Temperatures projected to be in the high 30s here in the East Midlands today. Still comfortable indoors at 10:30. We have the windows closed and the blinds down on the south side of the house.
Covered our small south facing window. Blind down in the kitchen and lounge curtains drawn. We have two large and one small tower fans moving the air around. Solar panels are paying for them ;D . Hoping to see close to 4kW being produced at some time during the day.
Great day for getting the holiday washing done!
I ignored the advice not to travel and made a four mile car journey to Tesco at Ashby. Unpleasant in the car, but outside it felt (at 1pm) like a typical summer day in Croatia or Montenegro. Not upsetting. Very nice and cool in Tesco of course.
Temperature in the house is higher than a couple of hours ago, but tolerable here on the ground floor.
Need the office air con today for sure.
Fortunately at home there is someone on hand to ensure the dog isn't too uncomfortable, but he looks fine, with the closed windows and curtains doing the trick. I popped in myself over lunch and even though it's obvious he's not enjoying the heat, he's showing no signs of suffering either.
Notable that even though 100F is apparently possible locally tomorrow, on Wednesday it will barely reach 70F.
And folk wonder why I insist on going to Greece every summer.
Was reasonably bearable until about 3 when suddenly the heat really hit. Now 34 in Mid Devon and too hot for me to sit out on the patio.
33deg c reached in Ireland today. 33.3 was reached in 1888 but there are doubts about that record due to mis calibration of the equipment concerned. So probably the hottest day ever recorded here. Went to the beach this morning and the cooling breeze made it very pleasant!
It's curbing my appetite somewhat, so hopefully Ill lose a few lbs...
Quote from: Matt2112 on July 18, 2022, 02:31:45 PMAnd folk wonder why I insist on going to Greece every summer.
To pump out more CO
2 to help raise UK temperatures?
35.5C in Chesterfield. It was warm. Forecast to go to about 41C tomorrow. Think I'll give cycling a miss.
Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on July 18, 2022, 07:08:23 PMQuote from: Matt2112 on July 18, 2022, 02:31:45 PMAnd folk wonder why I insist on going to Greece every summer.
To pump out more CO2 to help raise UK temperatures?
To contribute to LBA's carbon-neutral programme. Everyone's a winner!
Been doing the ironing out on the patio to tonight, too warm inside (currently 28.2 degrees)
Quote from: Matt2112 on July 18, 2022, 08:34:59 PMQuote from: Nickslikk2112 on July 18, 2022, 07:08:23 PMQuote from: Matt2112 on July 18, 2022, 02:31:45 PMAnd folk wonder why I insist on going to Greece every summer.
To pump out more CO2 to help raise UK temperatures?
To contribute to LBA's carbon-neutral programme. Everyone's a winner!
Carbon-neutral my arse. Green-washing bunch of gobshites :)
I love this sort of weather, the hotter the better for me. We won't get 40 degrees here in Blackpool tomorrow though, then Wednesday is back to 20 degrees - boo.
Went for a bike ride in the early evening. 36 degrees and the oncoming breeze felt like a hairdryer on a low setting, but it was tolerable. Took it easy, of course.
Rough night last night. Too hot to sleep.
Just took a walk down the road from the office to grab some lunch from "The Village Pantry"; by the way, they phoned our office to advise they are closing early, which was very good of them (and completely understandable).
According to BBC Weather, the current temp is 36C / 96F, but it must be borne in mind these are recordings from a "properly shaded thermometer"; the "feels like" temperature is given as 38C / 100F.
Sure enough, it does feel like weather familiar from summer jollies in and around the Med; but it's back to business as usual tomorrow.
I got permission to bring the dog into our nice, cool (and today sparsely populated) office, to give him some relief from these freakish conditions. Looking forward to be able to walk him for a bit tomorrow.
Rain here in Devon, sky black, bit like a sauna.
It's hit 100F in Chesterfield today. Didn't think I'd ever see that.
Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on July 19, 2022, 02:55:37 PMIt's hit 100F in Chesterfield today. Didn't think I'd ever see that.
I see you had a large crop fire there. Get yerself in The Tramway Tavern!
36 today in mid wales. cooling down now.
Too hot for Squash.
