A thank you to all those of you who left comments or emailed me directly after last weeks post, it meant a lot.
This week has mostly been about the work, I’ve been working mostly on one clients work, but dipping into another in preparation for more this week when I have another road trip to do to Somerset.
On one of my twice daily dog walks this week I did manage a trip along the canal path with the dogs, with the plan of allowing them a swim, but the water level was so low all they really managed was a paddle. I don’t suppose they were really bothered either way. Our other walks haven’t taken us as far from home, mostly due to trying to get the work hours in.
I’ve been reading a few different things this week, including another Ellis Peters Cadfael novel – The Leper of St.Giles. My other reading material has mostly been related to work, so I won’t bore you with the content.
I’ve been listening to a few different podcasts and other things including the abridged audio version of Ben Myers new novel “The Offing” on Radio 4, it’s got another week to go in it’s run, but you can catch up on the link above.
Fun fact: The original title for the third “Naked Gun” movie was going to be “Naked Gun 33 1/3 – For the record”, but was changed because producers didn’t think viewers would understand the joke.
Been doing quite a bit of digging on the allotment, getting things ready for the application of some manure. There’s still quite a bit growing, but equally quite a bit of bare ground as things have been picked, dug up, or eaten by badgers!
This last week has been pretty busy, and although I’ve had some good work related news (see below), I’ve had some sad news too. I think I’ve mentioned before that my Mum’s health has not been the best – well she had an appointment this week which was a follow up from some tests and a scan that she had a few weeks ago. The news that the consultant gave was not good, although perhaps wasn’t a surprise given the symptoms she’s had, we’re still processing what that means. For the time being at least I’m not going to say very much more.
The good, work related news, was that the second client I’d been talking to has come on board and that pretty much means in work terms I’m booked solid for the next couple of months. I much prefer being busy to having time on my hands though.
When I went to the allotment last I nearly trod on this pair of mating slugs that were between my shed and compost bins. I was surprised to see them there as this is more of a nocturnal activity, my guess was that they were in the shade there, and it wasn’t until the sun came around that they moved off and went on their separate ways to ultimately lay eggs to produce more slugs to eat my crops!
I have been listening to the BBC Prom concert based upon the book “The Lost Words” by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris. It’s available here for a short time. As a celebration of nature, wildlife and words, it is very much worth a listen.
I’m leaving it here for this week, lots to do over the coming days and obviously plenty to think about.
This time last week I was on my way to Somerset to see a potential client, who I’m pleased to say look they will become one. I can’t say much more than that at the moment.
On the way back I made a stop in a little village where we used to go for family holidays when I was a child. It’s actually quite a convenient spot to stop anyway and I’ve done so a few times over the years. The village used to have a secondhand bookshop, sadly now gone, but other than that the village hasn’t changed all that much. After a wander around, I got back on the road and headed for home.
I had previously been asked to hold a date in my diary for another meeting with another potential client. It’s work that we’ve been discussing on and off since January, and I wasn’t convinced that it was going to happen at all and then suddenly the request for the meeting. Then silence again. I followed up towards the end of the week and still didn’t hear anything until Friday when a message came in say that yes the meeting was still on, and could I come in an hour before the meeting to discuss a contract as they do want me to do the work. So it looks like I’m going to be busy.
I have the capacity to do both these contracts as neither is full time work, but I do need to sort out the exact number of days and timescales etc. I’ll be working on that this week.
The badgers have struck again and wiped out my entire crop of sweetcorn. It’s my fault, I’d started putting up a protective fence around the plants, but with one thing and another I’d never finished it and that was enough for the badgers to get in and have a good feed. I’m not too bothered, I’m obviously disappointed to loose the crop, but I feel that this species is persecuted (both legally and illegally) enough, so I don’t begrudge them a bit of corn, because I wasn’t able to do something that would have prevented it. There’s always next year!
Saw this sign on one of our dog walks this week, sure enough this little improvised sign was pointing towards a fairly active wasp’s nest. Very grateful to whoever improvised this little sign.
I’ve been listening to David Hewson’s new podcast this week you should be able to find it via the podcast app of your choice or on his webpage. He talks about writing and audiobooks, and the role Venice has played in his writing in the first three episodes.
I’m writing this on Sunday afternoon, as by the time it goes live tomorrow morning I’ll be somewhere between here and Somerset on my way to a meeting with a client. A potential new client (although I do already know someone there, which is why I’m going). I have my fingers crossed that this might be some new work, but it means that if I don’t write this today, it might not get written at all tomorrow or anywhen else in the next week.
It’s been a fairly quiet week, which I’ve mostly spent working on some presentations for talks that I’m giving at the beginning of October. On Monday there were two to prepare and then I had an email arrive and by the middle of the week there were three. They don’t pay very much (I’ve been told by some that I’m not charging enough), but I enjoy doing them and I’ve had quite a bit of fun researching material for them. They’re not finished yet but as I say their still six weeks away (please don’t remind me I said that when I write that I’m flapping about not getting them done and am working late into the night to finish them)!
