A Perfect Run

A Perfect Run

            We live about 5 miles from where my hubby works.  One of the reasons we chose this house and location (besides the fact that it’s a killer of a house and glorious garden) is that it’s just a straight shot from our house to the front door of the office.  Of course, we did not figure on traffic or Frimley Park Hospital and its “super-friendly to pedestrians only” crosswalk light.  And there are 7 roundabouts between us and work and many more stoplights, pedestrian crossings, bus lanes, etc. 

            FPH (Frimley Park Hospital) has a roundabout on each end of its “area” with its pedestrian crossing close to the hospital and about ½ way between each roundabout. The stoplight at the crossing doesn’t take it very long to change to a red for cars once someone has pressed the button.  And there seems to be quite a few people that both walk to the hospital or park somewhere else and use that crosswalk.  Once the day has started, that light is constantly changing to red for cars and it backs up the traffic terribly.  I have been stuck at the roundabout waiting for that light to change and the roundabout to clear for as long as 45 minutes on a really horrible day.  On an average day, I could wait 10 minutes or so to get across the roundabout and into the line going through that pedestrian intersection.

            So the first few weeks we lived here, we weren’t very happy that our straight shot from home to work was taking us about ½ hour to go the 5 miles which meant about 45 minutes for me to come home again and then start my day running errands or for touring or for whatever reason I had needed to keep the car.

            Finally we realized that if we left ½ hour earlier, we would miss a good deal of the traffic and take only about 15 minutes to get to work and maybe 20 minutes to get home.  Whew.  While not perfect, that was much better than me starting my day with an hour or more in the car.

            Today we left really early because we’re heading off for the weekend which means I have to pick up my hubby early to get to Gatwick.  What a lovely morning.  We made a perfect run to work in about 10 minutes.  I didn’t get stopped by a single stop light or pedestrian light.  There wasn’t a single bicycle or pedestrian crossing at any of the Toucan crossings.  And best of all, on all 7 roundabouts, I never had to shift down more than one gear before the way was clear and I could sail through.  Wow.  Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could do that every day.  Don’t think I can get my hubby up any earlier though to get him out the door early unless it’s a special case like this morning.

            Didn’t have a perfect run on the way back home.  FPH traffic was already starting and the pedestrian light there was already backing up the cars but a good deal of my route was still free and clear.  Next goal, a perfect run both directions on the same day!

Guess the Dress

Guess the Dress

            Always thought that we knew proper etiquette and dress code for different occasions, at least we do in the U.S.  There, you dress for a night out at the theatre while a baseball game would be shorts and a t shirt.  Going to a symphony would be another occasion to dress up and look really smart but going to a horse race would be for fun and casual, unless you had a hospitality suite or box.  Going to the movies is casual but not cool to bring in your own food or at least you don’t want to get caught. 

            Since we’ve been in the U.K., we’ve pretty much been backwards in all our knowledge of what to wear where.  It’s a guess the dress code on many things and we’ve been wrong a good deal of the time.  Our first outing was a nice play in Richmond.  Of course it was Spamalot which is Monty Python but still, we thought theatre, so we should dress up a bit.  While we were not the only ones there in nice clothing, by far there were more people there in jeans and t shirts and many there with their own food or buying food to sit and munch while watching the play.  That seemed rather odd.  Plus the dash for the ice cream during the intermission was very unusual to us.

            OK, we’re adaptable.  Next outing is just a visit to Cornwall.  As we were doing our own thing which mostly meant walking around and seeing ruins and such, we figured it was jeans and whatever we wanted to wear.  Wrong.  Apparently even if you get a nice posh hotel at a discount rate, you are still expected to dress for dinner and we were way underdressed.  I’m surprised they served us.  Not doing very well here.

            We have figured out that movies are ok to wear what you want.  It’s also ok to bring in whatever you want to eat or get it there.  They don’t stop you walking in with a bag of McDonald’s or a milk shake from the vendor in the mall.  The symphony.  Always an occasion to dress in the U.S. and because we were going to the Diamond Jubilee Symphony at Royal Albert Hall, surely it would be a dress occasion.  Well, it might have been had we been sitting somewhere below the nose bleed section.  High up in the rafters, you can wear what you want and should because climbing the stairs in heels and a nice dress is best left to the young and better coordinated.

            OK, another play.  Another attempt to dress up but we toned it down this time and got closer to being right.  We matched the other theatre patrons much better but at our third play, we wore jeans and a nice shirt and fit in perfectly and joined the rush for the ice cream and no one would know we weren’t Brits as long as we didn’t open our mouths.

            Outdoor events are a special thing, really.  The Brits love their gardens and such famous events like the Chelsea Garden Show are really a dress up time.  We figured it was more of a home show and garden show and see what flowers you can buy.  Opps, got another one wrong.  Luckily, I could buy a hat once there and that helped our look be a bit more refined.

            Out of order but the Royal Windsor Horse Show.  We figured horse show, outdoors, had been raining all week but wait, it does say “Royal” so let’s dress up a bit.  That was a mistake in that we dressed up in the wrong kind of clothes.  This is a horsey crowd and they are all wearing their fine riding clothes and their marvelous boots and special Wellies and we’re in tennis shoes getting mud all over our pants.  We went home and changed for the evening performance and that was a bit dressier and we hit it closer to the mark.

            Ah, Ascot!  This one we knew was a dress up event.  How could one miss it since there are articles in the paper weekly before the event on what to wear and how to wear it and dress codes are sent out with your tickets.  A horse race and everyone is dressed in their finest clothes with the most outrageous hats but that’s Ascot and nothing else compares.  This one we got right.

            Windsor Horse Race.  Different from anything Royal but still a horse race and we were invited into a hospitality suite so we did get dressed for this one.  We fit in with the rest of the people in the suite but definitely not the ones just mingling in the crowd.   So we’re confused again.  Some horse races are all about dressing up and some are just wear what you want.

            Haven’t been to Wimbledon but the dress codes are out for that too and it’s not just shorts and a t shirt for Wimbledon either but another dress up occasion.  I’m not sure we’ll ever quite figure out what we are supposed to wear where.  The good news is, for the important stuff, the powers that be will send you a dress code along with your tickets so you can’t mess up.  For the not so important stuff, I think it is about comfort and just not being too much out of place.

            We’re still trying.  We have a few more events planned and some are questionable about what to wear but we’ll get it right eventually.  In a few years when we go back to the U.S., we’ll have to relearn that dress code or get kicked out of theatres possibly and there won’t be any ice cream during intermission either.  That will be a sad day.

