Guardians of The Lambsfoot!

[SteveC]

Nice shadow lamb Steve. Spring is getting closer.

Thanks Bob and thanks for the gift of it

Yesterday, it was 65° and sunny. Today, it too is cold and snowing!!!
Fortunately, it is not sticking. I will be taking Jack's advice and begin my lolligagging.

ps. I got the memo Steve.
View attachment 3080279

Nice ! I hope you don't get much for snow.

LOL! Brilliant Mitch, I wondered if it was some sort of wheel-barrow attachment! Shows how much I know about gardening - or slam ball!

Yes indeed Good news Jer, I think you'd have regretted not returning that Nice shot of Rose Beast

Thanks Steve, been at my desk the entire day, and just finished work at 6.30pm, with a Zoom meeting to come yet. Can't believe I'm this tired just from sitting on my backside!

Great pic of your Shadow Lamb buddy

Blimey, I didn't think you'd get snow there Bob! Hope you've had a good day lollygaggin with your Shadow Lamb

Thanks buddy !

Speedo and suspenders weather here.

View attachment 3080446

Great picture of that beauty !

 

[screened porch]

I think you'd have regretted not returning that

You're right. And, to give the river their due, I wouldn't be saving myself much hassle: a couple of clicks, maybe type a line or two, take the item to Kohl's, show them the QR code, and take home the receipt. (Kohl's just before noon on Sunday looks like a nice and quiet place to work.)

If I put a speedo on now braces ( for my UK friends ) would be mandatory.

I expect I'd be required to wear a poncho over a speedo these days. Maybe a tarpaulin.

 

[echoscout]

Afternoon Guardians! Couldn't sleep last night so dragging around late today. Hope y'all have had a nice Sunday. Back with the Bog Oak

 

[5K Qs]

The earliest of the quotes that follow go back more than 10 days, I think.

A worthy slip for that fine horn Gary.
My wife corrected me and said it was a mango inadvertently purchased.

Thanks for saluting my Guardians slip, Bob.
And thanks for the fruit clarification; isn't there a golf wager called Bingo Bango Mango??

...

Very interesting, I always enjoy your farming stories. I don't think this is an actual tool, more something combing 2 standard dockers tool that might be presented as a retirement present perhaps. I do like the old single and double hooks, used in a variety of trades, and while I sometimes see old ones for sale, I have, so far, managed to refrain from acquiring one

View attachment 3069860

I know what you mean GT

I have some old friends who set up a brewery shortly before the Covid lockdown here, and wanting to support them I bought £500's worth of their beer. To say thanks, they gave me a £25 voucher for their brewery tap. I still haven't used it, and beer prices have doubled since then!

I just wish I could remember what I did yesterday! I also have a refrigerator memory Gary. Just before my fifth birthday, in my first term at school, we had our first refrigerator delivered, and I ran all the way home from school, excited to see it. I told this tale to some younger folks once, and they it hilarious that I would be excited by a humble domestic appliance. I told them, "It wasn't just me, the neighbours all came running to see it too!"

...

Your photo shows a tool almost identical to the baling hooks of my youth. Ours typically had a more contoured handle, thickest in the middle, tapering down on either side, and then flaring out again at each end. And our hooks, since they'd be plunged into thousands of fibrous hay and straw bales each summer, tended to have a shiny tip and hook, but patina like in your photo on the straight shaft.

Maybe your pre-COVID brewery voucher will allow you to get free-COVID prices when you use it!

Good refrigerator story, Jack!

A few visits to Leeds Market, and you'd be an expert Gary!

Mythical Monsters Market might be an effective marketing slogan.

Thanks for the kind comments Gary. LamJack is a beauty !

Thanks, Steve.

That's about how my week has been. Hope the sun comes out for you!

Sumptuous knife and slip, Pat!

Thanks gents
Thought you might find the watch intriguing.
As a skeleton watch better have a skeleton shield.
The front.

Impressive pocket jewelry, Mitch!

