Shyheels

My brother - not the nicest of chaps - decided on an idly vicious whim to drive his ex-wife to distraction by giving his young daughter (who lived with mum) a set of bagpipes one Christmas.

Yes. There is a young woman on Instagram - American, not Scottish - who plays hard rock numbers on the bagpipes. She does an amazing version of Free Bird on bagpipes.

I don’t mind bagpipes! There is the old joke - why are bagpipers always marching? It’s harder to hit a moving target

THat's not much of a lead to go on - could you be more specific?

Narrowboats have to gave a safety inspection every four years. my troubles stem from the top of a toe rubbing on the boot - no idea why that should suddenly happen, and only one toe in my left foot!

I’ve not worn stilettos while seated on a bar stool but I can see where it would be awfully easy to hook them thoughtlessly on the cross bar if the stool and forget that you’d done so when you went to get up. Unless of course it was something you did regularly. i used to have the old toe clip pedals in my bicycles and because I used them all the time I never once forgot to take that into account when I dismounted

Sounds like an interesting meeting. No such sophistication here in the rural north of England although I did see a woman sporting knee boots with 3-inch heels in the local grocery store the other day. the first time I've seen heels in town...

Funnily enough a couple if my pair of boots have been doing something similar. One of my low-heeled boots, I wear almost daily, and one of my OTK mid-heeled boots have both started rubbing in the top of my third toe on my left foot. Weird. And for no reason I can understand.

That’s such a great project and one that will bear nice fruit in the future. Wonderful for bringing you closer together and giving him some valuable skills and treasured memories.

That would have been priceless indeed!

That’ll be a great education for him!

People have bow thrusters, a few have stern as well, and curiously enough those who use them are often less able than those without to moor up in a tight space because they rely on them and never learn proper boating skills. I have bow thrusters on my boat but the only time I use them is when I am sharing a lock and the wash at the end of the lock causes the bow of my boat to drift and get in the way if the boat entering the lock beside me.

Try mooring a 58’ narrowboat in a tight space!

That’s certainly a classic. I’ll bet it’s a thirsty beast too.

Double indemnity is an insurance term though - or at least it was. it’s certainly one of my favourite film. Did you know that in the scene where Walter Neff emerges from Keyes’ office and walks along the mezzanine the man sitting in one of the chairs is Raymond Chandler. It’s the only known film footage of Chandler in existence

I take my coffee black. I love coffee but drink only the good stuff, no guzzling instant or badly made real coffee. Espresso, Turkish coffee or pour-over filter coffee with beans I’ve chosen. as to alcohol, I drink sparingly - the odd ale or tot of rum or glass of red. life’s to be lived!

Thanks! I think I’ll pick up a copy

I’ve just come across this book on heels by Vogue. It looks interesting although it’s on Amazon and these days I’m reluctant to give Jeff Bezos any of my money. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1840917679/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

I like tea as well - Lapsang Souchon, Russian Caravan and Darjeeling being my favourites, although I keep half a dozen other types in board as well. I’ve nearly always got a hot drink going of some sort. on the subject of ankle bracelets I always think of the one Barbara Stanwyck wore in Double Indemnity, which caught Fred MacMurrays eye and led to such catastrophic consequences.

For some variety I’ve just picked up some fresh ground Monsoon Malabar coffee. I love its earthy notes.

Snap! Yes I like pour-over coffee and use my copper cone and filter papers, one cup at a time. And definitely Ethiopian!

Sounds like a pleasant trip, and always nice to receive compliments

That’s my thinking. I’ve got quite a portfolio over the past year, enough seasons and setting for calendars and cards. I’m something of a coffee snob - I prefer beans from Ethiopia and Yemen. I find Jamaica Blue Mountain to be quite overrated. With electricity being a limiting factor in boat life I do not have any fancy coffee machines, but use a Hario cone filter and a whistling kettle on my gas stove.

Funny you should say that, I'm well on my way to doing just that! Life on the canals is very picturesque. We drink a lot of coffee in Britain, by the way - by no means assume tea these days. I am well equipped for both on my boat, with multiple types of coffee and about a dozen styles of tea!

Life in the magazine world is not too great at the moment so I too am looking for new pastures. I’m working in a novel and hoping I can find some other outlets for my writing and photography. It has always been a chancy lifestyle and career but never more so than now.