Last Chance

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9°C, Showers, quite heavy too

Appetite– Constantly hungry today, all those trips to the canteen, raiding my locker (it was full of food). But still hungry. Am I pregnant? Can’t be! But Matt suggested a possible- it’s the colder weather. Has my metabolism increased to create more warmth?

Douglass Adams: in the book "Last Chance To See"… this guy has a very powerful way of writing that combines wit, human vulnerability and above all- protest.
Concerning the slaughter of a goat for the sake of filming Komodo dragons:

"The great thing about being the only species that makes the distinction between right and wrong is that we can make up the rules for ourselves as we go along."

There is stuff like this throughout the book. He can’t resist anthropomorphising animals and situations with sensitivity but not with excessive sentimentality. I have only read his fiction stuff before, this is so fresh.

Heating

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8°C. sun & showers

Switch-on: I put the heating on yesterday. It’s only on for a few hours each day so far. A bit later than last year, but autumn was colder then. The ride home today was rather horrible- the black wet road didn’t show up the light pools very well. Dry road is clear enough even with spots of water on my specs. Wet roads are not so, car headlights do light up the kerb-stones though so little chance of hitting the verge and taking a spill.

Camp was indeed cosy

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10°C, freshening.

Warm, dry and very campable week.

Great campsite, only us, the river and a Portaloo in the opposite corner. Oh, and not to forget- about six sheep. After a day’s walking, I’d wash in the river, and collect water for the camp.The wind was odd, despite the revailing southerly, all of the big gusts were from the west. The tent held.

late afternoon happens in the night

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15°C, sun & some soaking; Cycle 71 miles

In lanes like these:

This was the scene, nearly home, only 10 miles to go in Seckington.

A struggle against the wind for the last 25 miles.
No sign of turning the heating on yet, no need. Night temperatures are as high as 12°C. See if the campsites are so cosy.

Occupational hazard

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11°C, rain.Orange leaves clinging to wet things

Autumn colds are an occupational hazard in our business. It’s only been two weeks since the last one and I have another cold rising today. Damned awkward when a week’s holiday is approaching.
Loonies: I am one, I have sent myself over 50 emails today is says here. The spammers are just as bonkers today too, then have send hundreds! I was only getting about 20 unwanted posts daily over the last few months, but now it’s over a hundred a day.
Just as well they automatically drop in the Deleted folder.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

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Cold air approaching, 12°C & dropping. Smells of rain.

Spammers are truly insane, these all claim to be from the Inland revenue. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Education “Split” on the theme of the great divide in Education: BBC. Can’t wait for some presentation on this idea in our school. My questions are ready. The problem with the article is this: We are successful in moving students from poor areas into University, they are ‘improving their lot’ and is it any surprise that the average IQ in those areas is decreasing. take out the bright ones, and the proportion of thick people increases in an area. that is no failure of education, quite the opposite.

Maybe Aspen

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14°C, grey, mizzle

How dull misty wet, it’s dripping from every free standing object. I want to be westwards.

Perhaps Rosie is appreciating her sheep-effect rug more than that canine-jumper. Tasteful huh?

Revenge of the Lawn

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19°C, warm rain.

A utilitarian choice of read. Bedtime is time for a short read for me. It has ot be short because lying down makes me fall asleep- even in daytime. This book is full of short stories, I say it like that because there are so many of them in a thin book. One of them is only a few lines long. It’s nice to just to read his voice, though often the stories hold a pang of some sort that only Brautigan can reach in my (limited) experience.