I’ve been reading “Spillover” by David Quammen this week. It’s been on my Kindle for an absolute age, and although I appear to have read the first few pages before I’ve really been getting stuck in this week. It’s all about the transmission of diseases (mostly viruses) from animals to humans and what happens next. Think Ebola etc. I’m about halfway through and enjoying it, considering the topic is one that’s pretty gloomy, it’s very well written, and if you’re interested in science writing I’d certainly recommend it.
MAKE WAY FOR DUCKS: Motorists in Maine patiently waited for dozens of ducks to make their way safely across the road—even down to the last two stragglers. https://t.co/eJG9xooIBxpic.twitter.com/LCB5bOezFV
It’s raining outside as I write this and my office smells of wet dog as it was raining when we went for our morning walk too. It’s still quite warm though, although thankfully not too humid.
I seem to be behind with a few things at the moment, this weekly post included.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of chutney making and pickling this week. Another batch of pickled gherkins have been added to the store cupboard (about 5 jars worth), and a gooseberry and red onion chutney. This latter mix made 8 jars almost exactly, leaving me only a teaspoon worth to try. It was very good, and I have great hopes for it when it matures (in about a month). It looks like the sort of chutney that will work well with cheese and cold meats and possibly just to be eaten straight off of the spoon!
The wind had blown over the sweetcorn on the allotment and I’ve had to stake each individual plant to keep them upright. Hopefully they’ll survive the experience, although as a plant sweetcorn are very intolerant at having their roots disturbed. A shame if they don’t make it as they have already started to form cobs.
I’ve been reading “Irreplaceable” by Julian Hoffman this week. It is a great book and I thoroughly recommend it. It is also in some ways a depressing book. It is about those wild places and species that we have lost or might loose to what some people would call “progress”. I was familiar with some of the stories, but if you’re not it’s probably even more eye opening particularly with respect to some of those sites that are supposedly “protected” but in reality are not. I had quite a rant about it in my journal:
I finished reading “Irreplaceable” this afternoon. It really is an eye opening book. Although several of the stories were already familiar to me – many of them weren’t and it is truly shocking what we are doing to this planet in the name of progress. It feels that many of the current decision makers – the politicians, councillors and others just don’t care (or understand). They see progress as “at any cost” and that very often means at the expense of those things that we should hold most dear. Many of the stories are the sorts of things that I could all too easily see happening locally here because of weak leadership and low morales where a developer could easily sway the council with promises of “economic growth”, “more jobs”, “greater income for the local area”, when it’s all about the money, money, money; when in fact that is probably the last thing it should be about and the fact that many of the things that would suffer cannot simply have an economic value attached to them. They are our lifeblood, they support our health, our welfare, our mental prosperity and so many other things. All too often the decision makers simply do not give a shit about such things, that are mere travails, are inconsequential, of no meaning and no value!
Well it’s about time for a change and putting some of those things at the heart of such decisions.
So this week mostly went according to plan, no changes or last minute cancellations.
It was however a hot one, it looks like the hottest day ever was recorded for the UK and that the planet is sending us a warning of worse things to come if we don’t get our act together over climate change, reduce our emissions and prepare for the changes that we have already caused and are locked into our climate.
Weather patterns like those that we’ve seen this week could become a regular thing (at least every other year) and if we continue to do nothing – well that doesn’t bear thinking about really.
The allotment set a new temperature record too.
I tried to find the swan pair that routinely nest by the old aggregates wharf in town this week. They definitely nested this year (see here), but since they’ve left the nest I’ve not seen them or any young. It’s possible they’ve moved to a completely different part of the creek as there are a lot of bachelor swans around at the moment and they may feel safer having their young away from them until they’re a bit bigger or it might just be that they weren’t successful breeding this year. I’ve got a couple of ideas of places to try to see if I can find them but it’s not looking hopeful at the moment.
If you’re reading this online (rather than via an email subscription), you might have noticed a few changes. This is part of the changes I’ve been making to the site to lower the hosting costs. Last week I asked WordPress to “downgrade” my plan, which they did without a drama, but they noticed that the theme I used to use was no longer supported and thought that the site might break when the downgrade happened. It didn’t but their advice was to switch to a supported theme, to avoid any problems in the future. The changes you will have seen are as a result of me switching themes. Hopefully there are no obvious changes beyond appearance, but if you notice anything that isn’t quite as it was before please let me know and I’ll look into it.
The end results of all these changes are hopefully that the site will continue at a reduced cost for me. The ads are gone (I worked out that at the current rate of monetisation that it would be 227 years before I actually received any money) which also hopefully cleans things up.
