tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91752537029608824832024-03-13T07:52:14.528-03:00Peripatetic PostmistressStill peripatetic, but no longer a postmistressJames Annanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-33554189286105146352009-04-19T16:39:00.005-03:002009-04-19T17:05:03.263-03:00Nervous anticipation!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Have been invited ski touring tomorrow, ridiculously high up on a glacier, somewhere in Switzerland. Bit scared! but very excited too. Have been told that it is flat (?!) and not scary at all. Need to go to sleep soon, am on the 7am bread run again after a few days off - shall go to bed, go directly to bed without passing Go or collecting £200. Chalet bosses arrived safely in time for lunch, sans guests, so just the three of us here tonight. They are both recovering from operations and want a really easy day out, they think it will be easy enough for me to come too! Will be mortified if I am still left behind. Leaving here at 8am with a picnic, will report back later. First experience of 'skinning' coming up.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oh, just looked at what Wiki says about ski touring - it </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_touring"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">'requires cardiovascular fitness, mental toughness, and a firm understanding of mountain craft'</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> . Oh (again).</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-77711341344256754982009-04-19T09:57:00.004-03:002009-04-19T10:25:49.030-03:00Second egg<div>for the happy couple at <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/webcams/birdsofprey/lochgartenvideo.asp">Loch Garten</a>! it's very sweet to watch them, they seem a bit dim but I suppose they only have small brains despite being big birds. I logged on just after the first egg was laid and saw Odin (dad) come in to land. Mum EJ stood up to let Odin peer underneath her. He straightened up quickly with a puzzled expression, then bent down again for another good look to check that he really had seen what he thought he saw. Perhaps he's never had one before and isn't quite sure what is going on. He keeps trying to be helpful with the housework, bless him, shifting bits of moss back and forth in a clueless manner. Brought in a huge branch which he dumped on top of his missus and wondered why she was a bit narked. But he does seem to be pretty good at getting dinner ont table, which is what really matters after all. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4152bIqDCdi4VBeN8_HPp21HQvNy1hx_50mYxjBgHHiRrWdonzbWVBz7Kp9uIErwdqjo6j1IiAbaNghk_nUJKIaaPTULh3-KxJQSnm-jUCCg2BVMHZnOhvtxkIWmQevCoIkwqmCI-UiY/s1600-h/crested-tit-08A056.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4152bIqDCdi4VBeN8_HPp21HQvNy1hx_50mYxjBgHHiRrWdonzbWVBz7Kp9uIErwdqjo6j1IiAbaNghk_nUJKIaaPTULh3-KxJQSnm-jUCCg2BVMHZnOhvtxkIWmQevCoIkwqmCI-UiY/s400/crested-tit-08A056.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326390398518911074" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 305px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And I have just seen a crested tit on the seed feeder while clearing away lunch! First time. Is that what is known as a lifer? And after all those Rothiemurchus walks with a cricked neck scanning the lofty pines for the pretty little things.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now I just need to see a crossbill.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh dear, not much mention of skiing .... haven't been out for a few days. Been getting the chalet in tip top condition (I hope!) for the return of the owners for the last week of the season. There is really a lot, and I mean a lot of stuff to dust. And what with the advent of spring and insects I am finding that every time I look up there are new festoons of cobwebs, as if there wasn't enough else to do ....</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-31368351326312210902009-04-14T09:39:00.008-03:002009-04-15T13:42:54.427-03:00Glorious sunny day ....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?vernacular_name=Camberwell%20Beauty"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYzY_X3D4IJNoemSkf5QLfx4SXk48AEwILuYG2y8mTAMwSt2xIZP2bs9qOefobWG1HE5DzEibx7whW1SGCamACIZo8prA9vJv38v1toecacAjS9rUtwEFk3JHMZeOAFcXmYF3CMcjdZM/s400/Camberwell+Beauty.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324947402361115698" /></a> .... in Aviemore! I got distracted the other day by a text from Alan and Tess who were cycling to Boat of Garten on their Easter hols - and it reminded me of the <a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/webcams/birdsofprey/lochgartenvideo.asp">Loch Garten ospreys</a> and the visit we made a couple of years ago. Pleased to say that there is a pair in residence, same female (EJ) with a different male of unknown origin. Every time I have had a look at the video cam it has been sunny which is pretty remarkable and it's been nice to see the Scots pines of that wonderful piece of old Caledonian forest too.<div><br /></div><div>Since I'm on a wildlife theme - I opened my curtains the other morning to find a <a href="http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/red-squirrel:sciurus-vulgaris-photo-1017.html">red squirrel</a> in the tree outside. One of the bigger, dark chocolate-brown variants that you get on the continent, with enormous ear tufts. The linked piccy is from a Czech website and gives you the idea! Oh and then, on my way back from a lovely ski today, as I was struggling back up the steps from town, in my boots - ow ow! - carrying my skis - oof! there was an unknown (to me) butterfly sunning itself. And it was one of these - a <a href="http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?vernacular_name=Camberwell%20Beauty">Camberwell Beauty</a>. Well, presumably they are called something French here, but don't ask me what. Gorgeous rich purplish-reddish velvet wings.</div><div>It's getting so warm now I am still hopeful of seeing/hearing a marmot before I leave! Saw three swallows today as well, so summer must really be here in the Alps. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-62233207877711342252009-04-12T10:19:00.014-03:002009-04-19T10:36:35.566-03:00Happy Eeeeeeaster!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.christmas-graphics-plus.com/easter-bunny/animated/bunny03.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 74px; height: 40px;" src="http://www.christmas-graphics-plus.com/easter-bunny/animated/bunny03.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 26, 139); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Seems I only post when the weather is bad! perhaps that is because when it is good I am out. It has been hot hot hot! for weeks and weeks. Ever since Bill left. I am hiding my sunburnt arms today by staying in having a pottering kind of afternoon. Still lots of skiing here, though some of the lower runs getting very slushy even by mid-morning and of course I don't normally get out till midday when I have finished scrubbing. Slushy is quite fun though, the pistes get really bumpy and you can almost pretend it's powdery bumps. It must be good for my skiing too coz it is much more difficult - good for the leg muscles as well. Am planning to return home with thighs of steel ready for immediate transfer to bicycle!<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So here are some sunny, snowy photos to prove it!