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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!

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  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Shoshin1 said:

    @Bunks said:
    Wow! That's full on @Shoshin1

    In some part of Auckland 80mm of rain in one hour, where during a 'normal' storm with heavy rain it's only 20mm...
    Today it's business as usual...well apart from the warning about Mt Ruapehu's increased likelihood of eruption...

    Hmmmm that’s a worry. Do many people live close by?

  • @Bunks said:

    Hmmmm that’s a worry. Do many people live close by?

    Mt Ruapehu district

  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Shoshin1 said:

    @Bunks said:

    Hmmmm that’s a worry. Do many people live close by?

    Mt Ruapehu district

    Probably more sheep than people :p

    Shoshin1
  • March in the Southland (CA) Rain w/temps in the 50's - 60's
    Quickly warms up to mid to high 80 (Fahrenheit). Desert is more extreme.
    27 mile away, beautiful ocean with temps in the mid 70's.
    Passed Gas stations with Gas low of $ 5.499(Reg) [Local] to high of $ 6.199 (Reg) [Near UCLA, CA]. Premium was $ .40 - $ .50 higher. Heard of prices much higher elsewhere in the area.
    But it was a fine day.

    BunksFleaMarket
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    @Bunks said:

    Probably more sheep than people :p

    But what about the sheeple?

    BunksShoshin1
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Lionduck said:
    March in the Southland (CA) Rain w/temps in the 50's - 60's
    Quickly warms up to mid to high 80 (Fahrenheit). Desert is more extreme.
    27 mile away, beautiful ocean with temps in the mid 70's.
    Passed Gas stations with Gas low of $ 5.499(Reg) [Local] to high of $ 6.199 (Reg) [Near UCLA, CA]. Premium was $ .40 - $ .50 higher. Heard of prices much higher elsewhere in the area.
    But it was a fine day.

    Yep, $2 a litre here (1/4 gallon).

  • @Bunks

    We do have some areas right there with you at over $ 7.57/gal.
    Thin is, we have no shortages.
    Funny thing is that oil and gas are subsidized. We were told that, if it were not, we would be paying around $ 6.00 - $ 8.00/gal. Still is and we are paying around $ 6.00 - $ 8.00.
    Time for the talking heads and foo economists to stop blaming workers and end users for the inflation. They won't, of course, but they want to keep collecting their dole.
    That said, it is still fun getting out on my 60+ mpg Honda and going for a nice ride.

    (Oh, and I don't like Fosters either - 3.2 with a fancy label. I got to taste real beer with the Aussies in Viet Nam.) =)B)

    Bunks
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited March 2022

    From the Telegraph Newspaper, online:
    "Britons who take in Ukrainian refugees will only get the £350-a-month payments for the first year despite their stay in the country lasting for up to three years.

    The scheme, drawn up by Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, launches on Monday with aspects of the approach still under development.... "

    As my husband cynically pointed out.
    "Of course, remember these refugees are white..."

    I'm not going to fill in the gaps...

    Bunkslobster
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Lionduck said:
    @Bunks

    We do have some areas right there with you at over $ 7.57/gal.
    Thin is, we have no shortages.
    Funny thing is that oil and gas are subsidized. We were told that, if it were not, we would be paying around $ 6.00 - $ 8.00/gal. Still is and we are paying around $ 6.00 - $ 8.00.
    Time for the talking heads and foo economists to stop blaming workers and end users for the inflation. They won't, of course, but they want to keep collecting their dole.
    That said, it is still fun getting out on my 60+ mpg Honda and going for a nice ride.

    (Oh, and I don't like Fosters either - 3.2 with a fancy label. I got to taste real beer with the Aussies in Viet Nam.) =)B)

    Don't worry, we don't like Fosters either although I did drink it when I lived in London many years ago (sssshhhhhh....that's our little secret)

    Lionduck
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    I remember drinking Castlemaine 4X as a student… nowadays I am more discerning. When I drink a beer it is usually a Trappist at 10%, and then I drink only one.

    Bunks
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Love Grolsch. But bottled, not in cans.

    Bunks
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Jeroen said:
    I remember drinking Castlemaine 4X as a student… nowadays I am more discerning. When I drink a beer it is usually a Trappist at 10%, and then I drink only one.

