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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Fosdickin its eye are mirrored far off mountainsAlaska, USAVeteran
Spring has sprung, but winter is starting to clamp down. Couple of really nice frames in that video of the butterfly.
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
We’re having a late summer heatwave over here, temperatures around 30 degrees for six days in a row. And that after the whole of July and August as intermittently wet and temperatures around 20.
@Fosdick said:
Spring has sprung, but winter is starting to clamp down. Couple of really nice frames in that video of the butterfly.
What about your mountains? 🏔️🏔️🌄⛰️
0
Fosdickin its eye are mirrored far off mountainsAlaska, USAVeteran
Some snow on the mountains, yes. Down below, rain and cooler temperatures. And a leaky roof. In spite of that, the mice will soon commence their annual mass migration into the houses.
@Kotishka said: @marcitko ,
What is cooking up in the sky? Before my father became depressed we used to play with a telescope. I still have the manual book somewhere... My balcony has a south-east orientation.
@Kotishka I love your enthusiasm for astronomy! I don't want to hijack this wonderful thread but would enjoy PM-ing with you on all things astronomy. If you would also enjoy that, feel free to send me a message
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I would like to join that conversation @marcitko… I’ve long been interested in space, the planets, stars and galaxies, and would enjoy learning more!
I was hoping to get another skinny dip in but the weather had other ideas..over the last few days there's been a drop in temperature it's been overcast rainy...
Anyhow I'm off to catch the ferry in a couple of hours, the start of my journey to the UK and Europe...Ferry, airport bus and plane, then my son is going to pick me up at Heathrow Wednesday morning UK time...
3
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Well I'm sitting in the departure lounge of SFO airport flight leaves in around an hour ..no time to do any sightseeing, so instead I took a trip on the free airport terminal train from one end of the airport to the other end when the Bart station is, I topped up my Clipper card so I can use it on my return trip..
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
How are things in the UK @shoshin1 was the flight without incident?
Good thanks @Jeroen , I'm staying with my son and his wife...I'm a bit jetlagged, but I did manage to get some sleep on the flights... The weather's not the best here, it's overcast but it is still warmish... going to be catching up with family and friends while here, but on the 3rd I fly to Albania for 7 days, going to be meeting up with the sons who live in Europe there..plus the son I'm staying with in London will also be going to Albania...so we'll all spend some time together..
6
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
edited October 2023
I came across Elves, Sprites, Pixies and Gnomes in this Wikipedia article on atmospheric phenomena…
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
@Shoshin1 said:
on the 3rd I fly to Albania for 7 days
I’ve never yet been to that part of Europe. I visited Turkey once but never been to Greece or the Balkans. Hope you have fun today!
Thanks @Jeroen.. I'm looking forward to the experience....
I'm just sitting in the departure area of Luton airport my flight's at 5.45pm GMT ...The son who lives in Budapest arrived in Tirana a couple of hours ago with his partner, they are hiring a car and picking me up at the airport, his booked a Airbnb about half an hour away from the airport...my flights due in at 9.45pm local time...the others are flying in on Thursday..
Luton airport is not as crazy busy as it was the last time I was here, the last time it was chaos...mind you I was there at the peak of the European summer holidays..
Thanks @Bunks
When my son and his partner arrived, they went for a walk in the city centre, they said the air is quite polluted and not the best place to walk around , and because I have a problem with air pollution, they think it's best not to explore the city on foot....( We only booked an Airbnb for one night in Tirana, only because my flight was arriving late, we didn't have any plans for exploring the city anyway)
We are off to the ancient city of Berat this morning...we will spend a night there then off to Vlore for some sun and surf...
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
@Kotishka said:
First month in my new flat. I have some more space for meditation practice, but at what cost (rent $$$$) Hahaha
Yeah I know what you mean… I got a cheap rented flat when I was first living on my own with a steady job and ended up staying there for 11 years, but I should really have bought something back then. Houses just keep getting more expensive, and a mortgage although it looks like a big responsibility is one of only a few possibilities for a really good investment.
@Shoshin1 said: then off to Vlore for some sun and surf...
Albania is the new Croatia. Montenegro was the new Croatia before that. Cheap, beautiful, civilized, hospitable. "Hurray!", say the Albanians. "Oh shit", say the Croats.
The institutional EU claims it suffers from "enlargement-fatigue". But, the people are voting with their feet and pockets. Think it's a good thing. Long live Albania and the rest of the Western Balkans...
@Kotishka said:
First month in my new flat. I have some more space for meditation practice, but at what cost (rent $$$$) Hahaha
Yeah I know what you mean… I got a cheap rented flat when I was first living on my own with a steady job and ended up staying there for 11 years, but I should really have bought something back then. Houses just keep getting more expensive, and a mortgage although it looks like a big responsibility is one of only a few possibilities for a really good investment.