It's 55 degrees out there now. Several inches of snow likely tomorrow and Sunday, then a couple more days above freezing.
View attachment 3070897

I think this is the first time I ever noticed that the frame of the Space Shuttle lamb is actually very similar in shape to the shuttle!
I certainly appreciated the January thaw that melted all the snow in my area. On that warm Friday and Saturday, I took my shovel out to the big snow pile at the end of the garden where I threw most of the snow from my driveway and spread out the pile as much as I could to facilitate melting. I ended up with essentially a fresh start, a reset, on my snow pile before the next snow moved through.

Spring is barrelling hitherward.

I wish I could say your seasonal enthusiasm was contagious, but recent cold temperatures seem to have given me immunity.

View attachment 3070915

In chapter 3 of Paul's epistle to the Colossians in the Bible, he encourages members of the church to "clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience ... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect UNITY." That's what sprang to my mind when I saw your knife's tang stamp, Jack!

View attachment 3070955View attachment 3070956

Be careful with your knife poses, Bob; it looks like marauders outside your wooden stockade, if they have small hands, could reach right in and grab your knife while you're aiming your camera! Great looking knife, though, and a thermometer reading I envy!

Good morning Guardians !


Happy Friday


View attachment 3071045

Your ebony WCLF is the epitome of elegance, Steve!

For today.
...
& for Bob Rufus1949 the very rarely ever seen Brella bushes.

Interesting set-up to protect your plants, Mitch.
Must you move the umbrellas several times over the course of a day, or can you just "set and forget"?

Ashwin helping slice up cheese at a local winery.

Love to look at a lamb in a labor of love!

Thanks for the kind words Duncan, may you walk like Hermes my friend
Cool pics Mitch Looks like you have Mary Poppins and her sisters visiting!

The older I get, the more I wonder if "cultural references" that are meaningful to me make any sense to folks a generation or two or three younger than me. What's the half-life of a cultural reference?

- GT

 

[5K Qs]

^This picture reminds me of my mom's "crazy Uncle Bert".
View attachment 3071818
No new snow here yet.

I'd probably be willing to give up the iconic ebony on snow photos to have a snow-free winter.

Well how do...just waiting for a eucalyptus and magnolia tree to be delivered. Then let the digging begin.View attachment 3071856

What a happy shot!

Good morning Guardians. It’s been a while, and wanted to pop in again and say hi

Welcome to the weekend! I still get up just as early as weekdays, but instead of headed to work, I’m out to meet some friends for a couple of rounds if disc golf in the snow.

View attachment 3071865

Photo from last weekend

View attachment 3071867

Hope everyone’s been doing well, and also that @black mamba feels better soon!

Good to see you here, Mike; welcome back!
That looks like an enjoyable winter activity!

Good morning Guardians !



View attachment 3071942

Stellar stag, Steve!

Now, if I travel to Southern Georgia, that's another story.

About 40 years ago, a guy I played city league softball with asked me to be an assistant for the spring break trip with the Purdue women's softball club he coached. On our trip down, we drove all night and stopped at a McDonald's somewhere in southern Georgia to get breakfast.
That was a "clash of cultures" for me and the young woman at the counter taking my order; we both had considerable difficulty understanding one another, even though we were both speaking English!

... I've just watched a movie, with a glass of whiskey, and I think I might go for seconds of both

View attachment 3072270
...

I really like that "color coordinated" photo, Jack. It reminds me a little bit of the old-time sepia-tinted pics!

Happy Saturday, Guardians. I recieved two wonderful boxes in the mail from two Guardians and I just have to show my appreciation for the thoughtful gestures.

First one that showed up was this amazing Gerstner knife Chest from Rufus1949 What an amazing item. Blown away by the craftsmanship. These will house my lambs. Thank you so much, Bob.

Next was a tidy little package from England filled with treasure. Jack Black sent me a pipe smoker’s delight box. In it is one of my very favorite blends not sold here in the US, a lovely Rodgers pipe tool, a cool old school wick lighter, and a nice pipe tobacco bag. These will be put to use and cherished. HHBs were not in the package . Thank you, Jack.


View attachment 3072291
...
I’ll be carrying the stag HHB today.

Congrats on the thoughtful gifts from Bob and Jack, Paul, and kudos to them for their generosity!
(I was going to write "that's a nice chest you have there", but I've gotten in trouble for that kind of talk in the past.)

