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<\/p>\nI never thought I\u2019d be someone who groaned about the weather. It is, after all, inevitable and, yes, there\u2019s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. Even so, here I am on the last day of August and it\u2019s grey, cold and has been so for a month or more. The swimming pool has been used exactly three times this year and there\u2019s an idler just outside my office that neither I nor The Muse have sat in all summer. On top of that we\u2019re closing doors and windows and talking about ordering more logs for winter.<\/p>\n
In spite of that, two events are on the horizon and I\u2019m looking forward to both. The first is the annual apple picking. We\u2019ve got about six apple trees and one pear tree and every year my son and daughter come with various partners, friends and dogs and we pick the lot. It usually gets turned into roughly 250 bottles of juice and seems to last forever. We\u2019re still drinking the final few bottles from last year.<\/p>\n
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The second thing I\u2019m looking forward to is the publication of White Crane, the sixth in the Nathan Hawk Murder Mysteries. I\u2019ve really enjoyed writing it and there\u2019s a thoroughly nasty murder in it to satisfy the bloodthirsty fans of the series. The story takes Hawk to the birthplace of my daughter-in-law – Lanzhou in China. It\u2019s a city I\u2019d never heard of until two years ago but it hosts a population of ten million. Minus one since Chelsea (not her real name) married my son and took up residence in the UK.<\/p>\n
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I\u2019ve only one television series to recommend this week and one to warn you against. Taking the latter first, watch \u2018Hit and Run\u2019 for ten minutes and no more. The story is exactly what it says on the tin. It\u2019s set in Israel and New York and seems to be loved by most viewers, except me. The story\u2019s pure cheese, with fighting, and the dialogue\u2019s made of wood. A close run second to steer clear of is \u2018Godless\u2019, a Western series starring Jeff Daniels who struggles in it, possibly because it takes place mainly in the dark. It tries to be Quentin Tarentino and fails and if you can follow what\u2019s happening and who\u2019s who in the first episode, good luck.<\/p>\n
The series worth giving time to is Netflix\u2019s \u2018The Chair\u2019 which is a poignant comedy drama which takes a dig at American university education. It doesn\u2019t sound promising, does it? But it is and should get a second series.<\/p>\n
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Talking of education, here\u2019s a geography lesson with a difference which a friend sent me a week ago.<\/p>\n
Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa. Half discovered, half wild, fertile and naturally beautiful!
\nBetween 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe. Well developed and open to trade, especially for someone of real value.
\nBetween 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain. Very hot, relaxed and convinced of her own beauty.
\nBetween 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece. Gently ageing but still a warm and desirable place to visit.
\nBetween 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain. With a glorious and all conquering past.
\nBetween 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel. Has been through war, doesn’t make the same mistakes twice, and takes care of business .
\nBetween 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada. Self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.
\nAfter 70, she becomes Tibet. Wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages. An adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, between the ages of 1 and 100, a man is like North Korea and Russia.
\nRuled by a pair of nuts!<\/p>\n
Until next time, stay safe.<\/p>\n
D<\/p>\n