I agree. The problem is mortgages are getting expensive too here in Lanzarote. Also, the only way I managed to find a reasonable flat for a good price (650 euros versus 1,200 euros up..) was because the landlady asked me to pay her in cash and no contract. LOL...
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I saw an article recently that the sense bees have for finding flowers (which happens via volatile organic chemicals released along with the scent of flowers) is disturbed by excess ozone from cars, it’s a form of pollution. Love the bees, people should live cleaner…
From the old fortress in the old city part of Berat...
Berat city centre of a night
The main religion of Albania is Islam, however there are often Mosques with Churches built quite close to each other..
I guess it's what I would call a layed back Islam, the friendly locals are Westernised no strict religious dress code...
Leaving Berat yesterday.
Arriving in Vlore yesterday late afternoon...
Where we will be staying until Monday...
3
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Wow, Albania is majority Islamic? I didn’t know… a little surfing on Wikipedia alerted me that Bosnia and Kosovo also have huge Islamic populations. It all seems to go back to the Ottoman Empire.
Yes over the centuries Albania has been influenced by Romans, Greeks, and the Ottoman Turks who have had a lasting influence...
Today was a chill day...chilling by the Adriatic/Ionian sea...
The water and temperature was warm ...but a strongish cool breeze was blowing...
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
There is a thick layer of cloud, the morning is shrouded in a dim grey light, it is a cool thirteen degrees outside. It is an autumn morning for sure. There are still birds calling though, the dawn chorus in full flow.
Well last bit of surf and sand before I head back up to Durres, I fly back to (a drop in temperature )London tomorrow at 11.25am ( I have to be at the airport at 9am hence why we are driving up this afternoon ....I'm travelling up with two of my sons, one son and his partner fly back to Budapest a couple of hours after I leave, then my oldest son and his wife fly back to London late afternoon, they are staying in Vlore for another night and driving up tomorrow ... My youngest is flying back to Berlin on Wednesday, he is going to stay with some friends from Berlin who have been stay in Durres and they will all fly out on Wednesday...
Well Albania has been a pleasant change, nice place all round, the friendly people, the warm weather ( around 27c today), the beaches and the food...
2
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Gabor Maté on the Israel-Palestine conflict… he is Jewish but has also visited Gaza and has Palestinian contacts in Canada, so he has a pretty balanced perspective:
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Autumn has well and truly arrived here, it was only 7 degrees C when I woke up this morning. It makes me want to watch The Lord of the Rings, something that autumn has always done for me.
Well I'm sitting in the departure lounge of SFO airport last leg of the journey home, took the Bart train into the city centre, had a quick walk around taking in some of the sights.. I think all this travelling over the last month is finally catching up with me...quite tired now, so I should get some sleep on the plane, my new ergonomic airplane pillow seems to work.... it's like a scarf with a frame in it which hold your neck in place instead of it flopping around ..
Flight arrives at 5.50 am...breezed through customs and border biosecurity ...Now on the airport bus to the downtown ferry terminal... feeling a bit tired...
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I can imagine, long flights are never as comfortable as a good bed!
Yes, long flights like from Australia or New Zealand to the UK and Europe can be quite tiresome especially when flying economy...average direct flight time ( one plane refill stop) 23 and half hours...
This flight it was just under 13 hours from Auckland to SFO and 10 from SFO to London with a 6 hour stop over...29 hours...mind you when I first flew from London to Sydney back in the late 1960s, it took 36 hours, 7 stops Zurich, Beirut, New Deli, Rangoon, Hong Kong, Darwin, Sydney...
Well after I unpacked ( I travel light - a carry on convertible backpack come trolley bag) and did a few things around the apartment, then had a nap for around one and half hours ...Going to stay up as long as I can then ht the sack for the night, I can have tomorrow off work, which means I've got the weekend to recover...
1
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
As long as you had a good time @Shoshin1… you need some payback for such an effort!
Well it would seem that the tail end of cyclone Lola is about to pay a visit...The wind speed is picking up and we are to expect heavy rain later today....Home sweet home....
0
JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
I’m trying my hand at ‘dusking’ which is a meditative observation of sunset and the arrival of dusk…
Well this was on my local FB community notice board this afternoon ( I had to take a video of the videos, one taken by a person on the beach and the other from a drone...The video is a bit grainy but you can see the shark quite clearly
Comments
Spring has sprung
Spring has sprung, but winter is starting to clamp down. Couple of really nice frames in that video of the butterfly.
We’re having a late summer heatwave over here, temperatures around 30 degrees for six days in a row. And that after the whole of July and August as intermittently wet and temperatures around 20.
