Storm Jorge was due to cause havoc overnight and today. It was certainly windy, but other than that we seemed to escape its ravages - unlike many other areas of the country. There are some definite advantages to living in this little micro-climate by the coast.
Urban-Cub and Ellie were up at about the same time as the Gorse Fox. With the M23 closed for the weekend, Urban-Cub was eager to get to work without sitting in miles of traffic being filtered through Crawley. Ellie had to be ready to go to Pistol Pete. By 10:30 Urban-Cub was at work and Pistol Pete had collected Ellie. We had a tidy up and then settled down for a quiet day. the Silver Vixen concentrated on her knitting and the Gorse Fox reviewed various videos and instruction manuals regarding the new camera (though it's not due to arrive until Tuesday).
Talking of micro-climates, the Gorse Fox went to Sainsbury's. When he arrived the sun was shining and it was pleasantly mild. By the time he had put the first couple of items in the bag, the rain had started and was so intense and loud that people stopped their shopping to look up at the roof and out through the plate glass windows. You could hardly see the car park through the deluge. The Gorse Fox finished his shopping and returned to the car as the rain stopped. He drove out of the car park and 400 yards down the road the roads were completely dry. It was amazing how focussed the downpour had been.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Friday, February 28, 2020
Order, order
Well it was a good and undisturbed night. Urban-Cub was up early with Ellie, but had to go to work so G-force took over for the day. The weather was absolutely foul, so we were confined to barracks for most of the day. Having said that, the Gorse Fox did pop round to B&Q to get a replacement bulb for his "man cave",
Ellie spent much of the morning watching the kiddies YouTube and the Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen were doing some online window shopping. After a couple of days of deliberation the Gorse Fox finally bit the bullet and ordered a new camera. It will be mid-week before it arrives, but hopefully it will be everything he needs.
We spent a quiet afternoon in the lounge with Ellie entertaining us with her version of "Frozen"
Ellie spent much of the morning watching the kiddies YouTube and the Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen were doing some online window shopping. After a couple of days of deliberation the Gorse Fox finally bit the bullet and ordered a new camera. It will be mid-week before it arrives, but hopefully it will be everything he needs.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Whew
Well, that's been a 24 hours. It started, you see, with Ellie going to bed. Or perhaps the Gorse Fox should say going to her room. As Urban-cub was on an early shift we were keen to make sure she could sleep so the Silver Vixen stayed with a very agitated Elie until she drifted off. The at 01:49 this morning she decided she was awake, again. That's how it stayed until nearly 04:00. That time was interspersed with silence and complete melt-downs (not from the Gorse Fox or Silver Vixen). The big problem was that Ellie was not interested in Bumpa. Only Nana would do.
When the day started properly, the Gorse Fox took Ellie across to the childminder in LA. We then reverted to our usual Thursday. Ocado delivered the shopping and we got on with our plans for the day. This meant a quick trip into Chichester, but as it was so cold we took the car. The Gorse Fox had to get to the bank, and the Silver Vixen had an order to collect from Joules. Once back home we had a bite of lunch and then settled down for a quiet afternoon.
The Gorse Fox spent the quiet afternoon researching potential replacement cameras. His current (very nice camera) is beginning to have problems with its LCD viewfinder. He's not sure what to do yet, but has a view as to a potential replacement.
When the day started properly, the Gorse Fox took Ellie across to the childminder in LA. We then reverted to our usual Thursday. Ocado delivered the shopping and we got on with our plans for the day. This meant a quick trip into Chichester, but as it was so cold we took the car. The Gorse Fox had to get to the bank, and the Silver Vixen had an order to collect from Joules. Once back home we had a bite of lunch and then settled down for a quiet afternoon.
The Gorse Fox spent the quiet afternoon researching potential replacement cameras. His current (very nice camera) is beginning to have problems with its LCD viewfinder. He's not sure what to do yet, but has a view as to a potential replacement.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Back together
By the end of the day, we were all back together. We had collected Jasper from his "Spa" break late in the morning. He had clearly enjoyed his break and was very vocal al the way home as he told us about his holiday. (To be fair, he didn't seem very interested in ours and had no photos to show us).
Most of the afternoon was spent trying to help the Urban-cub retrieve some accidentally deleted text messages from her iPhone. Unfortunately, every method and every tool we used came back with the same conclusion - it's gone for good. Frustrating.
Urban-cub is on an early duty tomorrow, so the Gorse Fox is taking Ellie to the childminder in the morning.
Most of the afternoon was spent trying to help the Urban-cub retrieve some accidentally deleted text messages from her iPhone. Unfortunately, every method and every tool we used came back with the same conclusion - it's gone for good. Frustrating.
Urban-cub is on an early duty tomorrow, so the Gorse Fox is taking Ellie to the childminder in the morning.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
The law of Sod
We woke this morning to bright sunshine. Of course today is the day we return home. We had a good breakfast, loaded the car, checked out and then sat in the lounge chatting to a nice Welsh couple, Peter and Mary, who we had chatted with quite a bit over the last few days. Eventually, it was time to leave so we said our good-byes and headed off in opposite directions.
It was a very pleasant and relaxing drive home, taking just under three hours. When we got in, Urban-Cub was out at the swimming pool with Ellie. We quickly set about unpacking and getting sorted before they got back.
They timed it to perfection. As they came in the door it started to rain. Eventually, it got heavier and turned to sleet, but that didn't last for long.
The Gorse Fox spent some more time on the geotagging conundrum. He has finally got a working solution, but it involves finalising the tagging on a desktop app on the iMac or MacBook... the iPad is clearly not going to work as a long term solution.
It was a very pleasant and relaxing drive home, taking just under three hours. When we got in, Urban-Cub was out at the swimming pool with Ellie. We quickly set about unpacking and getting sorted before they got back.
They timed it to perfection. As they came in the door it started to rain. Eventually, it got heavier and turned to sleet, but that didn't last for long.
