Welcome to Breakfast in America
My photo journal is an eclectic mix of things; there’s no guiding theme or topic. It is whatever happens to catch my attention, what I’ve been thinking, doing, and whatever my current obsessions are. At the moment, they are clearing some of the backlog on my ‘honey-do’ list, backpacking and hammock camping.
Posts
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HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Prince of Wales — leaving Portsmouth Harbour. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Today is our last full day at Gunwharf Quays. We took a stroll along the Millennium Walkway to pass the time and were there to watch HMS Prince of Wales leave Portsmouth Harbour.
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Interesting things happening in front of our hotel
Interesting things happening in front of our hotel. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Day Three
We were fascinated by the construction of this miniature golf course going on below our hotel window.
We discussed the business model, marketing, construction methodology, finishing, and testing among many other things.
This was not a ‘regular’ attraction, and gleaning some clues from what we saw, we discovered the company installing it specializes in pop-up miniature golf courses, and originally created theater props — which explained a lot. Some other clues suggested a drone might be used in the marketing (otherwise why put logos on the top of things?) — and on the last day of the build, sure enough a drone was used to do a fly through.
Yes, we are easily entertained in a cerebral kind of way.
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What Gare Bears might wear in the woods
What Gare Bears might wear in the woods. Copyright © 2024 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved. Day Two
With the emphasis on might. Well actually, might not. We had a good laugh though.
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Fish & Chips and a couple of pints at The Still & West
Fish & Chips and a couple of pints at The Still & West — A pint and pub grub on our first evening in Pompey. Copyright © 2024 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved. -
Ginger, Gary and the Spinnaker Tower
Ginger, Gary and the Spinnaker Tower — Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth. Copyright © 2024 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved. -
London Heathrow, T5
London Heathrow, T5 — I love buildings like this, and we spent ages looking at the construction details. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We had discovered that one of Ginger’s community members would be at Heathrow the morning after we’d arrived, so we made plans to meet up in Terminal 5. I booked a car to pick us up at two pm, giving us plenty of time for people watching and looking around after our meeting.
We’ll be back at T5 at the beginning of September for our flight home.
Next stop, a three day stay in a hotel in Portsmouth, where we can enjoy some quiet time, rest, and get over our jetlag.
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Heathrow T3 from our hotel
Heathrow T3 from our hotel — The hotel’s sound insulation was very impressive. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. 
Heathrow T3 from our hotel — The hotel’s sound insulation was very impressive. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. -
To all appearances, we might still be flying
To all appearances, we might still be flying. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. Day One
Good flights, an excellent connection, and we zipped through border control in the UK in minutes. Down in Baggage Reclaim our bags were first on the carousel, and our hotel was just a short (inside) walk from Heathrow T3 Arrivals. Within half an hour or so of deplaning we were tucked up in our hotel room, and ready to get some well-earned sleep.
This was the view the next morning. The reality was a little different though, as you can see in the next post. The hotel’s sound insulation was so good, you would never know you were right next to an airport.
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Ginger watching the dawn at 30,000 feet
Ginger watching the dawn at 30,000 feet. We are off on the first leg of a visit to the UK. Our first since 2019. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We are off on the first leg of a visit to the UK. Our first since 2019. It’s going to be a mix of business and pleasure. We have three business events (Towcester, Wortham, and Glasgow), with family and personal time planned in between.
This picture is very similar to one I took on the first leg of our last trip.
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Early evening on an Ozarks farm road
Early evening on an Ozarks farm road — It’s all looking very lush and green. Nowadays this road has a lot more traffic than it used to. Copyright © 2024 Gary Allman, all rights reserved. We recently spent a few days down with Ginger’s parents. In the evenings we walked down to the creek where, one evening, we saw a family of otters playing. We also saw several deer.
This quiet looking farm road gets a lot more traffic than it used to. And, blowing my own horn, that included me on a couple of early morning runs. Yes, I now manage to (mostly) run a couple of miles five times a week.
I discovered an unexpected hazard of road-running out in the sticks — being chased by over-enthusiastic dogs!
