All Skyped up

It's all about communication, keeping in touch, being available. Hearing another human's voice at the other end of the line thousands of miles away has always been a great fascination for me. I remember many years ago, in the 1950s, my uncle used to telephone my mother from London.
Now you might not think that was such a big deal, but in order to do this, he used to send my mother a telegram, telling her to be at her other brother's house at a certain time, on a certain day. He lived at least three miles away, across town. On the day specified, my mother would round us up, well as many as she could find, (there were seven) and catch a bus to my uncle's place to receive the phone call. We all waited eagerly for our turn, to say at least "Hello" to this person on the other end, and if you were real quick you could get in a sentence or two! Such a different age now, the magic and excitement is all but gone.

Now I have a mobile phone, a cordless phone, a phone attached to a cord, and a Skype phone attached to my computer! Ah the pleasure, or is it confusion, of choices; Who shall I call? Which phone shall I use? What do I want to talk about! I am still fascinated.....

Under the Water

"I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopuss's garden near a cave". Well, not quite, but there is definitely something to be said for being in the water wearing a snorkel and mask. It's like looking in on a whole other alien world. I have always been keen on swimming, right from a child, but only learned to snorkel in my fifties.

Some people swim with Dolphins and Whales; I have swum with trout! There is a place near where I live, where every afternoon water is released from the hydro dam, down into the natural water course. (The river was diverted) There are trout in the pools there, and if you knew just the right time to go, and you didn't mind climbing down a bank and up a small waterfall, it was a wondrous experience!

You'd find all manner of stuff too, like old cameras, broken crockery, fishing flies, supermarket trolleys and even a fridge. You aren't allowed to go there now, the powers that be must have found out just how much fun it was and thought they'd put the codwash on it. Spoilsports!

So now it's just the lake, but that can be fun too, no sharks, although you have to watch out for the waves when boats pass by too close, and the lake weed, and the fishermen casting off the rocks.....
I'm off for a snork now, catch y'all later!

Driving, and being driven.

I love driving my car! I love to see the road stretching out ahead in front. It's a great feeling to have control over this huge piece of machinery and technology and make it go somewhere. To feel the power of acceleration!
When horses and coaches and wagons ruled the roads, did the drivers feel the same exhilaration? Did they want to go faster?
Sometimes when I'm driving , I just want to turn down a road I haven't been on before and see where it takes me. Will my car get there, can I negotiate the unknown twists and turns safely! A sense of adventure seems to overtake me somehow.

I became a driving instructor at one stage of my life. I wanted to teach others to feel the freedom too.

Sometimes we are driven......by our cars!

New to me.....

Wow, my very first blog!
Damn, I feel a mental block coming on. I'm sure lots of you out there get these all the time don't you? It's on the tip of my tongue, you say. You put out your tongue, but still can't see it! Never mind the physical act of actually trying to see your tongue. Perhaps it'll come to me tomorrow, you wake up tomorrow but still it isn't there.

At last you find it, after that second cup of coffee (or tea) but is it really what you wanted to say? Some how it just doesn't seem important enough now, in the grand scheme of things. We all hope our ideas and thoughts are seen by those around us, as interesting enough to be considered and discussed. I wish to share in this online experience by giving my views, completely unbiased of course.