Quote from: David L on July 19, 2022, 03:17:08 PMQuote from: Nickslikk2112 on July 19, 2022, 02:55:37 PMIt's hit 100F in Chesterfield today. Didn't think I'd ever see that.
I see you had a large crop fire there. Get yerself in The Tramway Tavern!
I'm not leaving the house, all the local roads are melting! I'm sitting in a dark corner with an ice pack on my head!
do you mean you have taken off the stupid hat, or is the ice under the hat? justa wondering.
Just been out its much cooler, watered the pot plants, they were dying.
The rain came and went with a clap of thunder, now back to baking hot
I've just checked the thermometer outside and it's plummeted to 25 degrees. Right, central heating and jumpers on.
Quote from: Rufus_the_dawg on July 19, 2022, 04:32:33 PM36 today in mid wales. cooling down now.
Too hot for Squash.
Apart from the orange or lemon varieties!
Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on July 19, 2022, 02:55:37 PMIt's hit 100F in Chesterfield today. Didn't think I'd ever see that.
And look what it's done to that spire! Blimey. :o
Feels warmer here in my mancave / place of work than it did yesterday morning. But it's a lot cooler outside.
Walked the little Miss to school this morning and, have to say, the cooling westerly breeze felt very pleasant.
The forecast for the next few days looks similarly favourable - it's still t-shirt weather!
Back to normal here, overcast and drizzly. Still in my shorts though.
It was warmer in out house than yesterday, up from 26.5C to 27C, but I've managed to get it back to 25.5C now.
Was still about 25C outside on my ride this morning, but now down to 22C.
Glad that's over for another 3 years.
Still feels too warm in the house, even with windows open. I suspect the brickwork is still radiating heat accumulated from last night, like a Nightstor heater (remember those?)
I wonder what the record range of temperature difference is in the U.K. over 24 hrs?
Very odd weather today... nice blue sky.. with extremely gusty warm winds from the south...
Also bin day today so bins blown over all over the place and lots of plastic and tin cans flying about
Mild here today and no rain. 16C tomorrow here in the E Mids, allegedly and again no rain. Looks like big dollops of sunshine over the weekend. Nice.
It's not right. Almost mid-November and nary frost so far. Seemingly constant heavy rain showers for weeks and then breathless overnight, with very restless uncomfortable dogs despite windows left wide open. Bathroom towels drying quickly at the moment outside on the line due to a warmish blustery wind, followed by periods of dead still calm. Makes me wonder what's next for our seasons and how drastically nature will be affected. Doesn't seem to be concerning one of the neighbours though with their tumble dryer battering on every day, their plastic lawn and imitation falcon perched on a wall to deter small feathered visitors. Clowns.
Blowing so hard here it broke the clothes line earlier this morning... thankfully the wind now easing off
Just back from walking the dog on St Annes beach. A bit windy, but really warm - the car says 17 degrees.
Planning a walk on the North Devon coast tomorrow, what to wear is my main concern.
Horrible weather so far in the East Midlands this week. Very cold, gloomy and fog all day.
2111 posts James.
I'm not normally one for cold weather, but this past week the dog walks in the still, quiet, crisp, freezing nights, our village enhanced by patches of iced-up snow dustings and illuminated mini-Christmas trees sticking out from the front walls of houses, have been most enjoyable (once I got going...).
Yesterday the forecast suggested that the temperature would climb to 0C this afternoon. However the best I'm offered now is -1, between 1100 and 1500. It's -2 at the moment.
I like the cold weather - so long as it's sunny, but when it's dull and misty it puts a downer on things. Don't even feel like going out on the bike, especially as my fleeciest kit is currently hanging stiffly on the line.
I suppose this isn't weather exactly but you get sunset times on every weather forecast so hey.
This is a graph showing the change in sunset times in seconds from the earliest sunset to the latest.
(https://i.ibb.co/vct0YcS/Sunset-Changes.png)
So for example the highest point on the graph is Friday, Feb 10th - on that day, the sunset time is 116 seconds later than the previous day. Whereas, for example, on Jun 25th (the last data point) sunset occurs only one second later than on the 24th.
There's a curious outlier on March 26th when the graph takes a bit of a downward spike - I wonder if that's bad data. That apart though the curve is very consistent. You can see that the sunset time changes most each day during February.
