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Hi, Rusty!
We have had a little rain but it is a lovely evening now.
BB phoned to tell me about his holiday at the seaside! He has been making "sand sculptures" so he says!!
It sounds far more exotic than the 'sandcastles and pies' that we used to make!
and the moats dug around the outside for the seawater to run into.......and the flags we would put on top of the castle......
This could be an analogy on life!
The simple and the tortuous.......
Yes, surprisingly I do know the expression "a flamboyance of flamingoes" but I have no idea where I got it from!
It isn't in my Chambers nor my version of Brewers?
There are some unusual collective nouns........ a few of my favourites are: a murder of crows; a prickle of hedgehogs; and a parliament of owls!
I'm glad the cycling went well...although the intricacies continue to escape me!
More Athletics next week and also the Davis Cup from Friday.

Hello, Ros!
"He who contemplates the goldfish will grow wiser than a frog".
I must be doing ok....my 26 year-old goldfish and I are on good communicating terms!

Though that is not all that wise........

Good evening, Elle.
Fine evening here, too.
BB will have fun at the beach.
The cycling was great, watching the green and yellow jerseys working together to escape the peloton.
Tomorrow's stage has been shortened because of the wind.
A great pity.
I cannot get a picture from the loch.
Some sort of error.

Can't see the Lock either Rusty.

Still no pictures, Pigale.
Blooming annoying!

Hey, Rusty!
This evening has definitely been the nicest part of the day!
Is that grammatical? is the evening a part of the day? or is it a part of the night? or completely in its own right? I dunno......
It is sensible to shorten the cycling course if there is a danger to participants, but I take your point about its being a setback to Quintana's plans for attacking Froome, if the Ventoux is cut out of the picture.
I suppose the cyclists are used to these sudden route changes if the environment should prove risky?
No, I cannot access the osprey site either - it does say that there is a loading error.
I haven't looked in on the chicks at all today...have there been any advances in their behaviour?


Hello, Ros,
Not even when one considers the accumulative effects of 26 years??!!

Hello, Elle,
Eve is part of my day, not sure about anyone else.
Yes, sometimes there are route changes for various reasons.
They are going part way up the Ventoux, just.
I do not know if they will pass the Tom Simpson memorial.
It was on the Ventoux that he died.
49 years ago, today.
But it was always something I (and the riders) looked out for.
The osprey site should be back up soon.
Hope someone has phoned them.

Hi, Rusty!
I am afraid that I do not know of Tom Simpson or his memorial?
Was he a cyclist who died on that spot? Was there a crash?
It is good, though, that, whoever he was, he is honoured.
Now....I know that you were but teasing me when you mentioned reading about the Utrecht Treaties (and I was slow on the uptake!) but I hate having holes in my knowledge and so I looked it up......
The War of Succession was all due to the failure of the Habsburg King, Charles II of Spain to produce an heir.
Seemingly, the Habsburgs were prone to "pedigree collapse".
There, a little 'gem' of information for you!
Still no access to the ospreys.....obviously a technical problem .
Hopefully it will be up and running again by tomorrow.

Just seen the cycling highlights - most unusual!

Elle - Tom Simpson was a sucessful English cyclist who attempted the climb of Mont Ventoux on a cocktail of brandy and ?benzedrine. He collapsed with heat exhaustion. His last words were "Put me back on my bike".

I've just read the fish poem from earlier. One of my favourites is:

"Ode to a goldfish"




Oh wet pet!