The Gorse Fox spent some more time on the geotagging conundrum. He has finally got a working solution, but it involves finalising the tagging on a desktop app on the iMac or MacBook... the iPad is clearly not going to work as a long term solution.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Looping
There was a delivery of pre-corpses yesterday. There is a strong smell of lavender and formaldehyde if you stroll too close. We were sitting in the bar having a pre-dinner drink as several of them lurched in. The conversation started...
In the restaurant, later, they were providing carafes of embalming fluid direct to the tables. Which was a nice touch.
Did you go to Torquay today?
No dear, we walked into Town. There were no taxis to bring us back though. I bought a magazine and a scarf but it was a bit African.
Oh that’s nice.
Did you go to Torquay today? No dear, we walked into Town....And repeat ad nauseam.
In the restaurant, later, they were providing carafes of embalming fluid direct to the tables. Which was a nice touch.
Good news, bad news
The Gorse Fox has spent a frustrating afternoon struggling with geotagging.
The good news is that the app can be controlled from the iWatch.
The bad news is that the tagging still seems a bit hit and miss. Predominantly miss. The photos are tagged and within the iPhoto app on the iPad and iPhone they are correctly positioned on the map. When you look at the backup version taken by Google Photos, the data has gone and Google tries to guess where it was taken.
The developer says that it is because IOS doesn’t extract the location data when the photo is exported. That doesn’t quite make sense as the data from iPhone photos has the GPS coordinates when carried into Google.
The whole afternoon has been spent trying to find a work around, to no avail.
The good news is that the app can be controlled from the iWatch.
The bad news is that the tagging still seems a bit hit and miss. Predominantly miss. The photos are tagged and within the iPhoto app on the iPad and iPhone they are correctly positioned on the map. When you look at the backup version taken by Google Photos, the data has gone and Google tries to guess where it was taken.
The developer says that it is because IOS doesn’t extract the location data when the photo is exported. That doesn’t quite make sense as the data from iPhone photos has the GPS coordinates when carried into Google.
The whole afternoon has been spent trying to find a work around, to no avail.
NT
Bleak, grey start to the day but dry at first. The Gorse Fox had his wits about him (unexpectedly) so started the geo-tagging software while we were having breakfast.
A check on the National Trust app revealed that “A La Ronde” was only about 9 miles away, was open, and may be worth a visit. We donned our gear and headed for the car. The route chosen by the SatNav insisted on taking us across country using the smallest roads it could find. The journey was suitably interspersed with stops in passing places and reversing back to make room for oncoming traffic. The Gorse Fox was weary by the time we arrived, felling as if he’d been driving for hours instead of the 30 minutes it had taken.
It was a lot cooler than we had expected. The Gorse Fox had to return to the car for his fleece. The rain had started and any thoughts of wandering through the grounds soon evaporated. We did, however, look at the Kokedama forest as we arrived. Now, the Gorse Fox should probably clarify that this was their description and half a dozen trees doesn’t really constitute a forest (in his humble opinion). It did seem like a clever concept. Small balls of winter flowers are hung in baskets from the bare trees. Later in the spring these are taken down and planted. The whole thing is a Japanese idea and you can see how it could be quite spectacular.
We wandered into the cafe for a coffee then started a tour of the house (currently covered in scaffolding). It was built for two ladies in that late 1700s after they returned from the Grand Tour. It is a sixteen-sided building and essentially stayed within their family until it was passed to the NT in 1991. It was intriguing but seemed a bit higgledy-piggledy. It finished off by providing touch screens with a VR type review of the building. Only one of the screens actually responded to touch and even that locked up. Not impressed.
The rain had set in. We decided to head back to the hotel (by the main roads). Back at the hotel, the Gorse Fox downloaded his photos and again tried the geotags. It seems flakey. Again it seems correct in iPhotos, but again the EXIF data doesn’t seem to show the tag. The Gorse Fox has written to the support group to find out what’s wrong.
A check on the National Trust app revealed that “A La Ronde” was only about 9 miles away, was open, and may be worth a visit. We donned our gear and headed for the car. The route chosen by the SatNav insisted on taking us across country using the smallest roads it could find. The journey was suitably interspersed with stops in passing places and reversing back to make room for oncoming traffic. The Gorse Fox was weary by the time we arrived, felling as if he’d been driving for hours instead of the 30 minutes it had taken.
The rain had set in. We decided to head back to the hotel (by the main roads). Back at the hotel, the Gorse Fox downloaded his photos and again tried the geotags. It seems flakey. Again it seems correct in iPhotos, but again the EXIF data doesn’t seem to show the tag. The Gorse Fox has written to the support group to find out what’s wrong.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Dictation
Just as a point of interest, that last blog post was dictated into the phone rather than typed. Then once copied and pasted into the blog the images were added. Neat eh?
Branscombe
Lovely morning driving down to Branscombe where we parked at the Old Forge. After having a look around in the shop we took the footpath down towards Branscombe mouth and the beach.
We stopped at the watermill on the way down; all of the sign said it was open but when we actually arrived at the mill on the door the sign said it was closed until the spring, which was helpful.
The path down to Branscombe mouth was very muddy but, despite that, it was a pleasant walk through the gently folding valley, with the stream trickling alongside the footpath.
Once we got to the beach it was interesting to see how many people were down there. There were walkers, runners, kite-fliers, dog walkers, and people just making the most of the views.
Branscombe beach is an interesting spot. It looks like the only break in the cliffs for quite a way. The stream that we had been walking along disappears down to the beach and then under the shingle and sand before emptying in the sea. To the east is a spot where, in the 1700s, a huge land slip occurred at Hooken. It now provides an interesting looking walking route. (We didn’t try it). It is also the spot where, in 2007, the container ship Napoli ran aground and lost its containers.
People turned up from all over the place to raid the flotsam and ended up breaking into containers and stealing the contents (including BMW motorbikes). It seems incredible that that was 13 years ago. The only souvenir of the event is an information board and the ship’s anchor.
We walked for a while up along the beach, but then returned to grab a coffee in the tea rooms near the beach car park. Suitably refreshed, we strolled back along a different route, through the village and back to the forge. It really is very picturesque, but one suspects that it could be a nightmare in the summer.
