This Stick Man was erected last year in the first wave of enthusiasm during lockdown when lots of people put up banners and flags and so on supporting key workers, particularly NHS workers who might be passing.  This was a bit of an odd outlier from the first, because it's down a very minor lane with very few people passing, but gained popularity ( Read more... )

In my last post with the dragon where I mentioned I had been Left in Charge.  This happy state of affairs persisted until Friday, when suddenly the orders began pouring in, and they continued pouring in until Sunday. I think there were probably about... 40 of them? Most were for several items each!

I went to the post-office twice on Monday and Pp ( Read more... )

Was listening to pollsters being quizzed on BBC Radio 2 about Why They Got It Wrong at lunchtime. Much talk of percentages of variation and people not wanting to give socially unacceptable answers in telephone polls ( Read more... )

Tragically it is very very hot, and  I have drunk too much beer so my dog walking is likely to be erratic.

But I typed this post eventually with all the letters in order so I think that proves I am now sober enough to be In Charge of Hounds.

Remains to be seen if I shall make it home or go to sleep in a hedge 

 I was puzzled by the identity of these ducks today.  The one with the red face is male, and he is the sort of large, spectacularly ugly duck I often see hanging about on the slip at Calstock.  I had assumed that these were domesticated ducks, although I have had a look at the Websites of Duck Identification with no success.

( Read more... )

This book came with a recommendation by Ursula Le Guin on the cover  "If Le Carré scares you, read Jo Walton"  it said.    So, here is a quote from one of my very favouritist authors, referencing one of my other very favouritist authors?  Ooo!

( Not that simple, alas. )

I must confess, I assumed when we wandered through this morning that this must be a later mine because there's so much preserved: lots of deep holes, still gaping alarmingly, multiple buildings still in use, that sort of thing.  But it turns out that this is not due to less time passing, so much as the preservative action of the National Trust, and ( Read more... )

Jörmungandr the World Serpent,

or

Cthulhu

Also, who would win?

I read this article http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/confident-idiots-92793  which goes into some detail about how Everyone Is Wrong About Everything ( Read more... )

On Kit Hill this morning, I gallumphed among the heather and the golden stems of dried grass under deep blue skies, surrounded by clouds of tiny fluttering white moths ( Read more... )