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Hi, Rusty!
Has P in the Dark finished now? You will be glad when the girls are home safe and sound. It's been quite a disturbing time all round.
Any news about the ospreys? Are they still in situ? or have they been driven away by the noise and turmoil? What about the chicks ?(you did say they had chicks?)

Thank you for clarifying those points that I raised...I'm feeling a little more confident that I'm getting the idea of it all now.
Yes, I will ask if I need to know more.... that's the way to find out things! (it's why we have a tongue in our heads!)
I like the idea of the background knowledge that emerges!

Have you started reading about Father Flanagan?

I had forgotten about that funny rule by which the runner up in the Mountains competition got to wear the polka dot jersey, even though he is not, strictly speaking, entitled to it. Interesting.

One thing though about the 14th July, I hope there are no bangers or flares - there were some today already and the police dealt with the offenders.

Strictly speaking, bangers are officially allowed once a year : on Bastille day; but this year is so dry (and breezy) in a good half of France, I hope it will not create more fires if youngsters throw their bangers out of a car window and the banger ends up in a corn field. Please don't think i am exagerating, I have seen it happen or heard about it many times.

We crossed (again) and now you have confused me?
Are you saying that jerseys other than the yellow are not worn en route but only on arrival in Paris?
No that can't be right - I've misunderstood you somewhere....?

Oh, yes, Elle, I will relax when the young ones are home.
This is the last night.
Not a cheep, excuse me, about the ospreys.
Our press would not consider that a story.
No money in ospreys. And they likely would not know an osprey from a canary, anyway.
They should have chicks but with all the disturbances recently, who knows?
The parent birds leave first for the journey back to Africa.
Not started Father Flanagan.
It is strange where things lead you.
I was exploring the Tour route across the Pyrenees and the Alps and the European mountains in general when I came across the story of Otzi the Iceman.
Do you know it, Elle?
Otzi came out of a glacier and was around 4000 years old. He had perfect teeth. No sugar in the diet in those days!

What I mean is, Elle, the final destinations of the jerseys wont be known until the race is ended.
Only once that I can remember did the yellow jersey change hands on the last day. When LeMond took it from Fignon, but that stage was a time trial.
The polka dot jersey will be decided, and the yellow, but possibly not the green.

Oh, I don't know what happened to my reply re the Federer v Murray match. Must have been my fault.

I did say in that reply that Sue Barker had said the Davis cup would be on the BBC and I hope I heard that correctly as like you Elle, I also only have Freeview.

Hello, lilacwine, I didn't see any reply from you about Federer v Murray- maybe it's in the big black sin bin in the sky.....(like happens to emails sometimes!)

I can't recall what Sue Barker said about the Davis cup - but let's hope you are right about it's showing on the BBC.
I somehow have a feeling though that it isn't normally shown anywhere where I get to see it? don't recall it's usually being televised on BBC - could be misremembering though!

Elle, P in the Dark.
I would imagine you only get Kent news where you are and not news from Scotland.
I do not know if this will have affected the police presence at P in the Dark, but our force has had a lot of controversy to deal with in the last few days.
A car went off the motorway and crashed. It was seen and reported to the police who acknowledged and logged it. But somehow, they did not turn up to investigate the crash until three days had passed.
They found a young male driver dead and his passenger, a young woman, in a very bad way.
The young woman has since died in hospital.
Obviously there is a huge investigation going on.
I am wondering if this has had any effect on the chaos at P in the Dark.

Hey, Rusty!
Now , firstly , jerseys....... I'm really muddled (and I had thought I'd got it straight in my head).... if the polka dot jersey is awarded for the mountain stage , then isn't that stage then over with, and doesn't the wearer get to keep on wearing the jersey from then on? (unless of course he wears the yellow one instead?)
But now are you saying that the jerseys aren't decided until Paris?
(If I'm driving you crazy, then please say so!)
Maybe I've developed a mental block?

I'm afraid I have never heard of Otzi the Iceman. I'm presuming he was found in a mummified state?
I'm surprised about the teeth - I would have thought that with no dental care - teeth would have rotted more quickly?
Our more recent ancestors tended not to have good teeth?
Where was Otzi found? what is the story behind this?

Crossed AGAIN!