</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYSCXrWHGD6w8Ef3g_hdqIffUxGIUu-dWomyda17pvWn8hdf5_-qdljtzPCvdGoHQQ3kKwCHY9AN-O3MqNmSYrh1OlNqeKuqWffNIlZCNai2G4Vu_LIErQ5pwmz0asPXrCZxA3fBuFlY/s400/P1040954.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323883889788253010" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2d86c-VCEuDkry179fqyp7_40Ohw8U0Qq3eXiK5LbelZUJCR6AJLGbmH0HUbEaBtFXhL2gsC5mzCkCsw4OER7F24ledrqpwPvWS8nKJ7kd41ZE5N-ubKhpT1_lvK68sWgZic1PsFcTQ/s1600-h/P1040921.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2d86c-VCEuDkry179fqyp7_40Ohw8U0Qq3eXiK5LbelZUJCR6AJLGbmH0HUbEaBtFXhL2gsC5mzCkCsw4OER7F24ledrqpwPvWS8nKJ7kd41ZE5N-ubKhpT1_lvK68sWgZic1PsFcTQ/s400/P1040921.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323886258627659538" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3xKxQpHhoFcdquQX_p073iCY9kI4n00BhyTRXZSqTnpDVUFFlbHk2ioIFLo05SsbHqqNpohZKndGuqAQb8xuUcsTutRZD003TSNa4BjlDE8ef5QbXkLn1ldHkmOLrjwkhhdJCKz5QJ0/s400/P1040976.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323885164574730690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Coffee and cake time, got to feed those growing muscles</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-76568540445718582092009-03-26T13:14:00.006-03:002009-03-26T14:22:23.299-03:00Retract previous post ..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3QbcUXcT8Mlm-tIhakCAM538MQi5M09wawJaKp_kDUtYbwL8POoq6LN_wmI2hFzN9gTvrFv8vTPpAQutp7DPm227HlXfEq3dpboolvDG8zHCIDKMhyCt1dKgoItHFdVDNIspQp8N6IM/s1600-h/P1040886.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjYvLjeYXjrESXp-cVWd_V-uDLAFYSWGDITOZZ8_QpTi1_Y2bA8A-Rwk0Bi3PwlaNOzb-LgZBzUDOM6c6Mb80zGcN1JbvlC8b9_sTBiMMLSmnjmoIZ71dyLhLT_V-30N7asSKLF1j4Hc/s1600-h/P1040874.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 345px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjYvLjeYXjrESXp-cVWd_V-uDLAFYSWGDITOZZ8_QpTi1_Y2bA8A-Rwk0Bi3PwlaNOzb-LgZBzUDOM6c6Mb80zGcN1JbvlC8b9_sTBiMMLSmnjmoIZ71dyLhLT_V-30N7asSKLF1j4Hc/s400/P1040874.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317542752685895538" /></a><br />Bill came to stay, with his shorts and his sunnies, and ... um ... the temperature took a bit of a nosedive. Winter is back! But on the plus side, half a metre more snow! hooray! It wasn't looking like some of the pistes would make it to April. I might have not been able to ski back to the chalet for much longer, imagine how awful! And I've only just learnt how to do it without falling over. So whew, heave a sigh of relief, sorry for the primroses, but, oh well. C'est la vie, as they say somewhere.<div>We had three days skiing and one day snow-shoeing, the last ski day, yesterday, was the worst weather I had been out in. But by god we were tough! A little bit worrying tho when you go up the only lift that is open due to the vent fort - and you are the only people going up there - to the highest piste in the region - hmmm. And then Bill gets vaguely claustrophobic because we can't see beyond arms length - to him it's the same feeling as being stuck in a lift or otherwise enclosed in a small space even though there is huge space all around in reality. Lots of fun! Reminded me of some good days out on the Cairngorm plateau. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3QbcUXcT8Mlm-tIhakCAM538MQi5M09wawJaKp_kDUtYbwL8POoq6LN_wmI2hFzN9gTvrFv8vTPpAQutp7DPm227HlXfEq3dpboolvDG8zHCIDKMhyCt1dKgoItHFdVDNIspQp8N6IM/s400/P1040886.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317544887880017378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Was slightly worried about getting frostbite on that exposed inch of flesh between hat and neck gaiter. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-3607900876479006542009-03-22T18:36:00.007-03:002009-03-22T18:59:55.750-03:00Spring is sprung!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbPT_mOJ_ujv8Ro2ASMygW4P6Iy8zuCG7yaycTZmKrb2SrdAzARRn0yDFSasetuqLUqXcVRFLl2ofAazph9aaTWPLfTdx_2O4JlJN_Zn_Uhgvk4pRmBu9gULBjw36bhQTdzprqJMPF3w/s1600-h/P1040717.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbPT_mOJ_ujv8Ro2ASMygW4P6Iy8zuCG7yaycTZmKrb2SrdAzARRn0yDFSasetuqLUqXcVRFLl2ofAazph9aaTWPLfTdx_2O4JlJN_Zn_Uhgvk4pRmBu9gULBjw36bhQTdzprqJMPF3w/s400/P1040717.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316131448933361042" /></a><br />First flower of the year - a teeny primrose under the beech hedge spotted on my way to the boulangerie.<br />The birdlife is also perking up, becoming pretty lively and vocal. I was a bit disorientated the other morning - still not getting much better at these early starts! - and was pottering down the road enjoying listening to the kookaburras while I was still asleep enough not to really know which country I was in. It did eventually dawn on me that I was in France and that green woodpeckers laugh too. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-75178333145834095522009-03-14T17:24:00.008-03:002009-03-16T20:18:48.827-03:00100m or less in hill fog patches<div style="text-align: left;">I was dreaming that I was having a lie in this morning, til my alarm went off at quarter to seven. Then I remembered that I haven't had a morning off for nearly 3 weeks! soon, soon ..... should get two days off this coming week to make up! <br /></div><div>Grim weather at the beginning of last week, still decided to go on a little outing, and for some mad reason got on the chairlift that I have always avoided due to the off putting signage! 'Piste difficile' only for 'Bons Skieurs' - not me shurely. Wondered why there was no one else on it -then got off at a bleak spot on a ridge in a howling gale </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8O8Gi6pR7mENfWZjfJZiFF5KTrPXyqRCYUz85HLa3ZudtO6zlydARbemDeLiv1hXKX33pkgzFsB83ZhgT6swm4hywGSJ-EMBZ2zvCniH-1Ac0-zySAS03G0PYmy1NZrKIT9eEm_yTWU/s400/P1040696.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313143797365687618" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Where is everyone else?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, it was also snowing really hard, and visibility was poor to nonexistent. Would that be 100m or less then? (perhaps it is only me who remembers Met-Man Mooney). Pottered around for a while, looking at my map and trying to decide which way to go. It's such a crazy thing to be doing, I mean it was seriously cold up there, gale force winds, if you were on a mountain in Scotland you'd have spare clothes, food, survival bag etc etc and of course a trusty flask, Bill! but to be up there alone with no emergency supplies seems mad. You can tell I still haven't quite 'got' this skiing thing. And everyone else apart from me is wearing fashion clothing, where the fur trim and how good you look seem to be the most important factors (better go shopping methinks .... praps that's where I am going wrong).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Z0UjGJE9nMZTAZ0vLipSU62-HOx0LFfpeilEV15b4vr7Eoj_uxGu5Gx8Ts-_27GSKGxMvhhlFMZOKe4pJqpLUYhQdQv3GtZ5iHD3llVunB00OkutTUPKyFvlf4XEUchcVTQbfG3FYuo/s400/P1040699.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313144744696399954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This seemed like the best way down - I quite like it when you can't see how steep the slope is... it helps me over my little vertigo problem.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ended up having quite an exhilarating time, found a whole new area, a lovely snowy bowl, with just no people at all, wonder why Chatel is not such a popular resort. Spose it just could have been the weather. It's pretty wintry still.