We drove back to Sidmouth, passing through Salcombe Regis. The Gorse Fox had been wondering what the village would be like. He can report it is merely a tiny cluster of houses and the census would probably report a population of 10 people and two dogs. The dogs were clearly away on vacation when we drove through.
Back in Sidmouth, we parked at the hotel and walked straight down into the town. The sun soon broke through and we had quite a pleasant afternoon, weather-wise. We wandered around the shops and the Gorse Fox bought a nice sweater in Crew Clothing, while the Silver Vixen ordered a jacket from Joules, for delivery to the Chichester store.
We headed back to the hotel.
Guess what, the GorseFox has just realised that he forgot to start the Geo-tagger software, consequently he can’t test whether his latest idea for solving the problem will actually work. The shame is that he actually took quite a few photos that needed the geo-tagger.
He is sitting in the sun lounge with the Silver Vixen as she enjoys an afternoon tea and he enjoys a pint of Doombar. It has turned into a lovely sunny afternoon.
We walked for a while up along the beach, but then returned to grab a coffee in the tea rooms near the beach car park. Suitably refreshed, we strolled back along a different route, through the village and back to the forge. It really is very picturesque, but one suspects that it could be a nightmare in the summer.
We drove back to Sidmouth, passing through Salcombe Regis. The Gorse Fox had been wondering what the village would be like. He can report it is merely a tiny cluster of houses and the census would probably report a population of 10 people and two dogs. The dogs were clearly away on vacation when we drove through.
Back in Sidmouth, we parked at the hotel and walked straight down into the town. The sun soon broke through and we had quite a pleasant afternoon, weather-wise. We wandered around the shops and the Gorse Fox bought a nice sweater in Crew Clothing, while the Silver Vixen ordered a jacket from Joules, for delivery to the Chichester store.
Geo tags and memories
It seems that the experiment with the photo geo tagger wasn’t quite as successful as the Gorse Fox thought. The tag seems to apply to the photo in iPhoto but checking it with various Exif metadata tools and in Google Photos fails to reveal the tags. The Gorse Fox is confused.
The Gorse Fox was very impressed that the hotel restaurant remembered that the Gorse Fox is allergic to nuts. He hadn’t mentioned it this trip, but they knew from our last visit in November. Ten out of ten.
The Gorse Fox was very impressed that the hotel restaurant remembered that the Gorse Fox is allergic to nuts. He hadn’t mentioned it this trip, but they knew from our last visit in November. Ten out of ten.
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Celebrate good times
Well the Gorse Fox is another year older. The day started with the grand opening of cards and Birthday presents first thing. It is clear that the Gorse Fox is a very lucky boy. Once the formalities were complete, Urban-Cub was off to work, and breakfast was cleared away, we finished our packing and the Gorse Fox loaded the car.
We had a very leisurely drive down to Sidmouth. Strong headwinds were very noticeable. The weather was pretty foul until we were west of Bournemouth but then it started to dry up and the sun eventually broke through.
We stopped for coffee and snack at Bridport, as we had on the last trip. By the time we get there, the bulk of the trip is complete, so we can have a leisurely break then finish the last few miles to the hotel.
We checked into the hotel and were assigned the stateroom next to the one we had last time. We unpacked then grabbed our coats and went for a walk along the front. It was surprisingly busy, but as it was dry and mild (though the sunshine of earlier had disappeared) and half-term people were clearly making the most of it. The sky was a uniform grey, the sea fairly benign, and the waves were a reddy brown that matched the cliffs.
We weren’t out for too long. Back at the hotel we indulged in a pot of tea, then celebrated with a gin and tonic and a Prosecco. Well, it is a special occasion (and the Gorse Fox hasn’t had a drop of alcohol since New Year’s Eve).
We had a very leisurely drive down to Sidmouth. Strong headwinds were very noticeable. The weather was pretty foul until we were west of Bournemouth but then it started to dry up and the sun eventually broke through.
We stopped for coffee and snack at Bridport, as we had on the last trip. By the time we get there, the bulk of the trip is complete, so we can have a leisurely break then finish the last few miles to the hotel.
We weren’t out for too long. Back at the hotel we indulged in a pot of tea, then celebrated with a gin and tonic and a Prosecco. Well, it is a special occasion (and the Gorse Fox hasn’t had a drop of alcohol since New Year’s Eve).
Friday, February 21, 2020
Gone, not gone
It has been a fairly quiet day. The main event was capturing Jasper and taking him to the cattery. For a change, this was fairly simple. He had clearly not noticed the entries in the family calendar regarding his "Spa break" and we were able to sneak up on him and drop him into the carrier without any fuss. So Jasper is gone for a few days.
We have not gone yet. We will be off to Devon for a few days, but not until tomorrow. This will leave Urban-cub at home looking after things. Now that Ellie has gone off to Pistol Pete for the weekend, we can get our bags packed.
We have not gone yet. We will be off to Devon for a few days, but not until tomorrow. This will leave Urban-cub at home looking after things. Now that Ellie has gone off to Pistol Pete for the weekend, we can get our bags packed.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Treading the boards
The day started much like any other Thursday. We went downstairs with Ellie and had some breakfast then the Silver Vixen took her upstairs to get washed and dressed. Ocado arrived and the Gorse Fox took care of the shopping. Yes, pretty normal, really.
After lunch, however, we all headed into Chichester. We had tickets for the theatre. As we got out of the car the Gorse Fox asked Ellie if she remembered coming here before. It took her a moment but then she said: "Yes, we saw the Gruffalo". Spot on!
We bumped into some neighbours as we went into the play area prior to the show. Bumping into things seems to be their "thing" at present. In the storm last week they were hit by a falling tree and were lucky to have survived. The photos they showed us of the incident were horrendous.
It was showtime. We took our seats and the show started. Ellie was a little cautious at first but soon was captivated. She was up and off her seat, shouting and singing, clapping and dancing along with the proceedings. We had gone to see "Oi, Frog!" which centred around rhymes and the house rules that animals had to sit on things with which their names rhymed. We concluded that Ellie had to sit on jelly.
