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BelleBayard
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on: January 10, 2018 07:59
Sorry to be MIA. Happy New Year and wishing you all the very best. Happy Birthday to the Professor as well. Snowing here and getting my kitchen redone so been beyond busy in one aspect, and not going much of anywhere in the other!
Evil~Shieldmaiden
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on: January 11, 2018 09:22
Hi Belle, I've been watching the mudslides in California. I hope none of your former neigbours were caught up in the disasters.
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Gandolorin
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on: January 11, 2018 12:10
Somehow, they catch it either way in California. And I’ll guess that that record fire probably made many areas more susceptible to these rain-induced catastrophes. And then there’s always the San Andreas Fault glowering in the background. *shudder*

[Edited on 01/12/2018 by Gandolorin]
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Gandolorin
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on: January 18, 2018 02:37
Today’s storm knocked over a tree (at least a 45-footer) into the western side of our apartment building just as I was outside on the balcony. I noticed that the gusts were really battering the trees around, heard a lot of cracking noises and some 10-foot branches falling to the ground. Then I noticed that one tree to the left was not righting itself like the others, but falling over. It got wedged against the building just over the entrance, which is about 12 or so feet to the left of our balcony. The trees are mostly on the other side of our lawn / meadow, so the top of the tree hit the building approximately at the third upper floor, just missing the windows which start maybe a foot to the left of our neighbors’ balconies (as our windows are to the right of our balcony). It damaged our direct neighbors’ (second upper floor) awing, bending it down on the left side. The neighbors one floor down from that had a part of their balcony railing bent down, and a hole punched into the balcony paneling. Called the local facility management, but others had already called just before. The fire department has cut off the top of the tree to clear our entrance and the walkway in front of it, but at least 30 feet of the tree, as well as a lot of big branches, still need to be cleared away from the lawn.
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awelyn418
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on: January 22, 2018 01:54
I wonder why my last post did not post?
Gandolorin
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on: January 25, 2018 08:08
I was practically unable to log in to CoE for about the last two days (Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24). If I did not get an error message, response times was in minutes, not seconds. And even the couple of times I did manage to log in, response times made posting useless, and at some point an error message put an end to things. Today response times are back to normal.
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BelleBayard
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on: February 04, 2018 01:58
Sorry to hear about the posting and logging issues. I've been MIA from the computer as last week I managed to tumble from a 3 step ladder onto our kitchen floor whilst painting the ceiling. No broken bones, but ow... Bruised, perhaps even cracked ribs, on the left side, bruising and abrasions on my left elbow, and landing on my barrette so I got a nice ding in my scalp, which bled like crazy. Mostly all better, but it's been lazy days of sleeping on pain meds and muscle relaxers.
Gandolorin
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on: February 05, 2018 04:07
OW! I’ll take posting and logging issues instead of such a tumble any day. Crossing my fingers that you recover fully, and quickly.

But those three-steppers are inherently dangerous, my mother had one. We “only” have two step platform ladders, forming an inverted V, and with a top platform much larger than the steps themselves, and a top handrail. I invariably use the bigger one, about 5’10” at the top of the handrail when folded, with four steps below the platform. On the third step, I almost bonk my head against the ceiling, and have the handrail almost at chest-height. I would never change lightbulbs in ceiling lamps, the only reason I have recently needed a ladder for – and something that should become much rarer since we have switched to LED bulbs – with anything smaller. And being made of aluminum, this ladder is also not heavy.
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Hanasian
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on: February 09, 2018 09:40
awelyn418 said:I wonder why my last post did not post?


I hate that when that happens.

