Thank you Roger for your kind words and for the gong in the mailbox. It arrived with a hefty "ker-langgggg" and bent the undertray of the battered box in the process. I shall strive to be a worthy bearer of such a fine award.

To add to my cv; I have taken up swimming again. Although the coast is not far from here, and Denmark is surrounded by sea, I do most swimming indoors, between 2 and 4 km's per week, just to maintain the love-affair almost every Dane has with the wet element.

Which again brings me to remark upon our learned discussion about operation Sea Lion. By a strange coincidence, a mailing list I am on is currently going very off topic by entertaining discussions regarding that same operation Sea Lion. Usually it is reserved for discussing the literary works of Elleston Trevor, a.k.a. Adam Hall. It's a funny old world.

Chaps,

JRT,

I completely agree with your assesment of the invasion presentation by ZS2. It has been aired on two occasions that I can remember. Please check your mailbox for an interesting observation.

Probably my last post before venturing forth to the those tiny scattered islets of the Scillies.

The vagrants are arriving in greater numbers at last and there will be two more by tomorrow afternoon.

Folks,

Good news. Though he has not popped in here, Dux has somehow managed to escape from the clutches of those greedy publicans in the Scillies. If they had their way I'm sure that they would have kept him and his thirsty pals until there was not a bottle or drop of anything left to drink.

Hmmmmmm. Quite right MG. If we look at it from the other way 'round perhaps there was nothing left to drink and that was the very reason the boys have returned. Regardless, I am glad that they have returned safely.

Though most of the deciduous trees have yet to don their gorgeous fall colors, we have had some fallish weather in the Carolinas starting this past weekend. Temps were down in the low 40s or high 30s F. around 5 C.

Now according to our tough-skinned Canadian friend C51, that is considered quite warm up there and the old swimmin' hole isn't even considered closed until it completely freezes over so they can play hockey on it. Perhaps this is true? I've heard of the Polar Bear Club. Those chaps have to carry an ice pick with them when they go in for a dip. Brrrrrr! No thanks.

Unfortunately C51 continues to have problems with his wireless Internet connection. It is an on again mostly off again kinda proposition right now. He'll eventually sort it out. He is certainly getting plenty of unsolicited advice from me.

Indeed, ZS2's tale of the Operation Sealion could bear being reposted methinks.

Nothing much to report from here except the passing of seasons. In spite of the pretty colours found in nature, I'm not much in favour of fall, nor the coming of winter for that matter. Indoor activities notwithstanding. Pass the Malt please, I propose a toast to members of the HWH Squadron, past and present.

Folks,

MG:

I dunno, 'Indoor activities' can cover quite a lot of ground. Admittedly, where you poke your pink little nose out of a frosty window, cold is REALLY cold. Most years we do not even have measurable snowfall here. That said, we have many cold, gray days when it is uncomfortable outdoors. We still call it winter though by your icy standards our "cold" might be far less frigid.

We have a long and enjoyable tradition of toasting just about anything but prohibition here at HWH Hall so I am delighted to join you. Here's to SNAFU, HWH and all our members both past and present. Cheers!

I am comparing digital cameras once again though I doubt that I will get a new one anytime soon. I have done much research and narrowed the considerable field down to the Cannon Powershot SX10 IS, Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ28 and the Nikon Cool Pix P90 with 24X optical zoom. At the moment I am leaning toward the Cannon as its picture seems to be crisper even though the optical zoom is less than that of the Nikon. The fact that I have found the SX10 IS priced at a $50 discount doesn't hurt much either.

Our current point and shoot digital is a good one but I really want an extended zoom for wildlife photos. Yes, there is quite a lot of wildlife around here, some of which actually involves animals.

JRT, Jens,

May I join you, somewhat belatedly in that toast? I may? Good show!

It's 'bottoms up' then or perhaps it's safer to offer 'cheers' when Olga is lurking...

My CoolPix is looking a bit worse for wear now after being dropped several times but still capable in operation. Rather bulky compared to the latest models but I'll stick with it for a while longer.

Folks,

Dux:

Welcome home. The toasts have continued through the night and show no signs of tapering off. The beermaid would like to know if you'd like a pint glass or your usual bucket?

I want one of the new digital ultra (optical) zoom cameras for nature photography. Your Coolpix, though not an ultra zoom, has certainly impressed me. That is why I considered the new Nikon.

However doing diligent research, I found that the slightly older Cannon actually provides a crisper picture even though it lacks some of the Nikon's features. For instance, the 12 MP Nikon has a 24x zoom against the 20x zoom of the 10 MP Cannon. I know of no other digital that has more than a 26x zoom. There is a hot shoe on the Cannon for an external flash which may be needed in certain low light conditions. Both have Optical viewfinders in addition to a LCD display that swivels. Neither are perfect and both have flaws.

A quick Google of a comparison between the two cameras will shortly give you an idea that the general consensus is that they are both very good cameras but the Cannon is slightly better mainly because the photos are crisper and that is what it is all about, yes?

Are there any photos of your recent adventure that modesty will allow you to share?

JRT,

I didn't take my camera but there will be some pics available to show in a few days.

Still no concentrated birding news coming through from the Scillies. Looks like it could turn out to be a real bummer of an autumn this year...

Folks,

Dux:

A bummer there perhaps, yet if I know you, you'll make the most of it somewhere. I must say that going birding without your camera seems tantamount to going hunting without a submachine gun or fishing without hand grenades or dynamite.....

I looked out my kitchen window this morning and after realizing it needs a good scrubbing, I spied a very hungry member of the family Columbidae, a common Mourning Dove. She was after the remains of last night's popcorn. I had placed that on a low feeder for a neighboring squirrel. Shortly, she dropped to the ground creating a puff of air that sent several small leaves kiting. She then proceeded to feed about in the grassy areas. I did not see a mate.

It seems to be about time to start putting out birdseed and suet again. There are signs that the abundance of natural food in the surrounding thickets is dying off. Soon the skies will be leaden and the North wind will be whipping through those thickets as Old Man Winter begins to tease.

We have not seen the Redtail hawk for a few weeks now. He comes and he goes. He'll eventually be back looking for the squirrels and rabbits that abound between here and the river. The Redtail is our most common hawk to be sure but no less of interest to me. I enjoy watching him soar so effortlessly supported on the summer thermals.

Often, as in the photo I sent to you, he is but a distant, dark silhouette against the blue sky. At other times he power zooms across our property just above the treetops or alights on a pine branch or settles on the ground in search of a small mouse, shrew or mole.

Have you started building another aircraft kit for the winter? Has the Fokker been mended? I flew an instant (historic) mission in BoB last night. We were over London and, as usual, there was plenty up there to shoot at. We were kept busy by a very large and unsociable bunch of 109s and 110s as the bombers methodically droned along overhead. I got one of each before some unsporting Hun's 20 MM shells removed a vital part of my Spitfire's anatomy and that sent me cursing into the silk elevator. No one missed me much for my two had left plenty for everyone else to worry about. Overall we had been successful.

JRT,

No, the Fokker still awaits repair but it is yet another coincidence that you should enquire and also make comments about future projects. Only the previous evening, after a couple of years lapse, my interest was re-kindled enough for me to visit several websites with a view to evaluating models and prices for an electric powered scale model.

Biplanes take longer to build so I found the 62" span Jodel D-120 an attractive proposition from DB Sport and Scale models. It's on the web. Construction looks simple and straightforward as are the flying characteristics by all accounts. Maybe the winter months will see me beavering away at some construction project or other and I might even get round to repairing the Fokker!