Bills Posts

This is the only photograph I’ve taken today. I had problems getting to sleep last night, at least 2330 before my eyes felt like closing. I woke up at about 0610.

The thing is, the way my mind works is that if I can’t leave the house before 0610 then I won’t have enough time to get ready for work. It’s a self imposed arbitrary limit, and arguably I don’t have to stick to it, but it works for me.

Of course that meant I didn’t get to take any photos this morning. I really do mean to try and take a photo a day. So, occasionally you are going to be confronted with an apparently odd photo. Sorry.

Ok, I admit, not the most exciting picture. I set myself a little exercise this morning to photograph the streets or roads that I walk on during my normal morning route. This is Mumby Road not far from where I live.

In addition to my morning walk, I need to do more exercise so I’ve started going for a walk at lunchtime. In order to do that I’ve become determined that only urgent things will be allowed to interrupt my lunch hour – lets see how long that lasts!

Today’s walk was a very quick 1.5km, but it was lovely to be out and I have to admit that I felt energised as a result.

Busy evenings ahead this week;

The Isle of Wight Radio Society AGM on Zoom tonight. I’m an associate member of the IoWRS because I regularly chair the Thursday night net on the Island’s repeater, GB3IW. I must admit, it was a singular honour to be given associate status as enjoy doing the net anyway.

Tomorrow night is the South East Hampshire Wednesday Night Net. I’ve been a member of RAYNET for three, or is it four years now.

Thursday night is the IoWRS Thursday night net.

Friday Night is the first Zoom get together for the Horndean & District Amateur Radio Club (HDARC) of which I have been a member since becoming licensed.

Saturday Night is a virtual club that we hold for some old friends.

A busy week.

It’s not so much writers block, it’s having a common theme that I can return to in the event that I can’t think of anything to write about.

On FaceBook, I am well in to our fantasy holiday. I am wondering whether or not to do my next fantasy holiday here. That would ensure that I would have at least one post a day, and two when I have something I want to write about.

Like tonight, I feel I should have something to write about, so I’m writing about not having anything to write about. That’ll do for now I think.

There is a very obscure relationship between the picture of Knowlton Church and the subject of todays post.

Recently, I wrote about being very excited at the prospect of starting to read Hubble Vision (2nd Ed, 1998). I was on page 51 and was reading about Hubble’s vision of Saturn, when I came to a sudden stop. That is because I read about the Cassini mission in the book. The book was published in 1998. Cassini, at the time of the book was in transit and due to arrive at Saturn in 2004. Seven years after the book was published.

Here I am, in 2020 reading the book which is not only omitting the thirteen years of service that Cassini gave (10 years more than the three planned), but three years after the probe met its fiery demise in the atmosphere of the planet it had been exploring.

Now, I don’t mind reading old books. Indeed, most of the books I read are old. I think this is the first time I have encountered a situation where a book is so blatantly obsolete that I’m no longer prepared to read it. Sad, because I had been looking forward to reading it. I do though have a replacement planned. I’ve ditched Hubble Visions, and am now reading what was to be my next book; the history of art. I can’t help wondering how much our knowledge of ancient Egyptian and Greek art has been augmented in the last twenty five years. I suspect not enough to put me off reading this one.

I have another more recent book about Hubble lined up for Christmas. I may look for a book that covers the more recent research about the solar system in general.

The link between the church and the book? They are both old. Bit like me really.

The photo has no relationship to the date or the title.

Towards the end of February we were due to go to the Chinese Visa Bureau to get our visas for the holiday we had booked. We had to make a decision as t0 whether or not to bother. We didn’t and It was a few days later when China was put off limits. We didn’t go on holiday. If you are following me on Facebook, you’ll know that was when the virtual holiday started. Where I virtually ran the holiday that we due to have taken. When we reached the point some 3 weeks later when we were due to return home, I turned the virtual holiday in to a fantasy holiday. We are still on that Fantasy holiday, and by the looks of it will be for several more weeks. At the moment, I am in the Smithsonian in Washington.

The thing is, I’m quite enjoying it. So I’m already planning the next fantasy holiday. But, I’m not going to say anything about it until that one finishes.

In the foreground, is the Medusa, the last of the 464 Harbour Defence Motor Launches that were built.

Behind the Medusa is the Mary Mouse 2. MM2 was once a Trinity House lightship,. I suspect it may have been Covid that did for it. MM2 is now a restaurant, and we have eaten on her a couple of times. Each was lovely, excellent food. I wish the staff well during Covid-19

They are very near the end of the Haslar Marina Pier Wall, which is part of my morning walk Monday – Friday. I thought a combination of the colours, lights and lighting made for an interesting picture.

This is the closest I’ve come to not doing a post. I was busy with the IoW Thursday night net, which went on a bit longer than usual. Ending up going straight to bed after, and the realising I hadn’t posted. I must do better.

I was sat here, in my chair, with the TV on, and I was thinking what do I write about tonight, and nothing came to me, so I had writers block. But then I thought, I know, I can write about writers block. So at the risk of writing absolute rubbish (and who’s to say that isn’t the case anyway) here I am.

It’s a kind of frozen condition, absolutely nothing comes to the mind as a possible topic, then you run through a list of thing – or actually no, I don’t there is nothing there, so now I am just producing words to take up space. See absolute rubbish. We are waiting for an Asda delivery. I accidentally cancelled last week’s and so I ended up having to go to Morrisons for weekly shop. Oh well. I’d rather have the delivery.

This morning’s walk was quite pleasant. it had rained a little bit during the night. There was a fair bit of cloud around, but it was quite mild, I had a fleece on and it was just right. A good #Breakfastclub chat on the radio. I have the South East Hampshire Radio net tonight on 144.625Mhz. Let’s see how that goes. So then, how much of a writers block was that?

Stepping out the front door, ready for the morning walk, I look up to see what the sky has to show me. This morning, for the first time in several months I could see Orion. Also in the sky were Venus and Mars, with its distinct red colouring. Very nice to see Orion though, this will now be with me for several months as we go through Autumn, Winter and some of spring until the sky once again becomes too bright to see this wonderful constellation.

I put a proper coat on this morning. I probably didn’t need to but it was certainly a bit cooler, not only is this going to develop deeper, but the weather is changing for the season, with the strong likelihood of rain. One excuse that I have used in the past for not walking in the rain is that as I would be cycling to work, I didn’t want to get wet twice. That is not the case at the moment. With Boris’ pronouncement of working from home is back in vogue, I shall carry on as normal.

Hopefully though, I will be able to keep on with my walks.

After a whole week away from my morning walk, it was very nice to get out again. Nothing spectacular, with only the ferries, the pilot boats, and one or two yatchs moving. It was slightly on the chilly side, but that was ok, not many people about as well. It was nice to get out.

If they were able to hold the NFM, you’d think they would be able to do the Rufus Ride. I enjoy doing that one. Well. If the truth were known, I enjoy doing them all. I don’t think it will happen though, as things are getting dodgy again.