Bigmike911

I can say, without fear of contradiction, that no people on the planet can do pomp and pageantry like the British That was visible in spades in the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla today. Well done, to our British Cousins. You make us all proud.

Queen Mary 2 is in Southampton and has some kind of mechanical issue that has caused Cunard to cancel the return to NYC which was to have been the termination of her Centenary World Cruise. How sad for her passenger, including those who booked just the Sou NYC leg. It must a serious issue, Cunard is offering a full refund for the trip, plus 20% Future Cruise Credit. A disappointing start to the Atlantic season.

Four days of much needed rain, some time heavy, some time with lightning and thunder, which I have enjoyed since I was a child, have turned into partly cloudy and, today, on Easter Sunday, glorious sun. The Spring has accelerated, and we now have an amazing set of different colors of green. Quite wonderful. This spring has really given me hope for goodness and light after a long time of darkness and uncertainty, and I like it. Happy Easter to all who celebrate it.

Great Infor Blue Marble. Thank you so much. Mike.

ALC 13, I see from another thread you are doing a Japan Cruise on QE in April. I have been noticing that She has been in Singapore away from the Tourist Dock for some weeks, so I presume she is undergoing some 'touching up' Do you catch her in Singapore, or does she sail to Japan before taking on Passengers, do you know?

It was fun we started at 5 pm and I had threaten that I would have to go to bed to get the guests to leave at 11:30 pm. And then two hours of clean up. Thank goodness for two dishwashers. Five loads later, I am on the last wash.

Happy St. Paddy's day indeed. I will be doing a dinner on Sunday afternoon. Corned beef slow cooked in Guiness. Cabbage and red potatoes, Irish Soda bread and Irish butter. The starter will be chilled minted pea soup, and dessert Irish Coffee made with Jameson's From memory lane in 2005 I did a trip around the UK on Queen Mary 2 (her first such voyage) including Cherbourg and Cobh and I did a city tour in Cobh and the last stop was the Jameson's Distillery. Naturally we will be wearing the green.

As I was driving home from my grocery shopping, last week, I was listening to ClassicFM and heard a news broadcast forecasting a winter storm for most of the UK. On the home front, we are now in about the third week of really warm Spring-like weather in Southeast Texas. All of the trees even the lazy elm and pecans have leaves now. Four of my dead potted citrus have been cut down and the pots cleared for four new trees that arrived yesterday. The remaining four are putting on new growth, and I will allow them to grow to see how high on the branches the new growth is before I trim them. My gardener is coming on Friday and we will pot the new citrus all of which have blossoms on them. I may have to do it myself tomorrow, if there is rain in the forecast for Friday. I also received a Japanese Maple for my fern garden. I ordered two, and one came with the other noted as not available. I emailed the owner of the nursery and got a rather snappy response, that she would refund the order. I told her that had I known that the tree I wanted was unavailable I would have ordered another available tree. I think we are finished doing business with her. There is still plenty to keep me busy. The fern garden has made a remarkable recovery with new varieties springing back each day. I am hopeful some of the rarer ferns will return. Time will tell. The only complaint I have is the Pollen. The older I get the more it seems to hit me, and I am loth to medicate for it. The Oak Pollen has been in the 4000 parts per cubic foot. My vehicles have a yellow tinge and even washing them last week didn't really solve the problem, they are yellow again. I hope our UK friends finish with their cold weather and get a breath of genuine Spring soon.

Warm days in the mid 80's f, and warm nights around 70 f have had an amazing effect on the garden and the trees in the forest I live in. Mother Nature has come alive. The eastern Red-bud is covered with pink flowers, and the elms, oaks and sweet gums are all leafing out. My two Hybrid American Chestnuts, I received as part of the Chestnut reforestation project both have small green leaves. They will remain in pots for a year or so, and then will be planted in the garden. The citrus continues to put out leaves. At least three trees have them above the graft, three of the others, below the graft. Hopefully they will leaf above the graft, fingers crossed. A new frost resistant Gardenia has arrived along with four clivias, and a Pigmy Itty Bitty Fig to be potted and protected from the evil tree rats. The garden clean up, continues with about half of the clump Bamboo having been cut back and disposed of. Deer have been nibbling the leaves of my newly planted Camellias, so I have gotten a foul smelling liquid to spray on them to discourage the deer. The only thing I would rather do than gardening is to sail Trans-Atlantic on Queen Mary 2. I have been watching her progress on her Round the World voyage, soon to reach Australia.

Good news. One of the Valencia oranges has new leaves, too. Fingers crossed for the others.