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UPTCj56S4ySOlFcFL7-nehH1D-903gOlQRlrlJFZGmf1Ii3Dap1qVZplI8tdzilIzWBsEUl2Thv6_ILEG0Q7H-BtV5Dh1hI48Nrurq_MhKo5EpaA_bCXRTT1b1sBdxhbG2WYNo4Jqy4/s1600-h/P1040693.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UPTCj56S4ySOlFcFL7-nehH1D-903gOlQRlrlJFZGmf1Ii3Dap1qVZplI8tdzilIzWBsEUl2Thv6_ILEG0Q7H-BtV5Dh1hI48Nrurq_MhKo5EpaA_bCXRTT1b1sBdxhbG2WYNo4Jqy4/s400/P1040693.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313150786885175682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking back down to Chatel, on the last piste leading back down to the chalet. I have to drop off the edge of it at just the right place to traverse across back to the chalet, if I am not brave enough and go too low it is a real slog across the field. Too high and it is too steep and deep and I keep trying to turn and chickening out til I run out of slope altogether...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-2398747727581004652009-03-03T13:08:00.004-03:002009-03-03T13:36:57.626-03:00Snow like wet cement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivON0Vql7CAkGqk02joybrU8sUsBb-ZleeofChtSC7dyneVgE2ZuioKmkLHbx-DQGKDk6N8LUe5w-zmJwYZLsLH_ubChRRyu1PzvRvxvAKET6vkb7fG5tYQto5xoSgs8jrgqhJGldWlOs/s1600-h/P1040618.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivON0Vql7CAkGqk02joybrU8sUsBb-ZleeofChtSC7dyneVgE2ZuioKmkLHbx-DQGKDk6N8LUe5w-zmJwYZLsLH_ubChRRyu1PzvRvxvAKET6vkb7fG5tYQto5xoSgs8jrgqhJGldWlOs/s400/P1040618.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309001033739886178" /></a><br />And the other thing about the first of March is that the avalanche warning siren will go off at midday, as does on the first of every month. I always forget and it always makes me jump. And then I always wonder what you are supposed to do when it goes off for real. Where would you run to and how would you know which direction it was coming from? I'm looking forward already to wondering that again on the first of April, unless I have been better informed about avalanche procedure in the meantime.<div>Avalanche risk 2 here these days - it was up to category 4 in January at times (max is 5). Apparently things get rather exciting at level 5, roads are closed, villages evacuated. We have had a few really warm days recently, the last two days it has been raining and I haven't been out of the house at all apart from the dawn trip to the boulangerie. Today was dry so thought I ought to have a little ski again to keep my hand in. Also thought it would be a good experience for me to find out what it was like skiing in really wet old snow! Well, it's very hard! and hurts alot when you fall over. I fell three times, silly falls, just catching edges, the ridges of snow so dense and unforgiving. Also very poor contrast so totally unable to see where the lumps and bumps of carved up piste were. It's great being able to ski over to the piste from the chalet, but not so easy coming back because the last section of piste that you come down is a steep (well I think so!) narrow run, that has been carved out into a kind of half pipe by everybody turning. And today it was carnage! bodies all over the place, heaps of snow and people everywhere, it took me such a frustratingly long time to get down the last short section because I didn't dare turn that I came off the piste a bit higher up than usual, and then found I couldn't turn at all in the deep snow off piste. So I sat down a few times (unintentionally), skis came off a few times, and then I gave up and walked down the last 100m - sinking in up to mid-thigh at every step. Wish I felt I was getting a bit better at this lark, but it still feels nearly as difficult and scary as it did a month ago. That's not true of course, I am getting better, but not nearly fast enough. </div><div>Oh well, quick shower, back to work now. Just remembered that the crew at Port Lockroy are leaving today! locking up, end of another season. I think none of them are particularly looking forward to coming home. They have been much more diligent than we were about updating the official UKAHT blog - there is a link on the right here. Sounds like they have had a lot of fun - and with an extra member of staff and fewer visitors they must have had a bit more leisure too!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-4502455504481927772009-03-01T05:47:00.011-03:002009-03-01T10:28:29.014-03:00Leeks and daffodilsWas trying hard to remember what the 1st of March signified ..... of course, it's St David's Day. Shame Wales got trounced by France in the 6 Nations on Friday - no, not really, it's about time they were beaten. And Scotland won, hoorah! I haven't really just been a couch potato watching sport, honest. But you have to lie on the sofa with a cup of tea some of the time.<div>Yesterday was just the most glorious weather, we have had some wonderful spring-like sunshine this week, and I had myself organised to finish work early and go for a ski. Was v brave and decided to go back to do a run that I had cried in terror all the way down the last time I did it. Slightly nervous, and it took me a while to get down, but I got there in the end! Well, once you have started there really isn't a lot of choice - though there was one bail out option of a button lift that would take me back to the top and the telecabine back down to safety (which is what I did last time). I have discovered what it is that makes some runs terrifying for me - it's not even necessarily the steepness, it's the view! If I can't see the run bottoming out, if it is a convex slope and you are looking straight down to the valley floor a looooong way down, then I go to pieces and have to start taking deep breaths and closing my eyes! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdbnnHGZmu28Chyphenhyphen-mq3J-epMYwFeHW6_YkkqEogNKucFgELX0wNlLLX7MMCV3y_F3LbG_ZCV0StY0k8oiUgB8PKzAIX6Cv0y4BCsRfmYyKMzgYL9K6xC8w-SboToi4Jjr01vd1Pifk6k/s1600-h/P1040656.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdbnnHGZmu28Chyphenhyphen-mq3J-epMYwFeHW6_YkkqEogNKucFgELX0wNlLLX7MMCV3y_F3LbG_ZCV0StY0k8oiUgB8PKzAIX6Cv0y4BCsRfmYyKMzgYL9K6xC8w-SboToi4Jjr01vd1Pifk6k/s320/P1040656.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308144011601835618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>This is scary!<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VHUK1rMNARmk40CBs8p9HoNl9mTMOnykeGgb6r2XWPsKQQ0glWwCY4R4BLuCR9mIVP_T0Pfaqd3nEyy9zAxIHTIrTJO1uF_9wxGgSK7RGLGHf4n379sRWJZI8uIIU8qNltJQyQ1ruEE/s320/P1040664.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308151080795705810" /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And this.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3S6BzBmeroF_WnH-1OgzEXrG0me6sMaWyN8sqf-3xZNIZC6gHslU7GHhDvBl0OjoyQtSNIYFUbfu5Re8ReAzfS6fq7w4tBfiT0oSREbgR29Ezur6CLj8RQxIQfhqiZwffcxteD1lSRvM/s320/P1040672.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308144007007962850" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is not.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It's all in the head. And partly in the legs. Have discovered that now I can ski a bit it is really hard work, a couple of hours, even minutes sometimes, and my thighs are jelly! It has been a good year or so since I have done much sustained exercise, so am pretty wibbly and weak.