I'm here for my monthly log-in and ride through. The old wizard I deal with regularly. How is everyone else in 2018??
Eighth King of Arthedain - It was in battle that I come into this Kingship, and it will be in Battle when I leave it. There is no peace for the Realm of Arnor. Read the last stand of Arthedain in the Darkest of Days.
awelyn418
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on: February 18, 2018 03:15
Hello Belle I am so sorry you fell and I hope you feel better soon. I have been watching Olympics non stop. Yes I am a fanatic . I love the snowboarding best. Figure skating next. Arveleg hello. How are you? I have had a month long fight with gout. I am getting better everyday. Our weather is a little crazy. One day winter weather and the next Spring. Hello to you all and have a great week.
Gandolorin
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on: February 21, 2018 05:10
I’m a certified night-owl (see my siggy ) and retired to boot, so the mostly past-midnight broadcast times are not necessarily a problem. But when I check out the electronic TV guide of our TV set it seems to me that what’s on is “one of the other 99 sports of the Winter Olympics” plus the background drone of curling! Kind of puts me off my feed, especially since many of the other more recent additions to the Winter Games (I go into a coma with anything that remotely resembles a half-pipe) are hardly better. It has degraded into trying to pick the very few cherries that interest me out of an immensely bloated Winter Olympics pie. Image
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BelleBayard
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on: February 27, 2018 11:19
Well, been nearly a month since my fall and just now mostly feeling better, though my left side is still sore. Yeah, learned my lesson about being on step ladders and climbing in general. The old gray mare ain't what she used to be. Heading off to the wilds of San Antonio, Texas to meet with some folks who I play World of Warcraft with. My guild's been around 11 years and I've been with them about 10. Wonderful folks. Take care all. Oh, and we don't have TV at all, just watch DVDs. Recently watched The Hobbit again and loved it. The song with the line "The pines were roaring..." really comes home to me here in the Rockies. The winds have been intense and very gusty. Take care ladies and gentlemen!
Gandolorin
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on: February 28, 2018 02:01
Late in winter we have our first really cold spell, with air masses pouring in from roughly north-east to east – so basically Finland to Siberia. Since about last weekend even daytime temperatures with sunshine (lots of that) have stayed (well) below freezing, night-time lows were around minus 14°C (7°F), all in our area. Other areas (mostly at higher altitude) dropped below minus 20°C, and so into negative territory even on the Fahrenheit scale. What one does not realize immediately is that this is something of a winter drought, as the cold air is very dry (which makes it a bit less intolerable when one is outside). But we’ve had insufficient winter precipitation (snow or rain) for several winters now, meaning groundwater reserves are not being replenished on anything like the scale needed. Certainly not good for our trees here, and very likely a major cause for the tree crash I mentioned in my above Jan 18 post.

So it looks like the meteorological spring (starting tomorrow) is getting off to a distinctly chilly start.
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Gandolorin
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on: March 06, 2018 03:48
Well, my guess as to how our recent regional weather ought to be categorized was (unfortunately) correct: winter drought. Yesterday’s newspaper gave the summary for February: precipitation only about 19% of long-term averages in the past. And about 60% of that occurred on a single day! Meaning the rest of the time, we had at most short showers or drizzles, otherwise overcast or partly cloudy with zilch precipitation, or the very cold, dry and sunny spell at the end of the month which continued into March and has just recently been replaced by milder temperatures and more precipitation (even here mostly snow, as today). Not good, as our region is a bit “precipitation-challenged” by nature, or more precisely geography (the Alps are quite a bit to the south, but we’re basically surrounded by middle-mountain ranges which “milk” passing clouds. And with the region itself being rather flattish, the humidity-depleted clouds often pass over us without releasing any precipitation.

On the plus side, we seem to be mostly spared being the bullseye target for the occasional storms (of whatever season), though even being brushed by the edges of such storms can do damage. As I posted here earlier, on 18 January, Germany (and surrounding countries) was hit by the most serious winter storm in over 10 years, sending that 45-foot fir tree crashing into the western side of out apartment building, while I was on our balcony and saw it crashing in real time. And even if we, say, do not “personally” get inundated by rain, the sources of the small river flowing through the city are in areas which do get more precipitation, so our (thankfully still existing) flood plain becomes what its name implies.
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BelleBayard
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on: March 17, 2018 01:41
We're pretty dry as well. Really didn't get all that much snow and hardly any rain so far. Of course, it's only mid March so who knows? Last year we got 4 feet of snow in mid May! Wishing you the best, Gando.
Gandolorin
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on: March 17, 2018 03:26
Things have improved as far as precipitation goes, but it has been more along the line of prolonged drizzles, with interruptions, not a long, steady rain. At the end of the cold spell the temperatures went up noticeably (double digits °C, high fifties °F), but starting yesterday they dropped quite a bit again – though nowhere near the double-digit negative temps °C (which meant single-digits °F). The lowest temps are expected for the night from Sunday to Monday, then temps are supposed to get noticeably milder again – but the outlook for precipitation next week doesn’t look good (aka sunny weather is expected, but this is not southern Spain, folks!). Image
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Evil~Shieldmaiden
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on: March 17, 2018 10:28
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Happy St. Patrick's Day whether You're Irish, or jut wish you were.
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Neenime
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on: March 25, 2018 08:14
Greetings my friends. I see that my post from late February or early March is missing. We have poor internet, so perhaps the upload was interrupted. Ahh well.

