Todo aquellos que huelen el viento allá donde sopla una brisa y que no necesitan ni un pequeño empujoncito para meter todo su material en el coche para salir a la carretera en busca de un spot donde el viento sea viento y las condiciones magníficas conocen la URL, pero detrás de www.windguru.cz se halla un hombre con nombre. El Windguru se llama Vaclav Hornik y Nayra Alonso nos lo descubre.

Surf a Vela: ¿Quién se encuentra detrás de Windguru, alguien que ama el windsurf, kite o surf o sólo alguien a quien le gusta la meteorología?
WindGuru: Alguien que ama el windsurfing y que por tanto le interesa el tiempo. Nunca hubiera creado esta página web si no hiciera windsurf. Cuando descubrí internet por primera vez inmediatamente traté de encontrar previsiones del tiempo por mi hobbie, y las encontré. Había muchísimas fuentes de información sobre el tiempo, pero ver todos los diferentes mapas de diferentes websites, cada uno en diferente formato, no era muy cómodo. Así se me ocurrió la idea de crear algo que fuera mejor para los windsurfistas.

SaV: En los últimos años, Windguru se ha convertido en una de las páginas web sobre prevision del tiempo más usadas por gente que hace wind, kite o surfing, ¿cuánta gente visita diariamente la parte gratuita de Windguru?
WG: Por el momento son más de 100.000 visitas cada día. Pero sigue aumentando... :)

SaV: Windguru es una forma sencilla de echar un vistazo a todo al mismo tiempo: viento, olas, temperaturas, etc. ¿Cómo funciona realmente? Podrías explicar para los no-expertos en meteorología cómo Windguru llega a dar esta interpretación de las previsiones meteorológicas?
WG: Windguru usa datos de modelos del tiempo para creas las previsiones. Los modelos del tiempo primero recogen muchísimas medidas y datos que describen el estado de la atmósfera en un determinado momento para luego tratar de calcular cómo se desarrollará el estado de ésta en los días sucesivos. El resultado son un montón de datos y una cantidad inmensa de números que describen un posible estado de la atmósfera en el futuro. Yo proceso todos estos datos, recojo todos aquellos que reflejan información útil e interesante para la mayoría de windsurfistas y los ofrezco en un formato más “sencillo”. Es importante saber que los modelos sobre el tiempo son algo no perfectamente exacto y no nos dan una prevision al 100% de lo que ocurrirá, son simplemente herramientas para los meteorólogos. Ellos entienden estos modelos, conocen sus limitaciones y con la ayuda de otros modelos que ofrecen el resultado de los datos recogidos pueden preparar las previsiones meteorológicas que vemos en TV, por ejemplo. El problema es que la mayoría de la gente no está muy interesada en el viento, sólo en si lloverá o estará soleado, si hará frío o calor, pero ¿en si hará viento? Si no hay huracanes cerca, ¿a quien le interesa el viento? Así que normalmente no tenemos mucha información sobre el viento en el tiempo de la tele, etc., son todos muy generales. Así que es hora de analizar la información y los datos del viento por tí mismo. Los modelos del tiempo te pueden dar una prevision de los vientos bastante detallada. Simplemente observa estos modelos de prevision para tu spot, estúdialos un poco (todo windsurfista tiene algo de meteorólogo dentro) y una vez entiendas cómo funciona esa descripción en este sitio, estos modelos de prevision te servirán bastante.

SaV: ¿Cómo has podido recoger y saber de tantos y tan dispares spots de windsurf por todo el planeta? Lugares muy diferente y prácticamente desconocidos como Asilah, en Omán, o la bahía de Togha, en Guam?
WG: Casi todos los spots se han ido añadiento a petición de la gente. Yo no sabía de todos estos spots, procuro añadir más y más a la lista oficial a medida que la gente lo pide. Pero si soy muy lento, los usuarios pueden añadir por sí mismos a su lista de spots “no oficial” su propio spot personal. Los modelos del tiempo cubren todo el globo, así que es posible encontrar previsiones para cualquier lugar.

SaV: ¿Cuántos de los spots que recoges en Windguru has podido visitar?
WG: Sólo una fracción... Espero que en mis próximas mil vidas los visite todos.