</div><div><br /></div><div>A new group are arriving today and tomorrow, am just about to commence lengthy session in the kitchen - planning to make creme caramels for the first time (prob a mistake not to have practised, will end up eating them all myself), meringues, lasagne, maybe a sticky toffee pudding, have already done a couple of cakes...... it gives me an excuse not to go skiing again! </div><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-26117701081696347692009-02-14T13:47:00.002-03:002009-02-14T19:28:04.311-03:00D'oh!Just checked the score before setting off to catch the second half and <br />the game is over! Of course it was _in_ France so no need to add an <br />hour on to the kick-off time. Durrr.<br />Oh well, back to the ironing then.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-47216258316213501062009-02-14T13:32:00.002-03:002009-02-14T13:34:51.349-03:00Peripatetic again, but not a postmistress ...<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxC60k9M_9Cl3WKF8UwRfdVfbspvTi-IP0LiDORebwV7zjPqPX4yxEy5dTuykaWo1v7FBeb9m7tZwfjhuq5LJ-vMb9fBm6tbnUeUDWInwNiDmw5me58aSGy359-x_jUiLsi3lBhYRqBM/s1600-h/P1040427-764040.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxC60k9M_9Cl3WKF8UwRfdVfbspvTi-IP0LiDORebwV7zjPqPX4yxEy5dTuykaWo1v7FBeb9m7tZwfjhuq5LJ-vMb9fBm6tbnUeUDWInwNiDmw5me58aSGy359-x_jUiLsi3lBhYRqBM/s320/P1040427-764040.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302691884718298370" /></a></p>So I'm not still up a mountain in Argentina. Sorry to those of you that were wondering! However I'm still being drawn by the lure of snow and mountains and adventure and have ended up running away again, this time to spend a season in the French Alps. OK, so ironing and cleaning is not sooo adventurous, but I don't ski or speak French so there are some new learning opportunities to be had!<br>Have been meaning to resurrect the blog for some time now. And here is the beginning ... but the Scotland - France game has just got underway, and I thought I might wander off to the bar, should be a good atmosphere! Might help me meet some fellow local workers, should be easy to spot the Scots! I suspect we will be heavily outnumbered, will have to cheer quietly (assuming there is anything to cheer about). A bientot!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-14126924301923231032008-03-18T16:12:00.009-03:002009-02-14T14:04:04.464-03:00Fitzroy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGzSyw63QjCiG6Ihlf59vo69VGnq9I5BCgI-gcTSBjWZhXAQNKpYsIq_oepc_f9ugBoADZdU5YwobpbgxCkvg1lPIjRt4FWTTEnSOMir7HUxXT-5_TSSJmY23RdID7UMVdsKHXGN_3TI/s1600-h/DSC_3832.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGzSyw63QjCiG6Ihlf59vo69VGnq9I5BCgI-gcTSBjWZhXAQNKpYsIq_oepc_f9ugBoADZdU5YwobpbgxCkvg1lPIjRt4FWTTEnSOMir7HUxXT-5_TSSJmY23RdID7UMVdsKHXGN_3TI/s320/DSC_3832.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302699191340988546" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBKlKzHOM91UWE5O6h2vLczRYWREzdI610C6s1rmBNhN7GXzbE-5H0Fl17O7xsOhytLE2Fi-1s4XaIvr72cj0zi0CdzR5Irbp8Bd8VUPsvpTFxPW4n0KQGd6Gi2SkY2PJHJxwKuwtj4c/s1600-h/DSC_3818.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBKlKzHOM91UWE5O6h2vLczRYWREzdI610C6s1rmBNhN7GXzbE-5H0Fl17O7xsOhytLE2Fi-1s4XaIvr72cj0zi0CdzR5Irbp8Bd8VUPsvpTFxPW4n0KQGd6Gi2SkY2PJHJxwKuwtj4c/s320/DSC_3818.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302699185077696370" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, one day shopping, one day working and frying my brain with spreadsheets and lists of stock and stamps, and one day walking and that was Ushuaia. We took the first half of our flight to Buenos Aires, and arranged to get off in El Calafate, before getting the bus to El Chalten. It´s a long way to anywhere here, takes a while to get your mind around how big this country is. a two hour flight and 5 hour bus journey and we have hardly moved on the map.<br />This is the jumping off point for some of the most spectacular Andean mountain scenery, Mount Fitzroy and Cerro Torre. We´ve been incredibly lucky with the weather, two days hiking, one in glorious sunshine with fantastic views of the peaks. Although the practice day walking in Tierro del Fuego must have have done some good, I feel totally exhausted on our first day here. We walk for 6 hours up a good trail through forest to the Torre glacier, and I can´t talk, can only put one foot in front of the other with a huge effort. I think I hadn´t truly realised how tired I am, and I really need a rest, a day off from doing anything.<br />But another good steak and a night´s rest and we go off to see Fitzroy the next day. One of the most stunning days walking you could ever have. The trees are just beginning to turn, and the sun and blue sky remind me of a great day in the mountains in Japan when I visited James and Jules.<br />An evening in the microbrewery with some home-made muscle relaxant (aka beer) and tomorrow we must make plans for the next few days.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-81547127780330552952008-03-18T15:59:00.004-03:002008-03-18T16:11:52.895-03:00Empanadas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uWG0f0kFaiXma9hM0DFLEmT1oDwYLf8onzEPeVi6iNBsCGjArfueTiWwC6qqF9YeVCcMhs-dFkBUF0LF_p9Zfmagsaw4d4pquZKH2ogivf-87I7R8MYMdv67qcT84mLi8IeA7PbDUA0/s1600-h/SSC_3852.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uWG0f0kFaiXma9hM0DFLEmT1oDwYLf8onzEPeVi6iNBsCGjArfueTiWwC6qqF9YeVCcMhs-dFkBUF0LF_p9Zfmagsaw4d4pquZKH2ogivf-87I7R8MYMdv67qcT84mLi8IeA7PbDUA0/s320/SSC_3852.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179161410142010002" /></a><br />¡Hola amigos! Three days in Ushuaia, bought some jeans (too tight, but I must be going to lose weight now of course), and some Merrell´s for hiking, and headed off to the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego to learn how to walk again. Ten miles up and down hill, and along the coast of the Beagle Channel, and I´ve never had such sore quads! my goodness, I knew I must have got unfit living on a small rock for 4 months, but still... It´s a bit worrying. Not as shell shocked as I thought I would be, but perhaps it just hasn´t hit yet. The first sight of greenery was quite wonderful but I seem to have got used to it again pretty quickly. Beautiful beech forest, notofagus, huge variation in leaf size depending on quite how tough the particular location is. And new birds! great grebes, ibis, a different sort of caracara, a huge bird of prey that we didn´t know at all. But I still miss the baby penguins.<br />Oh, and the food! cafe con leche and empanadas on our first morning. King crab and calamare, home made ice creams, huge steaks, oh dear, what was that about losing some of the antarctic flab?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-50812521530435852802008-03-11T12:06:00.011-03:002009-02-14T14:40:32.598-03:00Drake Lake or Drake Shake?<div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeoo8T2fGCRbnnkzYBM-X1aIzb438_FSpS9Lz407t6REmGxOext-CqfrnYQLcYzukAIak6pyCJPdWiaiNCqJQ2ym32aq8jSWAzoSXmEieoSyXlFTjbIjyG7SueDJv_2IpMoxDb0b_t-M/s1600-h/DSC_3548.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeoo8T2fGCRbnnkzYBM-X1aIzb438_FSpS9Lz407t6REmGxOext-CqfrnYQLcYzukAIak6pyCJPdWiaiNCqJQ2ym32aq8jSWAzoSXmEieoSyXlFTjbIjyG7SueDJv_2IpMoxDb0b_t-M/s320/DSC_3548.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302705691288200434" /></a><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOPlkl2tLLE5bfpYPVrDB8y7lYypOsllWFtQRql05kIvWonm46b4yyJdznO_3puBAv9nCnRi3pO6K6E9HAgz59mXChYejv2WccjYLRm1WkeHkY5J970KdNHyspeFy7q11x8OBXoai9kg/s320/DSC_3572.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302705698398493138" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AxpQD2DcOVC3XYBg-MGdoT3U2H4u0VytIMQR-1tJCzbqNjcjVeRjOspPbU6gZOGzHXSNiFFfBW3x56_c_9KDDhO1vFR3KEwiQ6j8UCmD_tNlXwOODdlC3K8zROZiQmxpvsUf9Q6Xvl8/s1600-h/DSC_3445.