Afternoon Guardians! Hope y'all have had a good Saturday.

View attachment 3072439

Great photo, David!
Do you get some sunshine almost every day, or do you only take photos on sunny days and save them for later?

Happy New Year, folks.

Good to see you here, Dylan! Sublime knife!
How big is that knife? IIRC, you're a fan of both lambsfoot blades and large coke bottle frames, right?

...
Do you think we have enough cereal?

I don't think I've ever seen the All-Bran Flakes before. I used to enjoy All-Bran in its "twig" format and the All-Bran Buds that looked like little bugs.

Good morning Guardians, the snow finally arrived at Grumble Towers, but there is only a couple of inches of it Whether or not that will be reflected in the disruption to our transport network, food hoarding, the price of fish and chips, etc remains to be seen At least, thanks to Costco, I have plenty of bread in! I'm hoping to meet up with a friend for coffee this afternoon, then I'm meeting Wolfie and Brother Tony for a couple of pints Have a great Sunday Guardians

View attachment 3072792

l'Ariete and slip are splendid, Jack!

View attachment 3072913

Grand grain!

36F, sunny and breezy

All I have planned today is watching American football. Currently executing said plan

Nice RC lamb, Mike; is that rosewood?

Excuse my absence but had so much on, and has been so hot here. Terrible Bushfires which have destroyed so much bush, farmland and towns. Got some friends who were surrounded by horrific fires but with the help of firey's and a lot of good luck escaped major damage but many didn't. Hope everyone is well.

Leon, are the bushfires a seasonal feature every year, or are they a rather new occurence?

- GT

 

[cudgee]

Been here from well before white man arrived here. In my lifetime there have been 5 terrible fires. It is part of our eco system. Many of the seeds of our native plant species lie dormant for decades and need intense heat to germinate. The destruction and death that they cause is horrific, but that is the price we pay living in the bush. It is the same for people who choose to live in tropical regions, cyclones and the like happen in those areas, but i'm starting to ramble. But Australia is a land that has always had wildfires/bushfires.

Leon, are the bushfires a seasonal feature every year, or are they a rather new occurence?

Have a good week.

 

[echoscout]

Great photo, David!
Do you get some sunshine almost every day, or do you only take photos on sunny days and save them for later?

Thanks buddy. Had a lot of sunshine lately

 

[echoscout]

 

[mbkr]

About 40 years ago, a guy I played city league softball with asked me to be an assistant for the spring break trip with the Purdue women's softball club he coached. On our trip down, we drove all night and stopped at a McDonald's somewhere in southern Georgia to get breakfast.
That was a "clash of cultures" for me and the young woman at the counter taking my order; we both had considerable difficulty understanding one another, even though we were both speaking English!

- GT

I've been going to Tennessee literally my whole life. I've never had any trouble with folks accents, but...
During my October Tennessee trip, I went up to Corbin, Kentucky to place some flowers on some graves. On the way back, feeling a little tired and hungry, I stopped at the Arby's in Huntsville, TN and ordered a sandwich.

Girl: "Want a mill?"
Me: "Mill?! I don't know what a mill is."
Girl: "Its when you have fries a drink with it."

Nice RC lamb, Mike; is that rosewood?

- GT

Yes it is

 

[SteveC]

View attachment 3080719

Nice pics of that Bog beauty !

 

[screened porch]

Crazy Uncle Bert, by the way, flourished in Rochester NY when Spiritualism was flourishing there. He had umbrellas open in the basement to serve as antennas for spirit vibes, and a trumpet upstairs for spirits to speak through at seances. Mom used to find something to do outside when they were visiting Uncle Bert.

The pharmacy assistant yesterday liked my hat:

LL Bean fedora.

 

[Rufus1949]

The earliest of the quotes that follow go back more than 10 days, I think.


Thanks for saluting my Guardians slip, Bob.
And thanks for the fruit clarification; isn't there a golf wager called Bingo Bango Mango??


Your photo shows a tool almost identical to the baling hooks of my youth. Ours typically had a more contoured handle, thickest in the middle, tapering down on either side, and then flaring out again at each end. And our hooks, since they'd be plunged into thousands of fibrous hay and straw bales each summer, tended to have a shiny tip and hook, but patina like in your photo on the straight shaft.

