Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Breezy - cooler - 64F -Quiet Day

Both pictures are from our yesterday afternoon outing to Erewash Meadows and in each case anyone's identification would be valued.

Picture 1 is of a clump of a plant which was very plentiful in swathes at the water's edge. The colour is about accurate and the flowers look 'orchidaceous' each being slightly smaller than a foxglove.

Picture 2 is of a small butterfly and unfortunately for scale, I could not persuade it to hold a 50p piece in its teeth. It would however, comfortably fit into a square inch and Bungus's, hopefully temporary, monochrome monitor will be no real disadvantage as the creature was almost entirely black & white. Just a hint of brown.

And Bungus's playful comment about 'forgetting his own name next' is borne out by his comment arriving under the name 'bonus'. I'm assuming that was part of the joke! I can only apologise to Reg for not mentioning 'Dad's Shop' or ME and admit to ignorance about the Flying Bedstead statue. (a) I should have remembered about the project and (b) I should have recognised the artwork. It flew from Hucknall Aerodrome in 1954 and there is, or was, a pub called The Flying Bedstead in Hucknall.

The Foot and Mouth outbreaks are a great cause of concern. Let us hope they can be contained.

Just to tidy up on some 'comments' I agree with both Bungus and Jill about forms and vocabulary. My pet hate is where the 'form' contains multiple choice questions and of the 5 possible answers none is precisely the case. It was reassuring to read that A levels are to be rejigged to include more 'essay' answers and students are to study less subjects again and in greater depth. When will they let it settle down? the poor little sods have been being messed about for the last 2 decades at least.

We are going WoW-ing tomorrow. Reg, Mike for sure, and possibly Doug, but we haven't decided on a destination yet. Let's hope the weather holds, and I must remember to ask Reg about the Erewash Meadow Conservation area and where the footpath leads to. It is probably possible to get into it from the other end, thereby making accessible to me bits which are too far for me to walk to from our end.

My quote for the day is a quite lordly put-down:-

"He is indebted to his memory for his jests and to his imagination for his facts"

- Richard Brinsley Sheridan

At least with me usually driving on our Wednesday jaunts, I don't have to plan routes. It suits me best to drive because it is my car which I know I'm comfortable in, and it gives us more flexibility. Nighty night.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll have a guess - I think the flower is a sort of water balsam? And the butterfly may be a Common Ringlet. Of course if it opens its wings and there is a flash of purple or jade, it is not a common anything....

Hope you all have a good day tomorrow, sounds like an episode of 'Last of the Summer Wine' - which one is Howard?

Anonymous said...

Obviously, with my Joseph screen, I am unable to pass judgment on the flowers. It must be like nbeing colourblind, as my old college friend Alan is (and he became a college lecturer – you’ve nearly guessed it; in Interior Design!)
From the rather limited selection in my books (I don't know whether the Ringlet I have is Common or not but it doesn't look a contender) I would say the butterfly is either a Marbled White (1.5” wing span) or a Speckled Wood (0.75 to 1” wing span and rather browner).

RadioG should know that forgetting one’s own name is no joke (but it is nice to be appreciated)’.
I remember the ‘Flying Bedstead’ well; the first VTOL, I believe, apart from helicopters (I’m not sure about the AutoGiro).
A Flying B*****d must have crashlanded in our back garden prior to our arrival in 1982. I know because I dug it up.

Personally, having experienced ‘Exam Only’ for School Cert in 1946 and ‘Course Work + Exam’ for A Level in 1989, I believe rather strongly that the latter gives a better idea of a student’s abilities and potential.
I feel obliged (I would, wouldn’t I?) to point out that the ‘poor little sods’ of over 2 decades ago are our adult childen (or oxymorons as they are sometimes known) of today.

I do hope that your probable possibility becomes an accessible reality.

You don’t think Sheridan meant me, do you? SOME of my jokes are as original as jokes ever can be.

Jill has the picture. My wife thinks that if I go anywhere at any time with male contemporaries it looks like a scene from 'Last of...'

If only to labour the point, let's see if I can get it right tonight. tonight...