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AxpQD2DcOVC3XYBg-MGdoT3U2H4u0VytIMQR-1tJCzbqNjcjVeRjOspPbU6gZOGzHXSNiFFfBW3x56_c_9KDDhO1vFR3KEwiQ6j8UCmD_tNlXwOODdlC3K8zROZiQmxpvsUf9Q6Xvl8/s320/DSC_3445.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302705690162862370" /></a><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Wonderful sights on the way home on Explorer II.</div><div>Basking leopard seals, and endless ice</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, it really was it! Not without a few extra hurdles to overcome through. At the last minute the ship decided not to land passengers at 7am but to pick us up quickly at 6.30 and head on north to make a landing at Cuverville Island instead. There really wouldn't have been time to do both. So we put all the shop away, carried on counting left-over stock, in bed at 10 ish, up at 4.30am! Pitch dark of course, it was like your worst nightmare of getting up in the winter dark to catch a train, and still having pack up the last bits of waste to take with us, pour out all liquids that might freeze, disconnect the batteries etc etc. Thank goodness Rick had rigged up an electric light in the bunkroom this season so we didn't have to do it all by torchlight. Explorer II had arrived the evening before and it was comforting to see her lights circling in the bay all night, and know that we really did have a lift home.<br />And here we are then - a luxurious cabin each, as many hot showers as we can bear, fabulous food pressed on us several times a day, along with cocktails, wine, Irish coffees, hot chocolate laced with rum - you name it, you can have it. I was apprehensive to say the least about crossing the Drake, and dosed myself with pills yesterday. It's a very flat drake apparently, which means swell of only 4 to 5 metres. Rick and I even managed an interesting game of ping pong in the gym yesterday afternoon! Hard to keep your eye on the ball when sometimes it appears to stop in midair and even go backwards. We are anticipating arrival in Ushuaia late tonight/early tomorrow morning. So need to make the most of our last day here. We held a small post office on board yesterday morning, and I still have to do the final accounts, and stamp counting. It's great that this ship is going on to Stanley so we can just leave the mail with them for delivery. Well, I think it is elevenses time now, hmm what little treat shall I have next? yet to try out the sauna.<br />Rachal and I did the landing on Cuverville on Sunday, while Rick succumbed to the lure of a warm bed with clean sheets (after five months in a sleeping bag!). We were allowed to climb part way up the steep rocky little island. What a pleasure it was! just to be able to walk somewhere in a straight line for half an hour! and uphill too! Was quite pleased to manage it at all. And once back in the zodiacs we were met by another boat laden with glasses and champagne! A celebratory drink to say good bye to Antarctica, in the brilliant sunshine surrounded by gleaming icebergs and porpoising penguins. What a way to finish our time here! I can't think of anything better.<br /><br /><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-65396422479346724692008-03-08T14:16:00.002-03:002009-02-14T14:41:03.990-03:00Is that it then?<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORzv8kaxIZrweAuYWONBRIRfIOcIvzQ4QD_0w09zcFx9OTZw0hEEJhx2_84l7-sf8cCBxwXFh82RIFjBKeRKtHatzZvxwfngJximM2hw_PHQAuxXiIIDsZKDNCjnjyoFOK2_df89S7U8/s1600-h/P1030295.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORzv8kaxIZrweAuYWONBRIRfIOcIvzQ4QD_0w09zcFx9OTZw0hEEJhx2_84l7-sf8cCBxwXFh82RIFjBKeRKtHatzZvxwfngJximM2hw_PHQAuxXiIIDsZKDNCjnjyoFOK2_df89S7U8/s320/P1030295.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302705679693404626" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Final farewell to the Bremen<br /></div><div>after another spectacular meal</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My bunk during the packing process!</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpIlxnbzLR89GnIw__8TkD-sYk8jU8F7bav2aSmZuV369aAKpZWTkoFtBheupb_Tq5zqYWIR3ZRGXyFcupTzIxXCVpFVN6EryJmizWQhsm_c3dNfVQ2mlRYWeHyRmc-mON2Uhqqo3gwc/s320/DSC_3399.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302705683211653410" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Can't believe we are packing up. Counting all the clothes, patches, bookmarks in the shop, putting away the artifacts in the museum, scrubbing the floors. Also can't believe it is so long since I have put a message here!<br />We had a hectic last two weeks of Feb, two ships a day, but now we just have one more and they are landing 200 passengers tomorrow morning, starting at 7am (6am our time, ouch!). Then we'll have a whirl of activity, shut the stamp suitcases and get on board, hopefully by 10 am - that's the plan anyway. And then I think the three of us will be tempted by a long hot shower and a comfy bed in a warm cabin! Just been out for a final lunch on Bark Europa, the beautiful Dutch sailing ship, the sun came out and we stood on deck taking photographs for the last time of our little island with the mountains behind. There are still plenty of little penguins around on Goudier, they are splishing about at the water's edge learning how to swim. I wish we had had more time and decent weather to be able to sit and watch them play. The leopard seal has been around alot too, easy food. It's an gruesome sight to see them thrashing the penguins around in the air, letting them go and catching the<br />m again, until they are a skinned bloody mess.<br />Right then, better go - this time tomorrow I'll either be in the bar or the sauna!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-64950627032917288892008-02-20T16:56:00.000-03:002008-02-20T17:05:11.733-03:00A winter wonderland again<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkxIe1oRvNZQG3woaUNvuMZ9QMOupF9AXYW5wIArNqIlW0ExBc07s15Dm_g61QRyOblTrWrPjr7vxy-LN4lNQ0RufIdRYHB-ZI2iTRLeteN_sN6_jn3l63yVQMfKgk46bg3EjfCp-urI/s1600-h/P1030240-711735.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkxIe1oRvNZQG3woaUNvuMZ9QMOupF9AXYW5wIArNqIlW0ExBc07s15Dm_g61QRyOblTrWrPjr7vxy-LN4lNQ0RufIdRYHB-ZI2iTRLeteN_sN6_jn3l63yVQMfKgk46bg3EjfCp-urI/s320/P1030240-711735.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169155975329810434" /></a></p>Coming home in the snow from dinner last night, still light enough, just, for photography at 10pm. By the way, bottom left foreground - if you look closely - a baby penguin asleep on the boot scraper. Cute!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-91749235369672463322008-02-20T16:42:00.000-03:002008-02-20T17:03:27.993-03:00Ice on the beach<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxm-UOEgrj6lQ7Tahs3TeSkuM7PACNOGpN8Pz8D2LBiZ2OpsyQBisGvcT2qk-fOq-qoO66k5l309HBBHID5SArPQ6W0JQ30Y1yIPW0hQ4slHcBrzQk3Cp5VGi9kSNSe69AfOkctZhRxs/s1600-h/DSC_3078-707995.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxm-UOEgrj6lQ7Tahs3TeSkuM7PACNOGpN8Pz8D2LBiZ2OpsyQBisGvcT2qk-fOq-qoO66k5l309HBBHID5SArPQ6W0JQ30Y1yIPW0hQ4slHcBrzQk3Cp5VGi9kSNSe69AfOkctZhRxs/s320/DSC_3078-707995.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169155528653211618" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-72582201590631412262008-02-19T12:21:00.001-03:002009-02-14T15:01:08.870-03:00cold toeses and noses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-Rme4cWRDDq9XE37gUnnrT7Vu_KYorgw5ahfpniSSl2QWuLx766Z5EiMOVoNwbXhvpuJncbBEX_dUNsdA4G_IeS87HQFu-CTRqYUPtUCcYd5Dzd4VxzZlRgVpqT3IZfu56ja4uJ4h58/s1600-h/DSC_3101.