Bigmike911

At long last RAIN, after months of no rain we had a one day shower about a month ago. Lately there have been promises and areas nearer the coast actually got showers. Yesterday it was raining all around us, but not here. 

Last night my left thumb and right middle finger were throbbing in pain, usually a good sign of rain. The light shower we got yesterday could not be called a thunderstorm though there was thunder. It barely wet the driveway.

This morning, about ten another light shower, which turned into a deluge and went on for several hours. I sat on my screened porch and reveled in it. After it was over, I checked the rain gauge- 2 3/4 inches. There was no standing water anywhere, so it all soaked in. We needed it and there are forecasts for rain for the next week.

My mood it brightening. I have been watching QM2s trip to Hamburg, Brugge and Rotterdam, then back to Hamburg before turning to Southampton. I was booked on this voyage and the onward trip to NYC, but canceled last year due to the uncertainty. 

2023 looks very much like a possibility. I have an 8 day Memphis to New Orleans on Viking Mississippi booked in June, so the fall is open. I need my Queen Mary 2 fix, badly. 

13 minutes ago, techteach said:

@Lanky Lad We have never cruised Cunard, but are doing the TA in December. Then I booked another QM2 for the following July. Lots of not so great QM2 reviews, so I’m thinking of moving the booking to QV. So many on this forum love QV…Haven’t discussed this with DH —— so who knows.

I have sailed on QM2 16 times and on Queen Victoria three. I will tell you my honest opinion QM2 out shines the QV in so many ways. First it is a Trans Atlantic Liner, the only one still sailing. And a Trans Atlantic Voyage is a real treat.

Sailing into or out of NYC beats any other sailing experience I have had. Especially passing the Statue of Liberty early in the morning arriving, or sailing under the Verrazano Bridge leaving New York and wondering if the ship will actually fit is quite a thrill.

You will find it far more spacious than QV. It is far more elegant than QV. And, in my opinion it is the only real Cunard Queen. The restaurants and Grills on QM2 out shine those on QV. Being able to stroll the Promenade all the way around the ship on real teak flooring is a special treat. QV is some kind of synthetic floor. The library is larger. And the Queen's room on QM2 is an elegant special place where as on the QV it is just part of the ship with people passing through on their way some where else. 

I hope you will sail QM2, and then try the other Queens. But if you have only one opportunity, make it Queen Mary 2

Enjoy your upgrade. You will have access to the Grills Concierge, and in the morning they have coffee and sweet rolls, if you want a pre breakfast snack. 

You also have access to the Grills Lounge, opposite the Queens Grill entrance, and it is a lovely place to take afternoon tea, or have a pre-dinner cocktail. 

And you have access to the Grills terrace, aft of the deck 11 cabins, and there are refreshments served in the afternoon, while you sun or take advantage of the hot tubs.

Enjoy your voyage. 

On 7/24/2022 at 6:19 PM, techteach said:

@Bigmike911 Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain…Rain drops keep fallin’ on my head…Just Singin’ in the Rain…Rainy days and Mondays always get…Rain, Rain, Go Away, Go to Texas, Rain all day. 🙂

Instead of us getting Rain from Seattle, it would appear that Seattle has received heat from Texas. Enjoy. 

15 hours ago, techteach said:

@Bigmike911 Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain…Rain drops keep fallin’ on my head…Just Singin’ in the Rain…Rainy days and Mondays always get…Rain, Rain, Go Away, Go to Texas, Rain all day. 🙂

Well you have a point or two. This is Texas and we do every thing in a big way. Parched dry, with wild fires one year. Allison and Harvey with 50 plus inches of rain in three days in other years. An inch or two every week or so, would be much nicer. The Weather Prognosticator says, the heat dome that has been cooking the central US will move east, and we will get on shore gulf air, and this time of year, it often results in afternoon showers. So fingers crossed. 

3 hours ago, Tonopah said:

@techteach The food was good, the company amazing, and dessert (sticky toffee pudding by an actual Yorkshireman) fantastic. After dinner there was a guy playing guitar on the plaza so Mister and I danced a bit before thunder and lightning and rain put a damper on things. Thanks for asking!

Send Rain, Thanks. 

23 hours ago, Tonopah said:

I can smell and taste! YAY! I’m still coughing but the worst of the covid seems over. I’m finally feeling well enough to go back to dance. It is hot and humid here, but that’s normal in our part of the world. Doesn’t make it easier to deal with, though.