Maybe your pre-COVID brewery voucher will allow you to get free-COVID prices when you use it!

Good refrigerator story, Jack!


Mythical Monsters Market might be an effective marketing slogan.


Thanks, Steve.


Sumptuous knife and slip, Pat!


Impressive pocket jewelry, Mitch!


I think this is the first time I ever noticed that the frame of the Space Shuttle lamb is actually very similar in shape to the shuttle!
I certainly appreciated the January thaw that melted all the snow in my area. On that warm Friday and Saturday, I took my shovel out to the big snow pile at the end of the garden where I threw most of the snow from my driveway and spread out the pile as much as I could to facilitate melting. I ended up with essentially a fresh start, a reset, on my snow pile before the next snow moved through.


I wish I could say your seasonal enthusiasm was contagious, but recent cold temperatures seem to have given me immunity.


In chapter 3 of Paul's epistle to the Colossians in the Bible, he encourages members of the church to "clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience ... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect UNITY." That's what sprang to my mind when I saw your knife's tang stamp, Jack!


Be careful with your knife poses, Bob; it looks like marauders outside your wooden stockade, if they have small hands, could reach right in and grab your knife while you're aiming your camera! Great looking knife, though, and a thermometer reading I envy!


Your ebony WCLF is the epitome of elegance, Steve!


Interesting set-up to protect your plants, Mitch.
Must you move the umbrellas several times over the course of a day, or can you just "set and forget"?


Love to look at a lamb in a labor of love!


The older I get, the more I wonder if "cultural references" that are meaningful to me make any sense to folks a generation or two or three younger than me. What's the half-life of a cultural reference?

- GT

I'd probably be willing to give up the iconic ebony on snow photos to have a snow-free winter.


What a happy shot!


Good to see you here, Mike; welcome back!
That looks like an enjoyable winter activity!


Stellar stag, Steve!


About 40 years ago, a guy I played city league softball with asked me to be an assistant for the spring break trip with the Purdue women's softball club he coached. On our trip down, we drove all night and stopped at a McDonald's somewhere in southern Georgia to get breakfast.
That was a "clash of cultures" for me and the young woman at the counter taking my order; we both had considerable difficulty understanding one another, even though we were both speaking English!


I really like that "color coordinated" photo, Jack. It reminds me a little bit of the old-time sepia-tinted pics!


Congrats on the thoughtful gifts from Bob and Jack, Paul, and kudos to them for their generosity!
(I was going to write "that's a nice chest you have there", but I've gotten in trouble for that kind of talk in the past.)


Great photo, David!
Do you get some sunshine almost every day, or do you only take photos on sunny days and save them for later?


Good to see you here, Dylan! Sublime knife!
How big is that knife? IIRC, you're a fan of both lambsfoot blades and large coke bottle frames, right?


I don't think I've ever seen the All-Bran Flakes before. I used to enjoy All-Bran in its "twig" format and the All-Bran Buds that looked like little bugs.


l'Ariete and slip are splendid, Jack!


Grand grain!


Nice RC lamb, Mike; is that rosewood?


Leon, are the bushfires a seasonal feature every year, or are they a rather new occurence?

- GT

I never read this much in college!!

 

[Tyson A Wright]

I've been going to Tennessee literally my whole life. I've never had any trouble with folks accents, but...
During my October Tennessee trip, I went up to Corbin, Kentucky to place some flowers on some graves. On the way back, feeling a little tired and hungry, I stopped at the Arby's in Huntsville, TN and ordered a sandwich.

Girl: "Want a mill?"
Me: "Mill?! I don't know what a mill is."
Girl: "Its when you have fries a drink with it."




Yes it is

When I was single and traveling a lot for business, I generally didn't talk to anyone on the planes - instead I fell asleep - making up for how badly I tend to sleep in hotels. But once, on a flight from Dallas to Sacramento, a beautiful woman sat next to me so I said hello. That unleashed the floodgates - she talked to me non-stop, in a quiet voice that my metal guitarist ears had trouble hearing clearly, with such a thick Alabama accent that I couldn't be sure that it was even English she was saying. I quickly gave up on repeating "pardon me?" and "huh?" and just smiled and nodded, and hoped I wasn't agreeing with her about sacrificing goats to Satan or something.