Quote from: Slim on January 15, 2023, 11:09:57 PMThere's a curious outlier on March 26th when the graph takes a bit of a downward spike - I wonder if that's bad data. That apart though the curve is very consistent. You can see that the sunset time changes most each day during February.
The start of BST?
Quote from: pdw1 on January 16, 2023, 09:11:24 PMQuote from: Slim on January 15, 2023, 11:09:57 PMThere's a curious outlier on March 26th when the graph takes a bit of a downward spike - I wonder if that's bad data. That apart though the curve is very consistent. You can see that the sunset time changes most each day during February.
The start of BST?
Ah yes - that must have something to do with it. I don't quite see how but clearly it's too much of a coincidence not to be the case.
Woke up to a covering of snow this morning, which is hanging around even now - brrrr.
A steady fall of fine snow has left us with a pleasant-looking dusting today - however, tomorrow we'll be smack in the middle of an amber alert area, so expecting much heavier stuff to come.
Quote from: Matt2112 on March 08, 2023, 10:22:09 PMA steady fall of fine snow has left us with a pleasant-looking dusting today - however, tomorrow we'll be smack in the middle of an amber alert area, so expecting much heavier stuff to come.
Not at all unremarkable for March, of course, although the media would have you believe it is
Quote from: David L on March 08, 2023, 10:34:10 PMQuote from: Matt2112 on March 08, 2023, 10:22:09 PMA steady fall of fine snow has left us with a pleasant-looking dusting today - however, tomorrow we'll be smack in the middle of an amber alert area, so expecting much heavier stuff to come.
Not at all unremarkable for March, of course, although the media would have you believe it is
Quite; I remember waking up to a winter wonderland scene one April morning a few years ago, which nobody seemed to think was freakish at the time - still got the photo.
We are at altitude though, and it's also not unusual to look down from a snow-covered field down onto the (Happy) valley where there's barely a fleck.
Quote from: David L on March 08, 2023, 10:34:10 PMQuote from: Matt2112 on March 08, 2023, 10:22:09 PMA steady fall of fine snow has left us with a pleasant-looking dusting today - however, tomorrow we'll be smack in the middle of an amber alert area, so expecting much heavier stuff to come.
Not at all unremarkable for March, of course, although the media would have you believe it is
People have short memories.
March snow isn't unusual. Less common than it was, but not unusual.
My bithday is the end of April, there was 4" of snow on my 18th birthday and 2" on my 21st. Mind, the 21st is 39 years ago this year...
Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on March 09, 2023, 10:32:16 AMQuote from: David L on March 08, 2023, 10:34:10 PMQuote from: Matt2112 on March 08, 2023, 10:22:09 PMA steady fall of fine snow has left us with a pleasant-looking dusting today - however, tomorrow we'll be smack in the middle of an amber alert area, so expecting much heavier stuff to come.
Not at all unremarkable for March, of course, although the media would have you believe it is
People have short memories.
March snow isn't unusual. Less common than it was, but not unusual.
My bithday is the end of April, there was 4" of snow on my 18th birthday and 2" on my 21st. Mind, the 21st is 39 years ago this year...
O to be sixty again. Without the lockdown of course.
Been bloody hot here in the Caribbean. Hope the snow's gone by the time we get back.
We got the dumping exactly as forecasted all of yesterday and through most of the night.
Today was the calm after the snowstorm though, with the clouds and winds gone and the blue sky and sunshine making for very picturesque winter scenes.
This morning a very kind soul from the neighbouring village shop shovelled away several inches of snow that was preventing me from getting the car off the drive.
There was slight thawing through the day, which meant I could drive the usual return journey home that utilises a cheeky back-street short cut. 🙂
It's shit..very wet ..windy cold dull.. thank god I'm heading to Lanzarote this weekend
Mammatus clouds filmed over Texas https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65907292
Clouds are great
Quote from: Slim on March 10, 2023, 08:38:16 PMBeen bloody hot here in the Caribbean. Hope the snow's gone by the time we get back.
Bloody hot here now. A few clouds have rolled over this last hour or two though.
Thunderheads are rumbling, in a distant overture.
Over to the west though. Please come here and clear the air.
Weather has been glorious this week; i.e. very warm, sunny, refreshing mild breezes.
Sadly it's forecast to break on Sunday when the inevitable thunderstorms get to work.