What about your mountains? 🏔️🏔️🌄⛰️
Some snow on the mountains, yes. Down below, rain and cooler temperatures. And a leaky roof. In spite of that, the mice will soon commence their annual mass migration into the houses.
Our Spring usually involves days where we get four seasons in one day kind of weather, similar to our Autumn weather too...
Lots of Jellyfish on the beach this morning
I started to count them, but gave up...
https://youtube.com/shorts/HIib41eOkZA?si=Lb_LxI6bnuG4iCLG
@Kotishka I love your enthusiasm for astronomy! I don't want to hijack this wonderful thread but would enjoy PM-ing with you on all things astronomy. If you would also enjoy that, feel free to send me a message
I would like to join that conversation @marcitko… I’ve long been interested in space, the planets, stars and galaxies, and would enjoy learning more!
Im going to open that thread and this way Marcitko can start telling us more cool stuff! Unless... You finally do so!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻😢❤️
From the world of AI art, this has been getting a lot of praise…
Well after this morning's jolk I headed off for the first skinny dip of the season...
The ocean was cool and refreshing ( I guess some would say bloody cold)
Off for a coastal walk later with a Dharma friend, so be warned...there could be more videos to come of the scenery around the headland ...
Found a nice place to rest for a bit when I go out. Surprisingly few people give it much attention but it's quite peaceful.
I was hoping to get another skinny dip in but the weather had other ideas..over the last few days there's been a drop in temperature it's been overcast rainy...
Anyhow I'm off to catch the ferry in a couple of hours, the start of my journey to the UK and Europe...Ferry, airport bus and plane, then my son is going to pick me up at Heathrow Wednesday morning UK time...
Have a good trip, @Shoshin1
Well I'm sitting in the departure lounge of SFO airport flight leaves in around an hour ..no time to do any sightseeing, so instead I took a trip on the free airport terminal train from one end of the airport to the other end when the Bart station is, I topped up my Clipper card so I can use it on my return trip..
How are things in the UK @shoshin1 was the flight without incident?
Good thanks @Jeroen , I'm staying with my son and his wife...I'm a bit jetlagged, but I did manage to get some sleep on the flights... The weather's not the best here, it's overcast but it is still warmish... going to be catching up with family and friends while here, but on the 3rd I fly to Albania for 7 days, going to be meeting up with the sons who live in Europe there..plus the son I'm staying with in London will also be going to Albania...so we'll all spend some time together..
I came across Elves, Sprites, Pixies and Gnomes in this Wikipedia article on atmospheric phenomena…
I’ve never yet been to that part of Europe. I visited Turkey once but never been to Greece or the Balkans. Hope you have fun today!
Thanks @Jeroen.. I'm looking forward to the experience....
I'm just sitting in the departure area of Luton airport my flight's at 5.45pm GMT ...The son who lives in Budapest arrived in Tirana a couple of hours ago with his partner, they are hiring a car and picking me up at the airport, his booked a Airbnb about half an hour away from the airport...my flights due in at 9.45pm local time...the others are flying in on Thursday..
Luton airport is not as crazy busy as it was the last time I was here, the last time it was chaos...mind you I was there at the peak of the European summer holidays..
Safe travels @Shoshin1
First month in my new flat. I have some more space for meditation practice, but at what cost (rent $$$$)
Hahaha
Thanks @Bunks
When my son and his partner arrived, they went for a walk in the city centre, they said the air is quite polluted and not the best place to walk around , and because I have a problem with air pollution, they think it's best not to explore the city on foot....( We only booked an Airbnb for one night in Tirana, only because my flight was arriving late, we didn't have any plans for exploring the city anyway)
We are off to the ancient city of Berat this morning...we will spend a night there then off to Vlore for some sun and surf...
Yeah I know what you mean… I got a cheap rented flat when I was first living on my own with a steady job and ended up staying there for 11 years, but I should really have bought something back then. Houses just keep getting more expensive, and a mortgage although it looks like a big responsibility is one of only a few possibilities for a really good investment.
Albania is the new Croatia. Montenegro was the new Croatia before that. Cheap, beautiful, civilized, hospitable. "Hurray!", say the Albanians. "Oh shit", say the Croats.
The institutional EU claims it suffers from "enlargement-fatigue". But, the people are voting with their feet and pockets. Think it's a good thing. Long live Albania and the rest of the Western Balkans...
I agree. The problem is mortgages are getting expensive too here in Lanzarote. Also, the only way I managed to find a reasonable flat for a good price (650 euros versus 1,200 euros up..) was because the landlady asked me to pay her in cash and no contract. LOL...
