Flights of the butterfly

  • THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS AND CONES

    A year ago, more or less, our local authority re-laid the main street through the centre of town. It needed it. Potholes and time had taken their toll. It was inconvenient, the street was closed off for a couple of weeks with a diversion. But, it had to be done. Suddenly, a couple of weeks…

  • Chatbot

    Listening to a major broadcaster’s current affairs programme the other day. The presenter was gushing on about a new, updated version of a chatbot that is being rolled  out. He was so prettily enthusiastic about it, it was quite charming. He enthused about how this would help The Economy, always a good thing whenever something…

  • RICE

    Made a stew the other night. Well, more collected up the Bombay Mix from the bottom of the freezer, a couple of old potatoes, remains of packs of peas, carrots and whatever. Found a pack of chopped onions and a pack of mushrooms. Pop ‘em all in the microwave to thaw and warm up. A…

  • MERCENARY RIVER

    Just finished  a book, “The Mercenary River” by Nick Higham. It’s a hard read, but worth the effort. Hard, because It has to be. It covers four hundred years of history and does it in detail. Necessary detail to understand what happened and its implications. I am not going to precis, summarise or extract from…

  • NOTE TO MY LOCAL COUNCIL

    Some time ago, two clothing recycling containers appeared at the end of my street. Big ugly green things that nobody uses. To the leader of my local council, on your seven-figure salary: Do you have these at the end of your road? Nah, didn’t think so. D’you want them? Nah, didn’t think so. Me neither,…

  • I DON’T LIKE JANE AUSTEN

    I don’t like Jane Austen. Today, in the town centre, outside the old town hall building, they have set up lighting rigs. This is to illuminate the interior of the building through the windows so that interior shots can be lit as if by strong daylight. Probably to make some period drama, most likely yet…

  • SHREW

    This is a little shrew I saw on the track this morning. It was sad. He seemed to be intact, no sign of an attack so I hope he had a peaceful passing in the night. Now, this is important, do not confuse a shrew with a mouse. Some years ago, I lived in the…

  • Cold morning

    Watched the geese and ducks mooching about on the flooded watermeadow. Cold, this morning, a full moon just setting through the bare trees.Their bums and feet must be frozen. A duck started swimming across, quacking all the way. Think he’d spotted a squaw and was giving it a bit of “Fancy a quickie, darlin’ ”.Looks…

  • Eroica

    Listening to Eroica. There is a darkness to the music as well as the power and the beauty, the balance and the variety of texture and tone. It is a landscape, painted in sound, a sweeping panorama of mountains and plains, forests and rivers, antelope and cataracts. Just thought I’d mention it.

  • PARKING A VOLVO

    This is how you  park a Volvo: Not much else to say, really.