A Canary Twitter

GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

FINALLY I can post something!

My apartments are located in a primitive part of the universe where no wi-fi exists so I have to bring the laptop to the reception area for the neighbouring hotel where they have a wi-fi area in the lounge. My problem is the battery in the laptop is U/S so I have to plug in to a live point and there are only two available. Living in a residential area on the premises we are allowed to use all the hotel facilities but it's not exactly on the doorstep and I can't just 'pop in' and see if a place is available.

First relevant topic is to mention the successful survival of the succulent cuttings I brought over last year to plant in the raised beds outside our apartments. Some large leaved Cotyledon varieties and a Graptopetalum paraguayense originally brought over from here have been returned to survive in some very impoverished soil full of Phoenix and Brahea edulis roots.

As there was no rain at all last winter they've had to survive on paltry doses of irrigation turned on for about half an hour once a week. They haven't made as much growth had they been cultivated at home but they've certainly perked up this past week with daily splashes of water and the contents of Sainsbury's basics teabags emptied over the root runs icon_thumright
Hope to put on some pics.
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Dave Brown wrote:Moved to blogs forum :wink:

Take care with the summer sun out there Greville, it is about 7 degrees off overhead now, so effectively no shadow at midday. The good thing is the sun doesn't get in your eyes unless you are laying down. :lol:
This creature of the night never casts a shadow :lol:

Laying down at night I shouldn't have a problem :D

I've not done much sunning this past week as I've spent too much time visiting and catching up with friends (and their plants icon_thumleft )
GoggleboxUK

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Greville, have you considered asking your provider for a dongle? Most will sell you one cheaply and not make another month;y charge and some will even let you use it on a Pay as you Go basis. O2 are particularly good at this allowing a month of unlimited web access via a simcard in a dongle for just a tenner.

Your battery problem is a common thing with laptops and camcorders and can be solved by getting a discharger/charger. As it was explained to me: Imagine your battery is a cup, you fill the cup with water and drink it all. After you've let the cup stand there for a minute there's a dribble of water that has slid back into the bottom of the glass meaning that if you were to fill it again you could only put 99% of the volume of water that you originally used to fill the glass. Do that 100 times and you can't actually fit any new water in the glass because the leftovers have added up each time you've filled it.

A battery holds charge in the same way but using a discharger means that you completely suck out all the 'water' from the 'glass' with a straw befopre you fill it up again.

I was amazed when I did this with my sons laptop which went from only running for 15 minutes on battery power to going back to the 6 hours he used to get when it was new.

;)

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the sunshine. Hurry up and post some pics!

:lol:
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Thanks for the info, Gog. I'm sorry it's still in a foreign language for me but Sand speaks the lingo so I'll do my usual cry for help :lol:
otorongo
Posts: 1434
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:12 pm
Location: sub-subtropical London

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by otorongo »

I'm afraid a dongle with a UK sim card wouldn't work in Spain, or it would be in roaming mode and very dear to use.
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Sand dongled the laptop yesterday with a three month usage for 30 euros, but as I'm last in the pecking order to use it don't expect too much from me over the next few weeks :roll:

Sitting on the balcony admiring the view as I have to hand over to my superiors :shock:
jungle jas

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by jungle jas »

GREVILLE wrote:
Sitting on the balcony admiring the view as I have to hand over to my superiors :shock:
Just remind them who wears the trousers! Mind you, you may have your shorts on. :roll: icon_thumright
GoggleboxUK

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Life is so much easier with a dongle :lol:

Glad you got sorted Greville, that's an excellent deal your better half has sourced there.

So, get some pics up now!

;)
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Yes, I still exist icon_cheers

Rumours about my dongle are greatly exaggerated :ahhh!: Cut off without a signal for over a week and the wifi area has been on/off all this time due to a severe Kalima. Heat-induced dust storms over the central mountains and favoured areas over the east of the island have coated everything in what can only be described as Sahara Powder. It's in the air and giving everybody tickly throats and breathing difficulties. The (very hazy) sun is a distinct orange/brown colour. I've been coming here 24 years and this is the worst Kalima I've encountered. I didn't know it could interfere with the net use so much.

The sky is a bit bluer today and the forecast here is for RAIN on the north of the island Monday night which will clear everything away. Must be why I have a signal today but it is soooooooo sloooooowwwww.
GoggleboxUK

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GoggleboxUK »

GREVILLE wrote:Yes, I still exist icon_cheers

Rumours about my dongle are greatly exaggerated :ahhh!:
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I thought unusual weather patterns were the property of the UK, hope things improve for you soon.

;)
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Bit of a war going on here between the family of Count baron von somethingorother that own much of the land on Gran Canaria (this family were responsible for allocating the south of the island for tourism) and the local authorities over water rights.

It seems the family want exclusive control of water resources and they are forbidding the authorities to bed new water pipes across their land. The result is some large areas of amenity planting around Playa Ingles and San Augustin are all dead including some older CIDPs that would have been there before the tourism took hold.

There has been no rain here for more than eighteen months and all the tourist areas rely on irrigation for their planting. What a contrast with the natural landscape inland where native stands of the palms are still thriving despite the drought and terrible brush fires five years ago.

Went past these yesterday with a friend (English ex-pat) to meet a man from Sheffield who has lived in a house he built himself for the past fifteen years three thousand feet up in the mountains. En route up the winding road there appeared to be no casualties from the eighteen month drought as everything seems to have access to natural underground water despite the fact that the nearby dam is holding water less than half full to capacity.

A pity the trip was an impromptu idea as I didn't have my camera, although the spectacular view down the valley was rather shrouded in Sahara dust from the Kalima.
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Going to have to try my pics on the phone. Camera's battery has run dry and discovered the charger doesn't work :(
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Another Kalima has stopped the signals but it has now been replaced by a Scirocco. Early this week skies became crystal clear and temperatures dropped to a 'cool' 25c. Pity I wasn't here to benefit from some decent signals but the dust came back Thursday and yesterday the hot desert winds hit blowing thicker waves of dust. Highs of 44c to the west of the airport. Drove through San Augustin lunchtime and the car thermometer read 41c. Thank goodness for air-con :D Down to 33c at Puerto Rico and Mogan by the coast.
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

camera dead :roll:

Got some pics on the phone. Not sure if I can file these yet. I'll be trying them out tomorrow.

Took about a dozen stem cuttings of various Frangipani (Plumeria) last week when out with my nurseryman friend who took me to a stand of these showing an array of colours. They can be left to dry out for months and he assures me they will still root in a dry free-draining mix. You don't add any water until the first couple of new leaves show through. What amazes me is that I left on the flowers and despite cooking on the balcony they are all still throwing out new blooms.

I'm sure getting them through the winter will be a different story.
GREVILLE

Re: A Canary Twitter

Post by GREVILLE »

Off to a local nursery, Viveros Mogan, tomorrow. Usually find something there to bring back to the UK. They stocked some items distributed by Canarius last year. As they have not been on line for some time I'll be on the lookout for any of their palms.

As Karl (66) missed a visit here by turning up on a Sunday, I'll take some pics on the phone. Never downloaded any from this so can't guarantee the quality.

Drove to the beach at Playa del Ingles today with Sand and Toby for some body surfing in the waves. Perhaps the most enjoyable way to keep cool in the fierce heat.The scirocco has eased a little but it was still 36c on the car thermometer leaving the motorway at San Fernando and it had only cooled to 32c at the beach car park a couple of miles away. At the water's edge there was a wonderful breeze running parallel to the shoreline which must have dropped the temperature to around 28c and with the sea at 25c - bliss :D
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