Wasps and Weather

[petermorwood]

Thanks for all the greetings! (Says Aw shucks, scuffles foot in dust (dust? I vacuumed this floor just last week!) & performs other actions indicative of false modesty.)

The wasp(s) seem(s) to have (oh, why not) buzzed off, leaving six shelf-bracket holes plugged with mud behind which nightmarish Alien-type activities will doubtless commence once the eggs hatch. If I could feel sorry for froghoppers, I would; but I can't and I don't so I won't. (Scans last sentence. Yeah, makes sense. Sort of.)

Meanwhile the promised thunderstorms have failed to appear and break the stickiness of the weather; these thunderstorms have been promised since Monday, but since this is Ireland, they'll probably arrive on Friday. That's right, just in time for the weekend. Odd how no matter what the weather does, people complain about it: if it was raining there's be a chorus of "Oh dear, why can't we have proper summer weather", but since we've got proper summer weather the chorus is "Oh dear, it's far too hot" - despite the fact that to get weather like this, members of the chorus will pay/have paid to stand in crowded airline queues and sit in cramped aeroplane seats. Maybe sunshine has to cost money before it's appreciated.

I, however, appreciate it in heaps and bundles, especially when it's free. (One of my favourite "f" words.) So I'm going to leave Colonel Blood trying to explain why he made off with the Crown Jewels, and Aldric Talvalin about to single-handedly face down a squad of the Prefect's Bodyguard (yeah, I'm working on both at once, that way if I get bored with Restoration England I can always go to Alba) and I'm going to take the bike out for a spin.

BTW, I think the person who invented Gel-filled saddles deserves a medal.

Comments

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[carmy-w.livejournal.com]

We are in the middle of a heat wave here in midwestern US; my car thermometer said 111 degrees when I went home yesterday at 5:30. One more day of it today, then temps are supposed to drop to a comfortable 95 or so! Not that that is low, but a 15 degree drop is quite a bit. It'll probably feel cool!

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[handworn.livejournal.com]

Restoration England, eh...I may have to keep an eye out for that one. What's it to be called?

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[petermorwood.livejournal.com]

The working title is Blood's Ruby, and most of the characters (or at least, most of their names) are based on real historical people. Hmm. Interesting thought... I'll get back to that.

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[handworn.livejournal.com]

Have you read John Aubrey's Brief Lives? Might be helpful for the era.

I also note that Pepys' diary as read by Kenneth Branagh is now available on CD.

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[petermorwood.livejournal.com]

Aubrey: yes indeed. One of my favourite Lives is "Captain Carlo Fantom"; somebody used this as the basis for a historical novel about 30 years ago. Evelyn is a bit dry, but D bought me the complete Pepys (11 volumes, including an index and commentary) and he is always fun. One of those people from history you'd really like to meet in the pub for a drink and a chinwag.

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[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Wasp spray is your friend. But wear gauntlets and if possible something like a full-face crash helmet and visor. Poke nozzle into foam, spray hard, exit wasps.

(frozen) helmets

[psycho-machia.livejournal.com]

Be careful there is no way in on the helmet.

having a wasp get in through a gap can be a nightmare especially if it decides to sting and especially when you are travelling at 60mph


Guess who has had practical experience :-(


all the best
Sparks

(frozen) Re: helmets

[cjmr.livejournal.com]

May I steal your icon, please?

(frozen) Re: helmets

[psycho-machia.livejournal.com]

of course

:-)

(frozen)

[beckyl.livejournal.com]

Apologies in advance for going squee, but...

Yay! More Aldric! I didn't realise there was going to be more Aldric!

Ahem. I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise. I'll see you at the Convention in about a month's time.

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[threeringedmoon.livejournal.com]

Also glad to hear that another Aldric tale is in the works....

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[petermorwood.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm writing the next book (tentatively, The Shadow Lord) but so far can't say if/when it'll be published. I suspect what's needed after such a long dry spell is a finished ms., so a finished ms. is what I'll provide. Plus, probably, three chapters and an outline for the next and possibly final Aldric book.

Thanks are due to DAW books, who brought the Book of Years quartet back into print last year. I was starting to wonder if they'd ever see the light of day again.