    I enjoy a Hoegaarden which I think may be from your part of the world?

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Yes thats right. Its Dutch or Belgian, i forget…

    Bunks
  • Beautiful Autumn morning....The sun is shinning the weather is sweet, makes me wanna move my jolking feet..

    Bunks
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    This is known as Canal Boat Painting, and was, until maybe 10 years ago, a dying and forgotten art, although many enthusiasts were trying to keep it alive before then... Thanks to the Internet and YouTube, it's happily enjoying a revival, and has become a favourite hobby for land-lubbers and sea dogs alike!

    Canal Boat Painting was practised by itinerant canal boat operatives, who were initially mainly Gypsies. They firstly decorated their horse-drawn cabin carriages with colourful paintings of flowers, castles and curlicues, but once they took to the water to transport all manner of goods, from bales of cloth to heaps of coal, they began living on barges, and painted them in similar, colourful fashion.

    The painting technique seems simple, but these people became highly skilled in painting beautifully - and quickly. They never knew when they would be called upon to go to work... but they were simple, uneducated folk, who could neither read, nor write, so records of their work are barely existent; and boats would be painted, and re-painted, then fall into disrepair, and either sunk or broken up. Consequently, there are virtually no original pieces of art that exist from the 19th Century.

    What hastened their demise was the advent of the railways, and haulage trains, that could move a greater amount of merchandise, in a fraction of the time.. the canals were no longer a viable means of earning a crust...and the Bargemen and their families gradually disappeared..

    Fortunately, the canals of Britain are now being restored and managed by Waterway companies, and hundreds of volunteers, and they're once again, busy with longboats, narrowboats, barges, canoes, kayaks all manned by avid enthusiasts, and the Art is being revived by those who wish to continue this wonderful heritage!

    lobsterBunksFosdick
  • Happy Mother Day UK.
    … OH … it's gone. ;)

    Beautiful meditation type stool from @federica <3
    Very impressive.

    Bunks
  • It was our last Buddhism on the beach for the Summer last night, it's becoming dark earlier plus next week the clocks go back...(You northerners are stealing our warmth and light....)
    From what I gather Omicron has peaked in Auckland and gradually starting to drop.... I'm thinking of holding the group at my place again...I'll see how things go...

    Well today was a beautiful Autumn's day, hot sunny and blue sky...so I headed to the beach...On my way down I spotted a friend sitting on a bench having his morning tea (he's a self employed tradesman)...

    We had a nice Dharma chat about perception and how we often perceive things differently...Growing up in London surrounded by lots of old buildings (hundreds of years old) and hoards of people, I find the open spaces, natural beauty, and sparse population here wowing, and my friend (who is a Kiwi) had lived for a time in London and was wowed by all the old buildings and lots of people around, he said he never felt alone when living in London...



    The water's still warm...and not many visitors...best time of years....

    BunksFosdickJeroenFleaMarket
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    @Shoshin1 said:
    and hoards of people

    This was funny, had a good laugh. Think you mean “hordes of people”.

    Shoshin1Bunks
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran
    edited March 2022

    It’s tricky with words that are pronounced very nearly the same but spelt differently and have quite different meanings. I mean I was seeing visions of Smaug the Terrible (see also The Hobbit) gathering in a large collection of dead people… I was just racing @Federica in pointing it out.

    KotishkaFleaMarketShoshin1
  • Another beautiful morning...


    On the the bush track leading up from the beach you can hear me puffing and panting ...it's bloody steep and I'm not getting any younger...

    Bunks
  • @Jeroen said:
    It’s tricky with words that are pronounced very nearly the same but spelt differently and have quite different meanings. I mean I was seeing visions of Smaug the Terrible (see also The Hobbit) gathering in a large collection of dead people… I was just racing @Federica in pointing it out.

    @Jeroen ...It's amayzen ow how brains ah aball to decifer wat iz ment even wen worz in the centance ah spelt rong ..and the centance iz grammaticlee incoorect

    Oops perhaps I should have put a trigger warning ;);)

    BunksJeroen
  • Decided to have a relaxing stay at home day today with a bit of tidying up and vacuuming....

    The pupa of a mason bee/wasp and their nest sites..

