canadian poppy

A Canadian poppy in full sun. At night, they curl up and hug themselves to sleep.

We all have to do that occasionally.

Gryffydd ap Adda ap Dafydd

The world famous Welsh poet Gryffydd ap Adda ap Dafydd described maypole dancing in a poem written in the mid-14th century. Its origins are not really known but the clodlet seems happy enuf to keep the tradition alive despite our being incapable of providing him with trousers that fit.

Putting all the woopity woo infested mythology and symbolism aside for a moment, I actually find maypole dancing very aesthetically pleasing to watch - unlike Morris dancing which should be outlawed forthwith.

this much I know

Someone is biting their nails...and it isn't Pan.

(pic by keiran)

mamaduck

Early morning drink for mamaduck and the little ones. They are big enough to be let out in the daytime now without getting into too much mischief. There are four ducklings with mama; the one with the hen sadly didn't make it.
(pic by Keiran)

Toot Toot

At the end of the line at Boot, the engines go onto a turntable and are turned round by hand for the return trip. How clodlet bamboozled his way into the cab and got to drive it is quite beyond me - and probably against every rule in the book. Still, not every boy gets to fulfill the ambition to blow the whistle on a steam train and drive it to boot.

Fair play.

L'al Ratty

The narrow gauge railway between Ravenglass and Boot. Eight miles of beautiful wooded valley and Lake District hills plied by half a dozen steam trains and, in this picture, the diesel train that does the first and last trips of the day along the line.

Certain Canuks look to have sent a thinly disguised Arthurian guardian to watch over us and grandma gravy and cousin El. He did a good job.

Bird in Boot

Been trying to process the feelings from being so close to the murderous Derrick Bird when he went on his killing spree in Cumbria. Not finding it that easy. We were on a campsite near Boot when he shot someone just down the road and someone on the next campsite. I don't think they were fatalities though. Mostly I felt angry at the time and think I would (probably stupidly) have tried to take him out if he had come anywhere near us. Now I just mostly feel sad, but I've stopped twitching at the sound of helicopters and police sirens at least. We will never know why, though the question keeps rolling round my head. Killing for a motive I can at least partly grok. Killing in the way he did, at random, anyone he came across, just bewilders me. I simply do not believe the characterisations of 'a happy go lucky chap', a 'caring family man.' I do not believe that smile, I don't even think it is one.

PS - normal service will resume asap.

new life

Chicks hatched yesterday and some last night: this one all fluffed up and ready for the party, the others still wet and wriggly and staying warm under mum's feathers. Won't disturb her till they've dried and fluffed out a bit.

flutes & co

Cartmel Priory last night.

The flute quoir played the best I've ever heard them: dynamic, fluid, accurate and passionate: playing a set of compositions both full of fun and playfulness while at the same time evoking a range of emotional response from joy to great sadness to sheer delight with the range, depth and beauty of tones produced. Just lovely. Awesome in fact - and that is never a word I use lightly. Well done you lot! So young too, most of em :-)

I do however think that my Cathy should not be encouraged to use the contra bass flute to remove unsightly earwax.

I tried to play it and achieved considerable success, even on the low notes, though you need an air compressor up your ass to maintain the note. I don't know how she does it.

I'm looking forward to playing Bohemian Rhapsody with them though I've no idea how I will emulate the sound Brian May gets out of his 'red special' guitar for the solo part.

everybody take offence day

Here is a picture of the prophet Mohammed. Muslims think that it is sinful to portray the prophet in any way. They are up in arms about the group on Facebook called 'Everyone Draw Mohammed Day'. Pakistan has blocked Facebook and now the page has been withdrawn by admin.

Well, whatever the rights and wrongs of the page, this demonstrates once again that the right to freedom of speech can be curtailed by the assumed right not to take offence. There is no such right, and the taking of 'offence' assumes too passive a role whereas IMO people are all too ready to take offence, will go out of their way to take offence or will actively choose to do so if it suits their purposes.

Anyway, I blogged in some depth on the topic of Religion and Respect last year and would direct readers with any interest in the subject to go here.

PS: The picture also shows Jesus, Thor, Vishnu, Isis, Zeus, Kali, Ra and 38,000 other deities. Only the pure of heart will be able to see the images clearly.

activate the queen

Strangers to these shores may have noticed that we had to 'Activate The Queen' the other night. Why?

Well no political party got a clear enough lead in the general election to be able to form a government so it wasn't clear who was going to be prime minister for a while.

The Queen, bless her, has lots of prerogatives, as well as corgis, and amongst them is the prerogative to invite someone to form a government.

I did say I was available, but she didn't ring me. We still had to 'activate' her though and it's not easy - she's getting on a bit so you need a bit of intravenous isoproterenol with an adenylyl cyclase activator and a bit of prothrombotic stimulus direct to the adrenoceptors.

None of that's trivial, but the hardest, (and probably most painful bit for her), is the removal of the control rods from the regal inhibitors - she takes this very well on the whole and puts a brave face on any discomfort involved; I'm sure Prince Charles would whinge like mad.

