Bills Posts

Almost in parallel to when I started this blog, I was also writing on my Facebook time line. Generally the Facebook post was more like a diary than anything. This blog really got going as a result of my wishing to “just write” it would give me an opportunity to explore topics and write material that was different to my FB posts.

For some reason, I have been a bit neglectful of Facebook. I had started off quite enthusiastically with the Fantasy Holiday that I had planned a part of this years Walk1000 exercise. It always seems to happen as I get close to the end, almost a a case of losing interest.

As a result of the neglect, some of the more recent blog posts could be looked at a diary entries. Not on, I really do want to keep them separate.

A couple of posts ago, I offered my Blog readers a really feeble post (I’m aware that a number of people follow this blog. Do you really read me? – i know some do, I hope you don’t get fed up with me. Anyhow, in that feeble post I talk about reflecting on the blog. I’m reading a book on my Kindle, it’s about writing non-fiction. Unsurprisingly, parts of the book deal with the audience for the writing. What audience am I aiming at? I can’t really define it just yet.

I also have a problem with content, apart from some rubbish posts such as the one a couple of days do I write about nothing consistently. But,since this blog is for me, does it all really matter?

I think that if I ever wanted to have a really focussed blog, I’d start a second one. I haven’t done that.

I subscribe to the notifications issued by The Queens Harbour Master. Several weeks ago QHM issued a notice that dredging activity would be taking place in Haslar Marina. It was due to start about now. They’ve been at it for a couple of days now.

Taken this morning, this picture shows two of three ships, the barge closest to us is full of the dredged material, There was a chap on the bridge drinking a mug of tea, preparing to take the barge out to the spill area, which I think is beyond the Nab Tower.

Mary Mouse, the green light ship in the distance, is due to be moved as part of the dredging activity. The lightship, which is a rather nice restaurant (which I am really pleased survived Covid) has been where it is since we moved to Gosport.

Every morning this week, I arrive at the WaveGuard expecting to see it gone. A sufficiently unusual occurrence that I want to record it. I’d like to be there when they move the ship, but I have no idea when that will be. Perhaps I should read QHM’s notice again. That might tell me.

We went through a dry spell. Not sure how long it lasted, but it was quite a few day. Enough to leave the grass parched & scorched. It really started raining yesterday. It was spitting a bit during the day, I managed to get out for my morning walk, but lunchtime was written off as it was raining, but I had a dental appointment in the afternoon and no car so I had to walk. Luckily, it didn’t rain.

Today was similar, morning walk was fine. Lunch time was a no-go as it was raining quite heavily. When I went out to top up the bird feeders I noticed that the grass was looking almost normal. It felt a bit strange to walk on, almost rough, like it had been burnt – which in a way, it has.

The rain really came down last night, and I am reasonably convinced that a lightning bolt grounded somewhere near the house. The flash was very bright, and the thunder was like a gunshot going off. It made me jump, and terrified the cat. The rain was coming down as well, overwhelming the guttering, and drumming on the conservatory roof, so hard that I thought it was either leaking, or in danger of crashing down. Of course it didn’t.

The dredgning in Haslar Marina has started. I think the lightship is due to be moved soon, that will be unusual as it is such a fixture. I’ll keep an eye on the dredging.

The very flat surface on the Cockle pond was ideal for reflections. I’m a bit stuck for something to write about any the moment, it’s just a few minutes past the time I want to be in bed, and I can’t go until I finish this. So I need to get on.

I thought I could write a piece on reflecting on where I think this blog should be going, but to be honest, it is way too late in the evening, so this is going to have to be a short one I’m afraid – sorry about that.

Yesterday, I kind of indicated that I was about to have an argument with my wife. I didn’t but let’s just say she wasn’t happy, for maybe about a minute or so, and then she laughed. The thing is I really, really don’t like upsetting her, only because I love her.

Anyway, we went to the party and it was lovely.

I travelled back home today. It meant a drive around the M25, if you are not aware of this, it is an orbital road that encircles London. From where I went to school in Surrey, I was able to watch, from a distance (better with binoculars) the construction of a small part of the motorway. It was unfortunate that even in the early days of construction it was realised that the motorway would not have sufficient capacity and despite all the work done during the intervening years, this is still the case.

Today’s journey was not the worst. Almost a continuous traffic jam from around Junction 17, anticlockwise down to just before junction 11.

There was something going on, at least on the clockwise route lots (and I mean lots) of lorries with hazard lights flashing, and it looks like Some of them were deliberately restricting traffic flow. I’ll try and find out what was happening.

I do not intend for this blog to be a basic diary. I’m going to try and stop that from happening..

We are off to a party this later this afternoon, and probably won’t feel like doing a post afterwards, so this one is a bit early.

I was going to write a piece about my lack of success on committees, but a quick search of previous posts showed that I wrote pretty much what I want to here; https://localitystories.com/2022/07/01/686-committees-things/

I won’t bother with committees then. Now, we went in to town this morning, and were a bit naughty, having breakfast in quite a nice restaurant, Bohemia. I had bubble and squeak, that came with some rather nice bacon and scrambled eggs and I added a bit of black pudding all of which was very nice.

