Chatting Over the Garden Fence! :-)

I use to go to car shows, esp when my son was an teenager...he had the neatest car with stero system in it before another car pulled out in front of us...waving at her boyfriends's mother and brother...she never even looked the other way when she pulled out. I was to close to stop, but I did swerve to the side of her...probably saved my life. But alas the car I wanted to make into an "classic"... as it was the last year they made them...was "totalled".  His wifey would later do it to another of his cars.

Cathyml, most likley your correct, so won't send it to you. I did start reading it last night...these people made their last trip around the world into an "movie"...I would guess since they live over there that it might of aired in Britain and Europe in general..so maybe you have already seen this? One of them is an actor over there..lives in West London. Book is called "Long Way Down" by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. Ewan appears to be the actor..but if they made an movie, both may be known by now. They just finished "terrorist" training and branch building for survival...they have to have an tent comfortably long and build an branchcovering over it every night thatwill with-stand the weight of any wild animals...and not just the little ones either. He was heading home, and an fella walked out in front of him...looking the other way...and he hit the pavement to stop himself from hittting the fella...broke his leg in the process. So now he has to heal that...and everthing is "go"... so it's no turning back, the supplies and supply drops are already made, the passport and papers needed are ready also. There will be an team of two with them filming also in various areas. Last one of these books I read was an guy that left New Mexico and went to Alaska on an motorbike also.

Charley Boorman is film director John Boorman's son. He is on the Isle of Man at the moment for the TT races which reminds i bettr go put the TV on and catch the last bit of today qualifying sessions.

He and Ewan did a few of these triops for the BBC, all very interesting long haul motorbike journeys

I saw the end of the Indy 500. That was something! Then I watched the NASCAR race where Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had the race won and ran out of gas just before the finish on the last lap. Does anyone else watch NASCAR races? I never used to, but became interested in it the last couple of years. Pocono Raceway is very close to where I live and two races are held there each year. Another that's not too far away is Watkins Glen (New York) that is a road race. I've been to Pocono, but not Watkins Glen yet.

There was a parade here on Memorial Day. Nice weather for it. I put flowers on my parent's grave. Memorial Day always brings back the Vietnam war era to me. I was a teenager during that era and still think of the senselessness of losing so many during that time. Sue, your son is very handsome. Please let him know we appreciate his service. 

I've had a longstanding interest in draft (or I guess draught) horses and was just wondering if anyone can tell me where I should visit next time I'm in England to take some photos of them. The question just popped in my head when I looked at a cross stitch I did of a team of Belgians several years ago. 

Anyone have special plans for summer vacation? I'm looking forward to going to the mountains in two weeks to visit my son and grandsons. No big vacations this year, though. Finances just aren't there yet. 

Yesterday was quite an active day for me.  Some idiot set fire to the winter grass land (bushveldt) behind our houses and the wind was blowing quite strongly.  My studio (and the telephone lines) are at the bottom of the garden so I was busy with my hose pipe trying to keep the wretched fire away from the garden wall.  Fortunately the wind wasn't blowing straight towards me!  Now everywhere smells as though we had a huge smelly bonfire!

And of course my washing was hanging on the line!!

It was a shame for Hildebrand in the Indy 500---nearly won the race on 3 wheels--to let Dan Wheldon (from Buckinghamshire; ex racer with F1's Jensen Button in their younger years) just get by and I think let  DW set a new Indy 500 record of winning it without leading a single lap.

Used to watch NASCAR in the 60s a lot where some of the then big names were A J Foyt, Richard and Lee Petty, Cale Yarborough etc.

My dad had worked for our local Ford dealer in Colorado Springs for a spell, and Ford had sponsored a local guy in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb who was doing quite well for himself; Bobby Unser, who would win it 13 times He'd also raced in Grand Prix ( Formula One) racing in one year at Watkins Glen in '68.

Jim Clark's Indy 500 Lotus was on display where my Dad worked, so went along to see his rear-engined car which put the writing on the wall for the mighty Offenhauser-powered front engined Indy cars of the day. The last Offenhauser-powered race car was at the Ponoco 500 in '82. In the mean time, I had my soap-box racer and moved up to 1/4 midgets up in Denver whre a friend of mine had 3 of them.

For brewery/dray horses, there's the Courage Shire horse place along the A4 at Maidenhead that has them to see.  Glad the fire didn't do any damage Cathy.

Thanks Paul.  Today was more successful I got all the washing dried and smoke free!! 

Now there is a fire burning on the otherside of the houses opposite and boy does it stink.  It catches the back of your throat and stings the nose - very unpleasant!  Hopefully when that dies out there won't be any more bush fires around here and we can get the smell out of the houses!

Watching NASCAR now, Paul. I remember all the old drivers, Bobby Unser, the Petty's, Yarborough. Racing was more exciting then. I used to go to the dirt track races in the local area when I was much younger. They were exciting. Thanks for the information about the Shire horses. I appreciate that.

Glad the fires haven't gotten to you, Cathy. That must be frightening to see that happening. I know out in western USA they're battling brush fires all the time. We get them occasionally, but not to a great degree.

Beautiful day here today. Sunny, not too warm. Nice day to relax and not do much just some laundry. Hope everyone has a good day.