This morning the weather was so lovely that partner persuaded me to go out for a walk, so we went to Hampstead Heath.
Maybe they were not the Houndz ov Spring, or maybe they were, but there were an awful lot of doggies being given their exercise on the Heath this morning.
Did not see the parakeets, did see one bird that I was unable to identify and ( Read more... )

There was a bold robin in the pocket park behind the house today - i.e. did not immediately fly away as I approached, did the 'wot me afrayd of umanz no wai' that robins do.
However, it did not conduct me to an ivy-covered wall just as the breeze was blowing enough to reveal the door in the wall.
It did, however, then plunge into the midst of a ( Read more... )

Partner took today off work, and we went over to Dulwich Picture Gallery to see the Winifred Knights exhibition, which is very good, though a bit thwarting that there seem to be more studies for than finished paintings, and that she died relatively young just as she was getting back into painting after WWII.
And her career seems to have been ( Read more... )

Still taking my nearly-daily constitutional through the pocket park behind the house.
I cannot say that I observe any very startling examples of nature (I mentioned the Very Early Croci recently - we are now up to hyacinths).
The wildlife usually consists of squirrels, and the following birds: sparrows (more heard than seen), pigeons (wood and ( Read more... )

Readers may remember that some while ago partner and I were doing a certain amount of gastro-lunching, i.e. going to upmarket eateries for lunch, when the lunchtime set menu does not cost an arm and a leg but merely a finger and toe or two.
For various reasons this rather fell by the wayside, but today, because we already had West End plans for the ( Read more... )

Because there are doubtless those that can identify trees: this is the tree in question in the garden:

( Read more... )

Has anybody, anywhere, NOT found Windows 10 to be the work of the devil? I keep getting notices about it flashing up and telling me my computer is compatible, but what I've heard does not incline me to go Wheee!!! and install it.
***
My computer does weird shit anyway:
Opening Word docs as Read-only that I never set to that status, and if I close ( Read more... )

Although it wasn't so nice this afternoon as it was this morning (started clouding over) it seemed nice enough (and possibility of clearing up) to undertake a walk.
I discover that, since my last visit, it costs £4 to visit Highgate Cemetery East (the newer bit) and that entrance is only via the Swains Lane gate. As I had hoped to walk across from ( Read more... )

Today being another glorious autumnal day, I set off in the late morning on an excursion to Regents Park, by taking 2 buses to get me to the southern end so I could walk through the Avenue Gardens.
Glorious.
You know that thing about 'well, if you want [X thing] you should do it yourself:
a) even were I a gardener (hah! black thumb, my houseplants ( Read more... )

Today the weather has been lovely: very bright, and would probably be quite oppressively warm but for the stiff fresh breeze.
Had a nice if not very enterprising walk (i.e. pretty much over terrain I have traversed lo, many, many times in my life) but extremely pleasant. Also, at least the area that is now called Coastal Park does present some ( Read more... )