I saw an article recently that the sense bees have for finding flowers (which happens via volatile organic chemicals released along with the scent of flowers) is disturbed by excess ozone from cars, it’s a form of pollution. Love the bees, people should live cleaner…
From the old fortress in the old city part of Berat...
Berat city centre of a night
The main religion of Albania is Islam, however there are often Mosques with Churches built quite close to each other..
I guess it's what I would call a layed back Islam, the friendly locals are Westernised no strict religious dress code...
Leaving Berat yesterday.
Arriving in Vlore yesterday late afternoon...
Where we will be staying until Monday...
Wow, Albania is majority Islamic? I didn’t know… a little surfing on Wikipedia alerted me that Bosnia and Kosovo also have huge Islamic populations. It all seems to go back to the Ottoman Empire.
Yes over the centuries Albania has been influenced by Romans, Greeks, and the Ottoman Turks who have had a lasting influence...
Today was a chill day...chilling by the Adriatic/Ionian sea...
The water and temperature was warm ...but a strongish cool breeze was blowing...
There is a thick layer of cloud, the morning is shrouded in a dim grey light, it is a cool thirteen degrees outside. It is an autumn morning for sure. There are still birds calling though, the dawn chorus in full flow.
Drove down to Ksamil...
Albania is quite a mountainous country..
Ksamil is quite a touristy seaside resort.
Looks like you are having a good time @Shoshin1 doing touristy things is exactly right when one is a tourist!
Well last bit of surf and sand before I head back up to Durres, I fly back to (a drop in temperature )London tomorrow at 11.25am ( I have to be at the airport at 9am hence why we are driving up this afternoon ....I'm travelling up with two of my sons, one son and his partner fly back to Budapest a couple of hours after I leave, then my oldest son and his wife fly back to London late afternoon, they are staying in Vlore for another night and driving up tomorrow ... My youngest is flying back to Berlin on Wednesday, he is going to stay with some friends from Berlin who have been stay in Durres and they will all fly out on Wednesday...
Well Albania has been a pleasant change, nice place all round, the friendly people, the warm weather ( around 27c today), the beaches and the food...
Gabor Maté on the Israel-Palestine conflict… he is Jewish but has also visited Gaza and has Palestinian contacts in Canada, so he has a pretty balanced perspective:
Autumn has well and truly arrived here, it was only 7 degrees C when I woke up this morning. It makes me want to watch The Lord of the Rings, something that autumn has always done for me.
Well I'm sitting in the departure lounge of SFO airport last leg of the journey home, took the Bart train into the city centre, had a quick walk around taking in some of the sights.. I think all this travelling over the last month is finally catching up with me...quite tired now, so I should get some sleep on the plane, my new ergonomic airplane pillow seems to work.... it's like a scarf with a frame in it which hold your neck in place instead of it flopping around ..
Flight arrives at 5.50 am...breezed through customs and border biosecurity ...Now on the airport bus to the downtown ferry terminal... feeling a bit tired...
I can imagine, long flights are never as comfortable as a good bed!
Yes, long flights like from Australia or New Zealand to the UK and Europe can be quite tiresome especially when flying economy...average direct flight time ( one plane refill stop) 23 and half hours...
This flight it was just under 13 hours from Auckland to SFO and 10 from SFO to London with a 6 hour stop over...29 hours...mind you when I first flew from London to Sydney back in the late 1960s, it took 36 hours, 7 stops Zurich, Beirut, New Deli, Rangoon, Hong Kong, Darwin, Sydney...
Well after I unpacked ( I travel light - a carry on convertible backpack come trolley bag) and did a few things around the apartment, then had a nap for around one and half hours ...Going to stay up as long as I can then ht the sack for the night, I can have tomorrow off work, which means I've got the weekend to recover...
As long as you had a good time @Shoshin1… you need some payback for such an effort!
Yes, it's been well worth it @Jeroen ...
And another travel seed ( somewhat self generated) has already been planted for a trip next year...I'm a glutton for punishment
Well it would seem that the tail end of cyclone Lola is about to pay a visit...The wind speed is picking up and we are to expect heavy rain later today....Home sweet home....
I’m trying my hand at ‘dusking’ which is a meditative observation of sunset and the arrival of dusk…
For a minute @Jeroen, I thought you were trying your hand at dusting...
Having lived alone as a bachelor for many years I’m not totally unfamiliar with the practice…
Well this was on my local FB community notice board this afternoon ( I had to take a video of the videos, one taken by a person on the beach and the other from a drone...The video is a bit grainy but you can see the shark quite clearly
Large shark.... possibly a white pointer cruising in Onetangi bay..
With the warmer water temperatures, we will be seeing a lot more cruising the bays around the island...
Well Summer is almost upon us Southern Hemispherians ...as the winter nears for Northerners ...
It will soon be time to become shark bait again...