Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), Sunday 1 September 2013

aquilareen said:

Happy 27th Birthday Linda. (I have the same problem with daus older than I. LOL)

Thanks AQ!!     -  how do these children manage to not only catch us up, but pass us in the age stakes??!

Weary & off to bed now:   see you all tomorrow.

Happy belated birthday, Lindy!!!

My brother was born 4 years after I was, but is now 10 years older than I am. ;-)))

Evening all: Constructive day today; took car to figure out why windshield washers weren't doing their job and was prepared for a large bill, but when they took a look, found a connecting tube had come loose. Brilliant and only cost $15 by the time they were through! Then off to docs, then the gym, then some grocery shopping (anything to be in air conditioning as we are having a typical September hot spell).

Brenda: Hope the new trimmer arrived in good working condition. I always rush to fill up the green bin the day it gets emptied; sometimes it's amazing how one plant can produce so much dead wood, old blooms, etc.

George: Our washer/dryer set is under a counter and when I clean the accessible bit I always wonder what it's like further back. Then there's the question of what the floor is like under the machines (not to mention the refrigerator/dishwasher). Eeek.

Tina: Were you watching LoTL a few  years back when Lady almost died - on camera? Lots of drama and fretting, but ultimately tears of happiness.

Clare: Thanks for the map of the LG duo's progress; frankly, I'd probably hang out in France too if I had the chance. Glad you're enjoying your migrating visitors; I'm sure they appreciate the stopover.

Diane: Earthflight is on at 8 tomorrow night; I'll be sure to watch it.  I typically check PBS every evening, but thanks muchly for the heads up. Not surprised they've subbed an American voice; we wouldn't want people to have to work too hard to understand a foreign accent, would we!   :-)   FYI, I just went to the PBS website and saw the outraged comments about the dubbing, including: "Wait, did this seriously get a re-dub like people are saying? Can we please stop 'Americanizing' everything that gets imported from overseas? ...No wonder the rest of the world hates us."  :-))

Lindybird: Welcome home, and a belated Happy BIrthday!! Thanks for the additional recommendation for Earthflight.  Wait, was that Limpy I heard shouting his best wishes?  :-)   Had to smile at the "ruthless editing" of Scottish history, but very impressed by the "hundreds of stitching groups" that did the actual work.

Somewhat cooler this evening but it's supposed to be 90 here Thursday/Friday. We're all whining pathetically about the discomfort. :-)

Have a good Wednesday all, especially Margo.

Morning everybody

It is the morning of the 3rd of November, 1948. A United States Air Force B29 Superfortress, the "Over Exposed", is slowly making it's way across Northern England. Having started it's life as a heavy bomber, "Over Exposed" has since the war been used a photo-reconnaissance plane, and has just returned from service in the Pacific. There, it's role had been to record and photograph US atomic tests at Bikini Atoll. Now reassigned to Europe, it's role is to be to keep an eye on the activites of our former allies the Soviet Union, as it tightens it's grip on the east of the continent. Today's assignment for the "Over Exposed", however, is quite mundane. It is to deliver the weekly payroll of $7000 to the American airforce personnel stationed at Burtonwood Aifriend. Having taken off from RAF Coningsby, it is also carrying sacks of mail from the American personnel stationed in Lincolnshire, pre-Christmas messages home to loved ones from men facing another festive season far away. The B29 is carrying a crew of thirteen, no doubt chattering about Harry S. Truman's shock victory over Thomas Dewey in the previous night's Presidential Election result. Or maybe still talking about the Cleveland Indians' recent World Series triumph. 

The pilot, Captain Landon B Tanner, is flying "blind" through low cloud, relying on his altimeter for guidance. Soon, however, he knows he has to descend to prepare for his landing at Burtonwood. The only obstacles in his way are the hills of the Pennines. He checks his watch. His navigator, Sgt Charles Wilbanks, checks his charts. They should have cleared the hills by now, and be heading safely over lowland Cheshire. The B29 begins to turn towards the ground, and starts to descend through the clouds.

Nobody knows why the crew miscalculated their position, but around noon, the "Over Exposed" penetrated the low cloud, and crashed into the western edge of the Pennines just beneath Higher Shelf Stones, a rocky outcrop looking down on the town of Glossop. No distress signal was sent, and the crew appear to have had no warning of their impending impact. All thirteen crew members died instantly.   

Last Sunday, my father, step-brother and myself made our first ever visit to the crash site, which is an official war grave and accessible to anybody who can walk across the wild moors to the site. 65 years-on, it is an unbelievable scene.

There are remembrance services still at the site, including one in 2002 which was attended by Captain Tanner's widow, making her first visit to the site.

Below - me at the site

 

Good Morning ALL.  A misty start to the day, which is now burning off. 26c forecast for us today.

We went shopping yesterday and as we crossed the supermarket carpark, my OH threw something into a rubbih bin but as he turned away, he walked into a new 10mph sign, which was too close to the bin and on level with his forehead !! He now has a bruised and cut forehead. Not a pretty sight this morning. I now think we should have reported it, as I am sure somebody else will do the same. Thank goodness we had a first aid box in the car.

I did have a good laugh at our chldren becoming older than ourselves. I think some of today' children are born older than we were. When I listen to them, I must have been so naive. LOL  

Annette, We are forecast to reach 30c tomorrow but 90f is way too high for me. In contrast, we have rain arriving on Friday and the temperature will drop to 19c.

The extended hedge trimmer has not arrived. It has not been delivered from Bosch to the store yet !!

Mulberry, forgive my ignorance but I hadn't heard of 'Over Exposed'. What a very sad story. Thanks for relating the happenings to us and your photographs of the scene.

George, Thanks for letting us know about the NEW BLOG.

Hello Everyone.    I seem to be chasing myself today, as its a good day to get that laundry out in the sunshine and for the next few days at least, we have rain forecast.

Back later.

Good afternoon, all.  Mulberry, I hadn't heard of the Over Exposed either - what a sad story.  Your photos paint a very haunting picture.