Finally some rain over here after 5 weeks without. Forecast is thunderstorms, torrential rains. Let's see.
Yesterday afternoon the thunder and torrential rain finally arrived.
And today more grey clouds threatened rain but fortunately there's not been much forthcoming.
Forecast for the weekend looks more promising.
It rained! And it is still raining.
Should really post this in the what made me smile thread :-)
Rain most of today, heavy but not as dramatic as the weekend. Dry now.
Siled it down all morning, then most of the afternoon :(
Nice day today, very warm.
Still at peak sunset time here in NW Leics. Sun set at 9:33:57 tonight. It will set seven seconds later tomorrow night. Four seconds later than that on Saturday. Another second later on Sunday. Then it's downhill again.
Wow!!! Biblical downpour just now.
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on July 08, 2023, 05:58:21 PMWow!!! Biblical downpour just now.
Same here. Positively Noachian. Looked out across the field behind us and it looked like fog.
Here, there's rain in the forecast every day until the 18th. Won't actually pan out like that, hopefully.
First mild, pleasantly calm and dry evening in what seems like weeks.
Cutting the grass this lunchtime felt as warm as it has been this summer.
Hottest day of the year so far here yesterday, for sure.
Yes last couple of days and next few are looking great..
Just happy the temperature drops rapidly at night.
Three weeks of rain expected today into tomorrow. Trains suspended and major roads closed.
The weather for the weekend looks much the same as last weekend, apart from being 10 degrees C cooler. I've been cycling today in shorts and short sleeves, and I suspect that's the last time until March-ish.
It was 24 degrees today here, it's October :o
Awful weather here until the end of the month
(https://i.ibb.co/VWJhJsp/231019weather.png)
And the clocks go back a week on sat/sun...😩
Quote from: Fishy on October 19, 2023, 12:07:49 PMAnd the clocks go back a week on sat/sun...😩
A week?? That's a very long lie in
Quote from: Slim on October 19, 2023, 12:27:47 PMQuote from: Fishy on October 19, 2023, 12:07:49 PMAnd the clocks go back a week on sat/sun...😩
A week?? That's a very long lie in
Wish they went back about 6 months tbh..
Quote from: Fishy on October 19, 2023, 12:42:17 PMQuote from: Slim on October 19, 2023, 12:27:47 PMQuote from: Fishy on October 19, 2023, 12:07:49 PMAnd the clocks go back a week on sat/sun...😩
A week?? That's a very long lie in
Wish they went back about 6 months tbh..
Fifty years is my shout. Best music.....ever!
It's raining.
Don't know if I'll get to Tesco tonight, it's gridlocked in Chesterfield. Might have to be a walk to Sainsburys - but not if it's still raining.
What a grim day! Feels like a total eclipse occurred ten minutes ago.
At last, the wind has changed direction and Alfie gets to chase and bark at the Emirates A380 again.
Actually quite pleasant for much of the day in central London today.
Much better than yesterday, when Storm Ciaran had me fearing our flight from Athens to Stansted Airport could be diverted at the very least, but the final approach and landing wasn't too wobbly at all and we were only 20 minutes behind schedule.
As a rule I don't like the cold; however, these last few nights have been that frosty, pleasantly still sort of cold that makes for an enjoyable walk with the dog, as long as we keep moving! And the sight of a moonbow is always a bonus. :)
We had an inch of snow in the early hours of this morning, and while most of it has now gone, ice will be an issue tonight.
As a rule, I love cold sunny weather like this, especially with a light covering of snow - which lasted the day. But today for whatever reason I've felt chilled to the marrow. :(
Horrible wet weather again and very frustrating as I need to do another 260 miles on a bike this month. But - supposedly there's a run of decent condition days coming up in a week or so. Even the forecast for the 18th only has mist after 6pm.
(https://i.ibb.co/NKK4yc2/weather14th.png)
This is so depressing. Quarter past two in the afternoon and it feels like nighttime already. It hasn't stopped raining for days and even the back garden lawn has puddles. I wonder how the weather compares in somewhere like Devon. I'm seriously sick of winters like these. Must be an age thing.
Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on December 10, 2023, 02:18:35 PMThis is so depressing. Quarter past two in the afternoon and it feels like nighttime already. It hasn't stopped raining for days and even the back garden lawn has puddles. I wonder how the weather compares in somewhere like Devon. I'm seriously sick of winters like these. Must be an age thing.