Windsor Horse Races

Windsor Horse Races

June 25, 2012

            Who would have imagined that we’d end up going to two horse races within three days?  Not us but the opportunity arose and last night we went to Windsor Racetrack for the races.  A bit different than Ascot, no wait, a whole lot different than Ascot.  Ascot is for seeing the people and dressing up and partying and maybe watching the horses.  Windsor races are for partying (OK, that’s practically anywhere a bunch of people gather), casual dress, and actually watching the horse races and betting on them.

            Windsor is smaller as far as the people area.  There were lots of casual dining places, more places to sit, and many more people bringing their own chairs and coolers and such.  The track seemed quite large though as it had a bend and was almost in a figure 8 configuration.  I never actually got close enough to see the race track at Ascot so I can’t compare sizes from observation.  For each race, the horses would start at a different location on the track depending on how long the race was to be.  That means the starting gate moved up and down the track as needed.

            We were fortunate enough to be invited to a hospitality suite through someone my hubby knew through work.  Yea!  I figured it meant a seat whenever I wanted it and also meant a 3 course dinner too plus free drinks.  Oh yea, this is way different than Ascot.  Still, I did dress up a little bit and wore a hat.  Not so many women wore hats but there were a few of us that looked like we might have missed Ascot by 2 days.

            When we arrived, we parked in the free parking lot not realizing there was a pay lot much closer to the entrance.  As my hip has been giving me grief, the pay lot would have been worth any price to get closer but I did manage without too much grimacing (cleverly disguised as a cryptic smile or maybe an evil wizard smile).  We got to the entrance and hubby had to call our host who came to meet us and give us our tickets to get into the racetrack and also our tickets to get into the hospitality suite.  We walked over to the clubhouse and I promptly lost my ticket.  Luckily, I just lost it on the stairs or I would have been forced to stay in the room the entire night because without the ticket, I had no way to get back into the suite if I left it.

            The suite was crowded but we did find seats and got a drink and got a plate of appetizers and then realized that the first race was already being run!  Well, missed that one totally.  There was a closed circuit television in our suite as well as a balcony that was fairly close to the finish line (the starting gate moved, the finish line was always the same place).  So we could watch the TV monitor or we could go out on the balcony. 

            The second race was about to start but my hubby ran down to the betting window and bet on a couple of different horses to win (we never bet anything except to win and because we are so bad at it, we never bet more than the minimum – in this case 2 pounds).  We chose these two horses because it so happened that we actually knew the owner of one of the horses!  Wow, that was a surprise to find out that tidbit.  Although the owner said he didn’t expect his horse to do much yet.  Still, you feel kind of obligated to bet on a horse where you have a connection to it, albeit however slim those connections might be.  We bet on the other horse because we had a “tipster” in the suite with us.  He was a man who supposedly knew a lot about betting and horses and how to pick winners.  I don’t think he picked a single winner that whole night but I’ll bet the company that hired the suite also hired him to come and “coach” us.  Doesn’t matter.  He was fun to listen to and very enthusiastic about all the races and horses and betting.

            Second race horses are on the track and moving towards the starting gate.  We went out on the balcony to watch.  Oh My Gosh.  The gate seems barely visible at the far end of the track and when the horses are off, they go straight which means they run around the curve at the far end and are out of sight for a bit before they come back into view and run down towards us and the finish line.  Can you guess what happened?  Neither of our horses won.  But we had a good appetizer and I was sitting down and off my hurting hip.

            Third race we actually walked down to the parade ring and watched them bring in the horses.  We had chosen some horses to place down our 2 pound “to win” bet and I didn’t change my mind but thought I should have changed to the only gray horse in the lot as he was quite lovely.  We chose our horses on this race based on our birthdays.  Why not?  For us, we have no other way as studying the racing form doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to us.  I stumped back up to the hospitality suite and we watched the monitor as they put the horses in the starting gate.

            The starting gate and loading the horses was one of the funniest things I ever saw!  If the horse didn’t want to go into the gate, first one man would get on the left rear side and throw an arm over the tail and rear of the horse and start pushing.  He’s pushing between 800 to 1700 pounds of horseflesh that isn’t cooperating and doesn’t want to go.  Talk about pushing a wet noodle up a steep hill!!   When one man can’t do it, he’s joined by another man and they push.  The jockey is on top encouraging I am sure.  Finally, they get a strap and it goes across the hind end of the horse and with the strap and pulling on it, they always manage to get the horse into the gate.  It is so funny to watch these men pushing these horses.  After I saw this the first time, I made sure I watched each race for loading the gates because there were always a few horses that needed the push technique.

            The horses are off and this may have been the race where there was a false start.  Not sure but one of the races last night needed to call back the horses and load them again and start again.  Guess one of the gates didn’t open properly which is the only reason I can think of to stop the race and start again OR it opened too soon.  Loading and pushing the horses again but finally they are off.  Remember we chose our “winners” from our birthdays and I thought I should have chosen the gray because he was so lovely.  Yep, the gray won.  OK, two races now and 3 different choices for winners and we haven’t gotten a thing.  Good thing we only bet the minimum.

            By now, we also have the main course in our suite.  This is the way to watch a race, in comfort, out of the weather – although it didn’t rain – with a television, drinks and food.  Hmmmm.  Who do we know that can get us into a suite for Ascot?  No one.  Poo.  That must be my job for next year is to find someone!

            I never went back downstairs as stairs are very painful on my hip but enjoyed watching the races from the suite.  Usually we would pick some “winners” based now on the name of the horse and whether we thought it was a cool name or not.  Although the second race had a horse named Red Adair who was a very famous oil fire fighter from Houston.  We thought that was a sign and bet on Red Adair to win.  He didn’t even show which them reminded me that the man, Red Adair, is retired so obviously I didn’t read that sign correctly.

            Fourth race, we are now betting on 3-5 horses to win.  If it is a favorite and it wins, we’ll be lucky to cover our loses.  If it’s a long shot, well, they aren’t called long shots for no reason.  They don’t win very often.   So fourth race, they load the horses and we are watching the monitor.  The announcer says, “Uh oh, there’s trouble at the gate.”  One of the jockeys had to dismount and he dismounted into the gate next door so that jockey had to dismount too.  In the end, both of those horses were led out of the gate and did not run the race and were “dismissed due to unruly behavior at the gate”.  Sounds like someone getting thrown out of a night club.  One of the dismissed horses was one that we had placed a 2 pound bet to win so we got our two pounds back.  That also changed the odds for the rest of the horses and the bookmakers had to re-cipher the odds but we still didn’t have a winner.