After lunch, however, we all headed into Chichester. We had tickets for the theatre. As we got out of the car the Gorse Fox asked Ellie if she remembered coming here before. It took her a moment but then she said: "Yes, we saw the Gruffalo". Spot on!
We bumped into some neighbours as we went into the play area prior to the show. Bumping into things seems to be their "thing" at present. In the storm last week they were hit by a falling tree and were lucky to have survived. The photos they showed us of the incident were horrendous.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Blades
It was a fairly normal Wednesday. The Silver Vixen went off to Pilates and the Gorse Fox to football. He managed to arrive early enough that he was able to do a few laps of the running track before the game. The game itself was a foregone conclusion. The 5 best attackers on one side with the Gorse Fox and some other players of medium talent on the other. It felt a bit like being a flood barrier in Worcestshire: under a continual battering, with leaks here there, and everywhere. Despite all this, we did manage to score a few goals but were soundly beaten 6-4.
Back home there was some shopping to pick up and the Gorse Fox had to fuel the car. Next on the agenda was a haircut. Now, as a rule, the Gorse Fox goes to a nice lady in the village. She, however, was closed for some reason. The Gorse Fox had noticed a new Barber's when returning from the shops. He thought he'd give it a try. Well, it is a Turkish Barbershop (whatever that implies). The decor is all gold and black. Gold sinks, gold utensils, gold ceiling panels, gold embroidery on the barber's shirt, and all of this was set against jet black. The Gorse Fox wasn't sure whether it was a barber's or a Sultan's boudoir. The haircut and the attention paid, however, was faultless. The Gorse Fox will surely return despite the cut-throat razors, the blowtorch for ear hair, and the threat of nasal waxing!
Back home there was some shopping to pick up and the Gorse Fox had to fuel the car. Next on the agenda was a haircut. Now, as a rule, the Gorse Fox goes to a nice lady in the village. She, however, was closed for some reason. The Gorse Fox had noticed a new Barber's when returning from the shops. He thought he'd give it a try. Well, it is a Turkish Barbershop (whatever that implies). The decor is all gold and black. Gold sinks, gold utensils, gold ceiling panels, gold embroidery on the barber's shirt, and all of this was set against jet black. The Gorse Fox wasn't sure whether it was a barber's or a Sultan's boudoir. The haircut and the attention paid, however, was faultless. The Gorse Fox will surely return despite the cut-throat razors, the blowtorch for ear hair, and the threat of nasal waxing!
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Back on the turf
We set the alarm this morning. This is not a frequent occurrence, however, with Urban-cub on an early shift, we had to get Ellie up, fed, and off to the childminder. The Silver Vixen sorted out Ellie and the Gorse Fox headed off to football.
This was the first Tuesday where the Gorse Fox had been feeling fit enough to chance a third session this week. It was nice to meet up with the Tuesday lads and also some of the newer players who have joined since November when he last played. Maybe he shouldn't have bothered. He was playing in white and managed to lose all three games and failed to score any goals.
Just to emphasize the football session, there was clearly a very unwell flock of seagulls who had decided that the Gorse Fox's car makes a wonderful public convenience. When he got back to the car, it was coated in liquid comments from the gulls with a frank assessment of his footballing skills today.
This afternoon the Gorse Fox has been along to the sales office on our development with Urban-cub. It was predominantly a courtesy visit, but also a chance to hear about their latest scheme to help their buyers. This does sound as if it could be interesting for Urban-cub but until we have seen the paperwork (the scheme is so new that the paperwork hasn't been printed yet) we can't make any decision.
This was the first Tuesday where the Gorse Fox had been feeling fit enough to chance a third session this week. It was nice to meet up with the Tuesday lads and also some of the newer players who have joined since November when he last played. Maybe he shouldn't have bothered. He was playing in white and managed to lose all three games and failed to score any goals.
Just to emphasize the football session, there was clearly a very unwell flock of seagulls who had decided that the Gorse Fox's car makes a wonderful public convenience. When he got back to the car, it was coated in liquid comments from the gulls with a frank assessment of his footballing skills today.
This afternoon the Gorse Fox has been along to the sales office on our development with Urban-cub. It was predominantly a courtesy visit, but also a chance to hear about their latest scheme to help their buyers. This does sound as if it could be interesting for Urban-cub but until we have seen the paperwork (the scheme is so new that the paperwork hasn't been printed yet) we can't make any decision.
Monday, February 17, 2020
Toys
Today was the first day that Ellie was back at the childminder since moving in. Urban-cub was up early and ferried her across to LA for the day, then got on with her checklist of things to do today.
The nice man turned up from IKEA. He deposited two large packages in the hall and they occupied the rest of the Gorse Fox's morning as he constructed two storage units in the Orangery.
They are an excellent fit and once the Gorse Fox had finished construction and attached them to the wall, he stepped back to allow the Silver Vixen and Urban-cub to fill the various shelves. It comfortably houses various toys and games and makes them quite easy to see and access.
The rest of the day has been fairly quiet, though with Ellie due back any moment, that may change soon!
They are an excellent fit and once the Gorse Fox had finished construction and attached them to the wall, he stepped back to allow the Silver Vixen and Urban-cub to fill the various shelves. It comfortably houses various toys and games and makes them quite easy to see and access.
The rest of the day has been fairly quiet, though with Ellie due back any moment, that may change soon!
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Cruising
The Gorse Fox had football this morning. The teams seemed pretty lop-sided, and so it turned out. Though we were in the 4-2 at half-time, we only scored one further goal to their 8. Oh well, at least the Gorse Fox managed to score today.
Ellie is with Pistol Pete today, so Urban-Cub is working on Condor to sort out the childcare and pickups for the next few months. It looks complex, but we think we have it covered now.
The Gorse Fox got a message from Barney Rubble. After our general discussion last week, they decided to look at cruises. They have booked on the same cruise for 2021 that we have. With J&T already booked, this could be a very sociable and enjoyable two weeks.
