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Well, my last purchase was a a large bag of blood oranges, and a fetching mix of cheeses. One was French, - a slice of Camembert; there was also a splendid British cheese - a generous chunk of good old Stilton, an aged Dutch goat's Gouda, some Italian Gorgonzola, and - the sole cheese not from the EU, the superb Etivaz (sometimes spelt "L'Etivaz") from Switzerland. (A hint: It is better than Gruyere, and better also than Emmenthal). Some French bread to accompany them. And some bottles of wine, naturally enough.

You're making me feel hungry already! Must confess I'm spoilt here when it comes to cheeses - most of which I love.
Have you tried the ultra prize-winning Ossau-Iraty? It's made from raw sheep's milk, and comes from the Basque region of France. I'm told that the A.O.C version (aged for a minimum of 90 days) can often be found outside of France - even in the US. Two favourite brand names that come to mind are Istara, and Etorki.
 
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Well, my last purchase was a a large bag of blood oranges, and a fetching mix of cheeses. One was French, - a slice of Camembert; there was also a splendid British cheese - a generous chunk of good old Stilton, an aged Dutch goat's Gouda, some Italian Gorgonzola, and - the sole cheese not from the EU, the superb Etivaz (sometimes spelt "L'Etivaz") from Switzerland. (A hint: It is better than Gruyere, and better also than Emmenthal). Some French bread to accompany them. And some bottles of wine, naturally enough.

I love me some stilton... I usually leave it out (covered of course) to sweat for a while... when it's seaping it's about ready!
 
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You're making me feel hungry already! Must confess I'm spoilt here when it comes to cheeses - most of which I love.
Have you tried the ultra prize-winning Ossau-Iraty? It's made from raw sheep's milk, and comes from the Basque region of France. I'm told that the A.O.C version (aged for a minimum of 90 days) can often be found outside of France - even in the US. Two favourite brand names that come to mind are Istara, and Etorki.

Yes, I know Ossau-Iraty - a terrific cheese; actually, I went through a phase of loving it around eight years ago, when it was invariably one of the two hard cheeses that I would buy weekly.

I love me some stilton... I usually leave it out (covered of course) to sweat for a while... when it's seaping it's about ready!

This time of year Stilton - properly aged (and bought from a cheesemonger, or delicatessen where they know their cheeses and know how to source and age the really good ones) - and matured professionally, and yes, you are absolutely right, brought to room temperature, is simply perfect.

Actually, a great many of the blues are close to perfect just now.
 
I bought a Lowerpro "action camera" case. Best Buy had it on sale. I like the fact that it's a rigid case. I can throw it in my hunting bag without worrying about it getting crushed.

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Now, if anyone had mentioned a Sax-A-Boom a few days ago, I would not have had a clue what they were talking about!
In fact I saw this fascinating musical instrument 'toy-thing' in a thrift shop, and was immediately attracted to it. But had no idea what sort of sound it made, if any.
It was the make Kawasaki marked on it which made me think, perhaps it wasn't just a piece of rubbish.
I came home, did a web-search, and to my surprise saw that these 1990ish toys had become something of a cult item - thanks to Tenacious D (who I'd never even heard of).
Rushed back to the store, and was relieved to see it was still there. Then looked at the price sticker. 2euros (just over $2)! And I notice that they're considerably more than that when they make an appearance on auction web-sites.
The kid who previously had it must have been taught to look after his toys, as this had a few, very light scrapes & scratches, which after 30mins elbow grease, all polished out pretty well. With a new set of batteries installed, this was ready for some fun time. And didn't I just enjoy it! Imho a MUST have. (All governments should make these compulsory). ;)
A brilliant piece of kit.

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I just pre-ordered this Love Warriors print "JANE" from Norsu.
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JANE – ‘In every person’s story there are unknowns-struggles only they know about, fears they’ve tried to overcome but still harbor, disappointments & sorrows they bear. the last thing any of us wants-or needs-is to be judged by others who don’t know our stories, in part or at all.’ – Jane Clayson Johnson.
 
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I have been a Canon guy for quite a long time, but I've always been interested in trying Nikon cameras. Maybe in the future? Congrats on your purchase!!

Anyway, I finally jumped the gun on getting a Burr grinder. A Hario Skerton:
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A manual burr grinder, I see. Enjoy it. When you have time, it is great fun manually grinding your own beans to make a nice cup of coffee.
 
I think you'll have fun. Around a year and a half ago, I got my first manual grinder, an OE Lido, and I have hugely enjoyed using it ever since.
Mind me asking, how long does it take for you to grind your beans manually? I've read times were around 5-8 minutes depending on the grind. I'm going to be grinding for a Chemex.
 
Mind me asking, how long does it take for you to grind your beans manually? I've read times were around 5-8 minutes depending on the grind. I'm going to be grinding for a Chemex.

Yes, - depending on whether I am grinding for my French Press (ie. a pot of coffee), or for my Hario dripper, (a mug of coffee) it is a few minutes, and can be nicely relaxing. Of course, the other variable re time is the size of the grind - the stuff I grind for - French press and dripper, are on the coarser end of the grind spectrum, whereas the grind for espresso, for example, is a lot finer, and takes a bit more time and a lot more effort.

However, I also cheat a little; by that, I mean, I always have one tin of pre-ground coffee around, too, for the days, I don't have the time to manually grind my coffee, days when I must catch a train or plane and wish to prepare a fast cup of coffee. So, two or three types of beans (and either sealed bags, or tins) and one tin of pre-ground beans.
 
A few maps of the area I live, ranging from 1890 to 1960 showing how the area has changed and developed over the years. Interesting to see that there was once fish ponds where my house now stands. I intend to get hem mounted and framed to hang on my walls.

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Gorgeous. Great idea and long may you enjoy it.

Personally, I love old maps and have quite a few.
 
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