            Fifth race and we are still picking by whether we like the name or not.  The “tipster” is taking people to the paddock on every other race and then comes back and tells people which horses he thinks are good.  As I said before, don’t think he picked a winner all evening.  We listened to him this race and bet on his horse to win and a couple or three of the ones with good names.  Pushing and shoving horses into the gate, horses away, around the back of the track where we can’t see them, down the straightaway where we can see them and we can’t even hear the announcer mentioning our horses.  So no winners again.  Oh well, we didn’t come to make a fortune.  We came to watch and have a bit of fun.

            Our dessert has arrived and I am getting a plate for my dessert when my hubby says they are loading the horses for the sixth and final race and the gate has moved close to out balcony.  This will either be the longest race if they go around the bend where we can’t see them OR the shortest race if they just run around the track where we can see them.  I look at the race card and pick 5 names that I like.  Might as well go all out for this last race!  We watch them load and then the horses are away.  This is going to be the longest race as they went straight at the far end which meant they were doing the figure 8 bend and would be out of sight for a-while.  I catch the name of one of our 5 picks. 

            The horses come back into view and I hear the name of one of our picks again and she is in the lead!  Wow, that’s exciting but they are still at the far end of the track and I don’t think she will last that long.  Halfway down the straightaway and she’s still in the lead.  Now I am getting excited but I hear the announcer state that some other horses are gaining on her.  Can I dare to hope that she will survive in the lead and take the race!  OMG!  She does!!!  WHOOPPEE!  Six races and we have a winner at last and we only bet on 17 horses to win over 5 races.  I went back to sit at my seat and the tipster comes in and asks if anyone had Scarlet Whispers to win.  I raised my hand.  My hubby had already gone to collect our winnings.  The tipster is very congratulatory because no one else had Scarlet Whispers and she was a long shot!  Of course, he thinks it is because we know something about betting.  It was with a big grin that I told him we picked her because I liked her name.   So for that long shot, we won almost 150 quid!  That made up for our 16 loses at 2 pounds each.  What a fun night.

            We stayed around for a while and talked with our newly made friends and they told us different places we should visit while living in England.  Our list of must see places keeps growing and yet we’re busy all the time!  We finally take our leave and I stump back to the car with a very sore hip.  You’d think I’d been jumping up and down, I was so sore.  It was a fun evening with some good entertainment, good food, good racing and good company.  

Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot

June 23, 2012

            The big day has finally arrived and while I am excited about it because Ascot is so famous with so many beautiful people there, I am also quite nervous because I am not really a dress up kind of person.  The gates open around 10:30 or so but the first race isn’t until about 2:30 so we think if we go around noon, we should be fine.  My hubby had kept me worried during the week by asking me if I was sure the Queen would be there on Saturday.  I was pretty sure that was the plan but we are so hoping to see her and if she’s not there, I was going to be devastated as we missed her by one day at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and have missed her by a day or a few hours at other places we’ve been.

            So we put on all our finery.  I feel like I am wearing a corset or close to it but it is what is necessary for the fancy dress.  My feet aren’t on fire yet but they will be by the end of the day.  We pack a carry bag with a pashmina and spare shoes for me, the camera bag, an umbrella and a couple of disposable ponchos and finally I throw in a hoodie although it is definitely not Ascot quality.  It’s only for an emergency.

            We drive to the train station and get our tickets.  The platform is full of people going to Ascot.  You can tell by what people are wearing what kind of tickets they have purchased, for the most part.  Men in morning coats and top hats are in the Royal Enclosure and there are a few of them on the platform.  Men in suits are in the Grandstand and women with fascinators rather than hats are in the Silver Ring, the lowest priced tickets.   The trains today are pretty much dedicated to going to Ascot but we are lucky enough to get a seat.  There is only one stop and then Ascot. 

            If one has claustrophobia at all, this would not be a good place to be.  Getting off the train and walking the footpath to Ascot and up the hill through the gates, we were very crowded and pushed together.  It spaced out a little once we got inside.  I was using my cane today and it helped get people out of my way (Not because I was hitting them with it but because they were kind enough to move) which helped my arthritis a lot to only move in a fairly straight line. 

            We get to the gates of Ascot and we’re in.  No worries.  There are places right away to bet or to buy a programme or to get drinks.  We find some information ladies and ask if there is a map because we really don’t have any idea where to go.  They advise us to get the programme but one also tells us that the queen will definitely be in the parade ring at around 2:30 and suggests we go there around 1:50 to get a good place to stand.

            The programme is great because it has a map and lists all the presenters of the different races plus the horses, jockeys, owners, trainers, etc.  I notice the Queen is presenting the winner of the third race which is the Diamond Jubilee Sweepstakes Race.  We decide to get something to eat first and make our way down a ramp to eat at the restaurant which has tables and chairs for people.  So many others are eating where they stand or sitting on grass or eating as they walk.  I’m not coordinated enough anymore to do that.  It is the only place we are able to sit that entire day.

            My hubby gets us both a fish and chips plate but due to my underwear, I am unable to eat too much of it.  Hmmm. Maybe I should be wearing corset like underwear all the time as a food control measure – LOL.    I am anxious to get back to the parade ring because if the Queen is going to come through at 2:30 (my hubby thought 2) then getting there at 1:50 would not give us time to find a good place to stand.  I was right. When we walked back to the parade ring, it was full and I had to wiggle my way into a blank spot and I don’t think the people behind us were very happy about it.  Then some drunks came to stand behind us and they were so much into the party mood that they were just about shouting in our ears so we slowly inched our way over and over away from them until we were far enough away to be able to avoid them.  My ears weren’t so assaulted then and they weren’t falling against us as they laughed and joked.  They must have arrived at gates opening time and hit the bars immediately.  Guess I am really getting old too because they didn’t look near old enough to me to be drinking!  LOL.  Turning into my parents more and more!

            The cameras pick up the Queen and her carriage and escorts entering from somewhere.  As we haven’t even seen the track yet, we’re not sure exactly where she is coming from but she’s coming!  I am so excited now that I’m just about bouncing up and down.  She’s going to do the outside stands and enclosures first and then turn into the parade ring and come around past us.  It seemed like it was taking her a long time watching via the big screen monitors but again, don’t know the track so couldn’t tell where she was. 