Just briefly back to the party we are heading for. I think I may be about to have an argument with my wife. She wants me to put on a posh shirt and some rather heavy trousers. The trouble is it is warm, and I want to wear T-Shirt and shorts. I fear I may have to rebel. I’ll let you know which hospital I’ll be in.

I think the clouds and the foreground make a feeling of motion, and that is appropriate given the topic of todays post.

I have decided that, with a very few exceptions, I don’t like travelling very much. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy being in different places. I’m just not sure that I always enjoy the process of getting there. Have I, I ask myself, been ruined by science fiction? I can remember I think it may have been back in the 1970’s possibly even the 1960’s I first read Robert Heinlein’s Space Cadet. The star of the book, a young Matt Dobson is embarking on a new life as he joins the Space Patrol. I haven’t read the book since, but it may possibly have been on the first page Matt pauses his trip toward the space rocket that will be taking him to the planet, he opens his bag, takes out a small device and to be blunt, phones home.

Written in 1948, the book describes a device that today sits comfortably in my pocket, and does oh so much more than just “phoning home”. All I knew was that as I read that book, fifty plus years ago, I can remember practically drooling over that little device and can actively remember thinking “I want one of those”. Well, over the last few years I have had several of these, mobile phones we call them, but they can do things that I suspect are beyond even the dreams of Robert Heinlein back in 1948.

I talk about Heinlein’s personal phone becoming what was fiction became reality. And then, I watched Star Trek. It is here then that I get to the crux of my piece about not enjoying travelling; teleportation. Yes, Yes, I know pure science fiction, but so was the mobile phone, but then I also read Larry Niven’s tales of known space; what a fantastic set of stories that are. Please read them if you enjoy hard science fiction and pure entertainment. His society has transfer booths, stand in the phone box sized device, key in a number and re-appear somewhere else on the planet. That’s what I want! Teleportation or the transport booth. Then I could visit Easter Island (sorry, Rapa Nui), the plains of Nazca, Stonehenge. Just, as Tommy Cooper would have said; Just like that.

I did mention toward the top of this piece that there were a number of exceptions to my aversion to travelling. Cruises. I love going on a cruise. I do not like driving around the M25. There are no similarities between the two activities beyond getting from A to B. I think I would be much happier if I could just step in to a booth and step out to say hello to my dear friends in France.

Mind you, there is something to be said for driving somewhere different, getting to see new pieces of countryside.

I didn’t go for a walk yesterday morning. I woke up and felt really tired, so just didn’t bother, and promptly fell asleep. I did manage to get out for a walk at lunchtime.

I didn’t go for a walk at all today, I had a bit of a problem. It’s mostly sorted. I think I have about fifty miles left to go to reach this years Walk1000 target. I should be able to do that this month.

Sorry, not much of a post today. Tired.

So what could I write about?

Model Railways? so, what have I done recently? To be honest, absolutely nothing. My sister very kindly got the baseboard wood sorted an I have done nothing with it. I haven’t forgotten about it, and should obviously be doing something about it. As they say; just get on with it.

Photography; There was a point only a very few weeks ago, I seriously for just a very few seconds seriously considered selling my Nikon. For no other reason than I use my phone much more than the Nikon, which for the most part sits in the cupboard unused. I am not very good at it, but it is difficult to put in to words the pleasure I get from this particular hobby is very difficult to put in to words. that pleasure grows exponentially when I do take a good (by my standards) picture.

Actually, I think these are my main hobbies everything else is interests. Where do I begin; Astronomy? I need to get outside more. Meteorology? I want to get a new weather station, that connects to the Internet, like my current one doesn’t. Exploring Art? Yes, that is an interest. I just never seem to the opportunity to practice. Perhaps I should create opportunities. Need to explore that. Earth Mysteries? By which I mean Ley Lines and Neolithic and other sites (I’ve driven through the Avebury rings, several years ago, but couldn’t stop – can you imagine how frustrating that is?) and of course, writing and Vlogging. Now I’ve done a fair bit of writing. And Vlogging – why am I so determined and yet so utterly incapable of getting involved in that? Another frustration.

there are other interests as well. I’m just too tired to think about them at the moment.

Yeah, not really – neither arty or earthy, or probably mysterious.

This time last year, I was reading the story of Art by E H Gombrich. I really enjoyed the book. I am interested in Art, but I’m not (I hope) obsessed with it. Just the occasional visit to a gallery, or a country house should do it. I have never been interested in art, beyond photography.

I’m sorry for going over “old” ground, actually a couple of posts since I started this blog, and one post quite recently but I can’t find it and I’m not sure how long ago it was. Anyway, I mention two attitude changing experiences. The first one was the Bilbao Guggenheim. I think it was a Richard Serra exhibition, but I can’t find it around 2005. The exhibition comprised very large, thick steel plates that we could walk in between. There were places in side that were so dark, that I was surprised that the light could be blocked out. It was a real interactive experience, the kind of which I have never had before.

Then, only a few years ago we were given a guided tour of Goodwood House, the guide put a fair bit of effort into describing the art in the house. Now, the thing about the art was that a lot of it related to the house, the grounds and the family. It was that which has sparked what is clearly a latent interest that I didn’t know could be quite as intense as it is turning out.

I now feel embarrassed, I am drivelling on about this. Sorry. I just considered deleting this whole post. But it’s too late for me to try writing something else.