The Canary Dave

Again, I'd argue that that is down to the natural phenomenon of increasing population size though - people have to live somewhere and inner city high rise flats aren't everyone's cup of tea.

When I moved to Queensland to live, the population of the city I lived in was just a shade under 50K. One of what you might call 'landmarks' of the city was a giant, and extremely popular, Drive-In Cinema right on the northern edge, beyond which was bushland stretching 300km or so to the next town. By the mid 80s the population had increased and that area had been converted into a housing estate. Today, the population stands at just over 81K - and that housing estate is now considered to be an inner city suburb. The city is divided by an east-west flowing river and it lies on the Bruce Highway, which runs North-South from Brisbane to Cairns. Within the city limits, and south of the river, the Highway was always four lanes - and north of the river that changed to six lanes. As the population increased - and the volume of traffic increased with it - the problem that arose was the fact that the bridge over the river only had two lanes. That was solved by building a second bridge, which loops into the six lane highway to the north - no need for a city bypass. The town planners of the late 1800s must have been very far-sighted to anticipate such a future need.

 

Morning all. Bright and breezy today, but the wind is coming up from the south so it is not cold. Today my eldest granddaughter takes her driving test. It has been on hold for months due to the covid problems. If she passes she will be able to drive on her own, but there are certain restrictions for three years. A red "A" sign must be shown on the rear of the car, and instead of 130 kms/h on the autoroutes she will be limited to 110 kms/h. Also for the first year she will only have six points on her licence to lose instead of the twelve that is normal. She started the long process four years ago when they did the theory part of the test at school, and has had many hours driving both with the driving school and with her mother. She really hopes to get through it today so that she can have a car and get herself backwards and forwards to university. I will not be going into town while her test is underway. Have a successful day everyone.

 

Our last few days here this autumn.
Just had lunch in blazing sun on a terrace lakeside ....glorious weather and autumn colours...and barely a soul around.......

 

Morning all. Very grey and breezy with occasional showers forecast, although it is still dry here at the moment. Off for the weekly shop today. We did try to vary it by going on a Wednesday when the pandemic was at it height and the supermarkets were quieter, but by the weekend we would find things that we had forgotten to buy, so another trip required. Not a good idea, so back to a Friday. The large LeClerc has a very big sign up saying they are selling fuel for your car at cost price, but two miles away the much smaller SuperU is cheaper. Perhaps the latter is selling old cheaper stock? Have a good day everyone.

 

Morning all. Grey and occasional showers were forecast, and that is what we have. Really don't like shopping much, and to get in and out of the supermarket as quickly as possible is the aim. For that reason we pick up a zapper, scan the items as we put them in the bag, and hopefully do not have to unpack them all again for a random scan. A new event yesterday slowed the process down when the zapper seized up and refused to budge. Off to the help desk where there was a queue, explained the problem eventually, and waited while a new one is found, and all the things we have bought transferred to it. No time was saved at all yesterday. Never mind, the wine store is replenished with another bargain, so not all was bad. Have a good day everyone.

 

Hi all,
Sad to say that my participation on here will have to be curtailed for a while - woke up this morning with an eye problem- making reading/writing difficult - no driving either. The earliest appointment I could get to have them checked is next Wednesday. Hopefully the problem can be righted and i get back to being sighted...

 

BB, sorry to read that. I hope it is nothing serious, and something will be found to put it right very quickly.

 

Hello Fellow Horns,

Hope all's well. I am going to get some Patack's from a mate later and make a lamb madras. I cannie wait. But, will have to.

Lovely.

Day of the dead here too on Tuesday. None of that Haloween ****, real celebrations remembering those who have "left."

 

Morning all. Bright and very breezy here, but quite warm. I was pleased to get my hour back and slept through it with no trouble. Granddaughter passed her driving test, with ease it seems. All done on a points basis and you have to earn enough points in each section to get your licence. Now she is looking for a small car, provided by the Mum and Dad bank, and independence. Have a good day whatever you are doing.

 

Woke up this morning with sight fully restored - have no idea what was wrong, but by all accounts should be glad for missing yesterday's match. Still keeping that optician appointment on Wednesday though.

 

That is good news BB. Hope there are no further scares.

 

Morning all. Bright sunshine one minute, rain the next. Going to be one of those days when outside chores become a do I take a chance consideration. Public holiday today for All Saints. The cemeteries are full of autumn colour with the pots of chrysanthemums. It appears that many countries like to remember their forebears at this time, Italy has two days of it with special meals today, and picnics at the graveside tomorrow. Strange really that other countries such as the UK have nothing by comparison. Have a good day whatever the weather.

