The BBC means the licence fee is worth every single penny ...

... that's what I'd think if I paid it anyway.

Just as Murray is encouraging us to get rid of tv's the Beeb plays a blinder and dishes up 2 compelling programmes.

The first is 'Planet Earth', a series which defies description.

The photography is wonderful & each one has had me mesmerised.

They are presented by, who else ? - David Attenborough.

I dread the day of his passing as no-one else comes close.

The second programme was as if someone had asked me all my favourite things
and combined them for an hour of educational, erudite and enlightening tv.

It was Ray Mears in New Zealand, featuring Mt Cook and it just doesn't
come better than that. I've long admired Mr Mears, not only for his considerable
survival skills and the relxed and informal way he shares his knowledge but also
for his easy-going manner which endears him to all he meets.

I would give a lot for just a little of his social ease.

Ray was unsurprisingly lyrical about New Zealand, as he said, it has everything anyone who
appreciates the outdoors could want. For good measure there was a mountain survival story
thrown in too. It featured 2 very experienced climbers who set out to climb Mt Cook some 19 years ago. Both were trapped by storms near the summit for 13 days. There were only brief windows in the weather when a rescue attempt was feasible. During one of these a helicopter looking for them crashed, fortunately sparing all the crew. During another 'safe spell' a light aircraft dropped supplies, including a stove to boil snow for water, sleeping bags, radios and emergency rations.

Their rescue was by means of a helicopter dangling them 20 metres below the craft on a rigid stretcher. They were the first to be recued in this manner, the slopes of Cook being too unpredictable for the chopper to put down.

Both were badly frostbitten and lost both legs from the knee down.

Ray met one of the climbers who successfully climbed Cook 19 years later on prosthetic legs. My admiration knows no bounds for a person like this.

Fat parrots

I've also been scratching my NZ itch by reading a book called 'Last Chance to See' by Mark Carwardine and Douglas Adams. It features a trip to NZ to search for the flightless kakapo, a fat parrot native to NZ. Kakapos once became so rare their numbers dropped to 46.

Thanks to these people, their future looks a little less tenuous now with a current tally of 86 birds.

As someone who will cheerfully admit to never understanding the humour of ' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' I wasn't looking forward to reading Douglas Adams. However the book came recommended so I gave it a crack. I finally appreciate his writing, sad, given that he's no longer with us. 'Last Chance to See' is laugh out loud funny, very few books can claim that.

I 've been reading it late at night, sniggering into my pillow to stifle my laughter.

I won't do it justice but one of the passages, discussing the kakapo goes something like this.

'Not only has the kakapo forgotten how to fly, it has also forgotten that it's forgotten how to fly, with the unfortunate consequence that when approached by a predator it will take to a tree, climb into it and launch itself from an uppermost branch, only to land in a heap of feathers nearer to the predator than when it began.'

Work - Keep your counsel ?

Q : You are selected with 12 other 'volunteers' to meet your head honcho. You are disillusioned with their mangement style.

Do you ...

a) Go along and do 'Operation nod & smile' biting your tongue for the sake of yours (and your line manager's) jobs

or do you

b) Say what you really think, knowing that you work in an open, inclusive, blame-free environment, always open to new suggestions.

I picked ...

c) Say you don't want to go at all, on the grounds that it would be immoral to do a) and professional suicide to do b)

I explained my quandary to my new line manager who agreed to write me a sick-note. Option c) does come with a proviso ... if anyone asks why I'm not keen to attend, I will stand up and be counted. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, I'll let you know what happens.

Aminals

Today was Milky's choice of day out and he played a blinder suggesting Bocketts Farm. Bocketts has long been a favourite of mine and although one attracts odd looks when not towing ankle-biters, it's worth the embarrassment for the wealth of aminals. We petted baby lambs, 2 day old kids (the hairy, cute variety) goats, sheep and donkeys.

I confided to Milky that when I was growed-up & owned a donkey it would be called 'Ambrose', when he asked why, I replied 'after Curtly Ambrose.' Unfortunately the joke fell flat as Milky was unaware of one of the most lethal bowlers of the last 20 years.

We patted the ponies, were spat at by llamas, admired the peacock and sympathised with the farm dog who was a little too keen to work and was locked away for his troubles. In short, if it stayed still we either petted it or fed it. The day ended with a cream tea in the gorgeous vaulted barn. No photos sadly, as neither camera was charged.

Home

Discovered today that the flat is to be sold. My flat-mate has been offered a job in Oz and leaves in August. This got the landlords to thinking about their options and they've plumped for a quick sale which gives me 2 months. I have a potential bolt-hole organised but don't want to jinx it by saying where at the moment. It's green though :0)

Spring ...

has finally sprung and not before time, it's been an Arctic February. Without warning the forsythia's out so that means everything's going to be alright. The clocks went forward on Sunday too and you know what that means - more time to ride neddies after early turn. It's light until 1830 now.

A couple of days ago ...

Milky's annual leave was authorised. Mine was ok'd about 2 weeks ago. This means we both have the whole of December off. I have no intention of working Christmas or New Year as we did last year so we thought we'd treat ourselves to December in New Zealand. The cottage at Cedar Lodge is reserved. See you soon The Tanners.

Cx

Hong Kong Phooey

You know when you receive a new electrical item they come with large sheets of polystyrene ? Have you ever made someone hold the sheets while you chop them in half with kung fu hands whilst shouting 'Hai-yaaah !'?

Me neither.

Cx