Bills Posts

Once again, the header picture is absolutely nothing to do with today’s topics.

We went to London today to visit family. We had a lovely day, and I’m pleased to say that everyone we saw were OK.

We drove to London in the Leaf. We left home with a full charge, and we knew that we could get to south London without having to stop to charge. I didn’t want to do that, because I knew that plugging in at our destination with the 13 amp connector would not give us sufficient charge even after six or more hours, and we would have to stop on the way home. I didn’t want to do that.

On previous trips north our first port of call has been the Genie Point charger at Liphook Services. We knew that if we stopped there, had a cup of coffee whilst we charged would give us sufficient to get home (with the home charge in London). We pulled in to the services, went to where we knew the charger to be. What was evident as we drove in were the rather extensive construction works that were underway. What was not evident was the charging point! It had gone.

We had a good look around, just make sure that it hadn’t been moved. It had, but only to remove it.I think it reasonable to say that our lack of being impressed was rather profound. To say I felt a tad grumpy about the issue would not be an understatement.

Subsequent research has revealed that the northbound services are being subject to a multi-million pound re-vamp, to include a MacDonalds, and possibly other outlets. Which is fine and good, at I would be shocked, very shocked if it didn’t include a bank of chargers – I just hope they include the connection standard we have on our car.

Subsequent to our not getting a charge at Liphook we proceeded on to Cobham Services on the M25. It has three EV points we can use. As we drove on to the M25, ZapMap told us that all three charging points were in use, which was good in that they were working, but how long would we have to wait?

Upon arrival, one of the cars was in the process of disconnecting, so we didn’t have to wait long at all. All connected up, charging progressed apace, a minor discussion with Elayne about my stress over the whole issue. charging complete, journey complete, a good day was had by all. Why-oh-why do I get so stressed about this? I was not happy about Liphook. Absolutely nothing I can do about it.

It has been a while since we had a morning like this. I must admit, I looked up the definition of a pea-souper, but that’s a fairly precise definition of a fog involving pollution, giving the mist a green & yellow colouring and is very unpleasant and unhealthy to breathe in. This was thick. I reckon visibility was 250 yards but it wasn’t at all unpleasant. Well, not unless you were driving or at sea.

On the cruise before last, the Iceland cruise, the ship we were on went through a fog bank where if we were stood at the bow or the Stern, we couldn’t see the other end of the ship. Given that we weren’t that far outside the arctic circle and we were passing a huge iceberg, it was just a tad disconcerting. Not at all relevant to todays post, just an interesting aside.

Back to this morning. The key feature was the mist, it was everywhere. I do like a good mist, it offers some really nice photo opportunities. I particularly like the rather forlorn, solitary or almost solitary boats looking abandoned, there’s something spooky about it. There’s a lot here in Gosport that makes me think of the Charles Dickens story, I’m sure it’s great expectations, but I’m not certain. For some reason I recall it being a very disturbing film. Apparently the location in question was Chatham Docks.

Even before I left the house I could hear the fog horns. Then as I was down at the waterfront, there were not only the land based horns, the ships were sounding theirs as well. It was quite a noisy morning.

I changed my walking route, I did a full circuit of the cockle ponds. There weren’t very many Jellyfish on the southern side of the south pond, where I saw them yesterday morning, but there were thousands on the north side and, unusually in the north pond. I don’t recall seeing them there last year, but they probably were. By far the greater bulk of them were very small, around a centimetre across. I’m really looking forward to seeing them grow.

I acknowledge. This is not a picture that will gain me a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society.

If you have been reading this blog for a year or more, then hopefully you will remember the time I spent with the Jelly Fish in the Cockle Ponds here in Gosport. I was very disappointed toward Autumn when the ponds were flushed and I waved goodbye to my thousands of pets as they embarked upon their great oceanic adventure.

Most mornings when out for my constitutional I walk past the Cockle Ponds, and I look to see if there are any signs of life. Apart from the occasional crab, or very small fish there has been nothing since the Aurelia Auritan Exodus (sorry, except for the ‘n’ at the end of Aurita’ that’s the Latin for the Moon Jelly Fish. Jelly Fishian Exodus just didn’t sound right).

