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Hi, Rusty!
It has been lovely out this afternoon ..... a nice cool(ish) breeze!
A far more tolerable day, for my liking!
I am glad that you have had / are having a good day's viewing of Le Tour!
Both for the cycling, and the wonderful scenery.
You will be pleased if Geraint Thomas gets the yellow jersey, as you like him!
And how is Pete Sagan doing?
No, I haven't been switched on the television at all today...…...so haven't looked in on Le Tour,
And anyway, I have been out for most of the afternoon, only returning home just a short while ago.
My first - and probably only - foray into the TV today - will be for "Eggheads!!





Hello, Jazzgirl!
The caller began the conversation with "I'm calling you about your annual boiler service...... as I happen to be in the area, I thought I'd drop in to do it" !
It may have been pure speculation that I would have a boiler service due.....after all, most people do at some time or another!
However, the BG official to whom I spoke said their engineers would never ring anyone up out of the blue like that, and offer to come round.
Any potential alteration to an appointment, so he said, would always come directly from headquarters.
Anyway, I reported the incident , in the hope that anyone vulnerable might not be similarly targeted.

Good evening, Elle!
There is a bit of a breeze here, too.
A lovely evening!
Geraint is in yellow, now.
He rode well.
Peto Sagan is doing fine though the mountains do not suit him.
He won more points today to keep a grip on the green jersey.
Kittel and Cavendish were both eliminated from the race for finishing outside the time limit.
Huge stage tomorrow with the finish on L'Alpe D'huez.
Also, the Open Golf Championship starts tomorrow.
Live on TV at 6.30 a.m. !
My TV is off for the day now.

Update, Elle!
I have just received an email from Emma at the Loch.
It contains videos of both chicks fledging and an idea of when they expect the birds to start their migration.
Do you get the loch emails?

Good evening, Rusty!
It is a lovely evening here, too!
Hopefully, it may be easier to sleep tonight.
I am grateful for my early morning walks!
It is definitely the nicest time of the day to be out.
I didn't realise that cyclists could be eliminated from the race if over a time limit?
I had thought the timings were simply accumulative?
So is there a set time limit on a daily basis?
Oh dear......I just think I'm getting to grips with how the whole set up works, when I come across another 'complication'!
There is so much to learn and understand.......
Yes, I do receive emails from Emma......
I've just retrieved mine from My Junk Mail box , having read your post!
It was great to watch both the chicks' first flights!
Although I thought No 1 chick showed far more confidence, didn't you?
It won't be long now before Lassie and her 'babes' depart.....
Yes, my TV had a brief appearance for "Eggheads" but is now off again.

Hello, Elle!
Yes, the riders have to finish within a daily time limit or they are eliminated unless there is a good reason for their lateness.
The sprinters like Kittel and Cavendish, when they hit the mountains, usually form into a group called the "grupetto" at the back end of the race.
Years ago there was a rider called Eros Poli who was always in the grupetto and had it timed to perfection so they would not be eliminated.
Good to see the chicks take wing, and nice of Emma to send emails.

Great TdF stage! I'd accidentally seen that G had done well, but I thought while watching that he had got yellow, not the stage!

Hi, Rusty!
Thank you for that clarification.......
Cycle racing is certainly a complicated sport.
I am surprised, though, that the cyclists grouped at the back do not keep a closer watch on the time, knowing that they would be eliminated if over the specified time limit?
Or is just too difficult to judge accurately?
There was even a question on "Eggheads" about the cycling today!
I have been strolling round the garden ...... a truly lovely end (nearly) to the day.

hello Elle
Your 'dodgy' engineer does sound very sloppy in his speech, so I would also have been cautious. However, I do have a password registered and would have asked him to use it.

For anyone of pensionable age,(and/or other certain criteria) you can register a password onto the Priority Services Register by calling 0800 072 8625. That is the latest number I have

You can then ask a meter reader or Gas engineer to use it when they visit your home so you know they're really from British Gas.
When booking an appointment, tell BG that the engineer will be asked for the password.

Hello, Elle!
That's why the grupetto loved Eros Poli!
He was expert at bringing them home just inside the limit.
The limit was set at 31minutes 27 seconds after G's finishing time.
Kittel came in 42 mins 51 secs after G.
Cav was over an hour outside G's time.
But, sprinters are not built for climbing big mountains, it is physically exhausting for them.
I have not heard any reason for Cav and Kittel being outside the limit.
They are two very experienced riders.
Could probably be that due to exhaustion they could not go fast enough to make it.
Cycling is a gruelling sport, Elle.

PS Sorry to be a Mother Hen ! :)