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-Rme4cWRDDq9XE37gUnnrT7Vu_KYorgw5ahfpniSSl2QWuLx766Z5EiMOVoNwbXhvpuJncbBEX_dUNsdA4G_IeS87HQFu-CTRqYUPtUCcYd5Dzd4VxzZlRgVpqT3IZfu56ja4uJ4h58/s320/DSC_3101.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302714553503467058" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Lying in bed, 8 o'clock this morning, feeling vaguely guilty, and wondering when the cruise ship would arrive, then Rick remembers that they have changed their schedule and are not coming at all! So we relax, another cuppa and breakfast in bed. Even put the heater on as it is below 5 degrees - the benchmark for requiring heat! It's a blizzard outside. I go down to the landing site without getting properly dressed - I need to check if the package of 200 postcards and stamps is still there or whether the cruise ship that requested them had picked them up during the night. They are gone, and I hope they did not just blow away. Come back up, dripping into the bunk room, long johns soaked through and shivering, much to the amusement of the other two. Back into bed to warm up and dry off. It feels like we have come full circle here, there is a lot of snow lying outside, wonder just how much more wintry it will get before we go.<p>We had our visit from the Saga Ruby, they kindly delivered about 30 boxes of supplies, then we went on board briefly for a hasty dinner and Rick to give a slideshow. Met a friend of my mother's, who hadn't seen me since I was 4! he had some photos of me with him - I've grown a bit but don't look much different! Sadly we didn't have much time to chat - I had to go and do finances with the purser, as they had an on board shop for us on the way here. Rick's talk went down well, in fact he got more laughs by all accounts than the stand-up comedian who followed him. We set off home near to midnight, and while we'd been on board the bay had filled with ice! It was truly spectacular, but made progress slow, and we were even wondering if (hoping!) we might have to go back and spend a night in a warm cabin ..... but no, Neil the driver got us through, with a colleague at the front with a torch shining the way. It's getting really dark at night these days, the days are shortening quic<br />kly, and we are glad that Rick has fixed us up with an electric light in the bunk room. Though I miss the hiss of the Tilley lamp. The next night we had three cruise ships moored nearby overnight (oh, and another superb meal with fine wines...) and it was strange to see the artificial lighting around us making the ice cliffs glow at night.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-35840354982276444332008-02-16T12:22:00.000-03:002008-02-16T12:23:57.966-03:00I've got mailA wee flurry of postcards the other day! mostly showing pictures of clean beaches in Arnside! How nice. Thank you! But perhaps I didn't distribute my address well enough before I left - the addresses used were varied and imaginative. One just arrived, 'Port Lockroy, West Antarctica'! and another 'Historic Site 61' - well done, Steve and Paula, you did your homework! And Hoorah for the British postal system.<p>We are a bit hectic here, three ships today, we are about to go out for lunch, and going out also to give a presentation and have dinner later on a large ship from the UK, Saga Ruby, which doesn't actually land passengers here because there are too many of them. They have some supplies from the UK to deliver, and have also very kindly agreed to take some personal stuff home for us. So packing up already, in any spare minute, it feels strange when we still have three weeks here. We have managed to fill three boxes and a couple of holdalls between us, hope we don't get invited out to any smart yachts, all my good clothes have gone in. Thank goodness for that! Because I will be taking a detour on the way home - been tempted by the thought of a couple of weeks in Argentina and will be flying home on the 26th March now. Not sure where to go, but as long as it is far enough north to relax in the sun I'll be happy. One of the ships is bringing down a Lonely Planet Argentina guide f<br>rom Ushuaia, so if I can squeeze in the time to read some of it that will help the planning.<p>However with 21 ships before the end of Feb there won't be a lot of free time. And with so many early starts and late nights - first ship in at 7am this morning, out til midnight the night before - we're all beginning to feel a bit frazzled! It'll be a lot of fun though I think, of course we will have to celebrate the end of the season with each ship visit.<p>The babies are growing fast now, they are all a pretty large uniform size and this seems to be causing the skuas to go hungry as there are no smaller weaker ones to pick off. We are seeing the skuas looking quite desperate pacing round the flocks of chicks, and just jumping on top of any they can reach. However they seem to be very afraid of getting injured themselves, and won't risk a peck from a protective adult. We did see one baby get 'got' the other day, just in front of the boat shed, and the poor little thing was eaten alive, still feebly flapping for a long long time while the skuas had their grisly lunch. Heart-breaking to watch. However we do have to keep reminding ourselves that there really isn't much room for any more penguins on this little island! Rick's favourite joke in his introductory talk, once he has everyone hating evil skuas, is that the world would be overrun by gentoos if something wasn't eating them!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-38605318627912686182008-02-06T20:35:00.000-03:002008-02-06T20:41:50.357-03:00cuddly gentoos<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjv5_uxUPESqWwXt6qxb6cijsIi7I4WA4Axd0xVqNpBG4CI7pihC0PRc0Jemr4roXkcm-qrHBN4LZSIZysUrUirYVhhYUSeAMFti__mnXkipfIzWslawP_zxF1ToW5q-HVVaUbgCObpoc/s1600-h/DSC_2788-710359.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjv5_uxUPESqWwXt6qxb6cijsIi7I4WA4Axd0xVqNpBG4CI7pihC0PRc0Jemr4roXkcm-qrHBN4LZSIZysUrUirYVhhYUSeAMFti__mnXkipfIzWslawP_zxF1ToW5q-HVVaUbgCObpoc/s320/DSC_2788-710359.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164016605734996018" /></a></p>We have been overrun with thousands more gentoos! but they are quite manageable and are resting in boxes at the moment. They are soft and furry and about 6 inches high with Port Lockroy written on their tummies. We had a visit at long last from HMS Endurance, who had left the UK in November with more supplies for us on board, more leaflets, more shopping bags, more propane cylinders (hooray, we'd been eking out the one we had, trying not to put the fire on too often). And they brought us the cuddly gentoos that had missed the boat and were not ready to come down with us in October. We have spread them around the shop, in every nook and cranny, as advised by last year's postmistressing staff. They look lovely! and at least they'll be here for next season - I doubt we'll sell them all in the last few weeks.<br>Yes, and we really are on the home straight now, less than 5 weeks to go, only a month - and I can't imagine how we will get everything done that needs doing before we go. The last mail will go to Stanley on the 26th of this month, along with all the gear we picked up on the way down - oh but if we send the cancels back then how do we frank the mail for the last two weeks? hmm, and I ordered more stamps under the assumption that we will need them for the last few weeks of mail, but if we can't frank them then we don't need the stamps - this all needs a bit more thinking about! Not that straightforward being a postmistress you know! let alone dealing with the customers who want to know why on earth we have run out of one colour of t shirt, and why couldn't we have brought more stuff with us ... More stuff! really not possible. If only they'd been there at midnight on the day we arrived, when we finished unloading the first 500 boxes.