Before today, the last time I walked past the Cockle Ponds was yesterday. The water was a bit rough, relatively for the ponds, but I couldn’t see anything.

I was joking about the jelly fish as I approached the ponds this morning, it had even been suggested that it was too cold for them. More with a forlorn hope than anything, I walked along the edge of the pond looking in. Then I noticed something, Thinking that it was a bit of plastic I stopped to see if it offered a photographic opportunity, Then I realised it was moving. Then I realised it was a Jelly Fish. With great excitement, I informed the #Breakfastclub. Was this the first and solitary, or might there be more?

Oh My!! Were there more? Oh you bet there were. I wonder when they hatched? All at the same time? There are thousands of them. None very big, the largest I saw was about an inch across.

Well, that’s it then. My pets are back. I shall take immense pleasure in reporting on the coming weeks and months until they embark once again on their great adventure at sea.

Today, I joined The University of the Third Age. https://www.u3a.org.uk/

There is a particular group that I want to attend. The thing about the U3A groups, is that they all happen during the working day, and as I work this is really awkward. Luckily, I have a very understanding boss, and as the group only meets once a month, I am sure that I will be able to re-arrange my lunch hour to accommodate this.

I had intended to join U3A when I retire, I have just brought it forward by a bit. There are definitely more groups that I would like to join, but they are not in scope for the time being. I think I can manage one.

Not unreasonable to ask which group – it’s Philosophy. And, why would I bother with that? I’ve signed up to do the A-Level. I have no idea if “I can pass this, but I am interested and I’ll give it a go.

The skies went a bit mad this morning. It has been at least two years since I last saw this many contrails. I managed to do about 4 miles over the course of the day. I was pleased with that, but I was disappointed that I didn’t feel able to complete my normal route.

Talking of normal, I almost feel it now. It’s surprising how much even just a cold can take out of you. It has been going round though, and has been touted as a bad one.

It’s the time at the moment when the sunrises can be quite a sight;

But I’ll only get possibly a couple of weeks of that. Having had the Spring Equinox almost a month ago now the nights are really starting to shorten.

One of the things that came out of last year were the salinity checks of the Cockle Ponds. Of course we were talking about the Jelly Fish and how they were thriving. Then one of the #Breakfastclub queried whether the salinity of the Cockle Ponds was affecting life in the ponds? Salinity? I hadn’t ever thought of that and besides how do you measure it?

I did a search and it turns out that there is a device called a “Refractometer” that is used for that purpose. Searching for the Refractometer on Amazon I expected them to cost thousands or even hundreds of pounds, in fact I would be surprised if it were even listed. You can imagine my surprise that they are listed, and my delight at the cost of a mere £10 (Some were less, I went for a mid-range).

I went through a thing of making, but not recording the measurements over a period of weeks, and for the most part they did not change. It was only the fading morning light that caused me to stop the readings. That light is now returning, and I search on every walk for signs of the Jelly Fish. I know that last years occurrence was not a one off, they have been there before.

I was very sad when, last year the ponds were flushed out. It almost felt like several thousand of my pets had been let loose upon the world.

Soon, I will resume the readings, and I really hope that I will detect signs of my pets returning to their home.

It’s just over twenty years since I did any really serious studying. A few years ago I did GCSE Maths – I quite enjoyed that. My locality project means learning, but it’s not formal and is unstructured.

I’d quite like to do something. There are couple of A’levels I’d quite like to do. Back in my Open University days, I did a module THD204, Technology in Society. This was one the modules that required discussion between students, one of the questions was; Is it society that causes changes in technology, or is it technology that triggers changes in society?

It was a course that involved sociologists and technologists. As you can imagine it was a fiery mix, but in a very friendly way. It was without doubt one of my favourite modules, I really enjoyed it. If the OU were still running that course, I’d happily do it again. Because of the way the course worked, it was text based, not face to face, so debates were conducted in relatively slow time, which gave me a chance to ponder responses.