            At one point, the band which was in the parade ring with us started playing “God Save the Queen” which is their national anthem.  It was very patriotic and thrilling to listen and to see everyone sing the anthem and mean it.  It’s always very heart rendering to me to listen to people sing their national anthem.  It was hard to actually hear that people were singing but you could see the lips moving of everyone around us (except for that small drunk group behind us) and see the lips moving of the people on the screen.  Listening to anyone sing their own countries national anthem always makes me proud that people love their countries.  As the anthem ends, we can see that they are making the turn to come into the parade ring!  The young ladies behind me are talking about the Queen and making comments like “She is so wonderful.  She is remarkable”.  It was so great to hear them be so proud of their monarch.

            It seems to take forever for the Queen to enter the parade ring but finally we can see her lead horses coming in and then there is her carriage!  This is it!  We are finally going to see the Queen!  What if she goes the other way and doesn’t come all the way around?  I was still very nervous that I would miss her.  Plus, a few minutes ago, it had started to rain and what if she just went to the other side where she would exit the carriage and get out of the rain!  Blast English weather!

            But NO!  The horses are turning to go all the way around the parade ring which will take her directly past us.  I am so excited that I can hardly see through my camera view finder.  There she is!  Sitting in her carriage with Prince Phillip at her side and two gentlemen whose names I did not write down across from her in the carriage.  She is wearing a green hat and coat and stands out in the crowd.  Is it some innate English thing that people know what color she is going to wear and nobody else wears that color?  Whatever it is, it makes her very easy to spot, thank goodness.

            As the carriage came around the Parade Ring, I snap photos and my husband waves.  She passes within a few feet of where we are standing.  It is glorious.  I have finally seen the Queen and she is quite a lady.  I am very impressed.  We wait until the carriages stop on the other side of the parade ring and watch while she dismounts from the carriage and walks into the building.  She walks without the aid of a cane or anyone’s assistance.  I can’t even do that on a bad day now!

            Now it is time to go watch some horse races.  We climb up to the grandstand entrance.  It’s hard to tell exactly where we are supposed to go but there are all these signs that say “Grandstand Viewing” in front of us so I think we are in the right place.  Now is another time where a claustrophobic person might be in trouble.  It was very, very crowded to get into the building and we were just inching along and it started raining again harder so people were trying to push their way into the building but people were nice when they saw I had a cane which is good as I might have fallen over had they pushed me.

            Here’s where we got the biggest surprise of the day.  Ascot racing in the Grandstand area has no seating.  There is one very small section with seats but mainly, you are expected to stand by the railings in the stands and watch the race from there.  We had both so planned on sitting down.  There wasn’t a place to sit anywhere except at one or two of the bars and those seats looked like they were glued to the behinds of the people sitting in them.  They had found seats and weren’t leaving them for anything.  So we caught a glimpse of the racetrack below and then went back inside to watch the race from the monitors. 

            Looking at the map, I figured we could get almost directly in front of the presentation stand of the parade ring and so I suggested we go over there to be able to see the Queen again as she was the presenter for race #3.  I do like horse racing but I am fine watching it on monitors if I don’t have a seat.  (We’ve always had seats when we’ve attended horse races in the U.S.)  So we made our way back to the Parade Ring and found a nice spot in front of the presentation stand and could see the monitors just as well. 

            Horses were being brought onto the track and walking around the parade ring.  We asked a gentleman next to us which horses they were and these were the second race horses.  Activity at the Parade Ring was quite fascinating.  As the race would end, people from the Royal Enclosure side would pour onto the Parade Ring and mingle with the jockeys and the horses.  Often it was hard to see the horse walking on the other side of the ring because there were so many people on the inside of the ring.  The jockeys came out here and mounted the horses here and then rode them onto the track.  The announcer was calling all the shots on when to mount up and go onto the track.  Also, the announcer called the following: if any horse had scratched and was now a non-runner, go place your bets, the odds are, jockeys mount up, this horse or that horse had special permission to be walked to the gate, and so forth and so on. 

            Second race horses were mounting up and then leaving the parade ring.  As the horses leave, the people also flow out of the ring and towards their spots to watch the race or to bet or to whatever.  I am really thinking that the people in the Royal Enclosure might have seats!  Another reason to try and get into there next year.

            We watch the race on the monitors and cheer for the horses and then the race is over and the winners are coming back into the parade ring.  The third, fourth, and second place winners come in first and go to their respective places (signs on the grounds).  The jockeys are taking off the saddles and disappearing into the building underneath where we are standing.  Often, someone throws a bucket of water on the horse.  Some of the horses are not really fond of this and try and prance away from the water.  The winner of the second race enters and goes into the special winners circle.  The jockey is wearing a bright hot pink helmet.  Really?  Some owners have no sense of style in choosing their colors.  Maybe they don’t have much of a choice either.  Don’t know that one.  He also takes his saddle and disappears into the building.  We hear the announcer say that the jockey weights are in and the race is official.  The winning horse has been covered with a blanket and is being led around in the small winners circle.  Next the announcer states “horses away now please” and all four horses are let away.  The jockey is back and Lady Sarah Chatto presents the owners, the jockey and the strapper (?) with their trophies or medals or certificates or whatever.  I think Lady Chatto is the wife of a nephew of the Queen or something like that.  Haven’t figured out the Royal Family yet and the offshoots or who is who.

            Now the horses are being led into the ring for the 3^rd race.  There are many more people flowing into the Parade Ring.  There are ladies next to us very excited about horse #11 who is Black Caviar from Australia.  They have small signs in the owner’s colors and explain to us that Black Caviar has won her last 21 races in a row and this is her first international race.  They are very excited.  The monitors show people in the stands with Australian flags and waving little “Black Caviar” banners.  Black Caviar enters with a loud cheer and there is a cameraman walking in front of her with his camera pointed at her filming every step she takes.  He stays 5 feet in front of Black Caviar at all times.  Our new Aussie friends told us the owners have come over with an entourage of about 120 people.  Wow.  Guess if you have enough money for a racehorse, you hopefully have enough money to hire a plane too!  Black Caviar looks bored with the entire proceedings.

