The active Sun

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zXN-MdoGM9g .

An impressive video showing how active the Sun has been since 2010.

Activity is now declining to the next sunspot minimum. Many experts predict the next solar cycle (cycle 25) will be very weak indeed. Some are even saying we are approaching a Maunder Minimum with extreme cold on the way and virtually no sunspots for many years. Predictions are getting good these days.

See also http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulhudson/entries/6d50a6bd-779a-32d6-bfca-06e4484d6835 .  This dates from 2013, but still applies. The last peak was a pretty weak affair. The next could be almost a non-starter. A Maunder Minimum might help offset global warming to some extent?

Church blog updated

Today we visited Cavendish in Suffolk. Churches blog has been updated.

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .

Politicians - don't you just love them?

Like many, I now just switch off when I hear politicians, of all persuasions, making "promises".  Most of these are just election hot air.  Nowadays, I simply turn off as I just know they are empty words.  Mr Cameron was going to limit net inward migration to 10000 a year (no ifs , no buts - remember?). Ed Miliband is also making promises which are unlikely to be met. And what about the NHS?  Most parties have promised an extra £8 billion with little idea how this will be funded. What the NHS needs is better communications and less waste!

At the moment I am still very much a "floating voter" with little idea who to vote for.  What I do know is I shall be ignoring those promises and voting tactically.

Stroke - small steps

Recovery progress is painfully slow these days. For the last week I have had more energy in the mornings after breakfast. Until about a week ago I'd have breakfast  and then be totally exhausted. For about a week now I have managed to do a few household tasks before resting. The progress is small, but this is progress and I am grateful for it. I still get exhausted but not quite as badly. I seem to require rest, but I am not totally "done in".

All I want is my old self back.....

"Our" windmill video

As this file is nearly 4M large, I have added it as a Dropbox public link. It shows our local windmill with the sails turning. As a public folder, you all should be able to access the file. This windmilll is just over our garden wall and was recently fully restored. It is about 200 years old.

See https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15047843/windmill.mp4.

Churches Blog - minor changes

Today I have made a few changes to the East Anglian Churches blog - a few text changes and a few new photos added. No new churches until later in the week.

Concert reminder

A reminder that there is a very fine concert on in Cambridge, UK, on the night of April 25th, 7.30pm, at the West Road Concert Hall. This is a great venue with excellent acoustics. If you can come you will not be disappointed. Details are on the attached poster (click to enlarge). You can get tickets before the day (see website www.cambschoral.org.uk for details) or on the door.