    When I first moved here I saw some pupae on the deck which had come loose and fallen down, at first I thought they were rat droppings, but then noticed the nest sites above the deck door...

    Yesterday I had around half a dozen Asian paper wasps in my lounge, some on the wall and a few by the window, they had come from the big nest under my neighbour's guttering, I managed to shoo them out via an open window...The window was just by where I do meditation and the last thing I wanted was wasps buzzing around my head...

    BunksJeroen
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Even in paradise, one has to contend with wasps…

    BunksShoshin1
  • It rained Monday. But the drought just snorted once and went back to wallowing in the dust.

    Bunks
  • @Jeroen said:
    Even in paradise, one has to contend with wasps…

    Tis said that Aotearoa has one of the worst social wasp problems in the world, unlike most countries where Vespula and Polistes species of social wasp are native, here in Aotearoa they have been accidentally introduced so have no natural predators or parasites to keep them in check, well apart from man, which means they have free range ....
    Oh and I've just found out that we now have another paper wasp species Polistes dominula ...So we have five introduced species of social wasps...

    Bunks
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    A bumble bee had gotten into my house here yesterday and was making a helluva noise bouncing around, so i caught him under a glass and tossed him up into the sky outside… i got a good look at him, he was quite beautiful, but forgot to take pictures.

    Shoshin1BunksFosdickFleaMarket
  • FosdickFosdick in its eye are mirrored far off mountains Alaska, USA Veteran

    The bumble bees in my part of the world are gentle, but always seem sluggish and not quite awake. Their stings, however, are the worst of any local insect, and the stingee will be bothered afterwards for at least a week. Because of their sluggishness, they often slip unnoticed into clothing for a little nap until, inevitably, they get pinched by a fold of cloth and wake up just long enough to sting you a good one.

    FleaMarketShoshin1
  • howhow Veteran Veteran

    I have found bumblebees around here to be very laid back and never adversarial unless physically threatened. This is probably a good thing because bumblebees have the capacity to sting multiple times, unlike the more common honey bees whose lives are ended by any successful stinging action.

    Shoshin1Bunkslobster
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Bumble bees are generally female... at this time of year, the Queens (larger than most!) are flying around like winged Pandas, trying to find food and a place to nest. Usually in a burrow...

  • I knew I should not wear flowered perfumed products. Mx Bumble Bee was checking me out as a potential nesting location and nectar source. Had to move indoors …

    Blessed Bee!
    https://www.guideposts.org/inspiration/miracles/gods-grace/a-buddhist-monks-mysterious-dreams-lead-to-a-divine-calling-beekeeping

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran
    edited April 2022

    Literally a couple of days ago we had 18 degrees temperatures, you could wear a t-shirt outside, and now its freezing and we have snow. In April!

    The back yard.

    Shoshin1FleaMarket
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited April 2022

    On June 17th 1976, we experienced snowfall which, in some parts of the country, fell to a depth of nearly 3 inches.

    Six days later - the 23rd of June of the SAME year - saw the beginning of what would become the hottest, driest summer on record ever, with temperatures reaching up to 93 degrees Centigrade, causing water shortages, and a death rate 25% higher than in any other year, before, or since.
    Effects of the drought were still evident in forests and woodlands, right up to 2013. (No, I don't know how they know, I'm just passing on the info.)

  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @federica said:
    On June 17th 1976, we experienced snowfall which, in some parts of the country, fell to a depth of nearly 3 inches.

    Six days later - the 23rd of June of the SAME year - saw the beginning of what would become the hottest, driest summer on record ever, with temperatures reaching up to 93 degrees Centigrade, causing water shortages, and a death rate 25% higher than in any other year, before, or since.
    Effects of the drought were still evident in forests and woodlands, right up to 2013. (No, I don't know how they know, I'm just passing on the info.)

    93 degrees centigrade!!! Sheesh, you guys must have been melting ;)

    Kotishka
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran
    edited April 2022

    I wanted to share a picture but failed..

    Bunks
  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @federica said:
    On June 17th 1976, we experienced snowfall which, in some parts of the country, fell to a depth of nearly 3 inches.