            There are so many people in the Parade Ring now that as the horses pass along the back rail; we can just barely see them through the crowd of people.  The announcer finally states “Jockeys mount up now please”.  It takes a while for all the jockeys to get on their horses.  Black Caviar’s jockey is one of the last to mount and he exits the parade ring to a round of applause and almost the entire contingent of people in the Parade Ring flows back to the stands to go watch the race.  We stay where we are because the Queen is presenting the winners of this race.  It is the Diamond Jubilee Sweepstakes.

            Takes a long time to get all the horses into the starting gate.  Some horses apparently aren’t real fond of standing in those gates but almost as soon as all of the horses are in, the announcer shouts “they’re off”.  Seems to me he shouts it a bit before the horses are actually moving!

            From the screams and shouts of the crowd, we can barely hear the announcer although as it gets closer to the end, his voice becomes more and more animated and louder and louder as well.  Black Caviar is in the lead but towards the end, another horse is gaining on her and it is a photo finish!  What an exciting race!  As the monitors slow down the end of the race, we can all see that Black Caviar has streaked across the finish line just a nose ahead of the second place horse and isn’t it a shame that I don’t know that horse’s name!

            The Aussies go wild!  They are screaming and shouting.  The crowd starts ebbing back into the Parade Ring by the dozens.  The losing jockeys walk through the Parade Ring to the doors underneath where we are standing.  I’m waiting for the Queen and suddenly she walks out from underneath where we are standing and walks over to the winners circle.  She’s by herself and doesn’t even seem to have any minders or handlers or anyone with her.  Just makes her way over to the winners circle to wait for the winner.    She is so small that she is swallowed up in the sea of top hats and if it wasn’t for her bright green hat and coat, she would have disappeared in the crowd.  We all know the Queen is a horse lover and we heard from the Aussies that she had asked to meet Black Caviar and her owners if she won. 

            Finally the winners enter the Parade Ring with Black Caviar coming last and the crowd is going wild.  Black Caviar is being led by her owners, I assume, as it was somewhere between 3 and 5 women holding onto her lead.  Her jockey dismounts but I never saw him take the saddle and go into the building like the jockeys had on race #2.  Maybe they did and I just missed it. 

            There is such a crowd of people in the winner’s circle all associated with Black Caviar that it is teaming with people and barely enough room to walk Black Caviar around in a circle.  Finally she is stopped over close to where the Queen is standing and someone must have said something because Black Caviar bows her head and through the crowd, we could see that she was right in front of the Queen and the Queen was probably petting her or talking to her.  The fans of everything Ascot are just going crazy for it all.  No one with a camera to broadcast onto the monitors can get close enough to see what is happening though.  But the people standing next to them had plenty of cell phones out of pockets and pointing in that direction.

            It takes a bit longer but finally the Queen turns to mount the small stage for the presentations.  That takes a while too and she talks with some people near her.  She is so tiny next to these tall women with 5” and 6” heels and the men with their top hats.  I am so glad she knows how to stand out in a crowd.  I never lost sight of her in her green coat.

            Now there are these big buffoons who are putting up ladders right in front of me so they can climb up and get photos of the Queen.  I would so like to push them off their ladders.  We had perfect spots to watch and now we are behind the paparazzi that just don’t care who they offend and who they inconvenience.  We are packed in tight against the rails in the stands above the Parade Ring so we can’t shift over to get a better view.  So most of my photos of the Queen doing the presentations have this jerks big blue head in front of me (he had on a blue jacket).  The Queen poses with the Black Caviar people and then it is time for her to leave as the race 4 horses are being led onto the track now.  She just walks off by herself and it’s like the Red Sea.  Waves of people part in front of her and she talks to a few as she is walking and then walks underneath us into the building and she is gone.

            How exciting.  How wonderful.  How special.  I am so glad we went.  As far as I was concerned, my day was finished.  My husband wanted to see some of the horse racing now in real, not just on the monitors so we slowly made our way back into the grandstand and down to a small area where it said there was limited seating.  The seating was so limited and everyone was in a seat and probably glued to it so they wouldn’t lose their seat.  My hip was about to fall off, it hurt so badly, so we decided it was time to leave while I could still walk.  As it was, took us about ½ hour to walk back to the train station when it should have taken about 10 minutes.  I did change into my sandals as soon as we were out of the track and that helped a lot.  And I did have on my pashmina so I wasn’t too cold anymore either.  We had used the umbrella at one point but it was broken which I hadn’t realized so it was pretty useless.  Good thing we didn’t need it all day.

            All in all, it was a wonderful day.  We got to see some fantastic imaginations of what defines a hat.  We saw some good racing, albeit via a monitor, and we saw the Queen and Prince Phillip up close and personal.  Ascot can be fun but it is a wearing ordeal for people with bad hips!  Still, I want to do it again.

            We’re doing quite well in our Royal Watching as so far we have seen the main characters!  We still have yet to see:  Princes William and Harry, Kate, Prince Charles and Camilla, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenia, and Princess Ann.  OK, so we haven’t seen many but the Queen was the all-important one to see for me and we’ve done that.  Wouldn’t mind seeing her again and of course would be great if she’d invite me to something but that’s about as likely as me winning the Grand National!  Still, stranger things have happened.  Maybe I should start horse riding lessons.  Sigh, another dream realized during my life in England!

Preparation for Ascot

Preparation for Royal Ascot

June, 2012

            Anyone who ever reads the newspapers or watches society pages or hears a radio knows about Ascot.  It’s a horse race but Royal Ascot, one week in June, is all about the dressing up, the parading about, the cheering, and royal watching, the betting, and the drinking and eating and fun.  One thing it is NOT about is comfort!  Those shoes, those dresses, those hats!  While fun to wear, most are not very comfortable.

            Anyway, I digress.  We knew we would be in town for the Royal Ascot week so I purchased tickets as soon as I saw them come on line for sale.  Could not figure out how to get into the Royal Enclosure where you are close to the Royals that might be attending and get to do all the glorious race stuff.  Apparently that’s really hard to get into the Royal Enclosure so I’m working on it for next year or the year after maybe.  But I did buy tickets for the Grandstand which is the next level. 

            It took me weeks to find the ensemble to wear.  I had attended a hat show through my women’s club and the fascinators (small headpieces) started at 200 pounds.  I needed a definite hat though according to Ascot rules which meant a base of 4”.  The hats at this show started at 500 pounds and I could arrange for a private fitting to have a hat made especially for me.  Well, I have over spent funds on a few things since we’ve been in the U.K. but a hat for Ascot was not going to be one of them. 