Anyway, she's seen off 12 prime ministers during her reign so we certainly didn't expect The Queen to Save the Gawd and neither did she. It would totally ruin the song.

Carl on Troubled Waters

Is it clod, enjoying a moment of tranquil meditation? Nope, it's Carl Fuerman, and Carl is going to stop the hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from the stricken Deepwater Horizon Rig.

He is going to do this through the power of meditation, believing that if enuf people visualise the closing of valves and the activation of the blowout preventer then the 200,000 gallons of oil a day spilling out into the Gulf will be shut off.

"I'm very known for fixing things and making things work," sais Carl, adding that he believes his meditation helped fix a friend's Flip video camera. "I visualize things working and hold the belief that they actually work."

Well, good luck with that one mate, but I think you've set the bar for your magical thinking a tad high on this occasion. Why not start off with a drippy tap and see how that goes? You just visualise the cracked washer disobeying all the known laws of physics and creating new material out of nothing and repairing itself. Should be a cinch. Let us know how you get on.

hang 'em high

Well, the silly Labour woman that knocked on my door to harangue me about the 'two horse race' in our constituency got it all back to front didn't she? She forgot (as have several gov't ministers today apparantly), who works for who. Nah, forgot is too kind: I think they've grown used to the idea that we are there to serve them, not the other way around.

I hate to disillusion the poor lass, but you just had your job interview and I regret to say that on this occasion you have not got it.

What is a vote for anyway? Is it to vote for a bunch of people you don't believe in to stop the other bunch of people you don't believe in getting in? Or, is it, by Isis, to vote for something you actually do believe in? If you don't vote for something you do believe in, however will you ever get something you do believe in?

Ah well, they have what's coming coming, and I can't say I'm sorry about it. Hang 'em high.

Hogwash

I just want to

live a little

in the sun

and scrat about

by moonbeam

in leaf litter

and compost heaps

and I will not

claim benefits

nor pester

the national

elf service



I will however

vote for

anyone who

can get me a

20 mile an hour

speed limit

on the statute book

thank you

and

goodnight

red rum?

Someone from the labour party knocked and asked if I was voting for labour on May 6.

I told her I wasn't and she asked if I realised it was a two horse race.

I told her it wasn't really a good idea to have horses running the country. She looked a bit glum.

mon cherry

The cherry tree, planted in early feb, in full bloom and looking really healthy.

Ponderosa

Digging out.

No, it's not level. The ground slopes so not a lot I can do about it.

The liner looks excessive but it gets sucked into the pond as it fills. Better a bit too much than too little. Under the liner is some old carpet and visqueen to protect it.

Trimmed off the excess. The ducks just can't wait!

I need some thin slabs to cover the liner but it will always show a bit on the top side of the slope.

Happy Happy ducks!!!!!!

Memory Schtikk

Today I have found something for which I was looking. I had forgotten it was on a memory stick, which is ironic really.

But then.....you know......male brain......

I am a bit upset that there is no portion of my brain identified as thinking about allotments or chikkins or religion or philosophy though. I do you know. Really.

BCA vs Singh

The BCA have decided to drop the case: a very sensible course. The BCA should now lick its wounds and pay all Simon's legal costs and ponder very deeply upon how they should respond to such things in the future.

BCA V SIMON SINGH - PRESS STATEMENT – 15th APRIL 2010

Having carefully considered its position in the light of the judgment of the Court of Appeal (1st April 2010), the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has decided to discontinue its libel action against Simon Singh.

As previously made clear, the BCA brought the claim because it considered that Simon Singh had made a serious allegation against its reputation, namely, that the BCA promoted treatments that it knew to be “bogus”. The Honourable Mr Justice Eady, the UK’s most experienced defamation judge, agreed with the BCA’s interpretation of the article and ruled that it made aserious factual allegation of dishonesty.

The Court of Appeal, in its recent judgment, has taken a very different view of the article. On its interpretation, the article did not make any factual allegation against the BCA at all; it was no more than an expression of ‘honest opinion’ by Simon Singh. While it still considers that the article was defamatory of the BCA, the decision provides Dr Singh with a defence such that the BCA has taken the view that it should withdraw to avoid further legal costs being incurred by either side.

As those who have followed the publicity surrounding this case will know, Simon Singh has said publicly that he had never intended to suggest that the BCA had been dishonest. The BCA accepts this statement, which goes some way to vindicating its position. The BCA takes seriously its duty and responsibilities to members and to chiropractic patients.

The BCA has considered seeking leave to take this matter to the Supreme Court and has been advised there are strong grounds for appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment. However, while it was right to bring this claim at the outset, the BCA now feels that the time is right for the matter to draw to a close.

-----------------------------------------------------
Yes indeedy. Time for you to take your complementary medicine with a large pinch of salt. And three hearty cheers to all the hard working bloggers that supported Simon throughout this campaign. Now, if you haven't already done so, head over and sign the petition for libel reform because Free Speech Is Not For Sale.

Rowan

SWMBO piloting the narrow boat 'Rowan' through the deepest lock on the English canal system at Sowerby Bridge. Hope they don't open the doors too quickly!!!