Testing again
The Gorse Fox is just testing again. He is trying to check that he can easily write material in “Notes” then copy it to the blog without carrying any unwanted font formatting with it.
He’s sure he has done this in the past and it wasn’t easy but, checking the latest iPadOS information, it looks as if it should just be a simpler cmd-C and cmd-V. There’s one way to find out!
The trick seems to be to execute the cmd-V in the “HTML” tab rather than the “Compose” tab. Line spacing still needs to be added, but that’s a lot quicker that stripping out all of the font formatting.
He’s sure he has done this in the past and it wasn’t easy but, checking the latest iPadOS information, it looks as if it should just be a simpler cmd-C and cmd-V. There’s one way to find out!
The trick seems to be to execute the cmd-V in the “HTML” tab rather than the “Compose” tab. Line spacing still needs to be added, but that’s a lot quicker that stripping out all of the font formatting.
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Visits
Urban-cub and Ellie had plans. They were meeting up with Cousteau-cub and, after walking the dog, were going swimming in Chichester. The Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen had a quietish morning. There was an order to collect from Next, then the Gorse Fox sat down in the study and started to develop the next photo book. He's entered the summaries for each year and placed the selected photos for 1995. Saved and backed up, that was enough for today.
The Silver Vixen's cousins from Brighton were visiting in the afternoon. We settled down for some tea and to catch up on the latest from the families. The forecast bad weather had set in by this time so when it came to supper, we ordered a takeaway and had it delivered. Clearly, we weren't the only ones because the delivery took much longer than their estimate, though they did apologise for the delay. The food was excellent as usual.
We had a lovely evening with them talking about all and sundry and Sue's research into the history of Patcham and its people.
(In the background to this Ellie had gone to bed, complained we were all too noisy, and eventually dropped off to sleep).
The Silver Vixen's cousins from Brighton were visiting in the afternoon. We settled down for some tea and to catch up on the latest from the families. The forecast bad weather had set in by this time so when it came to supper, we ordered a takeaway and had it delivered. Clearly, we weren't the only ones because the delivery took much longer than their estimate, though they did apologise for the delay. The food was excellent as usual.
We had a lovely evening with them talking about all and sundry and Sue's research into the history of Patcham and its people.
(In the background to this Ellie had gone to bed, complained we were all too noisy, and eventually dropped off to sleep).
Friday, February 14, 2020
Payment
There was stuff to do. At least the weather was still fairly benign, though the forecast for the weekend is a bit bleak!
Urban-Cub had plans to take a load of her stuff to the storage facility and then take Ellie on to Play Group. We left at much the same time, heading in the opposite direction. We were popping along to the Virgin Holidays store. This is an implant in Next at Havant. (It used to be an implant in House of Fraser in Chichester). It was time to pay for the forthcoming trip to Jamaica. This is always a painful experience. It's never easy parting with large chunks of money. Having parted with a small fortune, we then wandered round Next and the Silver Vixen ordered a couple of delightful dresses and the Gorse Fox purchased a new, smart, coat.
While in the mood to spend money, the Gorse Fox also ordered his Birthday present. It'll take a few days to come through, but he's finally bitten the bullet and ordered a 3-axis gimbal/stabiliser for his phone for use when taking video.
Urban-Cub had plans to take a load of her stuff to the storage facility and then take Ellie on to Play Group. We left at much the same time, heading in the opposite direction. We were popping along to the Virgin Holidays store. This is an implant in Next at Havant. (It used to be an implant in House of Fraser in Chichester). It was time to pay for the forthcoming trip to Jamaica. This is always a painful experience. It's never easy parting with large chunks of money. Having parted with a small fortune, we then wandered round Next and the Silver Vixen ordered a couple of delightful dresses and the Gorse Fox purchased a new, smart, coat.
While in the mood to spend money, the Gorse Fox also ordered his Birthday present. It'll take a few days to come through, but he's finally bitten the bullet and ordered a 3-axis gimbal/stabiliser for his phone for use when taking video.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Chop and Change
We also had the chaps arrive from the council to take away and dispose of our old mattress. The trouble was that as it was a super-king it was too big for the Gorse Fox to sort out himself (and much too big for the car).
The other event today was the arrival of the photo book for 1990-94. This was the first one done with the new desktop software provided by BobBooks. The quality is superb and clearly superior to the earlier books provided through Snapfish. The Gorse Fox is a very happy bunny and will certainly continue to use the BobBooks service.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Surprise
It was a cold but clear sunny day. The Silver Vixen had Pilates, and the Gorse Fox had football scheduled. His foot seemed to have settled again so he took his chance.
The teams seemed a little lop-sided when picked. All of the known attackers were on the other side, and the Gorse Fox was in a team made up of the defenders and those who just float around aimlessly. It was an immense surprise to get to halftime without any goals from either side. It was even more of a surprise when we went ahead and eventually won 3-1. Resolute defending is the backbone of a win such as this. (Having said that, the Gorse Fox didn't feel that he was at his best today; he seemed a little sluggish).
Urban-Cub has had another house viewing this afternoon. Originally, the Gorse Fox was meant to be house-sitting during the viewing, but Urban-Cub changed her shifts and managed the process herself. We'll have to see if anything comes of it.
The teams seemed a little lop-sided when picked. All of the known attackers were on the other side, and the Gorse Fox was in a team made up of the defenders and those who just float around aimlessly. It was an immense surprise to get to halftime without any goals from either side. It was even more of a surprise when we went ahead and eventually won 3-1. Resolute defending is the backbone of a win such as this. (Having said that, the Gorse Fox didn't feel that he was at his best today; he seemed a little sluggish).
Urban-Cub has had another house viewing this afternoon. Originally, the Gorse Fox was meant to be house-sitting during the viewing, but Urban-Cub changed her shifts and managed the process herself. We'll have to see if anything comes of it.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Frustration and Email
The Gorse Fox decided that he wanted a backup email address that wasn't tied to an ISP. This seemed like an easy thing to set up. How naive!