Yesterday, I was working in the garden to repot some plants and do general clean up from the winter and the eve of Christmas Eve freeze. I have eight citrus trees in big pots and they gave me enough fruit to make 16 pints of marmalade last year. They were newly planted after the great freeze of 2021. They were wrapped in plankets, with hope for the best. Our low was 10f and when they were unwrapped all of the leaves turned and fell. I felt doomed. Yesterday, I found leaves coming out on the Republic of Texas Orange (which supposedly can go to 8f) and one of my Moro Blood Oranges. Leaves are coming out out many of the evergreen shrubs in the garden and on some deciduous shrubs as well, and the potocarpus has small magenta flowers. So, barring any more cold mornings, (and there are none in the 14 day forecast) there is good news in the garden. My spirits were much uplifted.

Ron, Your photos are wonderful. I get chills (cold ones) just looking at the ice and snow. I am afraid I am too much of a beach bunny for this kind of weather. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us.

What a sweet looking little girl. I have had dogs and cats all my life.The dogs make good companions, the cats make lovers. My little Mimi went to kitty heaven a year ago Thanksgiving, so in the spring, I went to the animal rescue and selected a little black and white kitty, which I named Cece. When I went to collect her after her procedure, we found out she was a he. At first I was hesitant, since I have had both male and female, my experience has been that females are easier to deal with, and then I thought, here is a little animal who needs a home and love. I took him home and named him Charlie Cat. Upon getting him home I opened the carrier and he leapt out and was seen but not touched for about four months. He was eating his food and using his facilities, but was untouchable. I was using a large Fortnum and Mason Hamper as a coffee table in my study until a mahogany one I ordered arrived. Charlie would rub on the hinges and the leather straps. One day I put my hand out and he rubbed it. He was in love. He cannot get enough attention and rubbing. He is still wary of strangers to the house, but is now a lap cat and loves to be rubbed and stroked. He is also the most talkative cat I have ever had, and rarely makes a move without a grunt or a rao. If I walk into a room and don't see him he meows to let me Know where he is and tell me that he would welcome a rub. This year he discovered birds, and now cannot wait until the blinds are open so he can check to see if there are birds in the garden. As I write this, he has pulled an acrylic throw on my bed into a nest and he is snoring away on it. Yes, cats are most welcome additions to the family.

The freeze of the eve of Christmas eve, really clobbered a lot of my trees (citrus) bushes of all ilk and size and the fern garden looks pretty bad. I went to the back forty to put away the gardenhone I unwound last Sunday as a precaution, when my loony neighbor decided to build a trash fire in 30 MPH gusts. In wandering around the back garden, I came upon some wondrous sights. One of my Magnolia Bushes, a deciduous one puts out puffy white flowers before it re-leafs. Today, the entire bush looked like a 12 foot fully grown cotton plant full of white flowers the size of my fist. Then I noticed what looked like small flowers on a Santa Rosa Plum. On closer examination they are small white flowers, with small green leaves beginning to show as well. On the to the fern garden, and there amongst the brown dead ferns were small little green fern sprouts working their way out of the mass. Now all we have to do is get past the rest of January and February, and we have it made. I am already looking at plants for the pool deck, and I got a new battery yesterday for my Geriatric GMC Yukon to prepare it for trips to Home Depot for potting soil and cedar mulch. After the past two dark years, this year,I am looking for Spring's re-birth more intently than ever.

Queen Mary 2 sailed from Southampton yesterday for her trip to Dubai. It is very satisfying to see her doing her world cruise again after the disaster three years ago.

The day after the night before. As is our habit we celebrated the New Year as the BBC broadcast Big Ben striking 12, with muffled cannon in the back ground. That's 6 pm central time here. A Champagne toast at the hour and then a feast with Spinach Quiche, Black-eyed peas which had been simmering for hours, cornbread muffins, and smothered cabbage, all Texas New Year traditions. The guests left at 9 pm. I did two dishwasher loads of china, silver and crockery (I have two dishwashers so I can do two loads at a time) About 10, I settled in to listen to and watch the neighbors setting off fireworks, legal in my county, by mid-night the din was amazing. No recessions as far as fireworks go in 2022. Now it's 8 am, and I have a cup of Fortnum and Mason Royal Blend in my cup to stir all the synapses so I can get the day going. Today, will be Christmas take down and put away until next year. The further we get from 2020 the better I like it. Let us hope this year is a good one for all.

It is boxing day. My guests for the holiday have departed, and the sun is shining. It's in the mid 50s f and although we have one more night of below freezing the forecasts are for sunny days. This week will be dedicated to cleaning up the dead plants and trimming back in anticipation of Spring which will start at the end of February. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a wonderful, fulfilling new year.

