
Gypsy (Qualified and with her owner)
Twiglet (Withdrawn due to bird distraction and now a happy pet)
Bruce (Qualified and working)
Mollie (Being matched with her owner and doing really well)
Keir (School boy)
Spencer (New baby)
Well done B - that's quite the contribution you're making! Keir looks both proud and a little like he knows his leaving will be hard for you in that "new lead" picture, imo, ymmv etc.
Congratulations, Boogie and Keir - you'll never forget him, but as others have said, Spencer (and Tatze) will help to mend your heart. He really does look proud of his new lead, doesn't he?
It's another glorious evening here, and I'm just back from a nice amble over the bridge and back.
Early start tomorrow - we've to sing at a funeral at 10 a.m. with a rehearsal at 9:15, so I'd best not sit up too late reading - I'm re-reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, which is rather unputdownable ...
Well, it's not exactly heavy water, IYSWIM, but it is making things wet, and, as I see from a quick glance through the window, a few drops are still falling.
Thunderstorms (with Rumblement - thank you, Piglet - and Flashisms) are predicted for later today, so I hope that the dry weather has not caused the leaks in the palace roof to gape....
At least the grass at Church has not grown noticeably for the past two weeks. Our super-reliable petrol mower (a H***a) will think I don't love him any more.
Quite a lot of the wer stuff in this patch of South Wales at the moment - hopefully it will slow down the little darlings who think it's a jolly jape to set fire to hillsides 😠 😡
No moisture here to speak of (except atmospheric, and even that's only 48%). It was as high as 30° today, and feeling like 34, so staying indoors was the wisest option. I might have a little amble before it gets dark, but it's still 26°, which is warmer than enough for ambling. We really must attack the grass at some point soon though, because there's a whole load of hot rain* in the forecast for next week.
We had a very good audience at D's concert today (the summer series is still going on, but he fills in the gaps where they didn't have any other offers of players), and they seemed to enjoy it. We never really know what size of audience we'll get for those - there are people who come to the summer concerts because they always have, and there were probably a few who came today because it was D., or because they're organ anoraks and regulars at his usual Friday concerts.
We are in sunny eastern England for the weekend and the grass is parched, looking very straw-like, and it’s not August yet. Like others this summer reminds me of 1976, but that was pretty damp until well into June: this year has been dry since May! We are getting cloud but it rarely comes to m
I haven't seen any rain, and it's very bright and sunny today
Yesterday was the end of term, with barbecue for all the staff, outside. I went out for the speeches, but otherwise got a lot of paperwork shifted. I've got two or three days next week hopefully getting stuff finished off and set up for next year.
There’s a nearby person who has a weather station in their garden which helpfully feeds live weather information and records etc... which is why I know we had 0.4mm of rain at 5.30 this morning, the first rain since 0.4mm on 7 June.
Probably better that way. They're not exactly fissure men's friends.
How long did that take to think up???
I thought the same about BF's "heavy water" but wasn't thinking about it when I actually typed my post ...
As predicted, it's hot out there today, so air-con has been deployed, Outside has been avoided (apart from delivery of a shepherd's pie to a friend in the choir who's just come out of hospital after a hip operation) and ambling has not been accomplished.
Slightly cooler forecast for tomorrow though - better ambling weather.
It seems to me that the weather boffins who yesterday evening were promising nice temperatures for this morning in the region of 17°-19° were promulgating a Big Fat Hairy Fib - it's been v. hot and sticky since before 9 o'clock. It's now 24° but feeling hotter, and still somewhat sticky.
And we really need to cut the grass this afternoon, as they're offering us Hot, Intermittent Rain for the next few days ...
When the wet stuff does finally fall, perhaps we should all hold Street Parties (in our swimming costumes, of course) and watch a Certain Movie by Gene Kelly (or the Morecambe and Wise version).
No, During The War (in Uncle Albert's voice, of course!).
Actually, I think we could happily continue in Drought Conditions for a time yet, as the church grass refuses to grow meanwhile. Much Toil and Sweaty Labour is saved thereby.
Yes, a plus of the heat is not needing to mow the grass in my garden - it’s all scorched and not growing. And my wild raspberry plant and blackberry plant have given way more fruit than usual this year - not sure if that is from the heat, or because my next-door neighbour has quit her chain smoking (the plants nearest where she smoked always used to get withered black leaves), but it is nice to have so much fruit.
Comments
https://youtube.com/watch?v=TQM6t2-pDh0&index=6&list=RDMMMCUjdgdqE90
They don't make 'em like that anymore, though AFAIK John Sheehan is still in the land of the living!
This Scottish/Irish person gets all leaky-eyed when he hears this stuff...
IJ
I do, however, very much like the contemporary Swedish group Triakel (pronounced treacle).
Here's a rather risqué traditional Swedish song, sung by Emma Hardelin:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gAgLIZhnmbM
IJ
It has cleared the air a bit (although there's more in the immediate forecast) - it's now 19°, which feels really quite civilised.
Was there was a blimp outside St Magnus's?!? Brilliant! Even if not, a picnic on the green would have been lovely. I have an abiding affection for Orkney, its people, and its dogs. (Fantastic dogs! Who's the good dog? Aye! You!)
We loved every minute with you, Keir, you have a beautiful, gentle nature.
