Blog Posted,

I was then out to visit Duncan, 

into a grey slightly cold day, 

a bit of a hold up, road works, this time the water company, 

past Peter Pan's Pool,

looking towards Catford grey skies, 

the bee garden on top of this bus shelter, 

looking nice, 

the bus was making good time until, a driver change, 

past the one way system still in force in Lewisham, 

at Blackheath station, no further work on the other platform,

I was in luck, a through train to Gravesend,

off of the bus and up the hill,

to the home where Duncan stays, 

blue skies starting to break through, as it happens it was getting quite warm, inside Duncan was not his usual self, he was asleep when I arrived and had not eaten his breakfast, I stayed a couple of hours until his lunch arrived, he remember I would not be visiting for the next 4 weeks or so, hopefully the two Steve's and Alan will call in to visit when I am not here, 

at the bus stop blue skies, almost, it was so hot I did not put on my waterproof or under jacket, 

at platform 0 a through train to Blackheath was due, then on to a number 54 bus,

going through Lewisham the pavement still being worked on, 

at Lewisham hospital the beds opposite still unplanted, 

the road works from this morning still here, 

off of the bus and into the park, blue skies, 

and it really was quite warm, what a change from this morning, 

after a couple of quiz shows, it was time for my read and sherry, 

my meal for tonight, liver and bacon, delicious!

'Cheers!', I watched a BattleBots, the start of a new season, I am happy to say, I followed that with a Bangers & Cash, during which Diana arrived home from work, so it was feet up for a Midsomer Murder before we were off to bed.

I Have To Admit,

I have a mild fascination with the Dodo bird, 

as it happens we have made a number of posts about them in the past, so I was interested when I looked through the catalogue of Antiquariaat Schierenberg, their Catalogue 91 - Ornithology and found 2 books about the bird, the first titled Die Vögel Madagascars und der benachbarten Inselgruppen. Ein Beitrag zur Zoologie der äthiopischen Region, by G. Hartlaub, published in 1877, 

Gustav Hartlaub (1814-1900), was a German ornithologist, medical doctor, and explore,

founder of the famous Journal für Ornithologie. It deals with the avifauna of Madagascar, Comores, Seychelles, Mascarenes, and others,

the work was mention by Wood who I take was the Reverend J. G. Wood who we have featured before,

yours for €150.00 at today's rate £125.42 or $162.76, also in the catalogue, a second book about the bird, 

Prof. R. Owen's Osteologie der Dronte. ( Didus ineptus L.). [AND] Nachschrift, by W. F. G. Behn, published in Dresden, by E. Blochmann & Sohn, in 1868,

the author, Wilhelm Friedrich Georg Behn (1808-1878) was a German anatomist and zoologist. "In 1845-47 he participated in a circumnavigation of the globe aboard the Danish ship 'Galathea'. As a result of the expedition, he collected valuable natural history material for the zoological museum in Kiel. After his return to Kiel, he was appointed a full professor of anatomy and zoology (1848). In 1867 he resigned his professorship at Kiel as a protest against the annexation of Holstein by Prussia and the formation of the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein. He then relocated to Dresden, where from 1870 until his death in 1878, he served as president of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina",

the book yours for €500.00 again at today' rate, £418.02, or $542.55, would I like them for my collection? yes please!

and here is a part of my collection, 

of books on natural history.

In My List Of Favorite Artists,

Salvador Dali is near the top, 

we have posted numerous pieces about him, he not only painted he produced books, playing cards and now I have just found out cutlery, 

here are six pieces (silver-gilt) comprising of two forks, two knives and two enamelled spoons, all wonderfully named:

• Fourchette 4 dents à manche poisson (Four tooth fork with a fish handle)
• Fourchette-éléphant 3 dents (Elephant fork with three teeth)
• Couteau escargot aux larmes (Snail knife with tears)
• Cocteau feuille (leaf knife)
• Petite cuillère-artichaut (small artichoke spoon)
• Cuillère-artichaut (artichoke spoon)

   these 6 sold for $28,125 US at Sotheby’s in 2012, imagine the cost of a table setting for 6 people today!