That publication rekindled my interest in the character, and since book five had been roughed out (though I'd forgotten just how rough that rough-out was!) years ago, before Legend dropped me, it wasn't quite as difficult as starting from scratch.

Not as easy as opening the desk drawer and finding I'd written the thing in my sleep, though. Chance would be a fine thing. It would be lying right next to a winning lottery ticket...

(frozen)

[ailbhe]

I always complain once it passes 30C. I'd never voluntarily go somewhere likely to get that kind of temperature. Unfortunately, that now includes my own bedroom...

Gel-filled saddles are indeed fabulous.

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[keristor.livejournal.com]

I complain once it passes 300K (27C). My ideal environment is 71degF +/- 2degF, RH 40% non-condensing. And yes, that was the specification for computer rooms in the '60s...

(frozen) Weather

[uitlander]

Its not so much that anyone is particulalrly interested in the weather in the main, its more that its a safe, neutral ice breaker. 'Hmm looks like thunder tonight' seems to work better as a conversation opener than 'Would you like to see my collection of string?', or 'I've read all your books, and have been rifling your rubbish bins for personal litter I can keep and treasure, may I have your cast off bus ticket? I think it may be worth something on ebay'.

Having said that, weather misbehaving in the current UK style (temps in excess of 30°C) is deeply unpleasant for a die-hard northern European who prefers to holiday on top of mountain zones in winter... but not everyone shares this world view. I assume Ireland is experiencing something similar. Thunder storms are great fun to watch (as long as the cats are suitably calmed) and I always feel cheated when a promissed one fails to materialise.

Gel saddles are also a most excellent thing BTW. I do not understand why many manufacturers do not offer them as standard.

(frozen)

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

Odd how no matter what the weather does, people complain about it: if it was raining there's be a chorus of "Oh dear, why can't we have proper summer weather", but since we've got proper summer weather the chorus is "Oh dear, it's far too hot" - despite the fact that to get weather like this, members of the chorus will pay/have paid to stand in crowded airline queues and sit in cramped aeroplane seats. Maybe sunshine has to cost money before it's appreciated.

Either that, or the idea of wasting all that nice hot weather on a day you have to be in work is the problem :)

BTW, I think the person who invented Gel-filled saddles deserves a medal.

I should get one, and a pair of gel-palmed gloves, for my Pashley trike.

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[megabitch.livejournal.com]

I hate hot weather. I lived in Perth (the Aussie one, not the UK one) for around 16 years and will never willingly live in a similar climate again. *grumble* UK isn't supposed to get this hot. My Perth-based family are supposed to be able to laugh at the wimpy Poms complaining of "heatwaves" at anything over 28C :)

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[nelka35.livejournal.com]

but I can't and I don't so I won't. (Scans last sentence. Yeah, makes sense. Sort of.)

yep. does(make sense...).

welcome; good to see.. hear.. read.. yeah, that' it.. read y'a in LJ. :)

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[xipuloxx.livejournal.com]

I don't mind hot weather per se, but in this country it's hard to find somewhere to get away from the heat when you've had enough. It's also much more humid than most hot places I've been to. I've actually bought a fan, and I'm very glad I did. (see, you get fans by writing books, whereas...ok, I'll shut up now.)

What's a gel saddle, by the way? Sounds kinky!

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[xipuloxx.livejournal.com]

Oh, and we had thunder and lightning last night in Belfast, so it should be with you soon...

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[petermorwood.livejournal.com]

Gel saddle = saddle filled with pressure-reducing gel (as used in hospitals etc. for bed-ridden patients.)

Far from being kinky, kinks are something it's meant to reduce - and it does, even on country roads where the tarmac-pothole proportion is way off balance.

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[artela.livejournal.com]

Speaking as someone who doesn't pay oodles of money to go places that are far too hot, can the mediterranean-types please take their weather back! :-)

Having said that, here in Wales it was dull, warm and clammy/humid all day yesterday, and today looks like it might be more of the same... I want a good thunderstorm to clear the air, but no signs of one so far!

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[handworn.livejournal.com]

Go watch An Inconvenient Truth. I firmly believe global warming explains most weather weirdness nowadays.

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[artela.livejournal.com]

I don't need to - I'm a GeoSciences Student (mature) studying all that sort of stuff currently...