Monday, May 26, 2008

 

zoo

When I am put in charge of the zoo (expected any day now) I shall introduce a short exam for all adults before they will be allowed in.

I originally thought of requiring some basic level of zoology (the difference between a tortoise and a turtle, that sort of thing) but decided I was being unreasonable, So my examinees will have to demonstrate just three things;

1) the ability to read the name on a sign before announcing the species to your small child.

Two of my favourites today were "a cat" (a Madagascan aye-aye), and "a rat" (a Turkish spiny mouse, rather smaller than your average house mouse). The best however was the pygmy slow loris. Now I don't expect people to be able to recognise a pygmy slow loris. I could probably have managed "loris" (it crawls slowly underneath branches, is furry and is much smaller than a sloth) but I might have been pushed even for that. The lady behind me had no doubts though. Gazing at this 6 inch long, yellow furred hanging ball of fluff up in the branches of the tree, she announced confidently "A meerkat!"

2) the possession and use of at least one further adjective apart from "ugly" and "cute" that can be applied to members of the animal kingdom ("big" in this context doesn't count.)

3) the correct method of turning the flash on your camera off before taking close up photos of nocturnal animals in the carefully darkened nocturnal animal house.


Apart from the people, Bristol zoo was excellent. It's very small- no paddocks to speak of, and nothing that requires much room. A pair of asiatic lions (keeping well out of the rain and out of sight) were the only big cats. I did like the okapi, who were causing much confusion- small child arrived and announced Zebra! Five minutes later next small child announced Giraffe!

Best of all were the fruit bats, which were huge and crawling happily around their indoor enclosure (apparently bats have more sense than to fly in the rain). When they wanted to rest, they wrapped themselves up in one wing, in a sort of bat cocoon, with only the tips of their ears showing.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

 

Sleeping all day

Managed to sleep from 10.30 to 3pm today. It was a rather nice way of spending my day off. Now I'm going to tackle the wild flower meadow that is our back lawn, with the flymo because the proper mower broke, and then make vegetable curry with parathas.

All these are distraction techniques because Son's exams have started and other than buy him shiny new pens there seems to be little that I can contribute. No doubt they will go fine. Three weeks of this to go.

Monday, May 12, 2008

 

Sometimes atheism is difficult

Like when at 2am I finally find my iPod in the pocket of the just washed jeans and have a rather extreme despair to myself. Then google ipod and washing machine and find instructions to make it better, and they work. A definite "someone is looking out for me" moment. All the alternative explanations seem rather unlikely.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

 

Back from Mull

Which was beautiful and alternately incredibly wet and very sunny. No cetaceans this time, but some golden eagles and lots of red deer, and razorbills from the boat back.

I came back with the Scottish Open Disc Golf Women's Champion trophy, due to being the only woman player, and despite playing one round out of four and getting the lowest score going. But it was fun, and I am slowly improving. Played lots of poker in the evenings- not nearly as scary as I'd thought, it's just a bidding system.

Edmund died today, not sure why. I think he must have been around 13 years old so hardly an untimely early death, but I shall miss him. Bob seems to be fine.

A free weekend next weekend, which is a rarity. Beer n Pretzels at Burton the weekend after, then disc golf in Bristol, then the UK Games Expo, then another free weekend, then the Scillies, then Glastonbury, then another free weekend, then the States over a long fortnight, then finally a fairly peaceful August leading up to the Party, invites for which I had better start making (or as least subcontracting to Son as last year).

Looking forward to Glastonbury despite never having heard of 95% of the bands listed. I shall go and see Billy Bragg and Susanne Vega, and possibly even Hazel O'Connor.

Off to pick up a couple of parcels from the post office now, once I've hung some washing out. I love it when it's sunny enough to do that- I feel all domesticated.

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