He decided that he would use an Apple email address. He researched how to set this up and got started. Setting up the account was simple and to prevent confusion he linked it to the Mail app on his iMac, iPad, and iPhone without issue. What about the MacBook you might ask? Well, indeed. That's where it all became confused. It didn't matter what he did, he could not get the new email address to work on the Mail app. He even compared line-by-line between the iMac and MacBook - no luck. He fiddled around for several hours and in the end, gave up. This is a problem for another day.
The Gorse Fox got an email from HMRC. It informed him that his tax codes may have changed and he should log into his account and check the details. He logged in, followed the instructions and was presented with a message that the service wasn't available. So much for emails today.
The Gorse Fox may have mentioned, last year, that he had set up a new bank account with N26, and how easy it had been. Well, it appears that, as a result of Brexit, and the fact they don't have a UK Banking License, they are closing their UK accounts. Not very successful.
He decided that he would use an Apple email address. He researched how to set this up and got started. Setting up the account was simple and to prevent confusion he linked it to the Mail app on his iMac, iPad, and iPhone without issue. What about the MacBook you might ask? Well, indeed. That's where it all became confused. It didn't matter what he did, he could not get the new email address to work on the Mail app. He even compared line-by-line between the iMac and MacBook - no luck. He fiddled around for several hours and in the end, gave up. This is a problem for another day.
The Gorse Fox got an email from HMRC. It informed him that his tax codes may have changed and he should log into his account and check the details. He logged in, followed the instructions and was presented with a message that the service wasn't available. So much for emails today.
The Gorse Fox may have mentioned, last year, that he had set up a new bank account with N26, and how easy it had been. Well, it appears that, as a result of Brexit, and the fact they don't have a UK Banking License, they are closing their UK accounts. Not very successful.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Errands
Well, we survived Storm Ciara. The sum total of the impact seemed to be that one empty dustbin had blown over. We can cope with that!
The Gorse Fox had errands to run today. There was a trip to the shops for some cat food and a few fresh vegetables and then onwards to the pharmacy to collect prescriptions for the Silver Vixen and Cousteau-cub. After coffee, he headed back out to Chichester to deliver said prescription to Cousteau-cub. The Silver Vixen had lost an earring last week. While the Gorse Fox had some time to kill (and knowing that it's St Valentine's Day this week) he stopped off at a jeweller's and bought her a replacement set. She seems delighted with his choice.
The afternoon has been spent selecting photos from 1995, 96, 97, and 98. This is just the first pass and, as yet, the Gorse Fox hasn't started on '99. There's a little more refinement needed before he starts to develop the next photo book. (There is, however, no particular hurry).
The painful foot seems a lot better during the day today. He will decide when he gets up in the morning whether to chance his arm (foot) at football.
The Gorse Fox had errands to run today. There was a trip to the shops for some cat food and a few fresh vegetables and then onwards to the pharmacy to collect prescriptions for the Silver Vixen and Cousteau-cub. After coffee, he headed back out to Chichester to deliver said prescription to Cousteau-cub. The Silver Vixen had lost an earring last week. While the Gorse Fox had some time to kill (and knowing that it's St Valentine's Day this week) he stopped off at a jeweller's and bought her a replacement set. She seems delighted with his choice.
The afternoon has been spent selecting photos from 1995, 96, 97, and 98. This is just the first pass and, as yet, the Gorse Fox hasn't started on '99. There's a little more refinement needed before he starts to develop the next photo book. (There is, however, no particular hurry).
The painful foot seems a lot better during the day today. He will decide when he gets up in the morning whether to chance his arm (foot) at football.
Sunday, February 09, 2020
Feet
What is it about feet? You go to bed with a slight ache in one foot and wakeup the following morning unable to put weight on it... again! So it is today. The Gorse Fox has had to cry off from football again. This frustrates him immensely. Hopefully, the problem will sort itself out quickly and he can play on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Gorse Fox has made use of the time by completing the next volume of the photo books. This covers 1990-94. He looks forward to seeing the finished article, though it will be about a week before it is ready.
Next task will be to start the photo selection for the next 5-year batch.
The Gorse Fox has made use of the time by completing the next volume of the photo books. This covers 1990-94. He looks forward to seeing the finished article, though it will be about a week before it is ready.
Next task will be to start the photo selection for the next 5-year batch.
Saturday, February 08, 2020
Bandit Country
We were all up early. Urban-Cub and Ellie had to get back home as they had a viewing on their house this morning. Urban-Cub wanted to ensure that everything was spic and span.
The Gorse Fox and the Silver Vixen were heading into bandit country to meet up with Betty and Barney Rubble. As we headed across through Chichester, over the Downs, and into Hampshire the Gorse Fox wondered if there had been some "4 minute warning" or something. The roads and villages were deserted. Had coronavirus hit and the place been quarantined without the Gorse Fox knowing? Whatever the reason, it did make for a very pleasant and trouble-free drive.
It was nice to see Betty and Barney. They have had some work done on their house since our last visit. What had been a cold conservatory tacked on the back of the living room is now a lovely, well-insulated, warm, garden room. They've done a good job. Barney is about to embark on a bit of a kitchen refurbishment next. The Gorse Fox is sure it will look superb when finished.
We all went across to Upton Grey, to The Hoddington Arms, for lunch. It was busy, but we had booked so had no trouble getting seated. The food was excellent, as usual. We started with some home-made Thai fishcakes, then the Silver Vixen had a skate wing in chicken and chorizo sauce, while the Gorse Fox had haddock with chip. It was a very pleasant couple of hours before heading back to Odiham to continue our various conversations and drink copious amounts of tea.
The Gorse Fox had bought some night-driving glasses. They can be worn over normal glasses. The trip home was the first opportunity to try them. They lasted less than a mile. They did cut down the glare from incoming lights, but they seemed to play havoc with the Gorse Fox's depth perception. It's a good job they weren't very expensive!