            Spent a few hours in House of Frasier department store and I swear the lady salesclerk didn’t have a real clue on what people wear to Ascot.  She had me decked out in Roaring 20’s flapper style dresses dripping with sequins.  Thank goodness I thought I looked like a movie star matron and declined to purchase that dress.  I saw only one lady at Ascot in sequins and it wasn’t a flapper dress.  Finally I tried Marks and Spencer and found a nice black hat that wouldn’t fall off in a high wind and wouldn’t fall off if I shook my head.  The saleslady and a store patron walking by and recruited for her opinion both thought it looked good on me.

            Next for the dress!  I found a couple of dresses at Marks and Spencer and bought them both along with some proper underwear for one.  Am still looking for the proper underwear for the other dress.  Still I wasn’t completely satisfied but I’m running out of time.  On a completely different mission, I was getting a couple of plants at Notcutt’s and walked by their dress section and there on the hanger and on sale was my Ascot dress!  So a hat at Marks and Spencer and a dress from Notcutt’s of all places (Notcutt’s is a nursery that happens to also sell toys, clothes, housewares, food, bird feed, tropical fish, etc.  My Ascot budget came under 100 pounds.  AND once there, I never felt like I was underdressed.

            Shoes are always a problem for me but I did have a pair of black heels that would work, a small purse that would work and I was set.  We also carried with us another pair of shoes in case I couldn’t make it through the day in the heels. 

            For my husband, we did have to go buy him a suit.  He will probably need it for different things anyway.  Got it at Marks and Spencer too.  Luckily it wasn’t too much either.  So we are all set to head to Ascot.  We decided we will take the train that day as the parking might be too crowded and hard to find a spot.  We are ready to go.  The big day approaches.

The Court at Barbican

The Court at Barbican Station

            Recently I had to go to the Russian Visa Application Center on Gee Street which is closest to the Barbican Underground station.  First time, it was raining and I’d gone during peak time and was trudging down the street in what I hoped was the right direction.  Across the street from me were 3 ladies sitting under an awning outside of a coffee shop.  When I returned to the underground station, I passed them on the same side of the street and they were all drinking coffee and cackling with the delight of old friends getting together and talking and gossiping.

            My first trip was fruitless as the Visa Application Center didn’t like my letter of introduction so I had to get that fixed and then return.  Again, I was going in the early morning rush hour time (approximately 8-8:30 a.m.).  As I pass by the café on the opposite side of the street, again I notice the three old ladies (OK, I am old too but I’m fairly sure they were all older than me by at least 10 years).  Again they are enjoying themselves in front of this café and drinking coffee or tea and gossiping and laughing.  I noticed that someone stopped and joined them for a few minutes and then I was past and almost to the Center.

            Yesterday I returned one last time to the Russian Visa Application Center to pick up our passports with the all-important and vital visa inside.  The Russian Visa Application Center gives you a very short time frame to pick up your documents.  I wanted to be there when the doors opened so I would be assured of getting our passports returned..  But at the time, I was rather too early (after three trips, I knew the way much better) so I stopped at the same café where the three ladies were sitting.  Before when I passed them, it was around 8:30 a.m.  Yesterday, it was 4:15 p.m. and yet there were the same three ladies sitting at their favorite table.  It seemed to be their favorite table because they were there all three times I passed and always in the same spot and always arranged in the same manner.  Not only their favorite table but favorite café and apparently favorite chairs as well. 

            I went inside to buy something to drink and sat down at the table next to them.  While they were all speaking English, it was with a bit of Eastern European accent of some kind.  Couldn’t really identify it.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I was quite actively eavesdropping.  After seeing them there from early morning to later afternoon and not knowing if they ever moved away or not, I was thinking there was more to the story.

            It was a good day yesterday weather wise.  There were many people on the street walking up and down.  About every third person was hailed by the ladies and stopped for a chat.   These ladies must live outside at this café during the day and were holding court with all the neighbors.  Sometimes there was hugs and air kisses all around and sometimes just brief handshakes.  Sometimes the person being hailed was just talked to for a couple of seconds as they continued to walk and passed out of hearing shortly.  Other times, the person being hailed would be halted and queried on their business, both past and present. 

            The three ladies were always happy to call out to the people passing and knew them all by name and seemed to know them all in great detail such as children, husband or wife’s name, pets, business, shopping habits, church attended, holiday plans, gardens, enemies, other friends, and troubles.  It was quite educational and fascinating to sit and listen to this font of knowledge coming from these three old ladies as they held their social court in front of this small café.  I know quite a lot now about the people and general population of people living around the Barbican underground than I ever wanted to know or thought I would know.  Probably wouldn’t recognize most of the people that stopped to talk though.

            After each “guest” had moved on and before the next “guest” was called to the “docket”, the three ladies would discuss and assimilate any new knowledge just received and glean through it for juicy bits of gossip, or sympathize with the problems, or discuss with disdain the choices made by some of the residents.  These ladies were the judge, jury, prosecuting attorney and defense attorney all rolled together in a neat package of three old ladies holding court every day at the Barbican.   Next year I will have to return to get another Russian Visa for a different trip.  I can hardly wait to see if they are still there in their capacity of the neighborhood court.

Not many gentlemen on the morning commute

Not Many Gentlemen on the Early Commute

            Had to take the early train into London this morning in order to turn in our passports for our Russian visas.  This was my second effort as the first time; our Letters of Introduction weren’t acceptable.  Both times, I went in early so I would get to the Russian Visa place early enough to spend a bit of time in London and to take care of any problems if I possibly could OR to go to the one other location where I might get a Russian visa but would cost me a heck of a lot more money.

            Trains in the morning at 12 coaches long.  People in the know walk to the far end of the platform because there’s probably a good chance to get a seat on coaches’ number 10, 11 or 12.  That was the case this morning although I just barely managed to find a seat before it was full and there were several women left standing and not a single man looked up from his paper to see if there was anyone less abled or pregnant or anything.  Not a single woman looked up either though so people are just not willing to give up their seats in the morning.  I wasn’t either.

            I had to go from Waterloo to Barbican Underground station.  It is not the easiest station to get to even though it has three undergrounds running past it.  First time, I only used two undergrounds but managed to get lost because the Metropolitan line seems to have numerous tracks and platforms at the station where I was so I thought I’d go a different way today and maybe it would be easier.

