Good morning. It’s been a splendidly quiet week for me and, with all her commitments, a busy one for Penny – just the way we like it! After more rain and flooding, the last few days have been ¡FREEZIO! – freezing temperatures (coldest night in 20 years, etc., etc.) bright and clear and great for dog walking – no mud!
We’ve been following, as have many of you, I’m sure, the news of the LA fires. Ben et famille thankfully, are all fine and well out of harm’s way but the smoke and poor air quality impacts everyone.

I’ve been particularly interested not only because of concern for family and friends who live there, but also because I know a lot of the areas which have been affected – I had a great aunt and several friends in the Palisades and my cousins lived in Altadena when we were growing up. As near as I can make out from the maps of the affected areas, most of the homes I knew appear to have been reduced to ashes and rubble.
There were occasional fires like these when I was a boy. In those olden days they used to talk about “Fire Season” in the late summer through mid-autumn and people were urged to be especially vigilant about fire risk. And, when there were fires, they did tend to be in this “Fire Season” window. But I don’t ever remember anything on this scale. In mid-January?
In other news, Adam et famille have left Siem Reap and are on their way back to China for Spring Festival by way of a few days in Phnom Penh. I think it’s today they fly back to Liuzhou. After Spring Festival they’ll set off again! From the photos and chats we’ve had with them, it’s clear that they’ve had a fantastic time so far.







So many YCNMIUs this week – where to begin?
I have enjoyed the humour which has come out of Trump’s offer to buy and/or invade Greenland.

And I saw several versions of this
Denmark Offers to Buy US
COPENHAGEN (The Borowitz Report)—After rebuffing Donald J. Trump’s hypothetical proposal to purchase Greenland, the government of Denmark has announced that it would be interested in buying the United States instead.“As we have stated, Greenland is not for sale,” a spokesperson for the Danish government said on Friday. “We have noted, however, that during the Trump regime pretty much everything in the United States, including its government, has most definitely been for sale.”
“Denmark would be interested in purchasing the United States in its entirety, with the exception of its government,” the spokesperson added.
A key provision of the purchase offer, the spokesperson said, would be the relocation of Donald Trump to another country “to be determined,” with Russia and North Korea cited as possible destinations.
If Denmark’s bid for the United States is accepted, the Scandinavian nation has ambitious plans for its new acquisition. “We believe that, by giving the U.S. an educational system and national health care, it could be transformed from a vast land mass into a great nation,” the spokesperson said.
Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, August 2019
And there’s more . . .
Truss issues “cease and desist” letter to Keir Starmer
Truss has lawyered up and sent a “cease and desist” letter to Keir Starmer, demanding he stops making “false and defamatory” claims that she crashed the economy. It runs to six pages. Reading it may take as much time as she spent at No 10.
Hugh Muir, The Guardian
For those of you in the States (or elsewhere) who may not recollect Looney Liz – she’s the Prime Minister who lasted a mere 49 days in office after she did, in fact, crash the economy.
She and Sarah Palin – what a double-act that would be.
You do wonder who is advising her. If it’s about getting her name and photograph in the news again, it’s probably worked. In terms of rehabilitating her reputation, however, perhaps not so much.
And finally, a lovely example of schadenfreude to enjoy – it seems that the rise in sea levels caused by the burning of fossil fuels will overwhelm many major oil ports. That seems fair.
Meanwhile, keep breathing, keep happy, keep smiling, keep exercising, be good, be careful, and keep safe. And be gentle to wasps and bees – we need all the pollinators we can get.
Lots of love to you all,
Greg