To Lt. B Smitherton,
A Barracks,
Sydney Cove,
Australia.
Well dear chap, it seems one of us has the better post! When time came up to serve in the colonies I should have read the fine print closer. The 'Americas' is not the sunny, sandy beaches and scantily clad serving girls in halved coconuts as we were led to believe by 'Soldiering Weekly', almost the polar opposite. It also appears that there is a significant difference between 'America' and 'Central America'. Well, I guess it is these experiences that make us the elite of the Corps eh what?
The weather has taken a turn for the colder in the last week, with a fresh fall of snow and more due by the end of the week. If the thermometer is also working it appears that we have been seeing -3 degrees for most of the week (personally I do not put much store in these 'thermometers', but instead stay by the tried and true method of timing how long it takes to defrost your underwear in front of the fireplace).
The wife and I took some R & R over the weekend (after a full week of work - it seems the chaps down at Sir Branson's Union Square shop have finally found something for me to do - underpaid of course!) with a trip to the metropolitan Museum of Art for a gander at the Tiffany collection. It seems that the old silversmith family have donated a few things from out of the attic of the country estate for the viewing public.
The old fellow certainly new how to blow glass, I'll give him that. Whilst we were not allowed to take any daguerreotypes I managed to purchase a couple of post cards at the gift shop for you.
As we were so close to Central Park we decided to have a look at the ice rink. I've included a few photographs so you can see how frozen the park was!
This is the Conservatory Water where the old men race their model boats of an afternoon. As you can guess, they were not in residence on this day - the surface was frozen solid!
Whilst it had snowed earlier during the week, it didn't stay around for long. There is still snow on the ground back at the fort in Journal Heights which is nice as it appears to hide the worst of the garbage that gets blown around.
This is the famous Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Central Park (note the pre-Disney features!) by José de Creeft.
And here we have the Ice Rink at the southern end of the park. The little lady and I resisted the temptation to break in a pair of skates as we were both still feeling the affects of a rambunctious night in the Village and were not quite up to seeing how cold the ice would feel on our behinds.
At that point it was unanimously agreed that a cup of tea was in order and we retired to the rural abode in the Hills of New Jersey. Whilst the cold air is enough to turn one positively frigid, it is surprising how fresh and clean it makes one feel. We have discovered that it is positively vital that one keeps their chapstick handy (no Smitherton, the other chapstick). I spent a painful few days regretting its absence.
Keep well Smitherton, and remember to keep out of the sun during the day. Hopefully we shall be granted leave for Christmas next year when I hope we can convalesce in warmer climes.
Till then,
Yours
Sgt. M
A Barracks,
Sydney Cove,
Australia.
Well dear chap, it seems one of us has the better post! When time came up to serve in the colonies I should have read the fine print closer. The 'Americas' is not the sunny, sandy beaches and scantily clad serving girls in halved coconuts as we were led to believe by 'Soldiering Weekly', almost the polar opposite. It also appears that there is a significant difference between 'America' and 'Central America'. Well, I guess it is these experiences that make us the elite of the Corps eh what?
The weather has taken a turn for the colder in the last week, with a fresh fall of snow and more due by the end of the week. If the thermometer is also working it appears that we have been seeing -3 degrees for most of the week (personally I do not put much store in these 'thermometers', but instead stay by the tried and true method of timing how long it takes to defrost your underwear in front of the fireplace).
The wife and I took some R & R over the weekend (after a full week of work - it seems the chaps down at Sir Branson's Union Square shop have finally found something for me to do - underpaid of course!) with a trip to the metropolitan Museum of Art for a gander at the Tiffany collection. It seems that the old silversmith family have donated a few things from out of the attic of the country estate for the viewing public.
The old fellow certainly new how to blow glass, I'll give him that. Whilst we were not allowed to take any daguerreotypes I managed to purchase a couple of post cards at the gift shop for you.
As we were so close to Central Park we decided to have a look at the ice rink. I've included a few photographs so you can see how frozen the park was!
This is the Conservatory Water where the old men race their model boats of an afternoon. As you can guess, they were not in residence on this day - the surface was frozen solid!
Whilst it had snowed earlier during the week, it didn't stay around for long. There is still snow on the ground back at the fort in Journal Heights which is nice as it appears to hide the worst of the garbage that gets blown around.
This is the famous Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Central Park (note the pre-Disney features!) by José de Creeft.
And here we have the Ice Rink at the southern end of the park. The little lady and I resisted the temptation to break in a pair of skates as we were both still feeling the affects of a rambunctious night in the Village and were not quite up to seeing how cold the ice would feel on our behinds.
At that point it was unanimously agreed that a cup of tea was in order and we retired to the rural abode in the Hills of New Jersey. Whilst the cold air is enough to turn one positively frigid, it is surprising how fresh and clean it makes one feel. We have discovered that it is positively vital that one keeps their chapstick handy (no Smitherton, the other chapstick). I spent a painful few days regretting its absence.
Keep well Smitherton, and remember to keep out of the sun during the day. Hopefully we shall be granted leave for Christmas next year when I hope we can convalesce in warmer climes.
Till then,
Yours
Sgt. M
posted by Sgt M at 12:35 PM
2 Comments:
I say old top, smahing beano you're on at the moment. Would swap climates with you at a moment's notice! The bloody tropics have been more humid than a priest's panties the last few weeks, and one is certainly starting the feel the ill-effects of not having had a good night's sleep in longer than one cares to remember.
I've been rather fond of old Tiffany's work, indeed, Nottlesby Lodge (my ancestral residence) has several prints of "photographs" (newfangled invention, apparently only good for taking pictures of girls and steamships) on prominent display.
Keep up the communiques, old boy, they're most warmly received in the Colonies!
I say - they are quite good for picturing the girls! The lads back at barracks have an eye for this new art and have a decent collection going.
I quite enjoy the cold - although it does make travelling at night a bit dastardly.
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