Yes, it's been awful this winter so far. We have 2 little Dachshunds and it's hard trying to get them out in this weather. They're OK once out and it starts raining but trying to get them out of the front door when it's raining can be a chore. Of course being so low to the ground is hard for them too as they get splashed constantly.
Where in the UK are you? I think it's crap everywhere. I remember when we lived in Peterhead and it actually snowed in June once.
Oh yes, Peterhead. I had a couple of customers I used to visit there and even in the summer the wind off the North Sea could cut you. I remember being very happy to get back to the car after picking up a sandwich from Morrisons. I live north of Glasgow. Lovely area surrounded by woods and fields (although a lot of house building recently, with more threatened) but definitely suffers from the west of Scotland relief rainfall pattern. I've never lived anywhere else but spent a fair bit of time on the Essex coast in the past. The weather there just seemed that much more settled. Cold in the winter, but without the regular driving windy rain. The reason I mentioned the age thing is that the weather here feels as if it getting worse but I'm not sure if I'm right or if I just feel the cold more.
Storm Pia seems like it's been sat in for at least a week now, trying to ruin the festive spirit.
It won't succeed, but I do wish it would fck off now. :-\
Storm Pia ruining the Christmas spirit (AI image)
(https://i.ibb.co/LZP84fy/1baa51a5-b910-4388-8e32-e9cf59bcb380.jpg)
13C here today, very mild.
Quote from: Thenop on December 24, 2023, 06:45:46 PMStorm Pia ruining the Christmas spirit (AI image)
(https://i.ibb.co/LZP84fy/1baa51a5-b910-4388-8e32-e9cf59bcb380.jpg)
Quite like that, it has a "Lynchian" quality to it.
Woke up this morning to a blanket of snow - pretty deep too. I love it, my missus hates it :D
Quote from: pxr5 on January 16, 2024, 10:11:23 AMWoke up this morning to a blanket of snow - pretty deep too. I love it, my missus hates it :D
Snow here as well, not much, enough to cover the streets. I like it, if I don't have to go out (by car).
One of the dogs goes nuts, the other doesn't want to go out.
Yes, had a dusting of about an inch's worth which made the village (and the views from it) look quite picturesque.
As a bonus I was due to WFH anyway so avoided having to drive through any potentially dicey patches.
59 mph wind forecast for Sunday at 11pm:
(https://i.ibb.co/2nzjw7p/59mph.png)
Storm Isha seems to be beginning to make its presence felt. Just back indoors after doing my best to secure all the loose items the builders left lying around on Friday afternoon. Disappointing as all they seem to talk to me about is the weather. I imagine they'll not be too concerned in the pub this afternoon as they look forward to their Monday off.
Seems a lot quieter here now. Another windy day tomorrow, though
Rain starting now.. to be windy later
Kin hell.. really windy last night.. still pretty gusty and rainy. I wish January would just fuck off now..
Least it's pay day..
A neighbour's large tree blew down last night. It was growing two gardens from mine, completely engulfed my next door neighbour's garden taking down two BT cables and landing on my fence and greenhouse. To top it off, the tree belongs to a house just sold which is currently still unoccupied. I just went back to bed due to this horrible chest cold, just grateful that it was someone else's problem. Hopefully the landscape builder working at mine can lop our remaining tall tree. It's a shame but just not worth the worry if these storms are going to keep coming at us.
The fence we share with our neighbour to the left sort of half blew down during the storm; it was left leaning over our garden at a 45 degree angle in the middle. But he's had someone come to take a look with a view to fixing it while we were out yesterday and now there's a whole fence panel missing, so I guess it was a bigger job than anticipated.
I'm not 100% sure it's his fence to be honest .. might be ours. I must try to dig out the deeds.
I am sitting here, at the horses on the land, zero degrees and a full sun is out.
This is nice!
It sucks.. dull grey wet and the fkn heating is still on..
Any advantages from the clocks springing forward have been more than negated by the weather being sh!te ever since. :(
Quote from: Matt2112 on April 03, 2024, 06:18:36 PMAny advantages from the clocks springing forward have been more than negated by the weather being sh!te ever since. :(
I know Easter Sunday was glorious then just back to utter shittyness...