SaV: ¿Tienes idea sobre si los visitants de Windguru son más windsurfistas, kiters o surfistas? WG: La mayoría son windsurfistas y kiters. Creo que el número de kiters crece más rápido por el desarrollo de este deporte en los últimos años.

SaV: ¿De acuerdo con las estadísticas, ¿qué parte del planeta es la más ventosa, en términos de “días con viento navegables” al año? ¿Y cuál tiene más “estrellas windguru” durante el año?
WG: Todas las previsiones se guardan, de manera que cualquiera puede mirar en los archivos. Me gustaría hacer alguna comparativa entre los spots, alguna “top list” de spots con los datos de los archivos, y entonces veríamos. No es la medida real que ha tenido el viento, siguen siendo sólo las previsiones que se han dado, pero sería interesante mirar. En realidad no he estudiado qué spots son los de más viento, pero al menos sé de uno bastante interesante (hace algún tiempo un usuario me pidió que añadiera este spot a la lista) y es la isla de Socotra, en Yemen, echa un vistazo a los archivos desde principios de junio a finales de septiembre... ¡Fuerza 6 prácticamente todos los días!

SaV: Si tuvieras que elegir uno de los lugares recogidos en Windguru como destino para tus vacaciones perfectas, ¿con cuál te quedarías? WG: El sueño de todo windsurfista es ir a Maui. La previsión de Maui es la que aparece por defecto cuando entras en Windguru por primera vez. Aún no he estado allí... ¡pero espero visitarlo!

SaV: Algo que normalmente hago cuando estoy trabajando en mi ordenador es refrescar contínuamente Windguru para ver si una mala previsión ha cambiado en los últimos cinco minutos. ¿Cuándo has de suspender el servicio por un tiempo, se vuelven los usuarios “locos” sin Windguru? Nos volvemos los windsurfistas/kiters adictos a Windguru?
WG: Yo hago lo mismo, actualizo una mala previsión y lo normal es que vaya a peor. Hmmm... creo que algunas personas sí deben ser realmente adictas porque siempre regresan todos los días... ¡Es genial!

SaV: ¿Recibes quejas de usuarios que han perdido días de navegación por una mala previsión? ¿Te pide la gente “milagros” en las previsiones?
WG: Recuerdo un usuario que una vez me pidió que le diera la prevision del tiempo para sus vacaciones de julio... ¡me lo preguntó en febrero! Pero no era un windsurfista... ¡NO PODÍA ser un windsurfista! Por supuesto, algunas personas se quejan de las malas previsiones, pero yo siempre repito que sólo es un modelo, Windguru es una forma cómoda de modelo de previsión del tiempo, nada más y nada menos, la mayoría de la gente entiende esto. Pero si vas a la playa esperando unas condiciones buenísimas según las previsiones y no lo son, es normal que te cabrees, debe haber alguien que tenga la culpa. ¡Windguru! Pero aun así recibo muchísimos más emails de apoyo a la página que los cabreados con ella. ¡Debo dar las gracias a todos!

SaV: Parece que las previsiones de Windguru se está volviendo más “exactas” en algunos lugares, ¿es esto sólo coincidencia o suerte o las tecnologías de predicción están mejorando? ¿Por qué dirías que es más exacto en algunos lugares o en otros?
WG: Los modelos tienen limitaciones, una de las más importantes es la resolución. Incluso teniendo un modelo genial no puedes calcular todos los valores y datos del tiempo para cada cien metros de la superficie del globo, se realiza mucha “media” o generalización en el modelo, de lo contrario se necesitaría una cantidad de cálculos imposible. Si intentas obtener la previsión de un lugar con unas características de terreno muy complicadas no puedes obtener resultados precisos porque existen efectos locales que no se recogen en los modelos de “tosca” resolución. A mayor resolución, más detalles se pueden tener en cuenta. Nosotros ahora contamos con un modelo con resolución de 9 km para algunas áreas y así tener unas previsiones locales mejores, pero es muy difícil cubrir grandes extensiones de esta forma ya que los cálculos serían demasiado grandes. En un futuro intentaremos cubrir más intensamente áreas interesantes. Pero hay que imaginar que hay regiones en las que los vientos son tan locales que necesitarías una resolución de 0'5 km para obtener una previsión realista, por ejemplo en el lago de Garda, en Italia. Por otra parte, si lo que tenemos es una isla sin relieve en medio del océano no necesitas tener una alta resolución porque las condiciones serán similares en un área de 100 km. También hay otros sitios en los que las condiciones son tan regulares que no necesitas previsión, como Jericoacoara, en Brasil.