After that flight I doubled down on my policy of not talking to anyone on the plane, and just trying to sleep through the flight.

 

[echoscout]

Nice pics of that Bog beauty !

Thanks buddy

 

[mitch13]

Cool shot of Violet




Thanks buddy !



I hope you don't have to work too hard but Waboom should help



Nice Rosewood grain

Thanks Steve.

LOL! Brilliant Mitch, I wondered if it was some sort of wheel-barrow attachment! Shows how much I know about gardening - or slam ball!

Yes indeed Good news Jer, I think you'd have regretted not returning that Nice shot of Rose Beast

Thanks Steve, been at my desk the entire day, and just finished work at 6.30pm, with a Zoom meeting to come yet. Can't believe I'm this tired just from sitting on my backside!

Great pic of your Shadow Lamb buddy

Blimey, I didn't think you'd get snow there Bob! Hope you've had a good day lollygaggin with your Shadow Lamb

Now ya know
Very handy for exercising my bad arm. I have a range from 2kg through to 12kg with size increasing by 2kg for each ball, essentially a medicine ball but you can throw and slam, good stress relief

Speedo and suspenders weather here.

View attachment 3080446

Now there is a mind image no 1 needs sounds very rocky horror show influenced

 

[mitch13]

Ha! I thought it was a tire off a radio controlled monster truck or dune buggy

I can see that.
I had a remote dune buggy as a kid.

 

[mitch13]

The earliest of the quotes that follow go back more than 10 days, I think.


Thanks for saluting my Guardians slip, Bob.
And thanks for the fruit clarification; isn't there a golf wager called Bingo Bango Mango??


Your photo shows a tool almost identical to the baling hooks of my youth. Ours typically had a more contoured handle, thickest in the middle, tapering down on either side, and then flaring out again at each end. And our hooks, since they'd be plunged into thousands of fibrous hay and straw bales each summer, tended to have a shiny tip and hook, but patina like in your photo on the straight shaft.

Maybe your pre-COVID brewery voucher will allow you to get free-COVID prices when you use it!

Good refrigerator story, Jack!


Mythical Monsters Market might be an effective marketing slogan.


Thanks, Steve.


Sumptuous knife and slip, Pat!


Impressive pocket jewelry, Mitch!


I think this is the first time I ever noticed that the frame of the Space Shuttle lamb is actually very similar in shape to the shuttle!
I certainly appreciated the January thaw that melted all the snow in my area. On that warm Friday and Saturday, I took my shovel out to the big snow pile at the end of the garden where I threw most of the snow from my driveway and spread out the pile as much as I could to facilitate melting. I ended up with essentially a fresh start, a reset, on my snow pile before the next snow moved through.


I wish I could say your seasonal enthusiasm was contagious, but recent cold temperatures seem to have given me immunity.


In chapter 3 of Paul's epistle to the Colossians in the Bible, he encourages members of the church to "clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience ... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect UNITY." That's what sprang to my mind when I saw your knife's tang stamp, Jack!


Be careful with your knife poses, Bob; it looks like marauders outside your wooden stockade, if they have small hands, could reach right in and grab your knife while you're aiming your camera! Great looking knife, though, and a thermometer reading I envy!


Your ebony WCLF is the epitome of elegance, Steve!


Interesting set-up to protect your plants, Mitch.
Must you move the umbrellas several times over the course of a day, or can you just "set and forget"?


Love to look at a lamb in a labor of love!


The older I get, the more I wonder if "cultural references" that are meaningful to me make any sense to folks a generation or two or three younger than me. What's the half-life of a cultural reference?

- GT

Thanks Gary
The pocket watch was an indulgence I found 1 on sale at a jewellers with free shipping. It was something the family was considering getting me for my 55th next week.

No I didn't have to move the umbrellas put them up before the sun hit. What I did have to do was peg the handles to the ground as it got extremely windy.

II'd probably be willing to give up the iconic ebony on snow photos to have a snow-free winter.


What a happy shot!


