This is a semi serious question.
Once a year all of us go out desperately trying to buy presents for all sorts of people. We try to buy something for Aunt Ethel and we haven't really got a clue what she likes. How many times do you get something you really really don't like? That Aunt who buys you some "trendy" CD by some really naff band?
These days of course there are various other options.
The RSPB do a range of "Good Nature Gifts". For instance You can "buy" someone a Bearded Tit or Goldeneye Nest Box for a tenner. And there are a whole list of other gifts on the site. You can all sponsor a nest box, but I can never find that on the RSPB site.
The WWT allow you to adopt a bird. You can adopt a duck, goose, swan, flamingo etc.
The Woodland Trust enable you to plant a tree.
Have a think.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Another Blog
I have reserved another blog domain on wordpress (for those of you who don't know wordpress is another blogging software).
I'm told you can do more with wordpress. Its certainly not as intuitive and some stuff that is really easy with beta blogger is not as easy on wordpress.
Now the question is what do I do with it? If anything? Firstly this blog will keep going much as it is now.
Kate suggested making it a birding resource, but there are sites doing that already.
I suppose I could use it as a pure wildlife blog. It would really then be a subset of this blog with perhaps more detail on birds seen, lists etc.
Or perhaps a sport blog or ....
Any ideas even if they are don't bother.
I may just keep it as a backup.
answers on a postcard? or the comments section :D
I'm told you can do more with wordpress. Its certainly not as intuitive and some stuff that is really easy with beta blogger is not as easy on wordpress.
Now the question is what do I do with it? If anything? Firstly this blog will keep going much as it is now.
Kate suggested making it a birding resource, but there are sites doing that already.
I suppose I could use it as a pure wildlife blog. It would really then be a subset of this blog with perhaps more detail on birds seen, lists etc.
Or perhaps a sport blog or ....
Any ideas even if they are don't bother.
I may just keep it as a backup.
answers on a postcard? or the comments section :D
Five Years on
Well today is five years since 9/11.
I steeled myself for yet another memorial. I am a natural cynic. I felt that if the World Trade Centre had happened elsewhere would we be remembering it? Would so much attention be paid? I think the answer is no but.........
I was driving along and the boss of Cantor Fitzgerald was giving his recollections and I found it terribly moving. He related how he was late for work that day because his son started kindergarten. His best friend also worked at the World Trade Centre. They had gone to college together and he had a son the same age. His son started school on September 12th................
I daresay there are a number of survivors who have similar stories. There will be people who died who just happened to have a meeting that day.
I guess the world is full of What Ifs.
I suspect I will remain a cynic. I think that a dose of cynicism in a society that seems to see things so much more black and white is no bad thing. But that does not, and should not, stop me remembering that 3000 people died for no good reason. That children were deprived of parents. Husbands of wives, wives of husbands. Dreams were shattered and for many innocence lost.
I steeled myself for yet another memorial. I am a natural cynic. I felt that if the World Trade Centre had happened elsewhere would we be remembering it? Would so much attention be paid? I think the answer is no but.........
I was driving along and the boss of Cantor Fitzgerald was giving his recollections and I found it terribly moving. He related how he was late for work that day because his son started kindergarten. His best friend also worked at the World Trade Centre. They had gone to college together and he had a son the same age. His son started school on September 12th................
I daresay there are a number of survivors who have similar stories. There will be people who died who just happened to have a meeting that day.
I guess the world is full of What Ifs.
I suspect I will remain a cynic. I think that a dose of cynicism in a society that seems to see things so much more black and white is no bad thing. But that does not, and should not, stop me remembering that 3000 people died for no good reason. That children were deprived of parents. Husbands of wives, wives of husbands. Dreams were shattered and for many innocence lost.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Kingfisher and an American Wader
Where to? Now there was this church in Essex open this afternoon that is on my list, I could bird locally and then pop in. However I'm on call next weekend so I may as well go further a field. Damn that's two churches I could have got this weekend (the other was open Saturday). Oh well next year!
So off nice and early (Robin in the garden, first for ages). A bit foggy. I decide that i'll head to Lackford Lakes. It's a Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve. I don't expect any rarities but some nice thing will be about.
The Geese were making a right noise! Lots of Warblers in the hedgerows. Dark legs Chiffchaff then, and one was nice enough to sing! Its a bit murky from the first hide and the angle of the sun makes it difficult to get a good view. Lots of Pochard about suddenly and Teal.