SaV: De acuerdo con la publicidad que se hace a través de Windguru, ¿qué industria está invirtiendo más en promover el deporte, el windsurfing o el kitesurf?
WG: Creo que el Kitesurfing.

SaV: Teniendo en cuenta factores como los niveles de actividad de la website o la respuesta de los usuarios a la publicidad en Windguru, ¿dirías que el windsurfing ha crecido en los últimos años?
WG: Esta es una pregunta más para las compañías que producen el material. Yo creo que sigue creciendo, pero tengo la sensación de que el kitesurfing está creciendo más rápido, se presenta más atractivo a la gente que se inicia y si tienes condiciones es muchísimo más fácil aprender lo básico para ir y volver y pasarlo bien antes. Yo, la verdad, no estoy en posición de decirlo ya que yo no he probado el kitesurf en el agua aún, pero creo que es verdad. Sin embargo he probado snow-kiting y, en serio, ¡es super fácil! Eres un principiante durante dos días, ya luego puedes surfear y pasarlo genial, en cinco días puedes estar probando saltos. ¡Increíble deporte de invierno alternativo de todos modos! Si comparo esto con el windsurf... te lleva mucho esfuerzo hasta que puedes ir con los pies en los foostraps por primera vez y volverte adicto... Aún yo, tras años navegando, sólo consigo hacer algunas trasluchadas planeando, y es sólo una maniobra básica.

SaV: Bueno, esto es todo, si hay algo más que te gustaría hacer llegar a la gente, no te cortes, y muchísimas gracias…
WG: Sólo desear buen viento a todos. ¡Aloha!

Fonte : www.windsurfesp.com 

The ridge of high pressure affecting the south China coast and the northern part of the South China Sea will weaken gradually over the weekend. Meanwhile, a trough of low pressure will move closer to Guangdong early next week. Besides, the tropical depression near Luzon will move northwest across the Luzon Strait.

Date/ Month	28/8 (THURSDAY)	29/8 (FRIDAY)	30/8 (SATURDAY)	31/8 (SUNDAY)	1/9 (MONDAY)	2/9 (TUESDAY)	3/9 (WEDNESDAY)
Weather
	Fine.	Fine.	Mainly fine apart from isolated showers.	Sunny periods with a few showers.	Cloudy with a few rain patches.	A few rain patches.	Sunny intervals.
Wind	South to southwest force 2 to 3.	Southwest force 3 to 4.	West force 2 to 3.	Light winds force 2.	Light winds force 2.	Light winds force 2.	Light winds force 2.
Temp(oC)	27 - 32	27 - 32	27 - 32	27 - 32	26 - 30	26 - 29	26 - 30
R.H. Range (%)	60 - 85	60 - 85	65 - 85	65 - 85	70 - 90	70 - 90	65 - 85

Note: "7-day Weather Forecast" provides general indications of the trends in weather for the coming week. For detailed description of today's weather forecast, please refer to "Local Weather Forecast"

Husband: What about the clothes?

Me: Leave them on the line.

Andrew: What if it rains?

Me: It won't. The weather forecast says it's sunny and cloudy. It makes no mention of rain.

Andrew: Looks like rain.

Me: Crap. The weather forecast says it's sunny and cloudy.

Andrew: No mention of rain?

Me: None.

Andrew (doubtfully): Well, ok then.

Twenty kilometres later:-

Me: Shit.

Andrew: It's raining.

Me: It's raining.

Andrew: That's your fault for leaving the clothes out. You ruined it for all of us.

From the Associated Press:

A light stream of traffic headed out of Key West Sunday morning as officials urged visitors to leave the string of low-lying islands ahead of Tropical Storm Fay, which forecasters said could strengthen to a hurricane.

Fay could start pelting parts of the Keys and South Florida late Monday or early Tuesday as a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane. Keys officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors starting at 8 a.m. Sunday and asked those who had not yet arrived to postpone their trips.

The storm picked up some momentum early Sunday morning as it headed toward Cuba, and could be a hurricane by the time it reaches the island's center, forecasters said. At 8 a.m. EDT Sunday, Fay's center was located about 395 miles southeast of Key West and moving west-northwest at 13 miles per hour. The storm had maximum sustained winds near 50 mph with some gusting.

