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Hello, Elle!
Zurich was very good.
There is a super young sprinter on the scene now who is going to the Worlds.
Noah Lyles. He is going for Bolt's 200 metre record in Doha.
I am looking forward to that.
I usually compare the prices on Amazon with eBay when buying books.
Just found this clip of two of my favourites.
Joan Baez singing a tribute to the great Pete Seeger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3ly8cyWvkw

Good morning, Rusty!
A lovely, sunny, but thankfully much cooler, day, here.
A good walking day!
We have the builders coming round this morning to give quotes for the various decorating jobs that require doing.
We have quite a list...but can decide later which jobs to do when, once we have a costing.

Yes, Noah Lyles is great...and very close competition for Christian Coleman , who is currently suspended for missing three drugs tests.
I think Noah Lyles is only going to compete in the 200m at the World Championships?
Altho' he does run both that and the 100m.

Joan Baez is a wonderful singer ... we still have some LPS of her singing!
She would have been 72 (by my reckoning?) when she sang that tribute song.
And she still looks and sounds great!
And I, too, like Pete Seeger.
Thank you for the clip!

Good morning, Elle!
Fine morning with showers, here!
Good luck with the builders!
I visited a new ALDI store this morning (got stick from the ASDA girls, though!)
I liked it, and will return.
My only criticism is, it does not sell newspapers.
Lyles has said he is only doing the 200 at the Worlds and hopes to beat Bolt's record there.
Joan is great, and her sister Mimi was a very good singer too.
I think that was Kirk Douglas sitting next to Pete?
Pete was 95 when he died.
Puzzle complete.
10 took me a while to parse, as I did not know the acronym for Bucks!

Hi, Rusty!
The builder has been........
He's measured up and taken note of what needs to be done.......stayed for a catch up chat about his family......and now we shall await his estimates.
We are hoping to have both bathrooms, and one of the bedrooms decorated.
I think it highly likely that Noah Lyles might beat Bolt's record...he is already faster now than Usain was at that age.
I am looking forward to the World Championships...
I think Qatar is two hours ahead of the UK?
I'd put "72" when I'd meant "52" for Joan Baez's age when she was singing in the tribute concert...did you notice?!
Yes, it was indeed Kirk Douglas sitting next to Pete.
Kirk is 102!
Snap... I had never heard the term "USD" either!
But it was all I was left with in the parsing...so I assumed it meant American (US) dollars!
I especially liked 18d: Silesia; and 26a: tournament
All finished, but how does "adieu" = "cheerio" (def) parse in 22d?
I'm completely lost there?

Hello, Elle!
That's fine you are making progress with the builders.
I have no idea what time they keep in Qatar!
Is that where Doha is?
I took it you meant 72 for Joan Baez.
I do not know her age.
I thought it was Kirk Douglas by the dimple in his chin!
Yes, he is a great age, and looked very well!
USD = US dollars, new to me!
Now, 22d puzzled me for a while, because Jill Masterton meant nothing to me.
So, I Googled her to see what I could find.
I discovered she was a character in "Goldfinger".
I think, not sure, that she died after being completely covered in gold paint, or something like that.
So gold is "AU," around "die", for "adieu"/cheerio.
That's my take on it, Elle, rightly or not!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, Doha is the capital of Qatar ......
Geography is not my strong point, but I remember that from watching a Diamond League there.
Yes, two hours time difference - I have just checked.
Now.....Joan Baez will be about 76 now...which makes her around 51 or 52 back in 1994, when the tribute for Pete Seeger took place (going off the date at the top of the recording)
I'd worked it out as 52...but inadvertently put "72"!
Shall we put it down to a "senior moment"?
Re 22d: I hadn't heard of Jill Masterton......your parsing of "adieu", in the light of what you unearthed, sounds good!
Well done!
Still bright and sunny here!

Hello, Elle!
It's fell dreich up here this afternoon!
Been raining on and off.
I wonder if Joan is still recording?
She was special!
The parsing of "adieu" took a bit of time and I am not certain I have it spot on, but Jill did "die" in "au"/gold, so it's pretty close, I think.
No news from Amsterdam today.
Hope they are having a good time!

Good evening, Rusty!
Is it still raining with you?
We have a pleasant evening here.
I feel sure that you have the parsing of "adieu" spot on....it makes good sense.
I hope your son and daughter-in-law are enjoying their holiday......you will perhaps hear from them before bedtime.
I have been chatting to my daughter for over an hour...she had good reception on her way home today, and we were not cut-off abruptly as sometimes happens!
She has had to rethink her "running" plans......
Instead of doing a 'running' Half-marathon up in Manchester, she is going to do a 'night- walking' Marathon here in London.
It is still in memory of both her Godmother and a friend, and still in aid of Cancer Research: UK
She has never done a Marathon Night Walk before!
Here is a link...apart from general details, this will show you the route through London.
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-an-event/charity-walks/shine-night-walk/london

Good evening, Elle!
Yes, still raining! It's quite heavy, too.
The Amsterdam folk have sent me several pics.
One is of thousands of bikes.
Seems to be a cycling city!
Thank you for the link!
Is your daughter doing the full marathon walk?
Wonder why it's at night?

Hi, Rusty!
You will be pleased to have heard from your son.
A photo of "thousands of bikes" has put me in mind of Katie Melua's song "Nine Million Bicyles in Beijing"
I like Katie Melua, as you know, and that is one of her most well-known songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHQG6-DojVw
Yes, my daughter is doing the full Marathon, as opposed to the half -marathon or the 10K walk.
You can see the three different routes detailed on the map.
She had originally planned to run a half marathon up in Manchester in October, but this clashed with a family wedding to which they have been invited (a cousin of my son-in-law ) , taking place in Ireland,
Hence the change of time and venue.
These charity "night -walks " are quite a popular venture.