Each week I’ll try and post quick links to things that I’ve seen, read, inspired me or just sparked my interest in the previous week, with a little background and my thoughts and other things that I’ve been up to in the previous week. Mostly gardening, cooking and environmental stuff but not always.
I haven’t seen many swifts this year, quite a few swallows and house martins but their high flying cousins have been a little conspicuous in their absence. It goes like that some years – I seem to miss a bird, even though it was probably around. I was pleased to read this article though about the changes planned in Oxford.
Something else that I haven’t seen in this Country yet, and I hope not too, are Asian Hornets, which have been spotted for the first time. Another article on it here.
I don’t think I’ve linked to this before, but apologies if I have, however I do often write about white elephants here, e.g. Hinkley Point. Another one is the HS2 or High Speed 2 Railway line. Here’s an interesting (quite long) piece about the land it will cross (if it’s ever built).
Back in April one of Googles Street View Cars passed me when I was walking the dogs – seems that I’ve now been immortalised on Google Maps! I notice however that although my face has been blurred, unlike these cows the dogs have not had their identities protected!
Currently Reading
Run To The Mountain by Thomas Merton [GoodReads] – Still on the reading pile and still enjoying it!
Nigel: my family and other dogs by Monty Don [GoodReads] Only recently started so a bit early to pass comment, but am enjoying it so far.
A Week In Wildlife – In Pictures
Electronic Scrapbook 
Hey, you and the dogs are becoming the real web celebrities there, Alan!
We also have a few instances of eminent domain issues, here in Canada. The Canadian government can claim just about anything “for the greater good” no matter where it is or who own it. Kind of sickening, really.
That’s quite the shed build there. It was amazing to see this guy build it from just was was around him and with tools, no less, that he made from the same materials! He didn’t even use matches to start his fires. Remarkable.
Hi David, I don’t really have a problem with the greater good principle, but I just don’t think the case has been made in this instance. The whole reduction of half and hour in journey time, doesn’t really justify the cost, and disruption, not to mention the way it is just changing people’s lives. There are also other bigger and more more widespread issues on the railways in this country to do with capacity, overcrowding and just plain poor service that I’d suggest could tackled and money better spent there, than on a new line, that no one seems to want or will make much difference, but then what do I know 😉