A Fresh Start

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Time for a new URL, a new identity - well, just how long can “A Fresh Start” last before it’s no longer fresh? It served its purpose admirably (even if I say so myself) and the pages of, um, wisdom will stay here (as have […]

Where to see it: Mainly on freshwater lakes, gravel pits, reservoirs, rivers and town park lakes when deep enough. Sometimes seen offshore, especially in winter if freshwater areas are frozen. - RSPB
Unless I’m delirious (which I admit is a possibility), my garden has acquired a camera-shy coot.
This morning (as I mixed my lemsip) I […]

… and feeling crap, crap, crap.
Acheing in parts I didn’t know could ache, the intermittent headache I bravely and nobly ignored over the weekend has adopted a different tack and is attacking me in oh so many other ways today.
Bah.
It’s probably one of those online virii but it’s my own fault - I had been […]

Bloody weather. Bloody drivers. Bloody drivers in hot weather. Bloody middle-lane-hogging idiots (who, it seems, hog lane 3 if you’re on a 4-lane stretch of road).
Still, at least I didn’t come back via the M25 or I’d still be driving behind the wheel now.
I can’t begin to tell you how delighted I […]

I’ve been making appointments for a wheesh of inspection appointments in the morning, have been to visit dad and - once his washing’s done and hung out - a woman has invited me to a festival.
It’s a hard life.

Dear Sirs,
Please find enclosed a cheque for £9.75 for cleaning the windows at my father’s house on 15th July.
I feel I should also take this opportunity to apologise for any distress caused to the staff member who cleaned the upstairs windows.
Had I known that your staff make routine calls on Saturday mornings and that my […]

This time last week I was, um, let’s see … relaxing after the most strenuous day of the holiday and that hike up to the Briksdal glacier.
I was operating on reduced power in a photographic sense as I’d managed to lose the spare battery for my P820 on the very first day I was in […]

I cancelled my lunch date with Stubby - she’d mentioned yesterday she needed to go out to buy a leaving present for someone leaving tomorrow and I received a nice cheque from those nice bastards at BT, necessitating a hike across the centre of Norwich for it to be deposited.
“You’re standing me up?!” she exclaimed, […]

Back to work yesterday and the feelgood factor’s still there tonight (even though the sleeplessness was back last night - a result of a sticky night rather than anything else, I suspect).
Last night, then, after Stubby’d expressed an interest in a lunch date, I sent her a text:
How about lunch tomorrow?
Can’t do tomsrow what about […]

I really must either lose weight or save up so I can fly Business Class.
Penguins are very clean birds. I was impressed by the way that the young chick would bend over, so that he was horizontal to the ground, before letting fly with his, um, bodily waste.
In 50 years I will have destroyed […]

I‘ve still got loads to write about (and bore you stupid) but at least all the photos are finally loaded for your amusement.
381 of them. Sorry.

Welcome back, we missed you!
Love,
All your guest bloggers and readers (breathing a huge sigh of relief).

By the time this post is published I should be out of Norwegian airspace and, therefore, safe. As a result, I can now reveal all.
In spite of Tall Andy blowing my cover my secret fish surveillance mission was, I think, a success. I’ve an appointment with Boss Lady and Tizzy to remove the […]

There were four reasons for my visit to Norway.
Tall Andy told you the first in his first post (but keep quiet, eh?).
Daisy’s suggestion that I am in some way engaged in a killing spree is way off the mark. Mention has been made, though, in guest posts of one of the other three reasons […]

Right then. I’m packed and as ready as I’ll ever be for the Grab-a-Granny portion of the holiday. This part - you’ll be delighted to hear - is almost certainly going to be internetless so my lovely guest posters will be untroubled by my sticking my (sunburnt and peeling) nose in where it’s […]

Plan your trip
Local Radar
Detailed Forecast

I‘m away on my holiday - to Norway - and leave the blog in the capable hands of my Dirty (Baker’s) Half-Dozen: Croila, Daisy, Mulbo/Murphy, Rosa, Shelly Tall Andy and The Bishop.
Read their excellent contributions below. I’ll be back in a fortnight.
Useful Bergen links:

VirtualTourist.com
Bergen Guide
Events I’ll be considering at Bergen-Travel
The […]

I washed clothing last night and hung it out. Should I bring it in?, I pondered at bedtime. Nah. It’s not quite totally dry yet.
I mean. It’s the end of June. Summer time, in fact.
Bugger.
Talking of clothing and Longfellow (Sam’s going to be a tall lad, you see, and […]

I’ve upgraded my ClustrMap to the “paid” version.
As a result, I can now tell that my South American fanbase is firmly in Argentina rather than Uruguay.
In fact, I think I recognise some of the dots - see if you’re there by going to the main map and “zooming in” on your continent.
And look - […]