<br>To more cheery subjects! - the baby pengys really are running around now, they have dried off, cleaned up and are very fluffy themselves, to rival the toy ones in fact, but even cuter of course. We are still in a social whirl and wondering how we will eat all the food parcels that are being pressed on us, when in fact we are out for dinner every night. Just returned from a barbecue (indoors thank goodness) tonight actually, our hosts were on the other time zone, so we were home, fed and showered, by 6pm! nice to have the whole night left without any washing up to do even. I've even turned down a few invitations recently due to a flu bug which has now got my throat rather badly - saw a nice doctor on a cruise ship who gave me some penicillin - hope that will clear it up soon. It's not good being under the weather here, there's not much chance to take a break without leaving your colleagues over-worked. February is looking pretty busy, but manageable, with the odd free spell h<p>ere and there. I do hope we get some more sun though - it's still pretty thin on the ground, was snowing hard again this morning - when will I get all the painting done?!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-46141020045251715582008-01-27T17:24:00.000-03:002008-01-27T17:26:27.277-03:00Piped aboard on the 25thAs everyone knows, 25th January is when all Scots celebrate their only famous poet. It was looking unlikely that we would get a Burn's night invitation, and I had been hiding the fact that I had found some frozen tins of haggis (best before: Long Expired!)in the boat shed. It was yet another wet and windy day, we've had tremendous rain, some penguin chicks are dead in their nests and the rest are shivering sadly. After the last ship visit on the day in question Rick and I took the opportunity to nip aboard for a shower, intending to come straight back, but of course ended up in the bar, sharing champagne with a honeymoon couple and chatting to the staff. After dinner we had a lift back to base, where Rachel was just about to go out to a French yacht for a late continental dinner, so off we went again. There were 7 yachts moored behind the island, an extraordinary sight, all come in for a bit of shelter. A strange squealing sound was heard just as we were getting to the fruit <br>and cheese - which alarmed the yacht owners somewhat ... someone glanced out of a window. A piper on deck! The British Army aboard yacht Discoverer have been on expedition down here for a couple of months, they have paid us many visits, and helped to dig a drainage ditch around the back of the hut to aid penguin poop clearance. Two of the party are Scots and had brought not only a set of pipes, but also kilts. The piper then climbed into a zodiac and was driven on a circuit of the bay, piping as he went, kilt flying in the breeze! A wonderful moment. An invitation was issued to all yachts to come aboard, so off we went. Wondering how many people the yacht could hold! we all crowded on deck and sampled many varieties of whisky. Oh dear. We had another early start the next morning and a 350 passenger ship in at 7am .... the less said about my less-than sparkling form the better. Still it was another night to remember - we seem to be having a few of these.<br>The schedule is hectic for the next couple of weeks, two or three ships most days. I seem to think I might have said that before sometime! This has been our busiest month without doubt, February looks a little quieter. But we really need some good weather, as well as free time, if we are going to make any progress with the painting - my favourite job! Fingers crossed for some sun.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-12253992766481166122008-01-21T14:03:00.000-03:002008-01-21T14:32:29.591-03:00Chilli chocolate, jumbo oats<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxmkKEQDiEMlJRWApPVP9-fA337BJbfSQ87xh3eaSsbbcAHwq6mSuyjaL6W4E1bWtOMGs4X-2kQx7KxEEDwjwFJYjZPe0gqlN9SsQQwDZ6oYgTg698MOk6txZsrL-MAtPQYEbZXrxxXY/s1600-h/P1030092-749593.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxmkKEQDiEMlJRWApPVP9-fA337BJbfSQ87xh3eaSsbbcAHwq6mSuyjaL6W4E1bWtOMGs4X-2kQx7KxEEDwjwFJYjZPe0gqlN9SsQQwDZ6oYgTg698MOk6txZsrL-MAtPQYEbZXrxxXY/s320/P1030092-749593.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157984061607972482" /></a></p>The postman came yesterday! Two more bags of mail from Stanley, and it was like Christmas all over again. We had an afternoon off, a wild and windy day, cosied ourselves up in the bunk room and lit the fire. I had two little packages, chocolate! extra-special chilli chocolate from Rachel (even more special because my roomies don't like chilli so I get to eat it all myself!). And a big heavy squashy parcel from Phil containing ..... jumbo oats!. Ever practical. I had been bemoaning the fact that we had very few here - they do make the best home-made muesli - and he took it upon himself to do something about it. Fantastic, down to the last packet but this should see me through. Only 6 weeks and 5 days to go til we leave, not that we are counting but Rachel and I did work it out the other day .... just curious you understand ..<br>The days continue much the same, with the odd spectacular highlight here and there. We had an emperor penguin visit, over on Jougla Point across the water. Of course we can't get there being boatless, but the ship that was visiting at the time gave us a zodiac trip over to view it. Beautiful big bird, amazingly huge, made the gentoos all look like babies. And even better, there were a few spare kayaks that evening, and Rachel and I borrowed a double and went out for a circuit of Goudier Is. What a treat, I had been so jealous of kayakers we had seen in the area. It was magic seeing the ice cliffs and bergs from sea level, and having penguins popping up next to us to take a look.<br>And having said the days are much the same, that's not quite true - they are different also! It seems that almost every day one of us has a connection to a passenger, or a visitor has some link to the early inhabitants of the base. A couple of days ago Rachel sold a stamp to a friendly couple, and they put it on a card with an Ayr address - when I had a look I was sure the address rang a bell - White Gables? It dawned on me that Judith, one of my best friends at school had lived there! They were astonished when I told them I had been in their house! admittedly not for near on thirty years - they said it had changed a bit. And took a photo of me to show Judith who they still knew. How funny, they went around the museum telling everybody of this odd coincidence. <br>Well, it's a wild and windy day today, the baby penguins are in a right bedraggled state and I'll be surprised if we don't have casualties poor things. But from what I have heard the weather has been grim back home, and I imagine we are still in a better position to have long sunny days than the UK. No more painting for a while, but we haven't really got time now anyway, big ships in everyday for the next week or so.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-37228961227326587292008-01-16T17:22:00.000-03:002008-01-16T17:26:33.748-03:00Another sunny day<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvfVXIJbLdHUe71UXgPKNStY5T45aHjKnpl27dLSaeMyqY21Wf9z6iwFA-StOmXEMiuKA9P5SuN1wtwzEgtimRQl8MlL3YLdEA0RmnOCIhugqKFNQpTtlMX25wBqAj7PgxwN_JO2LNq4/s1600-h/DSC_2461-793750.