 

Morning all. It is dry at present, but rain is expected before too long. Local history is not that easy to find in these parts, as there is a collective memory loss at the time of WWII. One or two people have written short pieces about life here before then, but not a lot has come to light. Now the local library has an exhibition with postcards, some more than a hundred years old, showing scenes of everyday life in the rural communities. That newfangled electrical stuff wasn't around until the mid-thirties, so things we take for granted now had not even been thought of then. Being a farming area there are pictures of steam engines doing some of the tasks now carried out by tractors, but it is clear that far more people had employment in the fields. I expect at some time in the future there will another exhibition showing how people used to drive tractors rather than them being controlled by computers and satellites. Have a good day whatever you plan to do.

 

Our area was never really an agricultural area Frenchie. The history of Engelskirchen was characterized by textile manufacture, zinc and lead mining (close to the surface) and by forestry. When the old Mr. Engels (the father of Friedrich Engels) wanted his son to take over the mill in Engelskirchen he chose to go to Manchester and cohort with Karl Marx instead. The name Engelskirchen has nothing to do with the Engels family - but is just coincidence. The current town hall is situated in the old Mill from the Engels family, together with an industrial museum. The history from 1933 to 1945 is a bit of a blank - local histories come to a close over the Nazi period and reappear with the bombing of the area (there was a munitions factory here) and American occupation in 1945 (as if to emphasize the role of being 'victims' !). There are pictures of all the mayors of Engelskirchen throughout the entire period - but nothing over this time. Mining was a big part of the towns history - which probably explains why the traditon of singing in choirs is still very much alive - also brass bands. There is a disused shaft very close to our house and also the remains of where they used to transport by cable car down the hill - fortunately the land where our house is is stable although the local farmer had a big hole appear in the middle of one of his fields - fortunately there wasn't a cow stood there at the time ! There are something like 40,000 disused pits in NRW and only those later than the 18th Century are actually marked on maps - so buying a house in places like Essen or Gelsenkirchen can be a risky business.

 

Morning all. Damp and miserable outside, so even if I had the chance nothing would done out there. Mme has a hospital appointment to investigate a painful knee. The x-rays were done a few weeks ago, and today she sees the consultant who will suggest a means of treatment. A friend with a similar problem has an annual injection that lubricates the joint and it gives him relief for about nine or ten months. Seeing as I currently have the sniffles and sneezes I will take her into town, but settle down with a book outside the hospital. Have a good day whatever you are doing.

 

Morning all. Bright if a bit chilly this morning, but sunshine and showers expected this afternoon. A successful trip to hospital yesterday with Mme's knee. The consultant already had her x-rays on his computer, and talked through the problem in both English and French. Talking in both languages was to make sure that he understood her French and she understood his English. The result is that next month she will have three injections six days apart each time that he hopes will do the trick and give her relief. The hospital has had a huge new piece built alongside the existing one, in fact it is larger than the original. The link between the two is still under construction, so if you go into reception in the old part and your appointment is in the new one, then back outside, walk down to the new entrance, where you will go through the pass sanitaire process again. For a small town of 6,000 with surrounding areas, it is a wonderful facility to have, and saves a 40 mile drive to Poitiers. Have a good day whatever you must do.

 

Morning all. Grey, damp and not very warm here. Invitation arrived with the postie for the annual Cérémonie commémorative du 11 novembre. Wreath laying in our commune at 10.30 am, then a trek for a similar event at the neighbouring one. 12 noon retire to the village hall for the vin d'honneur. Similar events at all small towns and villages will take place, and as you go around see that the war memorials have all been given a wash and brush up. Every name on the memorial will be read out, which in much larger centres of population can take quite some time. On our memorial you will see many familiar local family names, so some of the people who will attend will be remembering family members who lost their lives, even though it was so long ago they would never have met them. I doubt that this tradition will be dropped for many years. Have a good day everyone.

 

Morning all. A thick mist today, although it is starting to clear. The calendar season has started, with a knock on the door from a fireman looking for a donation towards the retired pompiers fund. In exchange you will receive a calendar with pictures of houses on fire, road accidents, and brush clearing. Then we can expect the La Poste, and blood donors ones, also requiring a donation, before going to the pharmacy where you will be given a very large one that some years has touch and smell pictures of flowers, or even fruit. What is supposed to smell like a lemon can be covered up by printers ink. Have a good day everyone.

 

Hoping it gets sorted....

 

Wish you well .