Gandolorin, sorry to see the news about your winter storms and the fallen tree. Europe really has had a rough winter. Our east coast gets hammered regularly. Our particular region had a long cold spell ( tenoeratures from -25*C to about -36*C) from Christmas to mid-February. Fortunately, the weather has turned much milder and the plentiful snow is gradually melting. The trees have buds and there is hope in the air.

My friends and i just celebrated Tolkien Reading Day at a local library. We dispensed with the costumes and detailed displays this year, opting for readings, a few books , quizzes, colouring and, of course, some refreshments. Our mascot, a figurine of Gollum about 1 ft high, oversaw the proceedings from the mantle of the fireplace. It was all very low-key but we enjoyed each other’s company. We really are like a group of Hobbits. Although we have some appreciation for the lore, the history and the nuances of writitng, we mostly like to gather, chit-chat, laugh and have something good to eat. Hobbits with a few Elvish pretensions!

Wishing you all a pleasant, warm Spring, Happy Easter and much happiness.
“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. " Gandalf
Gandolorin
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on: March 26, 2018 12:51
Neenime said:...Gandolorin, sorry to see the news about your winter storms and the fallen tree. Europe really has had a rough winter...

Looks like I may have overdramatized our winter a bit (certainly not that storm that knocked over the tree, which was the most severe in over 10 years). And I can’t speak for the winter “in Europe”, certainly, except at second-hand, only for our region, which in fact is smaller than the Shire of the Hobbits. And it is, and has been as far as ay records show, one of the drier regions of Germany for geographical reasons (which is why I go on about “drought” so much). Most northern Africans would probably consider me a typically western cry-baby who does not know what a real drought means. Granted, not from personal experience. But our local vegetation developed under conditions of a good deal more precipitation than we have recently been getting. That is why both forestry and agriculture have been at work to introduce variants more tolerant of reduced precipitation.

In other regions of Germany, and never mind the rest of Europe, weather conditions have varied widely (the Alps regions certainly aren’t complaining about insufficient precipitation, rather the opposite with massive snowfalls). Europe simply is a large peninsula attached to the western end of Asia, and sports quite a few “sub-“peninsulas (Iberian, Italian, Scandinavian, to name just the largest). The distance to the nearest ocean is far smaller than in the much larger land-masses of say North America, Africa or Asia. There is no desert in Europe.
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Hanasian
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on: March 27, 2018 07:48
For Tolkien Reading Day I gave Unfinished Tales chapters 'Gladden Fields', 'Fords of Isen' and Return of the King's 'Pelennor Fields' and Apepndix A a read.

I was pondering this thread today as I read its title. When I first posted in it, I think it was the first incarnation and I was 'Arassuil' and was 45. Now, '40' was twenty years and some change ago.

And the distances between anywhere in Europe is rather short compared to North American and Australia. Remember driving from Lille to the Normandy coast in a few hours.

Anyway, how is everyone over 4o here on CoE?
Eighth King of Arthedain - It was in battle that I come into this Kingship, and it will be in Battle when I leave it. There is no peace for the Realm of Arnor. Read the last stand of Arthedain in the Darkest of Days.
BelleBayard
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on: April 01, 2018 06:05
Yep, time roars by... Hard to believe it's been so many years since the movies came out. Just re-watched all the Hobbit ones AND the LoTR movies... How many years since we first got to see Frodo on the big screen? Over 40... Dang, now I'm over 60... Woof... Weather is typical here - snows, sun, wind, rinse and repeat. 3 inches overnight, now mostly melted off. Took down the suet as Yogi is awakening and don't need to encourage him to partake of our pickanick baskets, so to say. LOL... Our indoor/outdoor kitty is spending time in the sun because she's been staying indoors with all the cold wind and snow. Hunting mice and voles. Caught one yesterday, ate all but the stomach, then got sick last night all over my hubby's chair. *sigh* She loves to hunt, but eating her catches tends to not be good for her tummy. Ah well, such is the nature of the beast. LOL
Evil~Shieldmaiden
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on: April 05, 2018 08:30
Greetings all!