When I was in Miami for the first time last November, I saw what a small storm could do. I can only imagine what a possible Category 1 storm will do. In fact, it is unthinkable what a Category 5 storm could do if it were to hit Miami directly. Thoughts?

showers scattered here, here and here

- on the East coast, a fresh wind

will make it feel cooler than 20 degrees

I change position on the sofa, my chest

drawn to my knees

For tomorrow, a cloudy start

will give way to scattered showers

Wind: fresh to moderate

and temperatures normal for the time of year

I stretch one arm towards the ceiling and wiggle my toes

The outlook for Saturday and Sunday:

mixed - sunshine and showers

Temperatures in the high teens or low twenties

So: enjoy the weekend, whatever you're doing.

I turn over and watch the ceiling: in the corner a

spider slowly spins her web.

The Lyme Regis Gig Club was brought to life in a campaign spreaheaded by Marcus Dixon. Since its launch in June this year, our new gig 'Rebel' has been wholeheartedly adopted by the people of Lyme Regis. The crowds on the beach waiting their turn on rowing nights and the grins on their faces as they come back in say it all, really. We have an active and dedicated committee who are busy fundraising for the next gig. Funding for the gig shed is now secure and you should see it in place opposite the Boat Building Academy early this autumn. It has been a remarkable success, demonstrating just how much 

The Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis was the brainchild of Giles Frampton. In 1997, having completed a boat building course in Falmouth, Giles saw an opportunity to set up a similar scheme in the redundant buildings on Monmouth Beach and persuaded retired Naval Commander Tim Gedge to put up the money and top boat builder and teacher Dick Phillips to move his entire family up from Falmouth. Ten years later, Giles is Managing Director of Ecodeveloper Ltd, and Dick is building boats half a mile down the road in Whitchurch! For information about the Boat Building Academy, click HERE.

As a company, we support initiatives in industries in which women are under-represented. We wish our esteemed boat builder Gail McGarva every success with her bid to build the next gig. (If you are a female brick and block layer in need of employment, please see the Recruitment Page!)

We make a small charge for using our images, which goes towards the gig club fundraising effort. If you want to use our images, please contact hannah@hannahlovegrove.co.uk

Tropic Thunder is an homage to Hollywood war epics from "Platoon" and "Apocalypse Now" to "Saving Private Ryan" and "Rambo." What will most certainly be the most talked about part of the film will be Downey Jr's portrayal of Kirk Lazarus, in blackface.

Check out what The Oregonian has to say:

The comedy has garnered a lot of buzz in the last year because Robert Downey Jr. appears in it as an Australian actor so committed to his craft that he undergoes a procedure to have his skin turned brown to play an African American soldier.

Now, that is a lot to ask an audience to swallow in 2008, with an African American presidential candidate and older media stars getting fired and suspended for various racially insensitive faux pas. Blackface is a complicated bit of ancient Americana, and most folks are happy it's gone the way of other dastardly forms of "entertainment." So, it would seem to be a third rail of film comedy.

The thought behind this is that the award-winning Lazarus has actually undergone surgery to "be black" in an effort to pull off a more convincing portrayal of what is supposedly a character who existed in real life. To be sure that the film would not be considered too offensive, Stiller showed it to the NAACP for feedback, and several African American film journalists have reacted positively to Downey's hilarious portrayal.

I'm sure that as always, Stiller will turn in a masterpiece and Tropic Thunder will be a box office success. Thoughts?

It is rather fitting I write this article/post on one of the hottest days of the year - 28 degrees with high humidity (muggy) and a little wind. Here are a few tips for hot weather hiking -