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTvfVXIJbLdHUe71UXgPKNStY5T45aHjKnpl27dLSaeMyqY21Wf9z6iwFA-StOmXEMiuKA9P5SuN1wtwzEgtimRQl8MlL3YLdEA0RmnOCIhugqKFNQpTtlMX25wBqAj7PgxwN_JO2LNq4/s320/DSC_2461-793750.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156173496669507186" /></a></p>Not up on the roof this time, but out painting window frames. Just thought I'd try experimenting with sending a very small image, wonder if it will work.<br>First ship in at 6.30 am this morning. We have been forced into changing our time zone in our habits but not our watches, and so went to bed at 9.30 pm. Argentina has for some bizarre reason gone forward an hour right in the middle of summer. We are staying on GMT -3 and so are some of the ships, but not all. Sadly it seems that the early morning visits are all from the ships that have gone to GMT -2. Still it was interesting getting through our first hundred passengers before breakfast time. And then still having 250 to go! it was a big ship - out biggest landing yet.<br>Absolutely gorgeous day though, not a cloud in the sky, hence the window painting this afternoon. Now we are waiting for our evening visit, due to arrive at 6 pm. They have just radioed to ask if we want the sauna turning on! some of the staff on board the ships are becoming really good friends and look after us so well. We are also invited for dinner and then the passengers will land afterwards. It's going to be a(nother) long day.<br>The baby penguins are growing so fast! the 'feed-me' squeaks are becoming squawks, and our first hatched are beginning to step out of the nests and experiment with pottering. They are so comically wobbly - huge bellies and ungainly flat feet. The skuas are around more and more, and occasionally we see the Lockroy flying penguins, as a poor little chick is whisked away into the air. There are even some eggs not hatched yet - we think they must be duds.<br>Time for tea on the verandah, and then better pack my clean clothes for socialising!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-29305356768630954872008-01-08T11:36:00.000-03:002008-01-08T11:40:26.124-03:00Up on the roofSeems a bit late to be saying 'Happy New Year'! But there it is anyway. We had a really good Hogmanay, invited over to a yacht, Xplore, for a wonderful dinner, fresh avocados, roast beef, sponge with custard (more than made up for the cheese sandwich on Christmas Day!) and then they came back with us at midnight for the bells and following party in our wee hut. A great evening, dancing til dawn - well, it's hard to tell when dawn is even though the nights are drawing in now. I seem to recall being surprised when I went into our bunkroom in the early hours and found my room-mates asleep already. <br>Needless to say, we were all a bit delicate the next day - I have to admit to being the most delicate though! and struggled with conversation during the ship visits on the 1st. Took all my concentration to add up. Was pleased to see that our party-sharing yacht didn't move at all during the day either.<br>And so followed a busy busy week to begin the year. Three ships a day for a few consecutive, plus a number of yachts nipping in between big visits, the weather still continuing wild and wet. And yesterday we had a maintenance day, no ships! and the sun came out. Was a wonderful morning, I was up on the roof with a tin of bitumen paint and a sheathbill shit-scraper, and finished off the last sections over the old generator shed. Sloping and corrugated - not good for the knees. Had a break at noon for an outing of the Lockroy Harriers - I had noticed from my vantage point that the tide was good and low, lots of dry rock exposed, a chance for some exercise. Am concerned by the state I will be in when I get home - so unfit - it will take some time to regain any leg strength and lung capacity. Anyway off we went for a couple of laps - I returned for some stretching and when I next looked over there were Rick and Rachel with towels going in for a dip. I was too far away to see the<br>ir expressions - later found out that Rick asked Rachel to record the fact that he swam for several strokes while smiling. Followed this with lunch on the verandah, during which the wind really picked up and we all got very chilly and retired indoors. I had to go back up to finish the roof, and managed to get more trails of bitumen on me than anywhere else. Followed this with an hour trying to find grey caps in the boat shed - Rick helped move boxes, but it was still a struggle and we had to open many! I had then to scrub my arms and face with paraffin to become respectable enough to go out for dinner on Discoverer, a British Army yacht which has been with us for a couple of days while the lads scaled peaks nearby. A very pleasant evening. We have done extremely well for meals recently - in fact a late long four course lunch on one luxurious ship a couple of days ago was followed three hours later by an invitation to dinner! No wonder I need to worry about getting unhealthy.<br> I didn't believe Tessa when she said she put on weight in Antarctica, however we have been so overwhelmed by generosity from the ships that we have begun to give away food parcels to yachties more needy than ourselves. <br>Time for coffee and cake - oh dear more stodge - and then siesta til the next ship.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9175253702960882483.post-82070599763739908002007-12-30T13:28:00.000-03:002007-12-30T13:46:48.751-03:00happy penultimate day of 2007It's a foul, wet and windy day for our 'maintenance day' so we are in the bunkroom trying to stay warm instead of up on the roof painting. Ships are changing schedules, some are changing times to agree with Argentinian time changes, the one that was meant to be here yesterday or the day before, depending, has hit a glacier after a power failure and is not coming at all, we think. It's all a bit vague at the moment. Not quite sure what we are doing for Hogmanay, but there are a few yachts around and a couple have come in to shelter behind our island. However if this wind continues then it is doubtful if we will meet for a party, it may just be a case of a radioed Happy New Year, and an early night! <br>There are so many happenings I have not mentioned, a case of time and power limitations, but Rachel is managing to produce a much fuller account which I recommend. When I started this it was just intended as an update for family and friends and I have been startled to find that word has spread and I have no idea how many readers there may be! More than the dozen that I began with. A couple of passengers in the shop the other day asked which one of us was Helen ... turned out they live near Kendal and there had been an article in the Westmorland Gazette about my sojourn here. Did any one else see it, is it true!? <br>I also didn't mention the school group that visited recently who were astonished and surprised to find an 'old girl' here - they were from St George's in Edinburgh where I went for my 6th form years. Much reminiscing, and photos for the school magazine. They had 328 large letters to post, as a fundraising venture - hmmm, a great deal of organising of stamp-sticking. Many different values of stamp required to make up the £1.10 for each letter, as I only have a limited numbers of each denomination.<br>Cold toes now, must be lunchtime - which I might eat in bed!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2