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23:57:00 o'clock BST
Feeling Thoughtful
Weather forecasts
Do you think that somewhere along the way the word 'whether' got changed to 'weather'? "I wonder what it is going to be like tomorrow and whether we can go out..."
Showers, they said on TV. A possibility of showers. Debbie and I sat down to enjoy one of favourite TV shows 'New Tricks' and just as it started we got a phone call from Doctor John, our neighbour. For some reason he had gone outside and said the sky was really black. It was late dusk and despite the programme we decided to go down the garden to the boat and drop the side windows. Half way down the garden we started to run for it and only just got into the boat when the lightning started to flash and thunder roared. The storm broke as we frantically pulled at poppers and unrolled the sides with their flexi-plastic windows and scrabbled to connect them using those tent style zips. In the dark that wasn't easy but we managed to do it with a minimum of getting wet.
Then we couldn't get back to the house. The rain roared down for ages and the oddity was a swan came alongside and looked in, presumably to make sure we were all right.
Just a shower, I thought. We really enjoyed that camping adventure and eventually got back in time to see the end of the show.
All in all the last few days have been great. The shed is now all green and blends in. Tools are stored away and so is most of the magic stuff I have to sell for Guy Higgins widow. The new magic shop is just about ready to launch and thanks to Les, if you want a preview, have a look at www.pauldanielsmagicshop.co.uk but don't tell anyone I told you. AND don't laugh at the graphic of me when you click on play on the home page. You can even find this blog there in the future as it loads up automatically from here. Now I have to start loading it up in a completely new way to the last shop as we are also acting as 'sort of agents' for foreign companies. It's interesting.
Other than that, well, we have had a couple of nice days out on the boat (although I cocked up badly in a lock yesterday.) Sue Hodges and her husband 'Paddington' have arrived for the week. Sue is in Big Bad Mouse, the play starring Cannon and Ball, in Windsor.
I was going to the north but couldn't 'cos of lots of tiny commitments so that will have to be put back a week.
Showers? Huh!
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Am jealous i adore thunder and lightning and we haven't had a half decent storm for years :o( I don't have Sky+ nor a dvd recorder nor even a workign video recorder so can't watch New Tricks as i have to watch Dragons Den...I love that programme so much...Half the people are barking mad and that's just the 'dragons' <g>
29/07/08 22:55
We were entertaining our elder son's girlfriend's parents having met them that evening for the first time.
It all started off very well with Pimms and nibbles in the garden, continued refreshments as we tootled upstream to Hambleden Lock in our pre-war launch and mooring at Regatta HQ before a leisurely main course and pleasant wine at Chez Gerard.
Then it was back to the launch for the downstream run home with pud and coffee just as that huge dark cloud loomed over Henley!
Having cast off and gone under Henley Bridge, we got as far as the floating grandstand - still in place after the Regatta - as day turned to night in moments so we decided to moor and transfer into one of the Regatta tents to settle down for our strawberries and cream and hot coffee . . . once we'd 'phoned the security guard to let him and his large dog know we were on site!
What a grandstand view we had as the storm broke of the thunder, lightning and torrential with car and house alarms going off to add to the noise: the force of nature is so amazing.
In the meantime, our friendly security guard called a cab to take our guests home to re-unite them with their cars as there was little sign of the rain letting up enough to go home in comfort in the launch which I moored back at Regata HQ.
My son came back and collected us, so we retrieved the boat early this morning after cycling into Henley.
My wife and I were in the only boat moving on the river and it was marvellous: the storm had cleared the air and we saw a kingfisher, a heron and a jet black weasel bouncing along our bank looking for his breakfast as we came in to moor a mere 14 hours after we had set out!
We certainly gave the girlfriend's parents an evening to remember . . .