1) Water - take two bottles of water and put them in the freezer the night before. Allow some room at the top of the bottle 1/2 inch or so. Do not fill to the top.
2) Sunscreen - with global warming around us, the need to put sunscreen on is a necessity and requirement. Go with at least 30 spf/fps for UVA/UVB protection.
3) sunglasses - great to protect the eyes not only for sun but branches & leaves on the trail.
4) Wear a Hat - Many hikers will wear a baseball cap which is fine in the front but does not protect your ears or back of the neck. Make sure you have sunscreen on your neck and ears. There is the tilley hat, a flap hat which protects the neck & ears - I use this alot when sea kayaking, and a wide brim hat.
5) Food - you use alot of energy hiking when it is hot so bring extra food.
6) Take lots of breaks - relax have a sip of water or some food. Do not hike fast when it is hot.
7) wind breaker - great to have on top of the mountain when hiking as it is usually windy and colder on top. If you have been sweating, you can feel cold on top of the mountain.
8) Hiking boots & socks - generally you feet will perspire more when it is hot. I wear a light pair of blue polypropylene socks that wicks moisture away from your feet and a pair of hiking socks on top. This saves you from blisters.  Take an extra pair of dry socks in case your feet get wet.
9) Insect repellent - you still need this in case flies bother you. On Cape Breton Island - you have to worry about deer flies in the hot weather more so than mosquitoes and black flies.
10) Weather forecast - if you know that the day is planning to be hot - hike early in the morning to beat the heat or in the evening if the temperature is planning to drop and be cooler. For example one of my favorite hikes is Franey Mountain but don't hike this in the hot part of the day. I go early in the morning.
11) Always good to hike with a partner or friend in hot weather in case you need help or your friend.

Hope these tips were helpful and enjoy hiking during the months of July and August. Remember if you are close to the ocean or lake go for a swim to cool off after a hike in hot weather. Do you have any tips you want to share ?

Last night I broke down and bought a tri shirt.  I wasn't going to, but changed my mind last minute.  I was back at Start Line last night, where I bought my shoes, to pick up a pair of Yankz laces for my shoes and found a deal on a Sugoi Fuel Tri Shirt in Cobalt, so I bought it.

For those of you who don't know, a tri shirt is made to be worn for all three events.  This one is basically a tank made of spandex (and other fancy space age materials).  In comparison to a cycling jersey... it's tighter, the material is thinner, the zipper goes about 3/4 of the way to your wast on the front of the shirt and the pockets are smaller, tighter and on each side of the back, instead of all the way across.

I actually tried it on, which is very unlike me.  It's a good thing I did, as all the fitment guides online seem to put me in a Medium.  I put on the medium and it was so tight you could see my chest hair through the shirt.  I didn't come up with that one... it was actually the sales woman's comment.  It was so tight that when I tried to take it off I had to pull it down over my shoulders and step out of it, instead of pulling it over my head.  So large it was.  Now I'll look like a pro and, hopefully, not perform like a rookie.

The Yankz lacing system is basically elastic laces that you put in your shoes and adjust to fit.  Then you just pull your shoes on and you don't have to tie them.  It's supposed to speed up your transition time.

Today I'll be purchasing the rest of the materials to make the Team Triple H Flag for our transition area.  Then tonight I'll do my swim, lube up the bike (she's all degreased already) and put the flag together.

An interesting idea was brought up today via email by my teammates.  We really haven't talked too much about any of us beating one another in the race.  Sometimes Michael and I mention that Ben will whoop both of us in the swim, but no one has mentioned who might actually have the best time.  Now there's been a wager placed.  The loser must buy a round.  It's getting interesting.

Watering has not been this easy or unpredictable in Toronto in years. We seem to be receiving our fair share of weather from the sky above will this trend continue? This is so hard to predict even the forecasters at Environment Canada are having a hard time.

Before any wars are fought over this precious resource lets see how we can best conserve and take advantage of the rains above.

Always take into account the amount of water Mother Nature has supplied to your lawn or garden in the preceding week. Leave a measuring container (empty it once per week) in the yard to help you monitor the amount of rainfall for more tips follow the link.... 

watering your lawn

Source.... Rob "torontorealty" Paterson, CMHC

Spurts of hot weather - temperatures well into the 90s - will occur for the next
few weeks. There's nothing unusual about that. However there a widespread outbreak
of 100 degree heat is not in the cards, and that is unusual. There will be spotty 100
degree temperatures but not covering the entire area like we have had the past couple of
summers.

Moisture will be typically sparse. We're into the summer dry spell and with a little luck -
and higher than normal humidity - we won't see a significant dry-up.

