I have just about given up on the camping routine.
Over the years we have had a pickup w/slide in camper, tent-trailer, various tents, hard-sided trailer and no matter the accommodations, Mrs. Busydog would be awake half of the night, alarming at every sound that she was sure was an onslaught of zombies riding mountain lions and god help us if there was a thunderstorm.

Edit Granted we usually camped in very remote mountain areas with the closest person probably at least 5 miles away, but to me that is what it is all about.

B52 “BUF”

“You can run, but you’ll just die tired”

angel fire.

Angel Fire is about 110 miles North of here–they recently announced a big expansion, adding a number of new lift-served new trails tied into the ski area. Think that calls for me to make a trip up there soon

Is that in Barnsley?

Albuquerque, New Mexico—hence the lack of rain 😆

antediluvian

We have that crap happen here locally as well(New Mexico/USA), including wires strung across trails, trenches dug across trails and boards with nails buried in sandy spots. Locally, it has dropped off after a couple of guys were caught after doing it on Federal land and prosecuted. One got a 90 days in the slammer and a $2K fine (biker was injured pretty badly) and the other a $3K fine.
In both instances, they just didn’t like MTB’s sharing “their” trails.

solo.When I want,where I want,as fast as I want.

^^^ this for me as well

Bunch of youngsters on this thread.
I am 71, been riding MTB for 24 years, still riding 3 days a week and running (not quite as fast)—-so turning 27 or 40 or 50 now seems quite nice—all things considered! 😆

the uniformity of the colour would make it look naff

That was one of our concerns when we first started looking at it, but the one we selected has some brownish blades inter-woven into it which gives a very real look.
Another concern we had was the intense 300+ days of sunshine we get, but after 2 years, no fading or color change so far

We’ve had it for about 2 years and I love it–but we live in a desert and the amount of water it takes to keep a lawn really looking good gradually became more and more prohibitive as water rates skyrocketed.
Isn’t cheap if you get the top end product, but in our situation, considering the cost of water, really will pay for itself. It does take a little work to keep it clear of windblown stuff, falling leaves, seeds etc., but no more than the care of real grass.

Always do the roof first, makes most sense

^^ this, as several others have posted

I’m off to a great start–it was 85F degrees here 10 days ago and my tomato plants were going to blossom, but last night it was 30F, snowing in the foothills and my tomato plants are all black. So, back to the second planting!!! 😥

Had them for over 40 years (average one a month) and they can be really debilitating/long-lasting for some people. I went to multiple doctors, including a neurologist. I tried and got relief from most of the prescription meds, but the side effects are really not nice (and can be serious), not to mention the cost.
I have tried every over-the-counter med that is touted for migraines and none had any impact at all until I tried Lipigesic-M about 3 years ago–best relief I ever had and literally no side effects. I take it at the first appearance of the preceding visual aura and it aborts the migraine within minutes and the pain never gets started (although the visual aura has to run it’s course for about 20 minutes or so).

Much cheaper than any of the prescription meds (they sell for about $18 for a box of 8 here in the US). Available on-line https://www.lipigesic.com/ They sell it at some of the pharmacies here in the US, so might do so in the UK as well.

you have to be very controlled not to spend.

We have a membership here in the States, but exactly what Drac said–it is really easy to get caught up in all the stuff and way overdo it. We take a detailed list of what we need and stick to it—otherwise I’d need a bigger pickup truck.

I like their merchandising trick of moving a lot of items in the store to new locations about every month so you have to go up and down every aisle to find what you are looking for—-and conveniently spot all kinds of things you weren’t looking for and “suddenly just must have”.

This is suddenly getting expensive. Shopping list:

Cougar–another alternative: just put the amount you’d spend on gear into an airline ticket and fly here to New Mexico—I can loan you the gear, drop you off in the Gila Wilderness and pick you up when you are finished—I can guarantee you plenty of solitude, far from the madding crowd, so to speak 😆
If you timed it right, you could wave at the Tour Divide gang as they ride through this summer.

mrs zip can’t lift the big pan

We got a set of All-Clad stainless with a copper layer sandwiched between the SS. I love them, but Mrs busydog has wrist problems and they are just too heavy for her to handle, so shopping for something lighter.
Only other issue with stainless is that they do take some work to clean up and maintain.

I always use cat litter—spread it over the spill, let it sit a while, then sweep up. Get’s most of the oil out of the porous concrete. Worked as good or better than a couple of specific products made to remove oil.

Got a new Samsung front-loader about 6 months ago and the best washer we have ever had. Pricey, but so far it has been flawless and, compared to other front loaders we have had, it is superbly well balanced and doesn’t walk across the floor when spinning at high speed (we had an LG front loader that would almost walk out of the laundry and down the hall).

seeing a Johnny Winter

Another I had forgotten about.