On to the double decker hide. Kingfisher is perched RIGHT in front of the hide must 30feet away. They are stunning birds. I manage to pick out a Snipe in the grass and a couple of Green Sandpipers.
A Grey Wagtail drops down in front. A really dapper little chap. Green woodpecker in the distance. Jays making a right racket (sp?)
Onwards and upwards. From Besses lots of Grebes of both sides. A juve Great Crested Grebe is being fed by a parent. Ah!
Dave texts me to tell me about his Pectoral Sandpiper at Grafham Water.
Oh way back to car park more warblers. Look a little brighter but legs dark and the tail bobbing up and down. More chiffies. Long tail flock in bushes as I drive away.
So where now? Well I'll pop over to Welney for lunch and a nose around.
I've arrived at lunch time so a quick bite and then onto the reserve.
Hand over card.
"oh there's a Pectoral Sandpiper at Buxton".
So as I say lunch and ..... no I think we'll scoot on to Buxton first!
Lots of Lapwings, but there next to a Dunlin and a Curlew Sandpiper is a Pectoral Sandpiper (juvenile I'd say, seemed to have the white braces on his back). There's a couple of Snipe, lots of Ruff as well.
Back for lunch and a Kestrel hovering over the fields.
A quick flit back to the reserve (flyover Sparrowhawk) and then back home.
The weather is lovely ah nice day.
So off nice and early (Robin in the garden, first for ages). A bit foggy. I decide that i'll head to Lackford Lakes. It's a Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve. I don't expect any rarities but some nice thing will be about.
The Geese were making a right noise! Lots of Warblers in the hedgerows. Dark legs Chiffchaff then, and one was nice enough to sing! Its a bit murky from the first hide and the angle of the sun makes it difficult to get a good view. Lots of Pochard about suddenly and Teal.
On to the double decker hide. Kingfisher is perched RIGHT in front of the hide must 30feet away. They are stunning birds. I manage to pick out a Snipe in the grass and a couple of Green Sandpipers.
A Grey Wagtail drops down in front. A really dapper little chap. Green woodpecker in the distance. Jays making a right racket (sp?)
Onwards and upwards. From Besses lots of Grebes of both sides. A juve Great Crested Grebe is being fed by a parent. Ah!
Dave texts me to tell me about his Pectoral Sandpiper at Grafham Water.
Oh way back to car park more warblers. Look a little brighter but legs dark and the tail bobbing up and down. More chiffies. Long tail flock in bushes as I drive away.
So where now? Well I'll pop over to Welney for lunch and a nose around.
I've arrived at lunch time so a quick bite and then onto the reserve.
Hand over card.
"oh there's a Pectoral Sandpiper at Buxton".
So as I say lunch and ..... no I think we'll scoot on to Buxton first!
Lots of Lapwings, but there next to a Dunlin and a Curlew Sandpiper is a Pectoral Sandpiper (juvenile I'd say, seemed to have the white braces on his back). There's a couple of Snipe, lots of Ruff as well.
Back for lunch and a Kestrel hovering over the fields.
A quick flit back to the reserve (flyover Sparrowhawk) and then back home.
The weather is lovely ah nice day.
For Nic
I know you are in a dark place at the moment but, just so you know, today of all days we are thinking of you.
Hugs.
Hugs.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
A heritage open day
I wanted to take Mum out she's been confined to barracks for a while. She said it would have been easy to phone and say no last night but she decided to go YAY!! Anyway picked them up and went to Saffron Walden.
Walden is a nice small town in Essex. Its Church is one of Essex's finest. We went for a stroll, I bought a bottle of Portuguese wine in Waitrose.
Audley End is near Walden and it was open for a Heritage open day.
The house is magnificent
The interior is excellent and if you are in the area is highly recommended. The house was once much bigger, its still huge. Its well presented by English Heritage.
The Parterre garden was looking nice in the September sun.
Audley End has a fine restored vegetable garden. It has a fine collection of old varieties of Apples and Pears
There was a tasting of English Heritage wines in the garden. The Apple Wine was rather pleasant.
There is a recreation of a gardeners bothy.
Mum and Dad.
Some wildlife by the river. These chaps were not expected.
With House Martins feeding up you can tell Autumn is coming.
I stopped to purchase a bottle of that Apple Wine ;)
And its my blog so....
Mum and Dad had a great day and so did I.
Walden is a nice small town in Essex. Its Church is one of Essex's finest. We went for a stroll, I bought a bottle of Portuguese wine in Waitrose.
Audley End is near Walden and it was open for a Heritage open day.