But what about this August weather pattern? You may have noticed some late season
flowers are alread out. Are they sensing a change in the air? Well, the weather pattern
across the Northern Hemisphere from Asia to western Europe is very August-like.
Chilly air is already building across the North Pacific and the Arctic. Snow will be be
likely at the higher elevations of the Canadian Rockies, and the rain-snow line at
lower elevations is creeping south of the Arctic Circle. These are events that usually
do not occur until August 10 to 20.

What does it mean? It could forebode an early fall and a long winter. Economically,
a long winter would be a disaster if the price of heating fuel continues to be sky-high.

Mula sa kanyang pagkapanalo, hindi nakalimutan ni Pacman ang kanyang pangako na aambonan niya sila ng tulong mula sa suwerting dulot ng kanyang pagkapanalo sa WBC lightweight boxing championship kung saan niya pinatulog si David Diaz, ang dating kampeon. Ano naman kaya ang tulong na maasahan mula sa pambansan kamao, “surprise, pagdating ko diyan” ang kanyang sabi.

Pacquiao vows to surprise typhoon victims with aid

(ABS-CBN News on Line)

Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao, the newly-crowned World Boxing Council lightweight champion, vowed to bring aid to victims of typhoon Frank that ravaged parts of the Visayas and Luzon last week.

 

The champ, interviewed on the telephone on ABS-CBN's "Umagang Kay Ganda" morning show, however, declined to elaborate on what sort of help he will extend to the victims once he comes home later this week."Surprise pagdating ko diyan," he said.

 

Pacquiao reiterated his promise made during the post-fight press conference at the Mandalay Bay Hotel Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night."Nagsalita ako na sabi ko, sabik ko na silang madalaw at pag-uwi ko diyan gagawa ako ng paraan para matulungan sila kahit papaano," he said.

 

Insiders believe that Pacquiao, today's top pound-for-pound fighter, got no less than $3 million after the ninth round knockout of David Diaz. The amount is aside from his share of the pay-per-view purse and product endorsements.

 

The boxer and the rest of his team are scheduled to arrive in Manila on Friday, July 4, after resting and scheduled engagements in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, California.

 

More than 3 million people from 15 regions were affected by the typhoon. The figure includes those who died after a passenger ferry sank off Romblon province at the height of the storm's onslaught.

 

As of Sunday night, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said 718,457 families or an equivalent of 3,622,958 people were affected by the calamity. These victims came from 5,140 barangays from 395 towns and 53 cities in 48 provinces.

 

Typhoon damage to livelihood, infrastructure and agriculture was estimated to cost not less than P7 billion.

Some would even say our love of the weather is an obsession. Perhaps it's more to do with the fact we've got one of the most changeable and unpredictable climates on the planet, perhaps it's more to do with the essence of British culture.

Perhaps borne from this obsession, Britain has paved the way with weather forecasting. Pioneering many technologies and methodologies, often as a result of war time and aviation needs, the modern day weather forecast is the crowning glory of years of research and expertise and believe it or not, today it's more accurate than it's ever been.

Online weather forecasts and resources

If you're planning a holiday in the UK, the weather is bound to be an important factor in your thoughts. At cottages4you, we've found the following links really helpful to us for getting the low down on our holiday destinations..

Something for the weekend?

The BBC Weather Centre website gives you a radar image of Britain, overlaid with predicted cloud, wind and rain (or hopefully, lack of!) patterns on an hour-by-hour basis. This is ideal if it's Friday and you're planning a weekend away and don't know if you should pack your sou'wester or your flip flops.

2 weeks away
Metcheck offer a day-by-day forecast on the upcoming 2 weeks. Other features on this site include the BBQ Weather Forecast, for if you are planning the illusive fair weathered British Barbecue.

It's better than this time last year..
WeatherOnline holds records of more than 4700 stations worldwide, so even if you don't trust the weather forecasts you can use this site to see how the weather was this time in years gone by.

As a footnote, who can repute the enduring appeal of The Shipping Forecast. Four times a day BBC Radio 4 Longwave broadcasts this baffling roundup of the forecast from our coastal waters. This programme is deemed so important that it even gets away with interrupting another of Britain's irrefutable conversational pastimes - the cricket.

MW

This was our spot - pitch 11. It was lovely. Tucked away in the corner. Lovely view of our field (ladymead) which wasn't densely populated throughout our stay. I enjoyed a bit of crafting in the sun. The weather was way better then the met office had previously led me/us to believe. It was, at times, quite quite sunny.