I am pleased that you enjoyed your voyage and got home safely if not swiftly. We have had very cold, but no precipitation, thank goodness. Now enjoy your Christmas, I am looking forward to mine.

Friday morning, When I got up this morning the outdoor temp was 17f -8.3c and brilliantly sunny. When I went down the driveway to collect the newspaper it was 'brisk' to say the least. The Banana trees in the rear garden look very sad, but I will cut them down as I do every spring and they will grow anew. It will take weeks or months to see the fate of other warm weather plants, I pulled the attic stairs down a foot to let warm air from the second floor sitting room go up to keep those pipes warm. Construction here is concrete slab with some pipes within the slab but many more crossing over in the attics, so it is necessary to keep those spaces above freezing. Basements are impractical because of the high water levels in the soils. I left the kitchen sink tap run minimally and so far so good. There is a fire in the fireplace, and it will be a good day to stay indoors.

Queen Mary 2 arrived in New York Harbor before three this morning. I would not want to be one of her arriving passengers trying to fly home across the US, in the worst winter storm in years. Here in southeast Texas we are expecting and overnight low of 15f -9.5c and it is not expected to be above freezing til mid day Saturday. The rest of the central US is colder. My citrus trees are tightly wrapped in Plankets and I have said a prayer for them. These were planted last year after the freeze of '21 which killed their predecessors. I got enough fruit to make 16 pint jars of marmalade. I would hate to lose them again. All of the goods are in for Christmas, so we can button up and stay warm. To all of our friends around the world. Merry Christmas.

since I am several people' elderly uncle, I fit right in on QM2, which is my favorite of the two. I have to say my favorite thing about Mary is strolling on her genuine Teak deck seven decks above the sea, rather than the cheap composite deck three on Vickie.

Enjoy your evening. I am waiting for my younger sister to arrive so I can take her for her birthday lunch. The decorating for Christmas is complete by acclamation, if not in fact. Have a terrific Voyage. We will look forward to hearing from you en route.

Glad you had a terrific day in London. I have been away far too long. I need a fix. Maybe March. I have decided to cancel the Viking Mississippi, and will have a generous refund that should buy a First Return on B.A. and a long weekend in the UK. Still working on the Christmas decorations. I will finish the tree today with the small jeweled ornaments from Gumps, and Fortnum and Mason. I got nine new Halcyon Days Baubles this year, with 4 for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, including two large 5 inch, as opposed to the usual 4 inch. One in red and platinum, another in blue and platinum with the flowers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland truly one of the nicest they have ever made. I had my back to the tree putting a hanger on a bauble and I heard what sounded like a gun shot. When I turned to see what had happened, the Large Blue Bauble was lying in pieces on the floor. I picked up the pieces, vacuumed the shards and went to Halcyon Days to see if it was still available. One is being fabricated and will be sent in one to three weeks at great expense. Maybe before Christmas, maybe not. but I will have it for future years, and will carefully put it on the tree next time. The Christmas dinner is underway. A two bone Prime Rib Roast is reserved at the butcher, The Veuve Clicquot is in the wine larder. The French Steamed Chestnuts are waiting to be made into soup, and I will get most of the other things I need this coming week. We had thunder and lightning from six last night through five this morning with nearly 3 inches of rain in the gauge. It's in the high 60s' (f) today so we are spared the intense cold that friends are reporting from the UK. It works for me, as I get older, I enjoy the warm so much better. One of the interesting things about the low water in the MIssissippi, is that the mud plume that usually coats the upper gulf coast from the river is missing and the Gulf water is a lovely blue green. I hope our English pals keep warm and enjoy the frosty pre Christmas days.

It's more fun in person, because only about 10% of the items they carry get to the web site. And with all their I.T. trouble they are a wonderful store. Kind of like the ones we used to have in the U.S. By the way. One of the friends in the U.K. I had to bypass F&M to send directly was able to send me a hamper as a Christmas gift. So the web site "sort of" works.

Good Luck with Fortnums. I have tried to send gifts including Spirits and Champagne to friends in the UK and the Website seems to think that Surrey and Berkshire are not in the U.K, Maybe shopping in person will avoid those issues, though I know they won't ship alcohol or even preserves with port to the U.S. For years they had an offer where you could fill a small trolley with goodies and have it all shipped for 25 pounds. Hopefully that is still on offer. Check with the customer service people who used to be on Three, but could be anywhere as things tend to move at that shop.