            I chose to go from Waterloo via the Waterloo and City line to Bank Station.  It only goes between Waterloo and Bank station.  I’m following the signs and when I get to the entrance, it is backed up all the way up the stairs and all the way up the ramp.  You could tell when a train arrived as the people would move forward a little ways and then stop until the next train arrived.  It only took me two times stopping and waiting before I was on the platform and able to move down a ways to where I would hope to get onto the next train. 

            The train arrives empty since it is only running between the two stops; it has let everyone off and now comes to pick up the people going back the other way.  There were station personnel announcing “Leave a wide gap in the middle for all people to exit the train” over and over again and then “Use all doors to enter the train and move all the way into the train” and finally “The doors are shutting now, do not get on the train, there will be another train shortly”.  I was close enough to be able to get on this train after everyone got off but just as I got on, the last seat was taken.  I am moving into the center of the aisle so I am standing in the middle of the car in front of 5 men, all of whom have their noses buried in a newspaper.  I turn around and look at the other side.  Same thing.  Standing next to me are several men and several women, some of whom look to be more tired than me and older than me.  I’m looking up and down the car and see several women who need a seat, one being pregnant and YES, one man gets up and lets her take his seat.  Not a single other man even looked around him to see if someone else needed a seat more than he did.  There were very few women sitting down but they all looked like they needed the seats.

            I understand that going to work through this madhouse every day probably is very tiring and very hard to bumper car your way through the subways but still, it would be nice if there were people still able and willing to let someone else less able to sit.  I’m hanging by the overhead bar and I can reach it.  The poor lady next to me is on her tiptoes to reach it.  Luckily it is crowded enough that she’s not going to fall over should she lose her grip.

            I reach Bank and exit the train along with everyone else and plot my next move to get to Barbican.  I figure out I can take one more train to Moorgate, change there and then one stop more to Barbican.  The train from Bank to Moorgate was not any better.  Crowded, crowded.  This time, I did not make the first train as I was standing on the platform.  The station personnel start announcing the same/similar mantra as they did at Waterloo “Make a large gap down the middle so people can exit the train.  Do not get on until people have exited the train” and then segue into “Use all doors and move all the way into the train” and finally “The doors are closing.  There is another train right behind this one. Please wait”...

            He made the final announcement just as I was about to see if I could squeeze onto the train but it was pretty packed with one man standing so close to the edge that I thought the door would hit him.  So I didn’t get on.  Then someone got off and that made a space but the station man was still saying “The doors are closing” so I didn’t move.  Two younger and much thinner ladies ran up and jumped onto the train right in front of me and squeezed into the mass of humanity.  The doors still didn’t close which was good because one of those ladies had to divest herself of backpack and coat or the door would have hit her for sure.  Finally the doors did close and no one was hit and the next train was right behind it.

            I made it on this time and moved all the way into the train and luck was with me because the doors on my side opened when we got to Barbican so I was first off the train.

Thank goodness I was only going one stop though because all the seats were taken again and nobody got up for anybody.

            Coming back was much better as there were seats every time on each underground and I made it home without too much trouble.  Tomorrow I get to repeat the procedure to pick up our visas but it will be much later in the day.  We’ll see how it goes on coming home. 

I've Lost My Bee

I’ve Lost My Bee L

            Every morning when I go out to the garden to do the peanut thing and bird feeder and fish feeder and such, I check on certain plants.  I know you are supposed to pick off the dead blooms on a lot of plants so they will keep putting their energy into making new blooms.  So I was always stopping by my fuchsia and picking off the dead blooms.  Every day there was a huge bee that would fly up from around the bottom of the plant to see what I was doing messing with his blooms.  After all, he is making honey and doing grand things like that and I’m just taking away his pretty things.

            I learned last week at Highgrove gardens that there are brown bees and black bees.  I think we are supposed to want the black bees as they are hardier, sting less often, and are not the bees that are endangered.  Supposedly the bees in the United States that are disappearing are the brown bees.  I hope I don’t have it backwards.  Think I’ll need to look it up again. 

            Anyway, I thought I would check the next morning to see if my fuchsia bee was a black bee or brown bee.  He wasn’t there!  It was the first time in over 2 weeks that he had not come flying up to see me and check out what I was doing.  OK, maybe I was there at a bad time for him and he was off checking on little bees or something.  Next day, nada.  Next day, zilch.  Next day, un uh.  Are you getting the picture?  It has been a week now and I haven’t seen my bee in all that time.  Drat.  Is there something wrong with my fuchsia that he doesn’t like it anymore?  Can a bee suck all the goodness out of a flower and then move on and not come back?  Do bees find new areas of interest and get tired of the same old plant?  OR has he just gone through his life cycle?  Apparently he could have reached the end and I will never know what he was.  I miss him.  Think he was teaching me not to be afraid of bees and he had not finished his instruction yet.  Maybe one of his relatives will come and finish the course.

Crows hate magpies

Crows REALLY don’t like magpies

           

            Sitting in our conservatory yesterday reading and watching all the activity in our garden.  We have a couple of big crows that come in to eat whatever they like apparently and usually they like whatever the magpies are having.  Although when there is food out for the badgers, the crows go for that.  Yesterday I noticed that as soon as a magpie showed up in the yard, the crows would come from wherever and swoop down on the magpies and chase them away.  The chase would go on from tree top to treetop until we could no longer see them flying.  As soon as a magpie came back, the crows would fly in on attack again, dive-bombing the magpies.  The magpies are well aware of the animosity the crows hold for them and take off when they spot a crow.  Luckily for the magpies, the crows don’t hang out very often or the magpies would have to find another place for freeloading.

            The babies are all big enough to be out and about now.  Last week I saw a Greater Tit mom still feeding her baby.  This week the baby had flown to the suet feeder and was helping himself.  The mom flew to the feeder too (could have been the dad).  They were on opposite sides of the feeder and the bigger bird (which is not bigger by much but has the adult plumage) hopped around until it could reach the smaller bird and then pecked its foot until the baby left.  Guess mom wasn’t ready to give up her baby feedings yet or once you start eating on your own, that’s it, you’re out!

            Other babies that are out are the squirrel babies.  Again, not much difference in size now between the babies and the adults.  Yesterday there were 7 squirrels running around the yard after the peanuts.  One squirrel was sitting by the wheelbarrow gnome chomping down on the peanuts when a baby came along timidly.  Baby had good reason to be timid as the bigger and older squirrel immediately chased him away.