Good to see you here, Mike; welcome back!
That looks like an enjoyable winter activity!


Stellar stag, Steve!


About 40 years ago, a guy I played city league softball with asked me to be an assistant for the spring break trip with the Purdue women's softball club he coached. On our trip down, we drove all night and stopped at a McDonald's somewhere in southern Georgia to get breakfast.
That was a "clash of cultures" for me and the young woman at the counter taking my order; we both had considerable difficulty understanding one another, even though we were both speaking English!


I really like that "color coordinated" photo, Jack. It reminds me a little bit of the old-time sepia-tinted pics!


Congrats on the thoughtful gifts from Bob and Jack, Paul, and kudos to them for their generosity!
(I was going to write "that's a nice chest you have there", but I've gotten in trouble for that kind of talk in the past.)


Great photo, David!
Do you get some sunshine almost every day, or do you only take photos on sunny days and save them for later?


Good to see you here, Dylan! Sublime knife!
How big is that knife? IIRC, you're a fan of both lambsfoot blades and large coke bottle frames, right?


I don't think I've ever seen the All-Bran Flakes before. I used to enjoy All-Bran in its "twig" format and the All-Bran Buds that looked like little bugs.


l'Ariete and slip are splendid, Jack!


Grand grain!


Nice RC lamb, Mike; is that rosewood?


Leon, are the bushfires a seasonal feature every year, or are they a rather new occurence?

- GT

I couldn't get into the bran twigs.
It took me awhile to enjoy the flakes, the wife insisted for health reasons.
I just have flakes and skim milk.
the ridiculous thing is healthy cereals are so much more expensive than unhealthy varieties, crazy.

 

[mitch13]

Violet!

 

[Bigburly912]

After reviewing the last several posts I have decided I need to find a senator style lamb. Hoping not to buy too much this year but need to chase something I reckon.

 

[Jack Black]

Speedo and suspenders weather here.

View attachment 3080446

No offence Kurt, but I prefer the Lambsfoot image!

Nor I Jack!
Thanks, I'm assuming these scales are glued on.

Reckon they were originally a cost-cutting idea Bob, part of a range Rodgers did, which had a name I forget unfortunately

Ha! I thought it was a tire off a radio controlled monster truck or dune buggy

You're right. And, to give the river their due, I wouldn't be saving myself much hassle: a couple of clicks, maybe type a line or two, take the item to Kohl's, show them the QR code, and take home the receipt. (Kohl's just before noon on Sunday looks like a nice and quiet place to work.)

I expect I'd be required to wear a poncho over a speedo these days. Maybe a tarpaulin.

View attachment 3080606

"I'm not saying my mother-in-laws a big woman, but she gets her dresses from Rent-A-Tent!"

Afternoon Guardians! Couldn't sleep last night so dragging around late today. Hope y'all have had a nice Sunday. Back with the Bog Oak

View attachment 3080671

Same here David, after I learned of some terrible proposal by the UK government, which will destroy my hobby Nice photo my friend

Your photo shows a tool almost identical to the baling hooks of my youth. Ours typically had a more contoured handle, thickest in the middle, tapering down on either side, and then flaring out again at each end. And our hooks, since they'd be plunged into thousands of fibrous hay and straw bales each summer, tended to have a shiny tip and hook, but patina like in your photo on the straight shaft.

Very interesting Gary

Maybe your pre-COVID brewery voucher will allow you to get free-COVID prices when you use it!

Good refrigerator story, Jack!

Maybe! Thanks buddy

Mythical Monsters Market might be an effective marketing slogan.

I was once passing through the market, unusually, on a Saturday, and they had some kind of 'Goth Fair' going on inside, which certainly had some strange sights, not least a gloomy-looking Boring Ray, who got paid £50 to play some records

In chapter 3 of Paul's epistle to the Colossians in the Bible, he encourages members of the church to "clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience ... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect UNITY." That's what sprang to my mind when I saw your knife's tang stamp, Jack!

Well, I'm glad to have put that noble thought in your head Gary

The older I get, the more I wonder if "cultural references" that are meaningful to me make any sense to folks a generation or two or three younger than me. What's the half-life of a cultural reference?