    Six days later - the 23rd of June of the SAME year - saw the beginning of what would become the hottest, driest summer on record ever, with temperatures reaching up to 93 degrees Centigrade, causing water shortages, and a death rate 25% higher than in any other year, before, or since.
    Effects of the drought were still evident in forests and woodlands, right up to 2013. (No, I don't know how they know, I'm just passing on the info.)

    Hang on! April Fools 👏👏👏

    Shoshin1
  • @Jeroen said:
    Even in paradise, one has to contend with wasps…

    Well it's paradise lost for some locals

  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    @Shoshin1 said:

    @Jeroen said:
    Even in paradise, one has to contend with wasps…

    Well it's paradise lost for some locals

    It’s a familiar story everywhere…

    Shoshin1FleaMarket
  • Yes @Bunks, no doubt many people around the world are feeling the pandemic pinch, however on the island locals are use to paying more than the rest of Aotearoa (apart from Gt Barrier island) for things such as fuel, food and rent...

    When I first visited the island back in the mid to late seventies, it was a hippie hangout mainly alternative lifestylers, who wanted to get away from the rat race, they lived in old baches/cottages...Not many Kiwis wanted to live here...

    It was only when the faster ferries arrived, this was when things started to change for the islanders, more mainlanders started to move over because the ferry only took 35 minutes to get to Auckland CBD and not the long two hours plus journey it use to take on the old mail/supply boat...

    Now we also have the super rich who build massive multi million dollar houses along with heliports ( also living in gated communities) where they fly over to Auckland to do their business ...Crazy days...

    But alas, it is said Change is inevitable...Suffering optional

    lobsterBunks
  • @federica said:
    Well, seems I got Covid...!
    Came back from my weekend course of Canal Boat Painting, and had a really rough Tuesday and Wednesday... damn I felt ugh... Tested myself today, because my mother rang me this afternoon to tell me she has tested positive and I thought uh-oh... took a test myself, and Bingo! Seems I've had a dose!
    Other than a slightly bunged-up nose and a tickly cough, I'm feeling quite ok though....

    Hope your symptoms stay mild @federica ...How about your husband ?

  • Beautiful morning's cloud formations with the morning sun trying to break through...

    It was also quite humid....

    FleaMarket
  • FleaMarketFleaMarket Veteran
    edited April 2022

    I had a formal in-person with my local sangha! I was feeling happy and wanted to share.

    @federica wishing you and family well and a healthy recovery. Also if you do more Canal Boat Paintings, I would love to see them!

    Shoshin1lobster
  • Other than a slightly bunged-up nose and a tickly cough, I'm feeling quite ok though....

    Take care.

    Time for extra garlic and herbal decongestant's …?
    https://commonsensehome.com/home-remedies-for-congestion/

  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Veteran
    edited April 2022

    Well I was just about to clean one of my window, when I spotted this hive of activity underneath it...It's around a couple of metres from where the other Asian paper wasp nest is situated which is under my neighbour's gutting....

    So for obvious reason I gave the window cleaning a miss....

    Wow just check the roof ladder's rungs again and found another two nests close by...one is small and inactive the other is larger and looks like there are are still wasp pupae in some of the cells....It's not uncommon to find more than one Asian paper wasp nest one the same roof, back in the day I had to deal with over half a dozen nests on a client's roof...

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    I’ve never gotten along well with wasps, when i was young i ate an icecream with a wasp on it and got stung on the inside of my mouth, which i opened and the wasp flew out. Cheeky bugger!

    FosdickKotishka
  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Veteran
    edited April 2022

    Lucky you are not allergic @Jeroen , it could have been fatal ...
    They also have a habit of getting inside soft drink cans (especially when people are drinking outside) and surprise the drinkers...

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @Shoshin1 said: Hope your symptoms stay mild @federica ...How about your husband ?

    @FleaMarket said: @federica wishing you and family well and a healthy recovery. Also if you do more Canal Boat Paintings, I would love to see them!

    @lobster said: Take care.

    Thanks guys... @Shoshin1 , yes, sadly, he's copped a dose too.
    I'm supposed to be receiving a shopping delivery tomorrow. I'm going to have to advise the store...
    AND it's my birthday, too! What a gift! Ah well, why not? Really, it's no different to any other day!

    @FleaMarket anything I do, I'll share. Thank you!

    @lobster I would at least expect some chicken soup from you!! XD

    BunksJeroenShoshin1
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