Alpine plants have to cope with extreme conditions, like the 'lunar landscape' of Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand. I can't help admiring their tenacity.
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Border collies are amazing dogs, but as pets they are not for the faint-hearted or anyone who likes life quiet, easy, or their house free from a) shed fur, b) mud. Yawn. Stretch. Nice to see you down here. I’ve been waiting AGES for you to come down. Back door now, back door now, back … Continue reading A morning in the life of a border collie
It’s that ‘in-between’ time of year at the moment. It’s 17ºC in the afternoon sun, I’ve just picked two dozen raspberries, the gazania are only just (finally!) coming into flower, and most trees are still green. But, there’s a nip in the air when the sun goes down, the days feel so much shorter, and … Continue reading Season of mellow fruitfulness – and lots of cobwebs
So, I've disconnected the Facebook sharing button on WordPress from one Facebook page. And then clicked 'connect'. And then selected the new Facebook page... All seemed ok. And this post has just shared ok to the new Facebook page. BUT, if you click on the Facebook button now in the sidebar of this page, it … Continue reading Why does nothing ever work?!
What distinguishes us from computer intelligence? Feeling and beauty. As proved by poetry. And as proved by hearing a machine ‘read’ a poem. A computer reading out words with no no tone, no inflection, no feeling, may as well be reading out a shopping list. That would still sound odd to our ears, because even … Continue reading Robots may be great at chess, but they really suck at poetry
Around midnight, there was a ‘flash’ in my mind as if you were there with me: a ‘feel’ of you, of how things were when we were together and when being together was the most natural and most wonderful feeling in the world. And for those brief, beautiful seconds, I felt that happiness again. Before … Continue reading A 63-word sad story
Orange isn't a colour I've ever chosen for a garden before, being more into blues and pinks. But I'm coming round it it. Summer returned in time for the bank (public) holiday weekend. And the brightest flowers in my garden at the moment are ones that cost me nothing. The cosmos tango were free with … Continue reading The garden is bright, the garden is orange – and pollinators love it
Thinking of visiting New Zealand for the first time? This book will give you some useful information and pointers.
Soil type and landscaping are among the first things to consider in a new (to you) domestic garden.
A novel I’m reading had me thinking about my favourite children’s books. The first book that excited me, learning to read at infants school, had a story about a thunderstorm. I forget the rest, but it was an adventure. I devoured adventure stories after that. My list (alphabetical, by author) spans from 1865 to 1978 … Continue reading What are your favourite children’s books?