Spring has sort-of arrived here on the Island, although it was about two weeks late, like last year. The days have been sunny, but cool, with light frost overnight. My neighbour is building a couple of tops for me to put on one of the flower boxes so I can keep any tender shoots from freezing. Otherwise I have been transplanting a few things, and getting rid of winter's detritus.

Everyone is plugging along. Oscar's BFF is back from wintering in Arizona so he's happy, and I don't have the heart to tell him that she's two-timing him with the chi-mix at the end of the road. His name is Pedro. They make quite the romantic triangle. We'll all be starting our walking routine this coming weekend, which will be awesome.

The cats are hunting again. Mice and voles are favourites, although one of them brought in a rat for Oscar to kill, which he did with great aplomb. They seem to feel sorry for the dog, and bring him prey to off on a regular basis. I'm not quite sure what I think of their generosity. Seamus, my old geezer, is plugging along as usual. He's currently busy "watering" as many blades of grass as he can to keep the neighbour's cat out of the yard. He's still the Boss. LOL

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your week, and have an awesome weekend.

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Gandolorin
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on: April 05, 2018 11:53
Yesterday the weather took a temperature plunge of over 10°C, was windy, overcast / cloudy with drizzle / sunny in rapid succession (meaning we were dressed right / wrong / right / wrong equally rapidly). It would be exactly on the day we decided to go shopping (normal paranoia peeping through there)! Today it is only slightly warmer despite uninterrupted sunny weather. Starting on the weekend, we’ll be crossing the magic border of 20°C regularly, and the weather forecast only expects occasional spots of (thunder-) showers until the end of next week. So of course in my (very much) minority view, we’re having a spell of drought again! The summary of how this March measured up to long-term trends should be appearing in or regional newspaper soon. I’m guessing insufficient precipitation (February only managed a measly 19% of long-term averages). So probably, like last year, the flora will refuse any serious budding until groundwater levels have been filled up to minimum requirements (they were at record lows last year).
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awelyn418
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on: June 24, 2018 02:52
Hello everyone. Just got back from a 3 week vacation. My grandson in Washington state graduated high school. I visited with my grandkids there. We then went to the coast of Oregano n to see my son. It is a beautiful place. Had a great time helping him do his yard work. His genetic lung condition prevent him from doing a lot. We got home my gout struck with a vicious attack. I can’t walk.But it is my fault I ate rich foods and cod and drank to much. So nice one to blame but me. How are you all doing? Pain pill
Making me woozy off to bed.
Gandolorin
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on: June 25, 2018 01:33
My condolences about your gout issues, awelyn. My wife may have something similar, or perhaps arthritis, anyway it has caused her finger joints to become somewhat deformed over the years (though apparently with few if any pain issues). Just as a btw, we have heard and read programs and articles about a non-trivial (to put it mildly) pain medication scourge in the US …

Our weather condition remain too dry, with the best month only reaching 80% of long-term precipitation averages, most being well below that. Eastern Germany (the former GDR areas) and northern Bavaria – that’s us – have had a precipitation shortfall that is getting farmers of some crops seriously worried about shortfalls during harvest. And at least in Bavaria, forest fire alert levels remain high, with spotter planes being sent out to check for beginning fires.

Personally, the trees that were felled on the east side of our building (to which side my bedroom window faces) to make way for the new three-upper-floor building have become noticeable by their absence, as they no longer provide shade from the rising spring and summer sun. Currently it’s “only” the bright light that wakes me very early (we’ll be shopping for something like WW II blackout curtains tomorrow!) as clouds do block the sun occasionally (but never donate precipitation), while at other times, even in April, the sunlight heated up my bedroom uncomfortably.

Aside from that, I have spent quite a bit of time reading, actually voraciously, including re-reads of many books. Besides the peerless LoTR at 15+ reads, there are several other books which I have read up to 5 times – and we have also bought new ones, some due to recommendations in TV, magazines and the newspaper, some spontaneously while browsing at our favorite bookstore.
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Evil~Shieldmaiden
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on: July 16, 2018 07:31
Finally made it onto the site today. I've been so busy this summer, I've only managed to check in occasionally.