The house is magnificent
The interior is excellent and if you are in the area is highly recommended. The house was once much bigger, its still huge. Its well presented by English Heritage.
The Parterre garden was looking nice in the September sun.
Audley End has a fine restored vegetable garden. It has a fine collection of old varieties of Apples and Pears
There was a tasting of English Heritage wines in the garden. The Apple Wine was rather pleasant.
There is a recreation of a gardeners bothy.
Mum and Dad.
Some wildlife by the river. These chaps were not expected.
With House Martins feeding up you can tell Autumn is coming.
I stopped to purchase a bottle of that Apple Wine ;)
And its my blog so....
Mum and Dad had a great day and so did I.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Not much happening really
That's a catchy title for a blog isn't it!!
The highlight of the day has been the change to my fantasy football team. Kevin Davis is suspended and I'm not sure if McCullough is out as well. Anyway I decided not to make multiple changes and get hit with penalty points. Davis is gone and as Reading are at home, and I needed a cheapr striker, I went for Seol of Reading. I've adopted a 3-4-3 formation. Well its Chelsea v Charlton and even if Luke Young is fit he is rested from the quacks of life fantasy team.
As it stands I lead the small league I'm a member of (YAY!!), being chased hard by Dave and Corinna though.
I do admire Cherry Pie's recent post. it takes real guts to open yourself up like that. Please note it isn't going to happen here. That said it would bore the pants/knickers off you - um its a strategy I suppose.
The highlight of the day has been the change to my fantasy football team. Kevin Davis is suspended and I'm not sure if McCullough is out as well. Anyway I decided not to make multiple changes and get hit with penalty points. Davis is gone and as Reading are at home, and I needed a cheapr striker, I went for Seol of Reading. I've adopted a 3-4-3 formation. Well its Chelsea v Charlton and even if Luke Young is fit he is rested from the quacks of life fantasy team.
As it stands I lead the small league I'm a member of (YAY!!), being chased hard by Dave and Corinna though.
I do admire Cherry Pie's recent post. it takes real guts to open yourself up like that. Please note it isn't going to happen here. That said it would bore the pants/knickers off you - um its a strategy I suppose.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Recyling taken to the limit
This story about Sheep Poo cards made me chuckle.
I heard about it on Radio 5.
Jane Garvey - so who collects it?
Lawrence Toms - well picking up sheep poo, talking to journalists. I get all the dirty jobs.
classic
I heard about it on Radio 5.
Jane Garvey - so who collects it?
Lawrence Toms - well picking up sheep poo, talking to journalists. I get all the dirty jobs.
classic
Where are you on the compass.
In a comment the fair Cherrypie said
Well I'm sure a number of you have seen the Political Compass, this seeks to determine where you are on the political compass. For the record I come out
Economic Left/Right -3.13
Libertarian/authoritarian -1.95
Its an interesting test.A colleague of mine came out at similar values but we disagreed on certain questions! Me? I was against legalising Mariujana but I don't care what consulting adults do in the privacy of their own homes. Oh and I'm anti death penalty.
I'm a little surprised on my Economic Left/Right I'd expect it to be nearer 0. Still i'm in the same quarter of the graph as Mandela and the Dalai Lama and the opposite to Dubya so it can't be all bad.
I'm also very impressed at your recent comments over at mine. I'm not sure why, but I don't think I'd have expected you to be so liberal.
Well I'm sure a number of you have seen the Political Compass, this seeks to determine where you are on the political compass. For the record I come out
Economic Left/Right -3.13
Libertarian/authoritarian -1.95
Its an interesting test.A colleague of mine came out at similar values but we disagreed on certain questions! Me? I was against legalising Mariujana but I don't care what consulting adults do in the privacy of their own homes. Oh and I'm anti death penalty.
I'm a little surprised on my Economic Left/Right I'd expect it to be nearer 0. Still i'm in the same quarter of the graph as Mandela and the Dalai Lama and the opposite to Dubya so it can't be all bad.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
In the days of the Iron Curtain
This article in the BBC website magazine is a nice story. It tells the tale of the correspondence between the family of a Soviet dissident and a British antiquarian bookseller and his wife.
The story is ever so touching, but also reminded me of just how much the world has changed since I was a lad. Now we are concerned by terroists blowing up planes, then we concerned about a full scale nuclear war.
The story is ever so touching, but also reminded me of just how much the world has changed since I was a lad. Now we are concerned by terroists blowing up planes, then we concerned about a full scale nuclear war.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)