My brain can cope with debating at that speed. I’d really like to find a similar course, perhaps not technology related. I’d be seriously interested.

I have always known it. I am a boring person. Against one set of criteria https://www.businessinsider.com/habits-of-boring-people-2017-7?r=US&IR=T#boring-people-have-unbalanced-conversations-1. I meet at least 6 out of the 14 measures for defining a boring person.

My main problems are social occasions, and my lack of love for televised sport – although I do like to watch a bit of golf sometimes. Put me in a room full of people with a love of football and general chit chat and I clam up. I can tell that other people are in full flow and that I have nothing to add. I have never been good at making small talk.

I think that to go through the other fourteen points would be…boring. Looking at it positively (which according to criteria 12 I’m not supposed to be able to do) with me meeting only 6 of the measures makes me less than half boring. Actually, I think I am…boring that is.

For two days now, I haven’t been out for a walk. I came down with a bit of cold Thursday morning and have been feeling a bit grotty. It’s frustrating. I’m hoping tomorrow I will be able to get at least down to the waterfront tomorrow. I’m hoping to be back to normal Monday morning. Of course, that’s fifteen miles (I’ve been averaging five a day the last few weeks). That I’m not likely to catch up with. That’ll put me quite a bit behind on the current #Walk1000 project (they call it a mission|).

It’s not that it is cold, it is that I have one. It’s not Covid – Elayne has had it all week and has been waiting for me to come down with it. Well I have. It is frustrating, but there you go.

I haven’t been out today, I’ve particularly missed the walk down the high street, can’t wondering what a Friday is like. Of course next Friday being a bank holiday, that won’t be valid as a normal Friday.

I was going to write something about people sleeping rough. Looking at the local charities. I’m just interested to know what’s going on. I had thought about volunteering, but the timeline might make that impractical. Still curious though.

Sorry, it’s a short one tonight.

For a long time, I had aspirations to be a town councillor. I’ve avoided talking about politics because it never turns out the way I want it to – I’m not particularly adept at debate. I’ve more or less given that idea up. I think the whole experience would probably be too stressful.

I then thought, that although I won’t go down the councillor route, I haven’t lost my interest. So, I thought perhaps I could do an Angry of Tunbridge Wells type of thing. The problem with that is I’m not really angry. Take here in Gosport for example, all of my interactions with them have been positive, plus when I go out for my walks I see the efforts of the workers, the street cleaners, the Gardners, the chaps who look after the hanging baskets actually do a very good job.

Could I be a gossip columnist? No, I don’t think so. I think gossip generally tends to be negative. It’s not often I read positive gossip. That, positive gossip, does exist, but from what I can tell it’s almost corporate speak, contrived positivity. What I did read didn’t feel right, it felt artificial. I’m saying this, because I’m thinking about what I want to do.

Of course there is the locality thing, learning about the history of the area, learn about the natural history. Perhaps I don’t need to gossip. Just thoughts.

The round Tower, across the water in Portsmouth, I wanted to get a picture of it being battered by the white water, but timing is difficult to judge. From that, you’ll gather that it was quite windy today.

The wind blowing gustily for my morning walk and hadn’t let up at lunch time. The thing that really got me though was the noise through the Marina. The wind flowing through the sail cables (they probably have a proper name) the metallic clanking from several hundred yachts was generating a lot of noise, persistent chink, chink, clank. When you couple that with the wind which was moaning as it blew, and the moans were of different frequencies.

I think I could put up with the wind, well really we don’t have much choice with the wind. We do though have a choice as to where we live (many of us do anyway), and I don’t think I would ever choose to live near to a Marina. I don’t deny that a marina is a lovely sight, and they are well worth a visit, and during the day, the hustle and bustle make for a seriously interesting experience.

But the ceaseless unending clanking at 3 AM when you are trying sleep? No, that’s not for me. I really do enjoy my visits though. There is always something to see.