Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 4 February 2018

Annette and anyone interested: That test flight of SpaceX's new Falcon Heavy rocket should be spectacular. Elon Musk said that he thinks the launch will fail. It is the most powerful rocket in the world with twice the power of any other rocket. 

The launch is Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That's 6:30 p.m. in the UK and 10:30 a.m. in California. Folks can watch it here. Or on SpaceX YouTube here. 

Annette: The U.S. market has fallen hard in after-hours trading tonight. I've watched it. It's likely to plummet wildly in the morning at open. Also, world markets are all plunging. I know the market was due for a correction, but this could also be the bursting of the bubble. Hard to know. The fundamentals aren't good; the country is a chaotic mess. :-(

Diane: Yes, I mentioned the launch on the previous page and just told my iPhone to remind me 1 hour before.  However, the Vandenberg launch of a Minute Man missile will be launched out of an underground silo.

Wow, Annette. I wondered why I didn't see anything about the Vandenberg launch. I didn't know it was a missile. Scary. 

Elon Musk was not at all optimistic about the Falcon Heavy launch. He was tamping down expectations for it. If that big rocket destroys its launch platform, it will set the SpaceX program way back. They are supposed to be developing a craft to carry astronauts to the Space Station. 

Please get a lot of rest and take fluids, Annette. I worry about you being ill. Your lungs can't be in good shape from the wildfires. Take care!!!

Good Morning. Cold again here, in spite of AQ sending her warm parcel to me! :-)  Snow expected later, but my OH has gone off optimistically to golf.

Annette, as Diane says, do please take care of yourself. 

Was sorry to hear that John Mahoney from the brilliant sitcom 'Frasier' has died, aged only 77. He gave some good performances in that, and was also a serious and much respected actor previously.

Here is my pic of the sparrowhawk which visits our garden, taken a year or so ago:

Today's pic:

Lindy - your OH is obviously an optimist!  My golf course has been closed more than it has been open since the middle of December, and I haven't lifted a club since then.  Will I still remember how to swing when ... if ... the weather improves?

I haven't forgotten that I have promised some information about my trip to Cambodia.  Will someone please let everyone else know I would like some time to do that, rather than the hundred and one other things being demanded of my limited time?????  Hopefully Cambodia will happen this week ...

Road test a scooter in snow?  I think not!  Never driven anything in snow and don't expect to start now!.  There is a possibility of a quick thaw this morning - hoping that is right - actual falling snow seems to have stopped.

Gentle flakes falling here for the last half an hour. Don't think they will stick, though.

Just been back to my first post, where the sparrowhawk pic would not work from my tablet... He's there now, though, as I'm on the desktop now.

We had a reasonable journey down to our sons on Friday, not a good day for travel, so we took it easy with several stops and changes of driver. Their new extension is very good, and has made their house into a really comfortable home. Amber has a new, bigger bedroom and there is a new updated bathroom. On Saturday, we were all a bit stuck for something to do as it was wet and dreary.  Not good for entertaining a pair of oldies and a lively 3 year old!  Our d.in.law consulted a couple of options given to her by her friends, as somewhere worth visiting, and in the afternoon we toddled off to Luton where we found a great place, called the "Stockwood Discovery Centre".  This had free entry, and a whole lot of exhibitions, both inside and out - the first one we lingered in was a transport museum.  Here we found really old sedan chairs, carriages and some early cars.  Some of the exhibits were OK for visitors to sit in, so Madam waved like the Queen from a carriage whilst we all cheered her on.

There is a gallery where they have temporary exhibitions and I was overjoyed to discover that at present they are showing the winners of the British Wildlife Photography Competition for 2017.  Amber was taken to see some more cars whilst my OH and I ran around the gallery, admiring the many clever and dramatic pictures on show - of course one of my favourites was of an Osprey, taken by Peter Cairns. Others included foxes and otters, and of course many birds with some really good captures. 

We retired to the cafe after all this excitement, and had coffees and hot chocolates with Naughty Cake which was very homemade and yummy (I had chocolate brownie).

On Sunday morning it was brighter, and we took Amber to the local swing park - 20 minutes walk.  Although it was dry and bright, it was very cold indeed and we all wore our hats, although I did not put mine on until we reached the cold windy park. It was at this point that I felt my ears and realised that I was only wearing one earring..... "Not again!" I thought.  The playground was grassed over, with safety surfaces underneath the swings and slides, so I searched all along the places I had been standing for the last half an hour. No earring.  We all looked at the ground, as we retraced our steps all the way back to the house.

When we got there, I ran upstairs for a last chance look in the bedroom.  There, on the bedside table was the earring - I had only put one on!!  Felt very foolish.......  but at least I still had two earrings.