The weather here has been glorious for past couple of weeks, with just enough rain to keep the lawn growing, much to my dismay. Due to unforseen circumstances, I've had to do ALL of my yardwork this summer.
I don't actually mind it as it's been good exercise.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.
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Gandolorin
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on: July 16, 2018 11:44
My "enjoyment" has been rather limited to the fact that the temperature in our apartment's "entrance hallway" has mostly managed to stay below 25°C (77°F). In 2015, when I signed the early retirement agreemant with the company, and when the trees previously providing shade from the rising sun in the morning were felled to make way for the new apartment building due east, that temperature exceeded the 25°C level all too often and seriously. Which made cooling off our apartment during the night a bit difficult, as outside temperatures during the night were also somehwat high for being able to sleep. And besides the now no longer shaded morning sun, the inevitable noises of the construction for the new building started fairly precisely at 7 AM, at a time when my inactive phase of the agreement with the company was about two years away. On the positive side, those light-blocking curtains I mentioned above should be delivered fairly soon.
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Gandolorin
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on: July 20, 2018 11:46
Rain! Finally, after interminable days without. Nice and steady for several hours at least. But to make a dent in our precipitation deficit, we would need several days of it, and actually at least double or treble that which is still falling now (not much more than a drizzle).
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awelyn418
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on: July 30, 2018 01:08
I am having computer problems and have to put my computer in the shop. I have been on vacation to go to my grandson’s high school graduation and saw my son in Oregon. He lives on the Oregon coast. Beautiful place. His son that graduated lives in Washington state. Driving back husband had a diabetic episode. His blood sugar dropped and he was driving. It was very scary but finally he pulled over and he ate and took his insulin and was fine. But I warned to eat but I fell asleep in the back seat and he just kept driving and did not eat. So I have been making sure he is more vigilant. July 11 was my elder sister birthday. She was 69 . The 12 of July she had a stroke. But she was doing ok. So I waiting until the next day to see her. My baby sister and husband and me. We talked and laughed for a couple of hours.She had to go to the bathroom so we left and went to the waiting room. We were called back in she had had another stroke. After that one she was not responsive and two days later she died. I still am in a state of disbelief. But more than anything I realize more than ever how precious life and family are so I try to seize the day everyday more than ever. Summer has been very hot here. I hope everyone is doing well and having a good summer.
awelyn418
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on: July 30, 2018 01:12
I am so sorry I repeated myself about my vacation. I should have read my post before the one I posted earlier.
awelyn418
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on: July 30, 2018 01:12
I am so sorry I repeated myself about my vacation. I should have read my post before the one I posted earlier.
Gandolorin
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on: July 30, 2018 09:48
No need in the least to apologize for anything, awelyn. A joyful occasion followed almost immediatly by tragedy, in the immediate family ... anything I can say is inadequate, but you have my heartfelt condolences.
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Celebrian
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on: August 19, 2018 10:42
I doubt anybody will remember me after years of a sense. I’m living in a nursing home in bad health. But I still love Tolkien and just watched the whole HObit set of movies. I think about this place a lot but I only have a cellphone for access.
Gandolorin
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on: August 19, 2018 11:06
Welcome back, Celebrian. Scrolling back through this thread I noticed you had re-surfaced about a year ago. My condolences about your bad health. You mentioned having a notebook in your posts of last year. A cellphone is certainly no improvement on that, but I know of other people here (and at another Tolkien site that I frequent) who use it, so it seems to be manageable. As you will notice by the dates of the posts here on FoF, participation is sporadic, as it is in all but a very few forums. It has been a while since the last Hobbit film hit the cinemas, even since the last EE DVD version went on sale ...
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Evil~Shieldmaiden
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on: August 23, 2018 07:29
The drought, and wild fires continue in the Province, and on the Island. We have been plagued with poor air quality that has caused numerous health concerns thanks to the fires; and there is no rain predicted for the weekend. The best we can hope for is that the cyclone that should hit Hawaii will provide some moisture bands later in the coming week. The vegetables are loving the heat, but the lawn looks pathetic. At least mowing is now down to a minimum anyway, and the super hot weather has cooled down.

Enjoy the rest of your week, and have a fantastic weekend.
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