A kindness from a friend....

I wrote this before realising Blip will not allow me extras, never mind, onwards, hit hard and low.


Well my leeeetle friends. The boy is still functioning but at a much slower rate than previously. “They”, the medical mafia, are referring me to a unit that is small and overloaded. They specialise in Neuropsychology. The impact of nerve and brain damage on brain function, that may take a year or thrice. For the interim our doc is going to have a look at why my brutal physique is akin to that of a small child, weak and beeeerrrrrrbluddddy painful. It’s all tied in. Enough.

Aussie Jasmine and her Bloke have sent the Garden Fairy and me a very beautiful and carefully conceived present. Elaine has received a notebook and I have received a wonderful journal. The main journal is covered in ‘Roo skin, which is a very plentiful and beautifully grained material. (Roos are a pest in Oz, so stop going “Ahhhhh!”) Jasmine has also incorporated some of her own paper, stained with tea and other paper that has leaves cleverly outlined on the paper with watercolours. Altogether a very delightful treat. Big hugs to Jasmine, they will be used and become heirloom items. 

The extra is the drive unit of the electric bird puller. No engine, no cylinders, differentials, exhaust no nothing. Just a brilliantly clever electric motor. It has an amazing regeneration system operated via those push me pull you paddles which allow adjustable increases in the amount of energy returned to the battery during braking, except the system is so clever that braking is almost unnecessary, except tapping the lights gently to keep folk out of your boot space. Lift your foot off the go pedal and it will roll on and on effortlessly, the result of no engine braking and drag through mechanical linkages. The car can be started by iPhone app, warmed and ready for your arrival.

Cost? The car is expensive, it has a range of 300 miles, has every conceivable do-da and is so smooth I think I might have to up my game. Petrol today is £1.49 per litre. Therefore at 4.55 litres per gallon, that comes out at £6.78/gall - that should give you about 40 - 50 miles. Approx 15p per mile.

We have topped up the battery at night using off-peak power and the figures are impressive; 4p per mile. For the same price as a gallon of petrol we can travel 170 miles. 

Your photographs continue to impress and encourage me. You are all a kind, and reaffirming source of the good that humankind can do. Mwah mwah!!!