As all above posts, when you start thinking about it there are/were so many premier guitar players

stevenmenmuir – Member

Neil Young, Southern Man.

Also Neil on Powderfinger, Cortez & My My, Hey Hey (Out of the blue)
Edit

Has worked fine all day on my PC/Win 7, IE11

Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino and in the Sergio Leone Man with no name trilogy

Downtown Train–Rod Stewart
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26l6k_rod-stewart-downtown-train_music

Hellbound Train — Savoy Brown (not sure how many here are old enough to remember Savoy Brown)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlqqeobOJvg

found to be a malignant melanoma

10 years ago, I was diagnosed with a melanoma on the middle of my back–same big zig/zag scar and about 60-70 stitches like Crispy. This past February, found another one on my shoulder, but caught early and was classed “in situ” so just on the surface. Had that carved off. Now back to seeing the dermatologist every 6 months.

Mine the result of practically being outside in the sun all the time as a kid–we didn’t even know what sunscreen was. Follow that by the last 40 years living in the desert Southwest US—so can’t say I was all that surprised knowing what I know now.

Like others have said above, really pay close attention to anything that looks unusual on your skin and don’t let it go–along with always using strong sunscreen.

…and don’t forget you’ll need something moist.

Assuming you mean of the adult beverage variety??

Thanks everyone

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I am going to have to do some homework on finding a good batter recipe.

30 feet—3 seconds —–I work from a home office now 😆

Sure don’t miss the days of commuting–most I ever did was 90 miles each way, but on a company provided bus–left at 6AM and got home at 6PM.

If your MP are much like the bunch of yahoo’s we elect here in the US, about all I have ever gotten (if anything) in the way of a response to emails/letters written on a specific subject/legislation is a form letter spouting their official party’s line on whatever the subject might be.

Going to have tortilla chips with hot green chili salsa for starters, both red and green-chili enchiladas with a side of pinto beans on tap for the main course, finishing with sopapillas and honey.

All chased down with El Patron Blue Agave tequila blended into some great margaritas.

Presently listening to some vintage Jimmy Buffett

New Pivot Carbon 429 at age 70, so still working on it.
For what it’s worth, I have told Mrs busydog that each of the last 3 bikes was “the very last one”

I’m in/from the US and I don’t take any offense at the opinions expressed in the thread and I must agree that we have most certainly convoluted the use of English as it was once was.

Worse is the use of like, like, literally all the time. It’s like – so annoying.

This^^^^—-especially prevalent among younger people, who use “like” half a dozen times in a sentence–almost as irritating as someone who says “umm” about every 4 or 5 words when speaking.
Edit

Do you have many Aldi stores in the states?

Just checked and most of their stores in the US are in the eastern half of the country. Closest to me in New Mexico are next door in Texas, so going to have to see if I can get them online

Thanks—going to have get me one of those. The markings on my
“manual” one are really hard to read accurately

Quite a remarkable transition—lot of work, no doubt, but with gratifying results—-well done

Did the sand, base prep

I forgot to put in my above post, but doncorleoni’s post reminded me of it. Getting the base prep done right is a big key to a successful installation.

I’m in the US, so don’t know what brands are available there in the UK, but I would highly recommend it. We had our backyard done with artificial turf and really love it. Only real maintenance is blowing leaves off of it. The dogs (50 and 65 lbs)love it and run on it endlessly—-so far, after 1 1/2 years, it has shown no signs of wear at all. The backing is perforated, so water penetrates for trees, shrubs, etc. We live in the desert southwest and no negative results from 300+ days of direct sunshine.
The choices, here at least, were quite a few manufacturers and each brand had 3 or 4 “grades” to choose from. I would say go for the higher grades as it has much more of a natural turf look and better quality.

Has this been done yet?

Someone put a lot of time into putting that “theory” together.

The “photo second right” was from one of the long-ago, above-ground nuclear weapons tests, likely at either the Nevada Test Site or in the S. Pacific, (i.e. Eniwetok or Bikini atolls)—long before the cruise missiles depicted in the photo even existed.

I live in New Mexico and the purported massive explosion hasn’t been reported by any news agencies in the state.

White Lightning Epic

^^ this for where I ride in the desert (haven’t seen a wet or muddy trail for over a year), but not sure how well it would work in the wetter conditions in the UK.

Since I in the US, obviously don’t have a vote and don’t know enough of the intricate details to form a valid opinion.
Having said that, as long as they, independent or no, continue to produce fine Scottish Whisky, I won’t have issue 😉