On Friday, we went to Bicester Village Outlet Shopping. Emma and I almost fell out over the pronunciation of the town. But we just about managed to pull it back. Phew. I was very lucky to find some fantastic brown work shoes from Clarks. Very very comfy. Sensible. A bargain. £20 from £30. And I really like them. But one day, I want a pair of campers. Camper shoes are very funky. I particularly like (and want a pair of) twins. Shoes which are not identical but compliment each other. These are cool. I also like these. And these. But these are my favourite. On the non-twin front, I like these although they are slightly loud for me. And these. And I really love these. There is also a bodum at the Shopping Village. I'm looking forward to making bunny shaped muffins with Leah very soon. Chocolate I think. Possibly banana. I also got a green mug. Cath Kidston didn't have any bargains that took my fancy so I bought a couple of pieces of fabric. Most satisfying.

Saturday was by far the best day. Me and Emma made no plans. As it happened, me and Miss Emily cycled into Adderbury. A most beautiful little village. I would love to live there. It's little. The post office is only open for two half-days each week. And the library is very pretty but very small. There is a small shop which bakes bread daily. Emma sat and watched a lovely waterfall for a while. It made a therapeutic trickling sound. We cycled for ages, enjoying the sunshine. I think I earned my chocolate lunch when we got back. At least my tea was healthy. And contained at least 200% of my five-a-day. Emma flew her kite in the adjacent field while I made stuff and did stuff. It was almost the perfect day.

Sunday we went to Banbury briefly. We'll go back next time and have a proper look around. We did find a chinese food shop. That was fun. An accessorize with some cute stickers. And a Laura Ashley shop. A set of three storage boxes, a bargain at £4 and a cross stitched 'home sweet home' wall hanging pillow seem to have made their way into my bedroom. Oh dear.

We will be back to bo peep. As soon as I get my placement shifts sorted, we'll be booking another long weekend. Can't wait. It's a fab place :)

Muddy Hell, originally uploaded by kagey_b.

OK so rain is SHOWERS are predicted for the Friday of Glastonbury at least. It's to be expected, I mean, doesn't it rain like at least every second day in England?

If it's something like this above, I can handle. I handled it at Splendour In The Grass (MUD!) a couple of years ago, but I didn't have to pitch a tent in it. I came prepared with some pretty polka dotted gumboots and they did me just fine though I had the sorest calves for a week later and it took me a while to realise it was because of the incredible workout they got from pulling my feet out of the sucking mud with each step.

However, if it ends up being more like this I am just going to DIE:

Glastonbury 2005, Day 1, Flood, originally uploaded by English Invader.

I've put up a little Glastonbury weather forecast widget on the blog, so you can watch my demise.

I eyed some wet look vinyl material stuff at Spotlight the other week, for $18 a metre - you know, the kind they use for costumes and stuff. I am wondering if it is waterproof and if it's worth grabbing some to make a BRIGHT quick poncho out of? I'd be easy to spot, that's for sure! But I'm too busy this week really. Gawd, how to keep warm and dry in those conditions? I might have to hit a fishing store for one of those wet weather overalls that come up to your armpits. Mm mmmmm.

John Humphreys, in the morning, being the stern - but not unkind - father who will take good care of all the bullshit being dished out early in the morning by politicians so full of themselves it's a miracle that they don't spill out of the radio onto your own breakfast table; James Naughtie, in the role of the benign uncle: and my dead hot favourite, Eddie Mair, at 5 pm, being your brother; the latter having seduced me on both the merits of this calmness - in the face of complete bollocks of some of his interviewees - and his voice. I am in love with the guy. And no, I have no idea what he looks like, neither does it matter; after all, you don't bed your brother.

However, considering that I live in the country where weather is the number one conversation opener, it's beginning to annoy me that my BBC homepage gets our local weather prediction consistently wrong. So today we were basking in sunshine whilst the forecast - throughout the day - was "heavy" rain. Not that it matters, unless you are planning a day of skateboarding or a barbecue; all I need to do is take my own reading by setting a foot in front of either door.

Yet it does raise the question: Who on earth would ever wish to become a weather forecaster? We all screw up in life occasionally, some more, some less. But to seek out a profession which will put you in the wrong most of the time?

U

Edit: Dear Eddie, so sorry I spelt your surname wrong first time round