 

Today is our 34th(!) anniversary. Big plans include going out to dinner. 

 

Glad you all are doing well, despite the heat. Thanks for keeping me company while I’ve been under the weather.

 

 

Congratulations on the return of smell and taste. Life is very bland with out them (a tiny bit of Texas levity). The weather is still hot over 100f although a front blew through and the temp 'plunged' to 82 last night. There was heavy rain on the coast -  4 inches at my sisters. None here. 

The weather prognosticator says the 'heat dome' that has been over us, moves east off over the Atlantic at mid week and we will likely get wide spread rain on Thursday. The weatherman always has little tidbits to engage the viewers. He reported that the highest Temperature ever experienced in North Dakota was 126f at the town of Steele 100 miles from the Canadian border. This was on 6 July, 1936. I found that very interesting. 

When they show round trips, there are also one way trips too. If you have questions, call Cunard or your TA. they can find them. 

At long last some rain. We had 1.25 inches in two squalls yesterday. The first in several months. There was no run off as it soaked into the parched soil immediately. Wind with lots of pine needles down. It took me about 15 minutes this morning to clean them out of the pool. A chore I gladly undertook. Possibly more today and tomorrow, and we will take all we can get. It is slightly cooler with only 85f at noon vs 104f earlier in the week. 

July 3rd. The day before we celebrate our Independence Day, July 4th. Preparations include making a chilled cream of minted pea soup, served with Crème Fraiche. A spinach Quiche, and BlueBell Strawberry Vanilla Ice cream. It is 100F today and will be tomorrow, so we will eat light and spend time in the pool, which is about 10 degrees cooler, than the air.

Friends in the wet part of the country, please send rain, we need it badly. To our American friends, Happy Fourth, to our other friends have a great summer, or winter depending on where you are. 

7 hours ago, rakkor said:

We're back in Cyprus for the first time since 2019 after having our Villa holiday cancelled repeatedly over Covid. It's very nice to be uncomfortably hot when you have a cool swimming pool at the end of your sunbed. The pool had the added bonus of hydrotherapy recuperation on the broken pelvis, my right leg is feeling stronger every day

 

There is nothing like a warm pool to help loosen up old joints. Mine is 90f on the surface, a bit cooler a foot lower, but floating doing my deep water aerobics has done my gimpy knee a world of good. Enjoy. 

4 hours ago, Kynance said:

We received the Queen Anne package last week.  It would make a nice souvenir, I think. I’m reserving judgement on whether she’s for us or not (like many others on this board, I’m put off by the look of the narrow and dark promenade deck and the higher density of passengers) but I received some good news from work on Thursday - I have just secured a promotion - so we might actually be able to afford to sail on her now!! 😀🤣

Congratulations on your promotion. Well, done. 

I was surprised when I collected my mail yesterday that a box about 5 by 8 inches, 1/2 inch thick was addressed to me, sent by Cunard by Royal Mail.

When I opened it, I found a nice package of information about Queen Anne. Including photos and cruise information. 

Have others received such a package?

Summer is here, by temperature if not by date. 34c, 94f. The pool crossed 85f and I am off to swim. I hope all mothers had a wonderful day. 

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

Her next cruise isn't until 5th June so hopefully that's enough time.

There I go getting my months mixed up again. That makes absolute sense. Thanks Hattie. 

Since I usually sail East to West. I stop in at Fortnum and Mason's and pick up a box of Royal Blend Tea Bags. Dealing with loose Tea is a problem, so I can have my morning Tea with convenience. 

Queen Victoria is in the Harland and Wolf dock, in Belfast,  prior to her dry docking as of 1 May. It is going to be quite a push to get her cleaned, painted and back to Southampton by 5 May. 

17 hours ago, Tonopah said:

YES! Your cat is beautiful.  Nog showed up as a young kitten. It took us 6 months to gain his trust. Now he’s the boss of the house. 

Our Loving little Cat Mimi went to Kitty Heaven in November and by March it was time to get another from the County Animal Shelter. We found a lovely black and white girl, and chose her. We were going to call her Claudette Colbert (for movie fans of a certain era) or CC for short.

We went to collect her after she was to have her "operation" and discovered that She was a He. I paused because I have had issue with males, but my softer side said it's just a cat in need. So I brought him home and as I opened the carrier to give him a pet he leapt out and ran from the kitchen to the dining room and then points unknown. So far he has not been touched by human hands.