I Am Only Going To Make One Post Today,

and as soon as I post it I will be out to visit Duncan, 

for the last time for 4 weeks as on Sunday we will be off, to Thailand and for Diana to the Philippines as well, back to Tuesday, after dropping Diana off at work I had my usual day, post the blog, exercises, breakfast, shower and then into town, 

firstly to drop off a pair of shoes to have quarter irons put on the heels, the owner kindly said that he would have them ready by the time I walked into town and back, which will save me a visit later in the week, 

I walked past the green,

and church, 

at the bottom of the High Street the Travelodge looking like it will be finished any month now, 

into Boots, I was picking up some motion sickness tablets for Diana, also they help her sleep, 

on the way back I popped into the card shop, and later picked up my shoes that were ready as promised, 

nearing home in the park, the mushrooms at the base of a oak tree, 

past their best, I guess they have already released their countless spores into the air, arriving home I had not been in long when Diana called to say her shift had finished, so I was back out again to pick her up, arriving home Diana had a few hours ZZZZZ's as it was a early start for her, for myself a couple of quiz shows before Diana was up and we had our evening meal, watching the final of BattleBots, great fun as the Giant Nut was awarded in the seasons final, 

after which a Bangers & Cash, it always amazes me how much some old cars go for, back in the 80s I had a Ford Popular that I bought for £75.00, a few years later I know I sold it for £50.00, tonight one went for £5,100! as always if only I knew then what I know now! after which a 2 hour long special Midsomer Murder, by now it was late so Diana was off to bed, for myself one from It Ain't Half Hot Mum, before I too was off to bed.

I Had A Quiet Day,

Diana was at work, 

on a early shift, for myself I looked at travel insurance for Diana, popped downstairs with the rubbish and that was about it, in the afternoon a couple of quiz shows after Diana returned home, followed by our evening meal and a BattleBots, up to the quarter finals, after which we bought Diana's holiday insurance for our holiday starting this Sunday,

our film for the evening Murder on the Orient Express, the 2017 version, I have to say I preferred the original 1974 version, but there it is, fun to watch, and with the end of that Diana was off to bed, for myself last weeks edition of Have I Got News For You, before I too was off to bed.

Two Of The Biggest Cons Of The Modern World,

solar panels and windfarms, 

illustration Wikimedia Commons, I have always said that the way forward for energy is fossil fuels or nuclear, and it appears the modern tech giants agree with me, Google have turned its back on both, in Washington the mega company have just announced it is going nuclear and is commissioning from six to seven reactors which combined will produce 500 megawatts of power, as Google commented, “We feel like nuclear can play an important role in helping to meet our demand ... cleanly in a way that's more around the clock," Michael Terrell, senior director for energy and climate at Google, told reporters on a call, and in case you think they are alone, in March, Amazon purchased a nuclear-powered datacenter from Talen Energy and Constellation Energy (CEG.O), and signed a power deal to help resurrect a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, the site of the worst U.S. nuclear accident in 1979, both companies leaving us lesser mortals to worry about no wind or sun! a pity that governments can not see the writing on the wall like these companies, but there it is, the full article is here.

The Renault Alpine A110 First Appeared In 1962 At The Paris Motor Show,

I saw my first one close up when I was on a driving holiday,

photographs Renault via Piston Heads, way back in the 1980s when I was driving through France, Italy and Spain, it was just right then it has been updated many times, and here is the latest, the Alpine A110 R,

there will be just 110 built, ditching the seven-speed DCT, replacing it with a DW6 gearbox, this is a six-speed Renault dual-clutch unit, but it must be stronger as new turbo parts (compressor and turbine) means the 1.8-litre turbo is now churning out 350hp and 310lb ft.

 Alpine says at 192hp per litre and not very much mass (there isn’t a kerb weight yet, but it’s an A110), it is good for 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds, above the only view you will see of one of these on the move, as it leaves you in the dust!

the car shown at the Paris show above is in something called a ‘La Bleue’ edition, with 15 cars from the run set to be just like this, so that’s Alpine Vision Blue and Abysse Blue together in a hand-finished gradient that’s also matched to the interior, and an asking price of, €330,000, at todays rate £275,472.45 or $359,487.15, would I like one? Yes please! For a look at the full article it is here, for a look at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, have a look here, you never know there might be something else there to tempt you!