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.
Life In General. A bit of an odd week this last week. It would have been my Dad’s 80th birthday, so we marked it privately, seems strange that it’s still only four months that he’s been gone. At times it feels much longer, others like it was just yesterday.
I also spent a day helping to clear my Grandma’s garden shed and garage, it’s amazing how much “stuff” we all seem to accumulate over time, and she was no exception.
Work. A meeting and a few phone calls probably sums up my work output this week. It’s been a quiet week, and there’s still be no further feedback on any of the proposals that were submitted recently. My reading of that is they have been unsuccessful, so back to the drawing board. This coming week is similarly light at this moment in time.
Allotment. (I’m going to add a regular allotment section to Quick Links from now on, as things are picking up). The plot is starting to move forward again, as the weather improves. This last week has mostly been dry, and the plot is starting to dry out sufficiently to get on it without fear of compacting the soil too much. I’m about to put out spring broccoli plants, as well as my early potatoes. For some reason I was feeling like I had gotten behind with my planting, however on checking last years journal I find that I’m in exactly the same week for these two things as I was last year (assuming that they are in the soil by next weekend. Lime is down for the brassicas (to help combat club root, amongst other things), and I need to dig my potato trenches, although I’m considering a slightly different method this year, so I need to decide exactly what I am going to do.
Into The Woods: how one man survived in the wilderness for 27 years [LINK] I’ve mentioned before about a hermit lifestyle, this guy actually did it, although I don’t agree with some of his ultimate methods for getting by day to day.
Flying High: Why Peregrines are kings of the urban jungle [LINK] I saw my first buzzard from the garden this last week (bringing this years tally up to 20 species), they are a common sight and we’ve have had a kestrel in the garden as well this year. Birds of prey seem to still be very much persecuted in some areas of the Country, despite being illegal it is not uncommon to see reports of them being shot, trapped or poisoned. It’s good to see that some species are able to adapt to us.
It does however seem that we don’t learn the lessons of the past with respect to some other birds of prey. [LINK]
Currently Reading
The Massacre of Mankind by Stephen Baxter [GoodReads] a birthday present and the “official” sequel to The War of the Worlds. I finished reading this last week and although I enjoyed it, I did think the second half of the book was a little disappointing. I can’t say why without spoiling the story line but I’d still say it’s worth a read either if you’ve read War of the Worlds or you like Stephen Baxter’s other books. I’m not on to:
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman [GoodReads], after only one evening of reading I feel like I am going to get through this one fairly quickly.
A Search for Solitude: Pursuing the Monk’s True Life (Journals Vol. 3) by Thomas Merton [GoodReads]
The Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King [GoodReads] I’m reading for an online group.
The Week In Wildlife – In Pictures
Here’s Looking At You Kid [LINK] Bush Stone Curlew that likes to admire it’s own reflection.
Electronic Scrapbook 