I've long realised that my cultural references are completely lost on younger folks, but as I get older, that only adds to my enjoyment at using them

About 40 years ago, a guy I played city league softball with asked me to be an assistant for the spring break trip with the Purdue women's softball club he coached. On our trip down, we drove all night and stopped at a McDonald's somewhere in southern Georgia to get breakfast.
That was a "clash of cultures" for me and the young woman at the counter taking my order; we both had considerable difficulty understanding one another, even though we were both speaking English!

I really like that "color coordinated" photo, Jack. It reminds me a little bit of the old-time sepia-tinted pics!

Thank you Gary, purely accidental!

Congrats on the thoughtful gifts from Bob and Jack, Paul, and kudos to them for their generosity!
(I was going to write "that's a nice chest you have there", but I've gotten in trouble for that kind of talk in the past.)

I don't think I've ever seen the All-Bran Flakes before. I used to enjoy All-Bran in its "twig" format and the All-Bran Buds that looked like little bugs.

They sell the 'twigs' here as All-Bran, and the flakes as Bran Flakes. Not something I eat often, but I definitely prefer the flakes

l'Ariete and slip are splendid, Jack!

Thank you

Been here from well before white man arrived here. In my lifetime there have been 5 terrible fires. It is part of our eco system. Many of the seeds of our native plant species lie dormant for decades and need intense heat to germinate. The destruction and death that they cause is horrific, but that is the price we pay living in the bush. It is the same for people who choose to live in tropical regions, cyclones and the like happen in those areas, but i'm starting to ramble. But Australia is a land that has always had wildfires/bushfires.

Have a good week.

Very interesting Leon

View attachment 3080719

Another fine pic David

I've been going to Tennessee literally my whole life. I've never had any trouble with folks accents, but...
During my October Tennessee trip, I went up to Corbin, Kentucky to place some flowers on some graves. On the way back, feeling a little tired and hungry, I stopped at the Arby's in Huntsville, TN and ordered a sandwich.

Girl: "Want a mill?"
Me: "Mill?! I don't know what a mill is."
Girl: "Its when you have fries a drink with it."

LOL! They have that in Charlie's cafe too In France, if you want fries on the side, they call it an 'American', but they say it with a French accent, obviously

Crazy Uncle Bert, by the way, flourished in Rochester NY when Spiritualism was flourishing there. He had umbrellas open in the basement to serve as antennas for spirit vibes, and a trumpet upstairs for spirits to speak through at seances. Mom used to find something to do outside when they were visiting Uncle Bert.

The pharmacy assistant yesterday liked my hat:
View attachment 3080749
LL Bean fedora.

Crazy Uncle Bert sounds like a fascinating character Jer, cool hat

When I was single and traveling a lot for business, I generally didn't talk to anyone on the planes - instead I fell asleep - making up for how badly I tend to sleep in hotels. But once, on a flight from Dallas to Sacramento, a beautiful woman sat next to me so I said hello. That unleashed the floodgates - she talked to me non-stop, in a quiet voice that my metal guitarist ears had trouble hearing clearly, with such a thick Alabama accent that I couldn't be sure that it was even English she was saying. I quickly gave up on repeating "pardon me?" and "huh?" and just smiled and nodded, and hoped I wasn't agreeing with her about sacrificing goats to Satan or something.

After that flight I doubled down on my policy of not talking to anyone on the plane, and just trying to sleep through the flight.

Now ya know
Very handy for exercising my bad arm. I have a range from 2kg through to 12kg with size increasing by 2kg for each ball, essentially a medicine ball but you can throw and slam, good stress relief

Sounds like good fun Mitch

Thanks Gary
The pocket watch was an indulgence I found 1 on sale at a jewellers with free shipping. It was something the family was considering getting me for my 55th next week.

No I didn't have to move the umbrellas put them up before the sun hit. What I did have to do was peg the handles to the ground as it got extremely windy.

I couldn't get into the bran twigs.
It took me awhile to enjoy the flakes, the wife insisted for health reasons.
I just have flakes and skim milk.
the ridiculous thing is healthy cereals are so much more expensive than unhealthy varieties, crazy.

Hope you have a very Happy Birthday this week mate

Violet!

Great-looking Lamb