The Gorse Fox and the Silver Vixen were heading into bandit country to meet up with Betty and Barney Rubble. As we headed across through Chichester, over the Downs, and into Hampshire the Gorse Fox wondered if there had been some "4 minute warning" or something. The roads and villages were deserted. Had coronavirus hit and the place been quarantined without the Gorse Fox knowing? Whatever the reason, it did make for a very pleasant and trouble-free drive.
It was nice to see Betty and Barney. They have had some work done on their house since our last visit. What had been a cold conservatory tacked on the back of the living room is now a lovely, well-insulated, warm, garden room. They've done a good job. Barney is about to embark on a bit of a kitchen refurbishment next. The Gorse Fox is sure it will look superb when finished.
We all went across to Upton Grey, to The Hoddington Arms, for lunch. It was busy, but we had booked so had no trouble getting seated. The food was excellent, as usual. We started with some home-made Thai fishcakes, then the Silver Vixen had a skate wing in chicken and chorizo sauce, while the Gorse Fox had haddock with chip. It was a very pleasant couple of hours before heading back to Odiham to continue our various conversations and drink copious amounts of tea.
The Gorse Fox had bought some night-driving glasses. They can be worn over normal glasses. The trip home was the first opportunity to try them. They lasted less than a mile. They did cut down the glare from incoming lights, but they seemed to play havoc with the Gorse Fox's depth perception. It's a good job they weren't very expensive!
Friday, February 07, 2020
Selection
Urban-cub and Ellie didn't emerge until well after eight this morning. The Silver Vixen followed soon after. After breakfast and the obligatory ablutions, Urban-cub took Ellie to feed the ducks, and then on to the park for a bit.
The Gorse Fox was looking at the computer when the postman called. He had the photo-book that was ordered last weekend. He sat down and went through the book... all one-hundred-plus pages. It really came out rather well. It has now been reviewed by the Silver Vixen (a couple of ties) and Urban-cub. It has the seal of approval and Urban-cub now wants to create a book for Ellie.
This afternoon Urban-cub ad Ellie went off to playgroup. The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox had a quiet hour, then the Gorse Fox returned to his study and completed the photos for 1993 in the latest book. He then went through and selected all the photos for 1994. They still need to be laid out appropriately in the book, but that's an exercise for another day. It's funny, there were only about 20 photos for the whole of 1993, and only 11 of them were selected, whereas there were several hundred for 1994 and nearly 60 have been selected. We may have to narrow this down a bit further.
The Gorse Fox was looking at the computer when the postman called. He had the photo-book that was ordered last weekend. He sat down and went through the book... all one-hundred-plus pages. It really came out rather well. It has now been reviewed by the Silver Vixen (a couple of ties) and Urban-cub. It has the seal of approval and Urban-cub now wants to create a book for Ellie.
This afternoon Urban-cub ad Ellie went off to playgroup. The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox had a quiet hour, then the Gorse Fox returned to his study and completed the photos for 1993 in the latest book. He then went through and selected all the photos for 1994. They still need to be laid out appropriately in the book, but that's an exercise for another day. It's funny, there were only about 20 photos for the whole of 1993, and only 11 of them were selected, whereas there were several hundred for 1994 and nearly 60 have been selected. We may have to narrow this down a bit further.
Thursday, February 06, 2020
Testing
Urban-Cub and Ellie went out for the day to visit the Portsmouth Princess. The Silver Vixen and Gorse Fox popped in to Chichester. The Gorse Fox made use of this trip to try out a new app on the phone...
The problem that he was trying to address is the lack of geo-tags in photos taken on his real camera (as opposed to iPhone). Now, specific devices can be purchased (for silly amounts of money) to link to the camera and provide the geotag. There is, however, an app that you can download "Geotag Photos 2" which solves the problem for a few quid.
You start the app at the beginning of a photo trip and leave it running. It registers where you are by keeping a GPS track throughout your trip. Then, when you are finished you stop the app. The track is upload to iCloud. So far, so good.
The idea is that you download the photos from your camera into the iPad. Then using an app on the iPad called "Geotag Photos", you select the GPS track from iCloud and it searches through your photos and places them on the map which covers you track. If you are happy with the results, press the button and the geotags are applied to the photos.
The Gorse Fox took several photos while out, applied the geotags as described and is delighted with the results.
Oops, time to go. Urban-Cub and Ellie have just got back.
The problem that he was trying to address is the lack of geo-tags in photos taken on his real camera (as opposed to iPhone). Now, specific devices can be purchased (for silly amounts of money) to link to the camera and provide the geotag. There is, however, an app that you can download "Geotag Photos 2" which solves the problem for a few quid.
You start the app at the beginning of a photo trip and leave it running. It registers where you are by keeping a GPS track throughout your trip. Then, when you are finished you stop the app. The track is upload to iCloud. So far, so good.
The idea is that you download the photos from your camera into the iPad. Then using an app on the iPad called "Geotag Photos", you select the GPS track from iCloud and it searches through your photos and places them on the map which covers you track. If you are happy with the results, press the button and the geotags are applied to the photos.
The Gorse Fox took several photos while out, applied the geotags as described and is delighted with the results.
Oops, time to go. Urban-Cub and Ellie have just got back.
Wednesday, February 05, 2020
Bad Habit
It was a cold but bright day. A perfect day for football. The Gorse Fox saw the Silver Vixen off to her Pilates session then grabbed his stuff and headed to Worthing for football. We had a good turnout, playing 7-a-side. Unfortunately, it seems that the Gorse Fox has fallen into a bad habit of losing and so it was today with a 3-1 defeat. The Gorse Fox can't even console himself with a goal for the annual tally. It is looking very unlikely that he will match last year's record as he is way behind already.
Back home, after some soup and a quiet hour in the Orangery, the Gorse Fox returned to the study to select photos for the next two years of the emerging photo book. They still have to be crafted into the book, but the initial selection has been made. He finds it very interesting looking back over the years and realising how different his photographic habits were from year to year.
(Cousteau-cub sent a message last night. It appears that, through her work, she is scheduled to call one of the chaps who plays football with us on Sundays. Small world, eh?)
