MM & KM Link Games August 2011 Wk1

[gen2]

What a struggle it was in the MM game last month. All those words to read for just a few points! Seriously though, Ont-Ice made a great effort and cannot be blamed for your failure to connect with the Canadian culture. Thanks very much Onty.


This month we have 'King Jim' setting the links from somewhere in the great South-East of England (or thereabouts). Jim is the other half of previous setter 'The Crown Jools' so that is where any bribes or persuasion should be directed if you think it will do any good (but I rather doubt it).

[gen2]

There were one or two notable absences from the final game of last month - were they afraid of winning? Actually, I know that Aquagility was off paddling in the muddy waters of the North Sea. He is now bach and ready for combat. I presume the others are as well.


I took a wander through the shrubbery just now and I do believe all this neglect is actually doing it some good. There is an abundance of butterflies flitting all around - coppers, blues, browns and whites (but no Vanessids since all the nettles were trampled). In fact the shrubbery has become somewhat of a dangerous place to be just now. There are amanita fairy toadstools under the pine trees, belladonna over by the hedge and ragwort in the open spaces, but there is no livestock to be harmed (unless you count Sarumite!). In the centre of one of the ragwort flowerheads, I spotted a lurker - a crab spider (equivalent to a spider crab in both links games). While I stood watching, The flowerhead was visited by a small copper, a small heath and a green-veined white. Either by luck or by judgement, they all avoided becoming supper for the spider.


Tomorrow at 8:45am in Q&P 'King Jim' will post his introduction to the MM Links Game, followed at 9:00 with his challenge words. You have to guess what words he has chosen to pair with these to form a well-known word or phrase. To make it easier, they are all from 4 to 8 letters long. Anyone can play so join in whenever you want to but early players stand more chance of bonus points.

[gen2]

Dont forget our sister game, the KM links based on Kate Mepham's GK crosswords in the Saturday/Monday Telegraph. That game is run by Seekeerz from down under and kicks off at 7am. Don't worry about the early start there, the bonus points are not time-sensitive in that game.

Happy guessing everyone, The shrubbery is now open.

gen2


PS
If you want to see the crab spider and the butterflies, wait until about 9pm and then go to:

http://www.blipfoto.com/gen2

[tearinghair]

Not sure whether I dare venture into the shrubbery this evening... In the garden earlier this afternoon I inadvertently disturbed an ants' nest. By the time I'd realised, half the nasty little things were crawling inside my trouser legs and having a bite of early supper. I don't think I've ever torn my clothes off so quickly...(sorry, too much information!).

[boxtops]

I was blackberrying this morning, and tonight I am throbbing with nettle stings - are there nettles in the shrubbery, too?

[paulineward]

There's all sorts in this shrubbery!

Tearinghair...what an image!

[Strix]

Gen2, I am surprised you missed seeing Rosa nurturing her Aconitum napellus with tender loving care!

And as for tearingpants throwing clothes about and boxtops throbbing it's all getting a bit steamy too early on a Friday evening!!

[paulineward]

I've been doing what? :-))

[tearinghair]

You'll be relieved to hear that I waited until I'd got out of the garden! It might have been a tad too much for the neighbours.

[boxtops]

LOL strix, wait until you see the key words tomorrow!!

[gen2]

If tearinghair hasn't put you all off, I'm now displaying my smalls on Blipfoto (link above).

Yes Boxtops, there were nettles, but they all got trampled by the partygoers a fortnight ago.

[paulineward]

The thought of creepy crawlies crawling into my 'space' would make run and strip off too tearinghair! :-)

Have you tried nettle wine?

[paulineward]

Tjhey are great pictures gen2!

[tearinghair]

Nettle WHAT, Pauline? Sounds like a contradiction in terms to me!
Gen2, those photos are amazing. I've just bought a new camera but the weather has been so grey and dull for the last two days that it hasn't inspired me to go out and take pics. Still, I've had chance to read the manual from beginning to - well, not to end, but at least to middle!

[paulineward]

Don't you find that women generally read manuals...and men think they can just work it out themselves!

[paulineward]

My husband's grandmother used to make nettle wine. It was lovely!

[Aquagility]

'Evening, all. Apologies for absence, Gen2. I'll try to be more reliable during August, though the Suffolk mud may outbid your dead nettles at times - who knows.
Jim, I look forward to trying to outguess you on MM, though I'm more likely to pull a feather out of Strix's nest and settle for the Free Fallers. Talking of which I was hoping to celebrate my 85th later this month with my last ever jump - posolutely the last. But my wretched Quack has put his foot down, hard. You kids get all the excitement!

[gen2]

Tearinghair - the best way to improve your photography is to get out there and take pictures every day regardless of the weather. A site like blipfoto can help you.

Aqua, The doctors take all the fun out of getting old - that's why I never go ;-)

[paulineward]

I should think so Aqa! Good for you though...

[tearinghair]

I'm not good in wet weather though, Gen2. And my cameras have all liked taking pictures of reflections in water, which are much better on a bright day (I always take what the camera tells me, not the other way round). A bit like MM links, where the link word tells me what it wants and I listen to it instead of using a spot of common sense.... see you all in the morning.

[paulineward]

sleep well tearinghair. Hope you get to use your camera soon!