Life with cats, and other things…
0907/11th February, 2021 The friendly banter and jokes ceased abruptly as the door closed with a loud thunk. Now it was all professional and serious as the checklists were called off and completed. In my place of great privilege, I realized the need for me to become almost invisible. I could at least be totally … Continue reading Power and passion
1020/10th February 2021 There's a saying here, in Seattle too and no doubt any number of places around the world: "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute." The weather here changes so suddenly, it's hard to keep up. Although, lately it's not made a difference to the way the countryside looks. We've been … Continue reading Wait a minute…
"Major Brian D. Smith 11th Hussars This picture has nothing whatever to do with the very short story I plan to tell. It just happened to be mixed up with some other photographs I was looking for the other day. I've seen this picture dozens of times but never really looked at it. When I … Continue reading Simon and Lady Gray
0905/7th February, 2021 1231/8th February, 20211025/9th February 2021 A quick weather review from Cambridge, New York and yes, it's snowing Previous winters, here, when we've had heavy snow, it lingered for a while but inevitably the weather warmed sufficiently between snowfalls so that it didn't keep accumulating. This did, in fact, happen after that huge … Continue reading Midwinter madness?
King Penguins, South Georgia 1994. Photograph by a friend Since January 20th, I have moved far away from the News, feeling the need to cleanse my tortured brain. Whatever I should know will find me in good enough time and there won't be much I can do about it anyway. It's been quite refreshing. Inevitably, … Continue reading A true hero
1630/5th February, 2021 If ever I grow tired of the sky, I think I shall be done. Some of the pictures I took yesterday are like water colours. Courtesy of Nature, not clever photography. On days that are not cloudless, changes are constant From minute to minute and even by changing perspective like someone viewing … Continue reading Sky watch
4th February 2021 What a difference a clear blue sky can make. Sadly, today we're back to the grey variety, with periodic, varying types of precipitation. Grant keeps popping up to see if the gas delivery has come yet. I offered him my phone in case he feels like calling. He seems to think perhaps … Continue reading The demon App
4th February 2021 This is likely to be one of those posts I really shouldn't write, because it's likely to be a tad negative. Let's see how it goes... Many don't like this time of year because it's cold and dark and bleak. Those things don't bother me a bit. But right after the New … Continue reading Patience
You've probably seen images like this before. It's the imprint made by a raptor when it nails it's victim. Grant said he found dove feathers blowing around. As someone pointed out, having a feeder is going to attract raptors. But there are so many birds and this time of year so little for them to … Continue reading Beautiful friends
Books about animals are almost inevitably sad and it came to a point where I just had to stop reading them. "Providence of a Sparrow" by Chris Chester, for example. A bird story that reduced me to a quivering wreck. It was so terribly poignant and about a sparrow. The little bird in this picture … Continue reading Not “just a sparrow”
