not great cycling weather lads.

[Andre Jute]

Geez! I hope not, Andre! 

That "m" word is dreaded around here. A young (29yo) work colleague has contracted it - he's a kiwi of Irish extraction. Us 60+ yo geos who spent our early lives outdoors like to compare scars and talk about who's had what bits cut out. It's ghastly when I think about it. 

"Irish extraction" is a key word when you're talking about melanoma. I used to play poker in a group in Adelaide that included a dermatologist and an insurance agent. One day the insurance agent was telling us that AMP punished agents whose clients made too many claims, among other things for dying younger than the insurance company's actuaries predicted. The dermatologist warned him not to insure too many Irish people. Besides me, there were two other motivational psychologists in the group -- that's how I joined -- and all our ears perked up: avoidable self-lacerating behavior! The dermatologist explained: "The Irish have never seen the sun. Over the generations their skins adapted to their conditions. They come to Oz and see the sun for the first time, and by the time they're out of the airport their shirts are off and they never put them back on until they're referred to me by their doctor, usually with melanoma the size of my fist on their backs, totally beyond saving." This guy, a Greek and nobody's racist, was convinced the Irish are genetically stupid. Years later I heard the agent was in trouble with his bosses for having insured too many Irish immigrants... His more sensitive friends don't mention the m-word within his hearing.

[Andre Jute]

For me, a 'convenient link', off-road, flooded or otherwise, to SJSC would be a problem; I'd be bankrupt and divorced by now!!

I can just imagine a whole bunch of forum members standing in a row, their heads down, being lectured by the divorce court judge, and one voice pipes up, "Hurry up, will you, Yer Honour, that's good riding weather out there!"

[honesty]

I can just imagine a whole bunch of forum members standing in a row, their heads down, being lectured by the divorce court judge, and one voice pipes up, "Hurry up, will you, Yer Honour, that's good riding weather out there!"

Its quite hard not to go to a bike shop road here. I've got one pretty much next door from work, 2 within 5 minutes cycle from work, and SJS is do-able there and back in my lunch hour. The fact that I can jump on the Taunton canal and cycle there in under an hour is rather bad as well, plus if you're driving down the motorway to Taunton its not that much longer to come of a few junctions early and just pop into the shop - what I did when I got my Carradice. The only thing stopping me being in there most days is the thought that my wife would do something damaging to me (well my bikes!) 

[FrogPrince]

More pictures of the floods.
you can see the islands that were there in King Alfred's time!

[FrogPrince]

Even back in Town (Taunton) you can see the effect on the river Tone.

[JimK]

Thanks for those flood photos! Reminds me of the book Glastonbury Romance, by John Cowper Powys. A big flood was a major player in that!

[jags]

just looking at country file on tv seems most of the uk is under water.
my walk by the canal was totally flooded today had to head back home

[John Saxby]

you can see the islands that were there in King Alfred's time!

Super fotos, froggie -- it's hard to remember how low-lying Somerset really is.  Your reference to Alfred brought back memories of Mary Stuart's descriptions of "The Summer Country" in her retelling of the Merlin/Arthur legend, with the flooding blurring the boundaries of earth, water and sky in the distance.

The fotos of the river in spate are a reminder of the power that can always reassert itself.

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

Snowing like mad outside at the moment...8in/20cm expected by dinnertime this evening, more through the weekend. Cold, too.

Where's Spring?

Oh...that's right. It is wintering in NZ and Australia. 

You're right, Pete; folks up here *are* mad for living in an icebox. Can I come visit you? *NOW*?!? 

Best,

Dan. (...who is closely eyeing those x-c skis in the garage)

[jags]

Dan i was talking to franks mother in law on facebook   earlier on, she said the weather in Montana was lovely sunny blue Sky's  but freezing cold when you went outside and being Montana loads of snow,i think frank is starting to crack he can't handle more snow in Indianapolis.

the forecast  for tomorrow is good so i've set up me bike for a nice spin around the boyne valley first spin in yonks me little legs will sure suffer  but has to be done.


jags.

[John Saxby]

You're right, Pete; folks up here *are* mad for living in an icebox

Y'know, Dan, I was going to write back to Pete: "True enough -- but how else could we play hockey or go X-country skiing?"

Then again, a friend who used to live in Saskatchewan, and rode his year-round there, even in the winter at -30 plus the windchill, sings a song about his home which includes the rueful refrain, "And why we live here / No-one knows..."

Jags, your mention of the Boyne valley brought to mind Stan Rogers' last song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwld86XndSY   Enjoy your ride!

[jags]

they should get him and the wolf tones to gig together make for an interesting gig.

[FrogPrince]

After horizontal rain and hail and 30 MPH winds yesterday, today was a little calmer and I had a nice 25mile spin, meeting up with a couple of friends by chance.

[NZPeterG]

Hi All,
It's still Sunny and Warm Here.....

Pete..

[JimK]

We're back to winter here. Not too bitter colds, 25F or so. Did get out for a ride:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/356373169

my fingers and toes are starting to get some sensation back! I bundle up but when its good and cold it is never enough!