Flying Circus

After the memorable, wonderful, joyous, washed-out birthday yesterday, today was always going to be an anti-climax.

I couldn't raise my rear end very high, somehow Angie did manage to go out for a hack and exercise Luna but when she got home, it wasn't long before she disappeared to Ottobeuren and to try and warm up in the sauna. The miserable performance of our PV generating almost nothing the last few days did not cover switching on our own sauna.

I did somehow manage to get out in the early evening to take Luna around the Muller cow walk (they provided last nights wonderful feast - the cattle that is that once grazed there and made the ultimate sacrifice). I did manage one dreadfully boring photo of an Austrian registered truck and digger that seem to have got the parish council contract to repair the farm lane we use for part of the walk. I was not overly enthused at posting another boring Blip.

Back home Angie had cooked but soon afterwards she collapsed into bed and I had serious concerns that the kidney stone problems from earlier in the week had not been properly dealt with and were again blocking the works. I collapsed too and not even the constant ringing of the phone (turned out to be one and the same friend) could get me to move.

And so it was with great joy that today (Monday) photos appeared on my phone sent overnight by my two children - one from Northern Ireland and the other from the UK.

Kate and family had crossed the border on Saturday to spend the weekend camping there and mainly for the Portrush Air Showwhich included a display by the Red Arrows. Those who follow my Blip will probably recall that grandson Elliot is an aeroplane "fruit & nut" case and had sent me a fabulous birthday card of 3 Spitfires he had drawn (shown as an Extra Photo yesterday).  Lovely photos had come in on Saturday from the Giants Causeway and they seemed to have a great weekend, mother Kate having survived the tenting experience!.

But also photos arrived from son J showing his "driving" competence in his hot air balloon on a flight from the Wisborough Green Charity Balloon Event. He feels at home there as the lovely very English Village Green also has a good choice of local pubs one or all being his first "locals".

He claims he had planned the flight route from the start and he wouldn't have needed a SatNav anyway: Took off heading due north, must have almost been able to see through the window of his office in a village close by and would also have probably seen our old family home in Plaistow, before landing at Dunsfold Airport which I gather is used for the racetrack tests in one version or another of Top Gear.

There is a short video on Facebook that I sadly haven't yet been able to share, of him landing at Dunsfold taken by the ground crew as he slowly drifts to a standstill just a metre or two parallel to the runway and just short of another parked balloon. To me, it looks perfect just skimming the grass, a few very slight bumps and then stopping with the basket still vertical. He tells me it was a bit tricky as there was too little wind. I hope he got a good tip ... to pass on to the charity of course.

Sadly pressure of work, the difficulties/expense caused by farmers when landing in their, for the purpose of demanding ransom, padlocked fields and the enormous effort of having a crew to transport and collect, make regular flying difficult and he has to make sure he gets in enough hours to keep his pilots licence valid. And I guess, being based on the South Downs does reduce the really good flying possibilities to east and west winds. Northerly winds drive you over the Channel and as today, Southerlies have limited distance as London soon appears. And of course, Gatwick and Farnborough airports are not far away.

I often wish he could come over here as we have no hedges, lots of meadowland and pretty much-unlimited distances in every direction. May need oxygen to get over the Alps and to northern Italy. And Memmingen airport only has about 10 planes a day!

Anyway great to see Elliot and his uncle had a wonderful Sunday and that was more than enough to cheer me up from the winterly doldrums here.