Yes, Friends, have YOU ever wondered why we seem to be seeing fewer and fewer pigeons in the UK these days? Today's Onion News may have the answer!
Makes you think, doesn't it! And Kudos, Baltimore, for cutting down on those incidents of toddler-chasings - a move that most world-class cities have, frankly, lost sight of, which is a pity!
And reading the Onion story today certainly brings a smile to the faces of me and my wife Lois, here in partially-leafy Liphook, Hampshire, to put it mildly!
my wife Lois and me - a recent picture
Obviously some of the more affluent British pigeons are "upping sticks" and moving "across the pond", and hence the shortage "in these here parts" - problem solved!!!
And on our near-daily walk today, around the 'hallowed turf' of local soccer giants Liphook United, we can't help noticing something that presumably is becoming a bit of a rarity in the UK- some amateur "pigeon-tossing" and, indeed, "pigeon-tossing" of a high order, that's for sure!
Just this morning we observe a man sitting on a bench speaking on his mobile, with, beside him, two large wicker baskets filled with pigeons poking their heads through the holes in excitement, and later, after being 'tossed' (!), these same pigeons in the sky around the football field, to a range, we estimate, of about a quarter of a mile or so, and repeatedly flying over our heads, which is exciting!
And thirsty for knowledge, as always, Lois and I later google "pigeon-tossing" to find out the rationale behind the sport, which is interesting!
[I'll be the judge of that! - Ed]
Fascinating stuff, isn't it !!!!
And Lois and I learn a lot of stuff today on our near-daily walk, this time from those additional non-pigeon-related "things" that we commonly see above our heads, would you believe!
I'm not just talking birds here, but also those man-made birds, often referred to as "planes", which is a surprise!
"So, what's your big 'surprise from the skies' today, Colin?", I hear you cry!
Well, if you look closely at the above pictures, you'll see that one of the many planes flying over our heads was going "from MAD to FAB", which sounds good (!), Madrid to Farnborough.
The question remains, however, as to why so many planes Lois and I see above us are flying to or from "FAB", i.e. nearby Farnborough, Hampshire?
Lois and I had thought that these flights were probably military, as Farnborough is near the local UK Army bases at Bordon and Aldershot, but apparently not! It turns out that it's private planes causing the large numbers, apparently, so business flights mainly I guess!
Who knew?!!!!
[I expect a lot of people knew that, Colin, to be frank! - Ed]All in all, today is turning into yet another "quite busy" day for Yours Truly and Lois, my "Mrs Yours Truly", to put it mildly!
For us, our latest "busy day" started with our weekly morning zoom video-call to our daughter Sarah, who lives in Perth, Australia, with husband Francis and their 12-year-old twins Lily and Jessica. And the call turns out to be a good opportunity to discuss their forthcoming 3-week trip to the UK, when they'll be staying with Lois and me, although going 'hither and thither' (!), including a trip to the Lake District, which will be nice!
(above) me before the call starts, practising my "grandpa wave" (!), and (below)
our actual call with Sarah and the twins today - it's already dark there in Perth, which is mad!
The twins will turn 13 this summer, and so they're on the cusp of "teenage-hood", which also shows in the twins' list of what they most want to see when we take them to London: not just the National History Museum and the Science Museum, but also, charmingly, Hamley's Toy Store in Regent Street (?).
Awwwww!!!!
This year, 2026, is going to be quite a year for trips, and later Lois and I exchange texts with my younger sister Gill, who lives in Ipswich, about our planned visit to see her next month. Gill herself has been doing her share of travelling recently: up to Manchester for her eldest daughter Zoe's 40th birthday, and then to Cardiff with Helen, one of Gill's oldest friends.
my younger sister Gill, (left) in Manchester for Zoe's 40th birthday,
with Gill's other daughters Maria and Lucy, and Lucy's fiancee
Rosanna, and (right) in Cardiff with Helen, one of Gill's oldest friends
Who said that old age was all "falling asleep in front of the TV" (!).
[No comment! - Ed]
20:00 Well, certainly, old age isn't like that for veteran TV railway travelogue presenter and ex-Cabinet-Minister Michael Portillo, as we find out from our viewing schedules tonight, to put it mildly!
While Michael's next trip for Channel 5, to Stockholm, Sweden is already being advertised, his current trip to Japan is only in its second week out of three, would you believe!
Who knew, that in Tokyo, one of the most populous cities on earth, with, like, a billion railway and subway stations, that each of these stations has its own, catchy, ten-second "jingle", to reassure stressed passengers as to which station they're at, or just coming to.
What a great idea! And in tonight's programme, Michael talks to the composer behind 300 of these tunes, which is something of an eye-opener, to put it mildly, or should I say "ear-opener" !
[No! - Ed]
But Lois and I can see lots of possibilities for these short jingles in our own lives - perhaps a different jingle for each day of the week, to remind us where we are in the calendar, although this might possibly become a bit annoying, after a while (?). But your views welcome - postcards only!!!!
I wonder....!!!!
Will this do?
[Oh just go to bed! - Ed]
22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzz!!!!!
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