Back home, after some soup and a quiet hour in the Orangery, the Gorse Fox returned to the study to select photos for the next two years of the emerging photo book. They still have to be crafted into the book, but the initial selection has been made. He finds it very interesting looking back over the years and realising how different his photographic habits were from year to year.
(Cousteau-cub sent a message last night. It appears that, through her work, she is scheduled to call one of the chaps who plays football with us on Sundays. Small world, eh?)
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
Getting to grip
Ellie slept well and we had to wake her this morning as Urban-cub was scheduled to collect her at eight to take her to the childminder. Once Ellie was up and about, Cousteau-cub also emerged and we had a fairly frantic hour before Ellie left.
Cousteau-cub had an appointment at the hospital so the Gorse Fox took her along and left her to get the bus into Chichester when she was finished.
Other than a trip to Sainsbury, most of the rest of the day the Silver Vixen has been sewing and the Gorse Fox has been working on the next photo book. This latest book started as a bit of an experiment with the BobBook Design software, but the Gorse Fox thinks he has now pretty much got to grips with it and is quite pleased with the way the book looks at present. As usual, there is a long way to go. He's only done 1990 and 1991 so far, so even if he does half the decade he has three more years to craft. The best part is he knows it is saved, and it is backed up. (Up yours, Snapfish!)
Cousteau-cub had an appointment at the hospital so the Gorse Fox took her along and left her to get the bus into Chichester when she was finished.
Other than a trip to Sainsbury, most of the rest of the day the Silver Vixen has been sewing and the Gorse Fox has been working on the next photo book. This latest book started as a bit of an experiment with the BobBook Design software, but the Gorse Fox thinks he has now pretty much got to grips with it and is quite pleased with the way the book looks at present. As usual, there is a long way to go. He's only done 1990 and 1991 so far, so even if he does half the decade he has three more years to craft. The best part is he knows it is saved, and it is backed up. (Up yours, Snapfish!)
Monday, February 03, 2020
Visitors
It's been a quiet day. There were chores to complete, but once they were out of the way the Gorse Fox returned to the desktop application for the photo books. He thinks he has, more or less, created a template that closely mirrors the formats he used to achieve through Snapfish. He's now written the highlights for the first half of the 1990s and now needs to start selecting and placing the photos for each of the years.
Late afternoon the Silver Vixen had an appointment at the hairdresser. The Gorse Fox, meanwhile, had to drive across to Rustington to collect Ellie from the childminder. She is going to be staying with us overnight. She was great company in the car coming home as she chatted away telling the Gorse Fox about her day.
Cousteau-cub is also visiting overnight tonight. She has an appointment at the local hospital in the morning and it's easier to get there from here than her flat in Chichester.
Late afternoon the Silver Vixen had an appointment at the hairdresser. The Gorse Fox, meanwhile, had to drive across to Rustington to collect Ellie from the childminder. She is going to be staying with us overnight. She was great company in the car coming home as she chatted away telling the Gorse Fox about her day.
Cousteau-cub is also visiting overnight tonight. She has an appointment at the local hospital in the morning and it's easier to get there from here than her flat in Chichester.
Sunday, February 02, 2020
Bob's your Uncle
Well, that isn't strictly true. The Gorse Fox doesn't have an Uncle Bob. He has, however, found "BobBooks" which is another company who will create photo book for you. They get a very good write-up, but are a little more expensive. More to the point is that they have some desktop software that allows you to do all of the work offline, and just upload the final package for printing. Initial experimentation is quite positive and the Gorse Fox has, more or less, managed to create a template that closely matches the photo books he has already purchased. There are a few minor questions he has submitted to the company, but even if they can't offer a solution, he thinks he can happily make-do.
The Gorse Fox was back at football this morning. No niggles from the foot. No niggles from the knee (though he was wearing the knee-brace). It was clear from the start that Jack had picked fairly uneven teams. The Gorse Fox, playing in orange, was clearly on the weaker team. We did manage to hold out for the first 15 minutes, but after that the goals started to rattle in. The final score was 7-3 and the Gorse Fox was please to have scored one of our 3, particularly having had 5 on-target shots stopped by the goalie in the first half.
The Gorse Fox was back at football this morning. No niggles from the foot. No niggles from the knee (though he was wearing the knee-brace). It was clear from the start that Jack had picked fairly uneven teams. The Gorse Fox, playing in orange, was clearly on the weaker team. We did manage to hold out for the first 15 minutes, but after that the goals started to rattle in. The final score was 7-3 and the Gorse Fox was please to have scored one of our 3, particularly having had 5 on-target shots stopped by the goalie in the first half.
Saturday, February 01, 2020
Photo Book Encore
The Gorse Fox slept on it. He realised he had a number of photos that were screen grabs from the family videos of the Florida trip. He settled down and extracted the right photos with a view to inserting the extra images into the photo book saved from yesterday.
Did the Gorse Fox say saved? You must all know by know that he is paranoid and saves his work at every opportunity. Well it seems that though he was pressing the save button after every new page of images yesterday, the Snapfish server was just ignoring him. All of the work from yesterday had been lost. The Gorse Fox was not a happy bunny. He entered into an online Chat with their support desk who basically said "Tough do-do, it's obviously a problem at your end".
There was nothing for it, the Gorse Fox had to re-enter all of yesterday's images and text with the additional Florida images. It is now finished, saved yet again (for what it's worth), and has been ordered.
Now to research alternative providers who may support offline generation of the books.
Did the Gorse Fox say saved? You must all know by know that he is paranoid and saves his work at every opportunity. Well it seems that though he was pressing the save button after every new page of images yesterday, the Snapfish server was just ignoring him. All of the work from yesterday had been lost. The Gorse Fox was not a happy bunny. He entered into an online Chat with their support desk who basically said "Tough do-do, it's obviously a problem at your end".
There was nothing for it, the Gorse Fox had to re-enter all of yesterday's images and text with the additional Florida images. It is now finished, saved yet again (for what it's worth), and has been ordered.
Now to research alternative providers who may support offline generation of the books.
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