Really sick of it, rain in the forecast nearly every day for the next couple of weeks and it's been like that all year.
Oh great so now another named storm approaching for the weekend... ffs
Quote from: Fishy on April 04, 2024, 05:59:26 PMOh great so now another named storm approaching for the weekend... ffs
We've only got ourselves to blame ;D
Quote from: Fishy on April 04, 2024, 05:59:26 PMOh great so now another named storm approaching for the weekend... ffs
It's not all bad at least the wind will be quite warm...
Quote from: Fishy on April 05, 2024, 10:05:48 AMQuote from: Fishy on April 04, 2024, 05:59:26 PMOh great so now another named storm approaching for the weekend... ffs
It's not all bad at least the wind will be quite warm...
Yes, that's something; on the dog walk last night, as well as the conditions being generally foul, the wind chill numbed my fingers. It's very frustrating having to endure winter weather in April. :(
Quote from: Matt2112 on April 05, 2024, 01:55:49 PMIt's very frustrating having to endure winter weather in April. :(
Bloody whippersnappers!
It is still only April. On my 18th Birthday in 1984 at the back end of April we had four inches of snow. Snowed on my 21st birthday too.
Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on April 05, 2024, 02:50:09 PMQuote from: Matt2112 on April 05, 2024, 01:55:49 PMIt's very frustrating having to endure winter weather in April. :(
Bloody whippersnappers!
It is still only April. On my 18th Birthday in 1984 at the back end of April we had four inches of snow. Snowed on my 21st birthday too.
Could do with not having to tend the log burner every night though. Not good for the old knees.
Getting really rammed off with this rainy windy not very warm weather.. and the forecast for the next week looks bloody awful as well..
We've had 24 hours of dry weather. It's the first time I've seen my patio totally dry this year. My wife and I managed to dismantle and dispose of an old wooden shed. But now we're waiting for a longer spell of decent, dry, still weather to build a new plastic one that's still sat in it's box under the gazebo. I'll need my son too as it looks like a twat of a job going by the reviews.
We've had a lovely few days over here, but tomorrow it is storm, rain and possibly hail. Boo.
And the rain just keeps on keepin' on, right into May.
(https://i.ibb.co/SJB90YT/rainintomay.png)
Seriously considering a mini-break during the next school holidays to somewhere guaranteed to be actually fcking warm and sunny. :-\
This weather is fkn awful.. pissin wet rain again..
Quote from: Matt2112 on April 29, 2024, 04:56:21 PMSeriously considering a mini-break during the next school holidays to somewhere guaranteed to be actually fcking warm and sunny. :-\
Er...pleasantly warm and sunny in Yorkshire today. ::)
Nice day here as well yesterday, apart from the wind. Raining again now.
Yes, dawn to dusk sunshine and warmth here yesterday.
Dull and misty today though - but warm.
Full sun ALL DAY here tomorrow - I'm going to the beach and having chips and gravy on the front - yay. 8)
Warm, some sun but also showers expected. As if we hadn't had enough rain already..
Pissing down here
Warm-ish again but mostly cloudy today - looked like it could rain at any time but hasn't all day.
A wee bit blustery in exposed areas, but other than that - rather glorious! 8)
a balmy 17 today.. normal service resumed tomorrow...
Lovely day yesterday, nice day again today. Plenty of rain in the forecast though. I suppose climate change has done this. More heat, more evaporation of the oceans, more rain.
Pleasant today, mostly sunny spells. Nice May Day weekend weather. :)
Quote from: Matt2112 on May 05, 2024, 06:44:39 PMPleasant today, mostly sunny spells. Nice May Day weekend weather. :)
Started nice and sunny, reminded us of summer. Normal service resumed at 5:30pm. More rain.
Quote from: David L on May 05, 2024, 09:11:58 PMQuote from: Matt2112 on May 05, 2024, 06:44:39 PMPleasant today, mostly sunny spells. Nice May Day weekend weather. :)
Started nice and sunny, reminded us of summer. Normal service resumed at 5:30pm. More rain.
Bugger. Looks like we've dropped lucky as we've had zero rain for a few days now - just in time for our annual village Scarecrow Weekend! Which has been exceptionally good this year, I have to say. :)