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Elle, no tricky treater's here.
Small Island was a smashing book.
I am an old throwback, Elle. I will not allow swearing in my house. In books, TV, or anything else. Billy Connolly is banned!
The dust bowl conditions were awful. The topsoil of the land blew away and landed in Mexico or somewhere.
The noise of the wind drove people mad. It howled non-stop.
You know the cafe I go to, Pine Cone?
It is doing very well and they have had to extend the car park!
I like to see folk making a go of things!

Morning everyone,

and a fine one it is here too !

I think The film version of The Grapes of Wrath showed quite well the desolation after the dust bowl, and so many places left abandoned and in terrible looking condition. So many families who had to leave their home with nowhere to go and no work.

I have just finished watched the DVD 'Jennie, Lady Randolf', which I found extremely interesting particularly since I knew nothing about Churchill's mother and the driving influence she had on him; what a lady!

Have just received the Anthony Trollope collection (The Way We Live Now, The Barchester Chronicles and He Knew He was Right), none of which I have yet read. I know that nothing is ever quite as good as reading the book, but I don't seem to be able to settle down to reading at present, so this is second best and it allows me to catch up with a lot of English great works, some I have read a long time ago, but others I have never heard of.

G' morning, Rusty!
And a very foggy one it is too - again! - just like yesterday! Not a very pleasant walk this morning for me, although the dog enjoyed it!
Actually she hasn't been too well.......she has an abscess on one of her anal glands, that so far hasn't responded to antibiotics and anti- inflammatories, and so she is due to go in to the vets tomorrow to have it lanced under anaesthetic. Poor thing! I'm still hoping that by tomorrow it may have improved and surgical intervention will not be necessary. Fingers crossed ......
I've just had a look at the Pine Cone Cafe on the Internet. I hadn't realised that it was such a large enterprise? It looks splendid - good, as you say, that the business is flourishing! an extension of the car park is a sure indication that ''business is booming''.
There is a similar shop - called "The Christmas Shop" in Hay's Galleria, near London Bridge Railway station, which is open all the year around. But this is only on a small (albeit intensive) scale - with no cafe!
(According to recent "reports", bacon is not good for you?!)

Hello, Pigale,
I'm envious of your weather - I hate this fog that we having at the moment! tho' they say the sun will be out later.
I haven't read "The Grapes of Wrath" - perhaps I should put it on my 'to-do' list.
I'm always hesitant about watching film versions of books that I have enjoyed - or intend to read later - as I so often find the correlation between the two - book and film - poor.
And that either maddens or distresses me, according to my mood!

Hello Elle,

Agreed, watching a film version of a book soon after having read is often disappointing; but take 'To Serve Them All My Days' or 'A Horseman Riding By' - I really thoroughly enjoyed the DVDs because it has been so many many years since I read the books! Also, there is no way now that I would read the Trollopes books I mentioned, so I will feel a little less of an ignorant idiot once I have at least seen the film version !

BTW I have ordered another DVD series based on a book by Delderfield called ~Diana - I have never heard of that book, have you ?

I think there is a bit of fog very early in the morning here too (and dew as well) , but it must lift quite quickly.

Has Tally's abscess decreased in size?

Haven't looked in on this thread in ages.

My wife and I are Trollope fans, and we both consider The Way We Live Now his best. Nothing ever changes; the creeps just have different costumes.

Steinbeck's widow (reportedly) once stopped in at a bookstore in Japan and asked whether any of her husband's books were in stock, and was told, "Oh yes, we have his most famous one, The Angry Raisins."

There was another huge disaster in Galveston Bay:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster

rusty: Did you ever happen to find The Edge of Sadness?

"The Angry Raisins" ..love it

Apparently "Out of sight, out of mind" translates in Japanese to "invisible and insane".

Hello, Elle,
I am a bit late today getting on line due to the fact that I could not see clearly. Was at the optometrist earlier for my annual eye test and the drops have temporarily blurred my vision!
Hopefully your dog will soon be better!
If you type "Black Sunday, 1935" into Google you can see some photos of the dust bowl effect. Frightening!
Yes, Pine Cone is on the Christmas Tree plantation run by Tayside Forestry. I was there twice last week.
Once with granddaughters and once with friends from Norn Iron.
They have an astonishing selection of Christmas stuff.
Now, I have just been told that Miss L Plate is Miss L Plate no more.
She passed her driving test this morning and is very chuffed with herself! Me too! The tests were in jeopardy due to the fog, but some at least, went ahead.
You are the second person today to tell me that bacon is not good for me! Anyway I sometimes have ice cream at Pine Cone!

Surely a British breakfast would not be the same without bacon !

Love the translations - they must be straight out of the computer!
Not surprising that some Users' Manuals hardly make any sense at all !

Congratulations to Miss Pass Plate !

Pigale, thank you!
I only read about this in my paper today but it made me smile.
One of the mighty All Blacks gave his winner's medal to a young boy who got knocked over by a steward at the end of the game.
A true sporting hero.
Take a bow, Sonny Bill Williams!

Yes, a true sporting hero indeed, but it does not surprise me really - as fierce as they might look during the Haka, most of these massive big players are real 'teddy bears' at heart !

Having said that, I'd rather be their friend than their enemy!

I know the weather in Elle's area, but what is it like up your end? We are having a true Indian Summer now but September was a cold disaster.