Go well, work hard and play lots, handsome boy.
Have a great time at Big School, we will always love you and can’t wait to hear how you are getting on xx
Farewell Keir.
It is very cloudy here, and a bit cooler, but no rain forecast. I'm getting well fed up of watering the garden, and if it doesn't rain soon, the water butt, which I use to water my lime hating plants, will be empty.
His trainer came and spent a couple of hours here chatting about Keir and getting to know him. Then he jumped in her car and off they went. 💙
He’ll go to School for the afternoon, getting to know his new buddies, then she’ll take him to his boarders this evening. Just like a school boy he’ll be taken to school at 8am and picked up at 4pm, spending weekends at his new home (a young couple).
I’ve had a good weep, now it’s time to care for the little whippersnapper!
As you can tell, Boogie, I hate dogs. But thanks for sharing. ;-)
Best wishes to him, his trainer, and, of course Boogie and newbie Spencer!
It must be Really Hard to part with a dog like Keir, even though you know how worthwhile to someone else his upbringing and training are going to be.
IJ
I want to keep them all - especially this one 💕
It’s a good thing we sign a contract promising to hand them over!
This is a fairly recent phenomenon, though, no? When I was a little lad (O so many years ago!), I'm sure we only saw the occasional Guide Dog, and maybe a Police Dog (usually in a van, rather than on paw).
I wonder just how many working dogs there are in the country these days, and how many difficult human lives are made just that bit easier by their work? (Unless you happen to be a malefactor, being apprehended by a Police Dog....).
IJ
Alas, it would be too much of a responsibility for me now.....
IJ
I could, in theory have a Cat* (a most sagacious animal, and greatly to be admired), but I am, alas, allergic to cat fur, to the extent of once having to go to A & E before I went blind!
Exercising even a small Dog (and I much prefer the larger breeds, as Labradors, Retrievers, German Shepherds, and suchlike) is not at the moment a realistic option.
*One never owns a Cat. Dogs have owners - Cats have staff.
IJ
Sorry, but I'm irresistibly reminded of Lotte Lenya's version of 'Mack the Knife', the first line of which refers to the shark's teeth...perhaps one of the most spine-tingling songs ever written....
:https://youtube.com/watch?v=aPG9GcykPIY
Other YouTube versions will provide an English translation, but this is The Best Ever!
IJ
Have you considered a Sphynx cat?
Gypsy (Qualified and with her owner)
Twiglet (Withdrawn due to bird distraction and now a happy pet)
Bruce (Qualified and working)
Mollie (Being matched with her owner and doing really well)
Keir (School boy)
Spencer (New baby)
It's another glorious evening here, and I'm just back from a nice amble over the bridge and back.
Early start tomorrow - we've to sing at a funeral at 10 a.m. with a rehearsal at 9:15, so I'd best not sit up too late reading - I'm re-reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, which is rather unputdownable ...
WATER has just fallen out of the SKY!
Is the world ending? Has Armageddon started?
I'd better go and lie down...
IJ
not 'ere it 'asnt!
Thunderstorms (with Rumblement - thank you, Piglet - and Flashisms) are predicted for later today, so I hope that the dry weather has not caused the leaks in the palace roof to gape....
At least the grass at Church has not grown noticeably for the past two weeks. Our super-reliable petrol mower (a H***a) will think I don't love him any more.
IJ
We had a very good audience at D's concert today (the summer series is still going on, but he fills in the gaps where they didn't have any other offers of players), and they seemed to enjoy it. We never really know what size of audience we'll get for those - there are people who come to the summer concerts because they always have, and there were probably a few who came today because it was D., or because they're organ anoraks and regulars at his usual Friday concerts.
* 28° with showers, anybody?
Enjoy the rain. Desperately needed here.
Yesterday was the end of term, with barbecue for all the staff, outside. I went out for the speeches, but otherwise got a lot of paperwork shifted. I've got two or three days next week hopefully getting stuff finished off and set up for next year.
Alas, no. Something I've always wanted, though there don't seem to be any available on eBay...
IJ
The over riding colour round here is brown...
I thought the same about BF's "heavy water" but wasn't thinking about it when I actually typed my post ...
As predicted, it's hot out there today, so air-con has been deployed, Outside has been avoided (apart from delivery of a shepherd's pie to a friend in the choir who's just come out of hospital after a hip operation) and ambling has not been accomplished.
Slightly cooler forecast for tomorrow though - better ambling weather.
Yes, I thought that was Rather Good, too!
IJ
And we really need to cut the grass this afternoon, as they're offering us Hot, Intermittent Rain for the next few days ...
Hot, sticky, humid, and cloudy here - much as usual, really.
I remember (back in the Dear Dead Days, Beyond Recall) when grass was a sort of.....green.....
Like this:
IJ
When the wet stuff does finally fall, perhaps we should all hold Street Parties (in our swimming costumes, of course) and watch a Certain Movie by Gene Kelly (or the Morecambe and Wise version).
Actually, I think we could happily continue in Drought Conditions for a time yet, as the church grass refuses to grow meanwhile. Much Toil and Sweaty Labour is saved thereby.
IJ
If I have enough energy, I'll run the mower over them tomorrow, just to tidy up a bit.
OTOH, who cares? Let 'em flourish!
IJ