4°C, grey, NE.
What is this? There is a clump of thin branches in this cherry tree. It’s like a deformation, an odd lamp-shade shape. They have been like this for years, but most of the time, hidden by foliage. In mid-winter view, it’s too dark to see the clump.
On my morning dog-walk, I look up and speculate on it’s cause. Has some parasitic life form triggered a reaction in the growing tree. Could it be a fungus, an insect or a virus?
4°C, clearing. Light wind.
How many comets have you seen today? I have only seen one.
As if to repeat yesterday, I walked up to the Gazebo immediately at sunset to hunt with binoculars again.
It took, maybe twenty minutes before I found it, or the light fading revealed the comet at that time. Maybe both.
Remember that I was on a viewpoint above the city, but the comet was small. Very small. In fact, I could not see it without binoculars. Still, the thrill was strong. It has been about 12 years since last I saw a comet. That time it was Hale-Bopp, a much bigger, brighter phenomenon.
Some articles is the media have suggested that 2013 could be the year of comets. I’m looking.
9°C, NE light, sunny. CK:48.8 miles.
Rode along the coast to Southport. Before I got there I came upon a memorial ceremony at just before 11am. So, I pulled over and stood there. And watched. I removed my helmet for the duration.
On the drive home this evening, we stopped on Cannock Chase for a night-time walk in the forest. We’ve done this a few times now. Autumn has it’s own sensations that can not be experienced at any other time of year. I look forward to the onset of deep winter under the same circumstance. Night walks away from street lights is a vivid experience in snow. Could this mean I an finally finding ways to enjoy the season. Will my annual loathing of Christmas start to recede?
10°C, dry.
Oh dear, that was a grumpy post yesterday. Today feeling better, recovering from a strange virus, Let’s blame that then.
I fear that grumbling can become habit.
Interesting prog on TV last night, old drivers are a little safer than 20 somethings. They are just as annoying too, but it seems that view are often aware of their growing limitations such as judging speed of other drivers. So what they do is to compensate with caution. Perhaps little understanding is required. As for boy racers who react to tricky situations by stamping on the throttle…
9°C. Light rain.
It’s Ash trees under threat this time. Rather like the Oaks, where an aggressive fungus was spread by a beetle, this one has airbourne spores to propogate. The fear this time is the scale, ash trees make ups about 1/3 of our mixed woodlands. But we do have the most fragmented woodlands that cover the smallest proportion of our countryside.
If the worst happens, I shall be saddened.
10°C, grey, rain threatens.
Teachers’ entry requirements:BBC they’re “getting tough” on teachers. The Govt. plan to raise the entry requirements to the profession by adjusting the skills tests taken by trainee teachers. The English & Maths tests will be raised to a GCSE grade B equivalent, once source said. For decades, all teachers must have a decent Degree. But wait, we all had to get that GCSE to get on the BA course all those years ago so what’s the problem? I don’t see what this is meant to achieve.
Let’s hope that the Govt. ministers will have to sit a test too. Don’t forget that Ed Balls, the previous Education Minister clearly stated that he wanted most pupils to be “above average”. So there is scope for improvement if a bloke who has such responsibility has not the faintest understanding of basic Year 8 maths. Averages, mean median and mode, we all understand it, why not you?
How did that guy get into Oxford?
13°C, grey.
Fact: shopping is annoying. Shops stock a large range of trousers for guys with a fat arse and bamboo legs. Another shop I tried, sold trousers in only one leg length, that was a short 34″ so alterations are not possible. I hate shopping and I envy those who can go into a shop and choose colour and fabric. My choice is between- buy something that doesn’t fit, or leave the shop.
12°C, sun.
At work, 11 year olds were issued with Gideon’s bibles today. They looked puzzled, though some said you can use them to help with problems in life. There is a sort of key in the front where problems are listed giving passages to read.
My problem was- can they go into the recycling bin, or should we drop them in the normal land-fill rubbish? It hangs on whether the cover is real leather.
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Later: After work was filled with trying to use Excel to decrypt a text string. A nice problem to work on. I didn’t know enough about arithmetic progressions to write the formulae quickly. A good problem to try, I like the feeling when puzzling over things like that.
18°C, torrential rain followed by nice sun
10am the sky darkened, so dark it looked like 5pm on a late November evening. The difference was, there were no streetlights to cast a dull orange glow onto the undersides of clouds. Traffic lights pierced the gloom with such vivid colour, it was quite hypnotic. Kids at school felt a sense of foreboding, maybe this is the way Armageddon might start.
I’d like to see our cities with streetlights switched off again. Would it be so bad if lights went off every night from, say 01.00 to about 04.30? Some people have said they’d feel less safe (from traffic or muggers?), but society would adjust. We’d adjust to carrying a torch and paying lower local taxes (council tax pays for lighting I believe).
11°C, sunny & light wind
This is not the way to spend a sunny but cool bank holiday weekend. I’m exhausted and am rumbled by ominous gurglings from my belly. Yes, I’m unwell. Confusingly, for a few days exhaustion has crept up; is it stress, lack of sleep or just the unwinding feeling from a lesson observation at work?
Sleep habits have evolved this year for me. Not in a good way though, no more is the solid sleep with a very early rise. I don’t get up before 5am these days. Now I lie a frustrating hour in bed wishing I could nod off at about 3am. Often, like tonight, I get up for a camomille tea in the hope that it will help.
Days, I look at the bike in the garage and lament its meagre 110 miles for the year so far. This time last year, I had clocked up over 300 and worn out the first chain.
Micycle 