I know this is still many months away, but I am looking forward to it.
My friend @documentally is off on a motorbike road trip
I read another Nevil Shute book this week – “Lonely Road” and also had a trip via the library on one of my outings where I picked up “The Overstory” by Richard Powers and an enormous book of Sherlock Holmes short stories by various authors.
I am a little underwhelmed by the former, particularly considering the reviews it’s had and the Sherlock Holmes stories are an interesting mix, some are good others less so and there are one or two that are very good.
That’s it for this week, I’ll leave you with this pretty kitten who needs a good home.
If you are starting to get a bit of a glut of courgettes, give this quick and easy pasta dish a try.
You’ll need (for 2 people):
200g of your favourite dried pasta shapes
1 regular sized courgette
1 packet of pine nuts (100g)
1 packet of feta cheese (200g)
1 medium / large unwaxed lemon
Pepper to taste
The cooking of the pasta is the rate determining step in preparing this meal. Once you have prepped your other ingredients they only take about 5 minutes to cook, so get the pasta going first, and time it so that everything is ready together.
Put a large pan of water on to boil to cook your pasta, once boiling add your pasta and cook according to the manufacturers instructions.
While the water is coming to the boil and the pasta is starting to cook, prepare you courgette. Top and tail, and then cut length-ways and then length-ways again so that you have 4 spears. Cut each spear into bite sized pieces.
Zest and juice the lemon and keep to one side.
Chop the feta into cubes and keep to one side.
Using a frying pan or similar heat and little oil and add the pine nuts and roast them gently until they start to brown.
Add the chopped courgettes and continue to roast with the pine nuts.
Once the courgettes are cooked, add a good grind of pepper and then add the lemon juice and zest and mix well to combine.
Turn off the heat under the pine nut & courgette mix, and add the feta and stir together.
Drain the pasta and serve, add the pine nut mix on top (alternatively add the drained pasta to the pine nut and courgette mix and combine).
Another week that was supposed to go one way ended up taking a different direction, strange how despite all the planning things don’t seem to be turning out the way they were envisaged. It’s left me wondering how the week ahead will pan out, which looks like being another one at the moment, but could potentially change.
Four years ago I said goodbye to my last full time, paid job. Although at the time I didn’t really know how things were going to pan out, I’ve been asked a few times if I regret the decision to leave. Simply put the answer is no, although in the last four years combined, my income has probably been less than any of the years proceeding that, it allowed me to do many things. Although I didn’t know it at the time it allowed me to spend a lot more time with my Dad in the last year of his life. It allowed me to be present for some other difficult family things and possibly it reduced my stress levels and the chance I might have had a complete meltdown had I stayed where I was. Most of those things aren’t even tangible but they are most definitely real to me.
I’m still not quite sure where this freelance work is taking me or even if I can keep doing it at such a low level of income. There have been suggestions of offers of work, and I am always on the look out but it might not be sustainable in the long term. I still don’t regret that decision though.
A slightly unplanned trip to the library meant that I ended up with a couple of books, it was as a result of reading the latest newsletter from Joanne McNeil about Michael Seidenberg and the Brazenhead book store. It was the final paragraph of that newsletter:
Read an underread writer this summer in his honor. Any lonely and interesting-looking unfamiliar book at a used bookstore will do.
which prompted me to check-out “In The Wet” by Nevil Shute and “Uncommon Type” by Tom Hanks on my library card. Now I’m not sure that either of those two books technically qualifies but that paragraph was in my head when I was browsing the stacks and I knew that I hadn’t read a Nevil Shute book for probably close to 20 years, despite reading a lot of them in my late teens and early twenties. The Tom Hanks was one that I knew I would never buy new and possibly not even secondhand, so they both did kinda fit the bill.
Anyway the Nevil Shute was amazing and I remember why I liked him as an author. Probably not the best book of his I’ve read (A Town Like Alice & On The Beach are probably both better known and better books), but it did prompt me to go on a hunt in our loft to drag out some of his books that I have up there and now plan to read.
The Tom Hanks however was, well it was just a bit meh. It had some great blurbs on the cover and maybe it was just me but it just read a bit like it was one of his early movies. It’s a short story collection and I enjoyed a few of them, and there were some nice tricks with how the book is laid out, but just not my cup of tea.
I enjoy popping into the library every so often I seem to always find something that I’ve missed elsewhere or wanted to read, it’s a great resource that has suffered a lot from government austerity measures, so I’m pleased to support it.
I get to go back in the week ahead, return the books I have on loan and see what else they have for me.
Crossbill populations contain a rough 1:1 split between Dextral (bottom jaw crosses to the right) & Sinistral (bottom jaw crosses to the left). Depending on which type it is, it can only access ~50% the seeds in a cone. The 1:1 split allows any population to get at all the seeds pic.twitter.com/j2YZzYje6a
After writing last week about reading the Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri I was a little surprised to read his obituary, but interesting comments about the translation of Sicilian.
