Area 136

I have been enjoying a rather full on cold of late – NOT flu of swine or any other variety.

Later today I will be sharing my germs with a trainload of north bound travellers as I go up to Edinburgh yet again.

Was up there last weekend to see all the fire dancers and stuff (see Queene Mabs blog for piccies) I did take some pictures myself but didn’t think the results are that good. I need to sort out what settings work best for nighttime shooting on my camera.

Maybe I should just place my equipment in the capable hands of AJ and let him fiddle with it until it works properly in dim light…

Yes that sentence was designed for optimum “Snrk!” –age, knock yourselves out. Consider it an early Xmas gift.

The journey should take less time than it did last weekend. Due to engineering works it took Six hours both ways last time! Mainly because on arrival at Newcastle, the train reversed out and had to go over to the west coast line and go up from there. Same on the way back but being a Sunday and the end of half term it was even more rammed.

The “helpful” train staff kept making announcements trying to coerce the standing passengers to get off and get on the train “just behind this one which has seats available”. A young girl we were talking to (because she was stood next to our table) said that they had said exactly the same thing on the train she was on – the one in front of ours – about this one. But she had waited an hour for our train to arrive and the overcrowding was worse! So she stayed put and eventually got a seat.

I know flying to Edinburgh is quicker but I really like not having to deal with airport security, also I like the fact that if I buy anything I don’t have to worry about cramming it in my hand luggage to stop a little Hitler type taking it off of me.

Anyway.

Going up to belatedly celebrate Moffs birthday.

What ya doing then?

1. Do you have a favourite part of Autumn?

The nuts.
Seriously though, I like the fog and the crispness of the air and the colours of the leaves. Living near a forest is good in early Autumn.

2. “It’s too cold to snow!” Do you think it ever is?

It seems to manage it well enough at the poles and its pretty parky up/down there.
But I think this comes from the fact that cloud cover increases the temperature slightly, so if it does snow – it is cloudy and therefore it must be a bit warmer than when the skies were clear and you were seriously freezing your nuts off. Its relative, or a by-law….or a tradition…..or an old charter or something.

3. Do you feel there is still a place for British Summer Time or should we just stop changing the clocks?

Hmmm, I have no strong feelings either way. It mainly seems to be a H&S concern over lighting levels but we do have street lights nowadays no? For me getting up when it is dark is not a problem – I don’t get S.A.D. but I do find waking up in the early hours confusing. In the summer at least you know if it is dark you can safely go back to sleep, in the winter you wonder if you have woken up because you have slept through the alarm and have to check the time.

I remember a great conversation in a squat way back – room full of stoned hungover people laying around in a darkened room, curtains open to reveal the dark sky. A voice calls out “Anyone know what the time is?” a voice calls back “Seven O’clock” – a pause as the questioner obviously looks at the sky outside…”Which one?!”

4. Are there certain meals you only eat in certain seasons (Salad in summer, stew in winter)?

I really like all the thick rich stews and soups that we eat at this time of year. Eating the same thing would seem a bit heavy on a hot summer night. Mind you, When in Cyprus I would happily eat slow cooked cuts of meat in rich wine sauces on the hottest nights…Salad in winter is just wrong!

5. Autumn is…?

A time of low angled sunlight, making trees already burning with colour even brighter. A time of early dark and rising ground mist, the sound of dead leaves cracking underfoot.

Or summink.