            The only parents and babies I have seen cooperating for food have been the two mice.  They will both hop into the wheelbarrow gnome and sit there and eat peanuts together as fast as they can because as soon as a squirrel sees them, ATTACK.  But the mice are quick and agile and when the older squirrel was chasing the younger squirrel away from the peanuts yesterday, the mouse ran out and grabbed some peanuts and was gone before the squirrel knew it.  Gotta be fast to live in my garden!

            There is a black and white cat that has discovered that the garden might be a place for a meal.  So far he hasn’t caught anything except our cat’s eye, who rushes to the door and growls and smacks the door.  Puff is defending the home front.  He usually manages to chase the cat away (although that’s usually at about the same time the cat sees us).  Puff is then so exhausted from his work that he sits and collapses at our feet while we praise him for doing such a good job. 

I love my garden.  I’ve never been a birder but now I get all excited when I see a new bird and try and look up to see what it is.  Some birds don’t come very often.  Today the woodpecker was out there for a while, taking a break from pecking wood it seemed.  It’s always interesting to sit and watch the garden and see the action.

Sandhurst Royal Military College Heritage Day

Sandhurst Royal Military College Heritage Day

June 17, 2012

            What a lovely way to spend Father’s Day – go do something military like.  So it was we ended up at Sandhurst today and also because it seems to be the only day of the year that the general public is invited onto Sandhurst grounds.  The military college is only a few miles from us which explains why we can often hear them firing on the range and often see helicopters flying to or from the college.  We had wanted to see it so away we went.

            Obviously we are not the only ones wanted to see Sandhurst as there was a line to get into the car park but we made it and then there was the walk.  OMG.  Sandhurst is huge!  We walked about 2 miles from the car park before we got to the buildings and tents and happenings.  OK, maybe it wasn’t quite 2 miles but it was over a mile.  And Sandhurst is beautiful.  We are walking by a lake and through a forest and it doesn’t’ see as if there is anything around us.  Guess it helps when you have to march a lot or run that you are marching and running through a beautiful place. 

            Finally we get to the Heritage Day grounds and darned if a bus didn’t pull up right next to us.  We could have ridden from the car park!  It was free to enter the grounds but you were encouraged to buy a program which was really necessary to see where things were but a bargain for only 3 pounds.  We were advised by the lovely gentlemen selling first day covers of Sandhurst envelopes with Queen Elizabeth stamps that we should go to the main building first and look around in there and later to the chapel and if time, to the new college.  We certainly didn’t have enough time.

            We wandered into the old college and through the halls where we were allowed.  There were many a young man or woman in full dress blues standing where you weren’t allowed to go but all were friendly and polite and albeit a probably great bloody hassle to have a Heritage Day, they all seemed happy to have people come and look at their academy.  There were things for sale, of course.  Anything British will have vendors selling the dominate theme of the day.  So a lot of military memorabilia for sale including from their iconic “Dad’s Army” television show of years gone past.  I got a magnet and a wonderful bear dressed in camouflage.  Kids had a whole area to themselves with rides and such and there was a very long line of kids waiting to get on an actual British war horse and ride it around the ring – of course being led by a handler. 

            The rooms where we were allowed to see were al lovely and many with wonderful paintings of battles or portraits of famous generals of people who have helped with Sandhurst.  Also stained glass windows of past battles.  In many parts of the building were lists – lists of heroes, lists of the fallen, lists of the awarded.  Very interesting, every part.

            We wandered out to the chapel which is way larger than a chapel usually is but still didn’t seem to have that many seats.  Someone was playing the pipe organ or practicing because when we walked into the chapel, the music was bright and militaristic marching type music.  When we walked out, they were playing “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies”.

            Decided to go for some Gurka curry.  For 4 pounds, you were entitled to rice, chicken or pork curry, pappdams, and salad.  We snuck in through the back way first but had to go back to the tent to get our ticket and then were served enough for 3 meals.  If this is what the men and women eat while on duty, it’s a good thing they run a lot because otherwise they’d all need new uniforms every few months!  What a lot of food.  The curry wasn’t overly spicy but the chutney was.

            We saw one demonstration where they were carrying artillery over an obstacle which really wasn’t there but just in case it was, they set up their blocks and tackle and relay and got that canon over the “stream” and back into working order and fired just lickety split.  Most impressive.  We missed them doing the tent pegging which is where they ride furiously at a small “peg” on the ground and must spear it and ride away with it.  We’d seen this at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and had been impressed by it.

            Finally it was time to leave as we had other tasks waiting for us.  It was too bad we couldn’t have arrived at opening and left at closing but one day a year still wouldn’t have been enough to see everything that Sandhurst has to offer.  If one has to be in the military, one should definitely try for Sandhurst.

Mean Squirrels

Mean Squirrels

            Everything gets fed in my garden and I mean everything from the squirrels, birds, foxes, deer, crows, cats, dogs, bees, badgers, hedgehogs (hopefully, haven’t seen evidence yet), people, fish, and just about anything else that runs through the garden gets food of some sort.  Sometimes it’s a little tricky spacing out the food bowls and feeders so that unfriendly sorts do not tangle up together.  I think we do a fairly good job of it though and most of the animals are happy and love running around the garden and it’s quite fun to watch them.

            That said, I have some very mean squirrels in the garden.  They are very good at stealing the birdseed and such.  I put out peanuts for them but when the peanuts are gone, they come after the seed and I have had to put out new feeders because they have chewed through all the plastic ones.  They’ll even sit in the bowls and eat the mealworms which did surprise me a bit.  Now they have stooped to a new low in meanness.

            I have gnomes in my garden.  I love my gnomes.  They stand around the fish pond and watch the fish (although the fish are still missing in action, hiding in the muck) and watch the lily pads grow and basically are not bothering anyone.  Four of my gnomes were solar light gnomes.  They have been in the garden for a long time and finally we are getting enough light, some days, for them to glow at night. 

            The squirrels though!  Mean critters.  If I have not gotten out there in the morning with a fresh batch of peanuts, they are going over and kicking the gnomes into the pond!  I have had to pull out gnomes from the pond several afternoons.  Once in the pond, the solar gnomes don’t work so very well anymore.  There is a gnome with a wheelbarrow too and he gets peanuts in his wheelbarrow every day.  By the early afternoon, his wheelbarrow is empty.  By the early evening, the squirrels have kicked him over.  I have had to move all of my gnomes away from the pond because they can’t swim.  The wheelbarrow gnome has to fend for himself.  The squirrels are going to have to learn to play nicely with the gnomes or they are going to find less peanuts out there, not more!