Splendid tribute toAndrea Camilleri, and it touches on an important issue – his use of Sicilian in the original. Tough for translators. I was told the US books once had a different translator to the UK – and they were very different books as a result. https://t.co/0eVgdoIUwH
I thought I’d sit and scribble out a list of my favourite Natural History books of all time. It wasn’t an easy task. I wanted to keep it to 10 books, but have ended up with 15, it could easily have been 20 or 30 and several of the authors I could easily of included second and third entries. I’m also sure there are many that I’ve missed, and memory plays tricks, but I remember all of these books fondly as “natural history” but one or two stretch this definition a little.
I recommend all of them, but appreciate that natural history might not be everyone’s
cup-of-tea and that this list is in not in a particular order other than the one that I wrote them in.
(Please note the links are Amazon affiliate links, so should you click on a link and buy that book I’ll receive a small commission).
My Family & Other Animals by Gerald Durrell This is probably well known to many but it is the biography of the young author on the island of Corfu where he moved with his family and how his time spent in the wilds of island shaped his life as a naturalist and conservationist.
The Island Within by Richard Nelson I discovered Richard Nelson through his podcast “Encounters” (which is sadly no longer being produced), this is his story of time spent on an uninhabited island near his home, the wildlife there and his exploration of it and the surrounding area.
Cry of the Kalahari by Mark & Delia Owens I remember reading this in my late teens and it evoked thoughts similar to those upon reading Born Free. Part adventure and part exploration log of the authors’ time in the Kalahari desert.
Waterlog by Roger Deakin The classic wild swimming book and how the author seeks to swim in rivers, ponds, lakes all over the UK and beyond.
The Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane Of all of Robert Macfarlane’s books this is still my favourite. When originally written the author stated that there are only four places in the UK where you can go and not hear the noise of traffic. I wonder if that is still true or whether now there are any left.
Common Ground by Rob Cowen If I had to pick one book to be on this list it would be this one. It will probably divide it’s readership between those who love it, and those who don’t like it or understand it. I think it is simply brilliant.
The Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell Another classic, the story of the author and his time with Mij, Edal and Teko who are otters on the west coast of Scotland.
The Wild Marsh by Rick Bass American author Rick Bass takes us through a year in his life in the Yak valley as an author, naturalist and conservation activist.
A Single Swallow by Horatio Clare The journey from southern Africa to the UK as the author follows the migration journey of swallows in real time.
Guests of Summer by Theunis Piersma A wonderful story of housemartins in a small Dutch village as the author chronicles their lives and those of other similar avian visitors.
Sacred Sierra by Jason Webster Fiction author buys run down farmhouse and chronicles his first year on the steep sided valley.
Nature Cure by Richard Mabey How nature helps to cure the depression suffered by the author when he moves to Norfolk.
Deep Country by Neil Ansell The journal of the authors five years in the Welsh hills in an off-grid cabin and his surroundings.
This last week turned out not as expected. Last Monday was going to be one of those days where I was going to be on the go all day – which generally isn’t a problem – and hope that everything will work out fine and there won’t be any hiccups that throw things out. However before the day had even gotten started I had a call to say that my first meeting of the day had been cancelled, then a few moments later another call to say that another meeting had been postponed. By the time I would have been due to leave the house for the (now cancelled) first meeting, my entire day had been cleared. My unexpectedly free day gave me an opportunity to do some chores and a few other things that I would have done later in the week. I was grateful for the free time, although most of those meetings will have to be rebooked at some point.
Thanks to everyone who commented or contacted me by email about the upcoming changes here which I posted about earlier in the week. Your contacting me is appreciated. I don’t have any more news to share at the moment, but once I know what’s going on I’ll post about it.
The nice people at Elliott & Thompson books produced this advert for the book I reviewed a couple of weeks ago.
Speaking of reviews, I read and reviewedEvery Breath You Take by Mark Broomfield this week. I also read the first of the Inspector Montalbano books – The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri.
We’re supposed to be moving towards a zero-carbon economy and part of that is phasing out fossil fuel powered vehicles in the not too distant future. That future is at the moment somewhat reliant on electric vehicles, but will there be enough “fuel” for them?
The allotment is doing well. I’m at the point of the year when I feel that perhaps the weeds are winning a bit, but I’m getting good crops of gherkins (for pickling), courgettes, lettuce, beetroot, cauliflower, onions and coming on quickly are runner beans and cucumbers.
I’ve sown some purple sprouting broccoli and kale this week, with the aim of having that as a follow on crop from the broad beans. I’ve also sown some new rows of lettuce and beetroot, again to have some crop continuity for what we’re harvesting right now.
Electronic Scrapbook 