軍火

近一年因工作關係常接觸香港防衛及軍事歴史﹣射程長度及位置以外，更多的記憶是跟扒草堆、蚊叮和蝙蝠等有關。這次連舊大埔警署這個習作也要找大炮。話說在一八九九年舊大埔警署的舊照片中，小山丘上有枝小炮，大家一直以為它就是現時灣仔峽警察博物館外那野戰炮，但樣子怎樣看來都有點不同，於是便派了貓偵探本人去找出真相。從舊報紙文章及書籍讀到，一八九九年舊照片中的炮當日很可能為警署開幕而專程從港島運往新界去，這種山炮比較輕巧；但灣仔峽警察博物館外的野戰炮則是由德國krupp 公司製造的。昨天我們要深入秘密倉庫去為小房子選合適的軍火 ﹣ammoshopping. 款式很多，大家仍在選擇。

而我們則過了很愉快、陽光普照的一天，在天台花園吃了最好味道的小沙律，唐樓後街中用漂亮的小杯子喝了一口倫敦的味道，遇上正綻放中的藍花楹，一片藍紫色十分魔幻。還竟然跟菜菇遇上她一直嚷着要買的「磨菇」，不是一般的... 她已經想買近半年了。快樂是買到一本令人想看完再看的書，在海邊和山丘上散步（雖然有兩個大人跟着我們...）聞到好香的牛油香，並跟霆鋒穿着同樣的衣服暗襯。
快樂是選擇不猜忌、不比較，拿出勇氣去消除誤解、各自為自己的不足道歉並努力選擇去包容和愛。快樂時刻不一定垂手可得，所以「開心的東西要專心記起」
“The camp at Flagstaff Hill, with its ammunition and supplies dump, was to be left defended only by the Hong Kong Regiment quarter-guard of about 25 men, the 15 or so police, 8 gunners, and a small detachment of 16 naval ratings, with the single 7-pounder gun previously landed from H.M.S. Fame. (...) Captain Simmonds of the Asiatic Artillery commanded a half-battery of six Mountain Guns (also known as Mule Guns: they fired 7-pound shells) which had been shipped out to Tai Po by the Royal Navy on 16 April. These were guns designed for use in rough conditions, where roads were not adequate to carry heavy guns. These light guns were mounted on wheeled carriages, which were light enough that they could be pulled along even poor roads, but, if the roads were too poor for any form of wheeled transport, then they could be broken down and moved in sections. The guns were designed to be broken down into four sections (the barrel, the breech, the carriage, and the wheels). Each section weighed a little above 200 pounds, the whole gun together weighing about 900 pounds. These sections were designed so that each section could be carried by one mule. At least two further mules were needed to carry ammunition for each gun (one mule could carry about 30 shells, weighing with the boxes they were packed in, about 250 pounds, so two mules could carry enough ammunition for one relatively short engagement). No ammunition carriages were taken to Tai Po, since it was initially assumed that the guns were going to be used for ceremonial salute only.)"