He eats well, at night after our dinner has been finished and the breakfast room and kitchen are vacant, and again later in the evening until all the moist and dry food is gone. He does his business and has been generally well behaved.

Every evening I spend about an hour reading before bed. The Cat, who has been named Charlie-Cat comes into the living room to see what I am doing, but stays away. He will stretch and roll over on the oriental rug, but keeps a keen eye on me. If I get up, he goes to a hiding place until I sit down again, Slowly he is getting used to us.

I can only imagine that some very negative interaction with people, maybe at the shelter with the various treatments and his operation made him very wary. I am giving him his space and time. I feel eventually that he will become a very loving cat. Time will tell. 

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I have found that with two people and luggage, the easiest way from Heathrow to Central London is by black Cab. You can get one that takes credit cards or visit the atm's after baggage in the airport for GBP.

Taking the tube or the Heathrow Express train means getting a taxi to the hotel from the tube station or Paddington and it's just not worth the effort. Especially with the jet lag you will get from the overnight trip, that get to LHR when your body clock says it's the middle of the night. 

With all the changes due to the pandemic, I am not sure that you can still book them, but I have one still active and it is $300. It serves as the initial deposit, and is applied to the total fare. There used to be an OBC that came with it and it was $200. But that may have gone. I would think that Cunard would be wise to continue to offer these rebuild it's customer base. 

1 hour ago, Lanky Lad said:

We will soon find out what is number 1. I am lucky enough to live quite close to Manchester and Liverpool both with world class orchestras. 

And it is "the Lark Ascending" once again. Playing now at 8:50 BST and 2:50 CDT. 

In Hamburg you will depart from the Steinwerder Cruise Terminal. You should depart about  5pm local. In Southampton you should arrive at daybreak. If you are going on a tour, or a self tour, you should be able to leave the ship by 9 am.

If you are going to the Solent Sky museum, it is not far from any of the docks, but if you need a wheel chair you will need a taxi. The Taxi Drivers in the UK are very handy with helping passengers who need a wheel chair in and out of the taxi's and stowing the chair. The distance from the Mayflower pier to the museum is well more than one mile. Not exactly strolling or rolling distance, so think Taxi.

You will arrive at Red Hook, Brooklyn very early in the am. Your luggage will be off according to your accommodation level, Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess and Queens Grill and status with Cunard. With the highest levels first.  You will be requested to give your flight number, to help with your disembarking but a warning if you book a flight before noon, you may have issues. 

1 hour ago, Lanky Lad said:

I am just back from the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. A truly excellent concert by Karl Jenkins, including the Armed Man, a mass for peace, which he dedicated to the people of Ukraine.

 

The concert was originally planned for June 2020, then May 2021, but it was well worth the wait

Classic FM is doing their Top 300 this weekend and the Benedictus from the "Armed Man" is on the list. I am hoping that The Lark Ascending takes top prize again this year. The people of Ukraine need all the help they can get, but their bravery is astounding. 

Spring is in full glory in South East Texas on this Good Friday. This year with covid in retreat here and spring flowers in full bloom it really does feel like a re-birth. The blossoms on my citrus are plentiful and a lot of fruit has already set (here's hoping the fruit makes to the Fall.)

And three of my four Pecans are full of catkins, suggesting that we may get a bumper crop come fall. My dad who also had Pecans said you need a really bumper crop so that the Squirrels get all they can consume, and there are actually some left for the people. 

The winter this year was actually quite mild, and other than a Tasmanian Tree Fern, in the fern garden,  I lost no plants to the cold.  However, I have been planting new greenery with a keen eye for their ability to take cold weather as well as hot. This years addition to the garden are Camellias, Rhododendron, in the garden and some wonderful Acer Palmatums for containers on the pool deck and patio.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all. 

15 hours ago, vettprincess said:

Just watched her sail out of Fort Lauderdale. What a beautiful sight. We will be on her 7/1/22.

 

Vette Princess, I too was watching the Queens departure from Port Everglades yesterday. Not only were the horn blasts magnificent, but seeing her decks crowded with passengers and crew was probably the best tonic a covid weary audience could imagine. 

It's also very nice to hear from you after all this time, and I do understand completely why you stopped posting on the other thread. I wish you well and look forward to seeing more of your posts.