Thousands of minds, just one thought

Today is a bank holiday (for those of you not in the UK, that's a public holiday), schools are on holiday, and the weather has been glorious, so it was inevitable that lots of people would take their children to the zoo to see the new gorilla enclosure. I thought I'd arrived quite early. I was driving (through central London, haven't experienced that nightmare for ages) as the congestion charge (toll for driving into central London Monday-Friday which US embassy officials call a tax and refuse to pay- grr!) doesn't apply on bank holidays. And as a Friend of London Zoo I'm entitled to free parking. But though I arrived before 11am the car park was full, there were still charges for parking on the street - £1.20 an hour and I had no change - and I was just about to go home when the car park attendant told me the next street over had free parking today. Miraculously I found a place. Luckily I did not then have to join the queue for entrance, which was two hours long! As a Friend I get to go straight in. And like the people, the animals were making the most of the gorgeous weather.
The zebra had crashed out.

The meerkats were sunbathing.








The otters fell asleep in a heap.





The Goeldi's Monkey was as cute as can be.








The tigers attracted a lot of attention, and seemed to love it.

















Bobby the Gorilla tried desperately to get this door open.

A little while later it was obvious why - a keeper was getting food ready. She passed some through the mesh to Zaire.

She even has some grasped in her foot, as she needs a hand to hang on with.
The Komodo Dragon enjoyed basking.

The Okapi looked like velvet. I discovered they have a long black tongue like a giraffe's.









I have no idea how many people were in the zoo today. It isn't a very big site, and all the facilities were creaking under the strain. There must have been thousands. Next time I'll go on a day when the schools are in session - if I can just resist working every day of the week!

A Great Send-Off

Today we said our last goodbyes to George. He had his wish, to go to his own funeral on his restored army truck (though it did manage to break down on its way from its home in the country).











It was standing room only in the chapel at the crematorium, as many members of his group that rescues and restores old army vehicles were there. In the cortege there were land rovers, jeeps and other 4x4s (not very green, but George would have loved it). A couple of them were done up in camouflage. They are used in celebrations of landmark events in World War 2.

After the funeral there was a reception at a "working men's club" - a very old British institution, where women are just as welcome these days, and it also has veterans links. Then some of us went back to the house. It was a glorious day, 18C/65F, and we sat in the garden sipping tea. George's great nephew Harry, who is about 18 months old, was fascinated by the little waterfall feature, especially when his Uncle Lloyd taught him how to splash it about.











It was exactly the kind of send-off George wanted, with lots of laughs and lots of tears. His wife Alice, son Darren and daughter Susan really did him proud, and the people who made it all possible demonstrated their affection for a gentle, mild-mannered and very funny man.

There's a big hole in all our lives. But we are all very glad that we knew him. People who didn't don't know what they've missed.

Steal This Movie

After Eliza's post for me yesterday of Steal This Movie with the commentary, I decided to watch it that way this morning. I just LOVED hearing the dear man's "own" voice, and all his laughter. This evening I capped the first 15 minutes and made these slideshows to share.

Abbie kissing Anita.

Abbie's little dance.

Message Board

Three messages to pass on to you today.

Firstly - Molly's back! See you back there, regulars. ANyone elso wants to come along, it's http://molly.com/vdo

Secondly, Linda Stefaniak has asked if I will post this link so that we can all sign a petition to keep LOCI - just in case NBC were thinking of axing it: http://thiscause.org/p/menu.php?p=Stefaniak45880DB

Thirdly, Wendy sent me this link for an excerpt from her latest book, Gothic Blue. Just so you know what she had in mind when she wrote it, she has interspersed it with pictures of you-know-who: http://lustbites.blogspot.com/2007/04/blue-boys-and-public-service.html

I have never felt more useful in my life!

Experimental Bedfellows

OK, so I can't email myself the pictures I capture on this new computer so that I can upload them on to Photobucket from my old computer, because there only seems to be the facility to attach one picture at a time. Then MSN Hotmail promises me that I can attach whole batches of pictures if I download a new tool. Yay, I cry, and do as they say. Then I try to attach my newly captured Bedfellows pictures - and the new tool tells me the file is empty. Yes, of course over 300 pictures=empty, we all know that.

BUT I have saved the pictures as JPEG files, which I just found out PowerDVD will now do, so they load up to Blogger without a problem. :)

They just aren't as big as usual. Wonder what happens if you click on them?