Saturday 31 December 2011

The Weather Here...

The midwinter darkness of Northern climes occurs because the sun barely gets above the horizon at this time of the year. That's what all these midwinter celebrations are about, ain't they?
But here... in Cornwall... in the far far west of England....
all is grey for another reason. I don't know when I last saw blue sky...
or the sun...
Greyness has just gone on for weeks.
Cloud cloud cloud. And rain.

I am growing moss.
Please... for The New Year. I would like to see.... the sun.

Tuesday 27 December 2011

There's Still About 10 Days of Christmas...

So as we do cope with the after effects of too much food and inactivity we continue to hope you have a good time.

Picture a hand gripped and a look towards the New Year......
Here we go again ....
This time it's called 2012...
All together now, jump.

Thursday 22 December 2011

Woo-Woo Solstice Greetings and a Very Merry Christmas Too

Mmmn. I do hope some of you have taken a look at Mrs D's animation there, she got so temperamental making it. And as for The Old Man and me... it's tiring I tell you. 30 frames per second... with a little movement every 2 or 4 frames. Some tempers were frayed all round. And Mrs D used that mangy cat again. And come to think of it... The Old Man got a major share of the limelight there.

Whatever.... The Old Man is baking pannetone... I been making the Christmas cards and hanging up tinsel. The food is in... The greetings have been spread.... we's getting ready.

I do wish everyone a good time. Enough food. Enough warmth. Some love and some peace. Merry Christmas one and all.

Monday 19 December 2011

Mrs D's "Christmas Dinner"


Christmas Dinner from Mrs D on Vimeo.

So... it wobbles a bit. And maybe it's a bit .... Cute. What can you do.
Here it is. Merry Christmas.

Saturday 17 December 2011

That Christmas Animation Thing is ....

Still from forthcoming "Christmas Dinner" 

....Still coming soon. Mrs Doonuthin's Annual Animated Extravaganza.

Marvel at The Old Man bringing in the Christmas Pud.


Thursday 15 December 2011

That Christmas Animation Thing

Still from forthcoming "Christmas Dinner"
Comin soon.
Mrs Doonuthin's splendid production of "Christmas Dinner".
See the wonders of I myself .... decorating the tree.


Tuesday 13 December 2011

Mrs Doonuthin is Doin Her Animation Thing

Still from forthcoming "Christmas Dinner"

I do so apologise for not being in touch so to speak with my up to the minute posting. (Er-hem) But we's all a bit distracted here.

Mrs Doonuthin has decided to grasp the bull by the horns....or maybe that's.... the seasonal reindeer by the antlers.... and to make her Christmas animation.

Which at the rate that she works amounts to her Annual Animation.

This time it's us what be acting in it. Which makes for an awful lot of standing around on one foot, etc.... and movin' slower than Marcel Marceau. While the woman herself do go on and on in an artistic temperamental way. Much waving of arms and pullin of hair and shouting that she just can't do it!

She should try bein' one of the actors.

Thursday 8 December 2011

Who Done Eat That?


Yesterday The Old Man comes out of the garage bearing a bunch of beetroot.
You think this sounds absurd?
Perish the thought.
The garage is cold and its where we keep our larder supplies of root vegetables and fruit.

Anyways he comes in with the beetroots and points out the little continent-shaped patches of raw flesh dotted around their skins.
"He's back." say he.
"Mmn. So I see." say I.

Somewhere.... there is a mouse with very pink jaws and feet.

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Selling a Print - Three Years Later

You may remember that once upon a time, long, long ago.... I wuz printmaking?

The other day I gets a phone call from a woman who bought one of my first series of lino-cuts. That was at an Open Studio three years ago.

She'd still got my card. Could she buy another one in the series?

Of course, say I.

I then panic and try to sort them all out in their nice little black boxes with tissue paper between the layers... and the mounts... and the frames.

A few days later she do come along to pick what she wants. It's a very nice meeting and chat. Though more of a case of a listen on her part. I'd remembered her well because the sale had meant a lot to me... being practically the first, like. And the print series was about childhood. And she had bought it for her boy. And now she wanted another, three years later, also for her boy. In the end she took two more.

And I be well-chuffed. For me it be about communicating something. And I can't tell you how pleased I be that this print meant stuff for both mother and her boy.
Evie Greydollsdottir will be proud of me.



Monday 5 December 2011

The Vilification of the Public Sector

You may remember my diatribes about being a "baby boomer" (Click here for Post 1 and here is Post 2).

Time was when people didn't mind that you worked as a librarian, a teacher, a civil servant, a fireman, for a council-whatever. It was considered quite a respectable line of work. You were of course looked down upon by those who worked in the Private Sector. Something a bit ploddy about opting for the Public Sector.

But not now. Oh No. With that Jeremy Clarkson geezer for instance. It isn't even the stupid remark about "executing strikers" that offends me. When I hear the clip repeated on the Radio... it's the tone of voice he uses when he is asked if he knows any public sector workers.
"What me?" squeaks he "Know a Public Servant? Good God. No." Or words to that effect....  He does justify himself by saying that he is invited on these shows to be funny, so... Buffoon it is then.

So yes. I did  work in the Public Sector. I admit it. I think I may have to adopt a disguise when I go out now. I most certainly grow shifty and avoid people's eyes when they ask me what I did for a living. Perhaps I'll tell them that I worked as an investment banker or...or an estate agent. None of these jobs seem to get much stick these days.

A week or so ago.... buying cheese in a local-ish shop.... The Old Man and me falls to chattin' with the proprietor, as you do.
"What was your line of work?" say he
"Civil Servant and Librarian in a Public Library..." (to paraphrase)
"Oooh. Gold-plated pensions." he sneers.

Course I'm not good at instant come-backs in real-life.
Else I could have pointed out that that's how come I can afford to buy his cheese.

Thursday 1 December 2011

Travels With My Film-Life: Iceland: Cold Fever

As I watch Mrs Doonuthin devourin her latest thriller (see previous post) then upendin herself over her box of cds trying to find the Bjork one....

I am reminded of an Icelandic film I have great affection for. It's Fridrik Thor Fridricksson's "Cold Fever" - a 1995 road movie set in Iceland following a young Japanese businessman who reluctantly travels to Iceland in order to perform a ritual ceremony for his parents who had died in an avalanche some years earlier. (Take the time to follow this Cold Fever link and watch the trailer on the International Movie Database...)

I just adore that film. Great photography. And as usual with me... off the wall characters. Add the naturally off the wall landscape of Iceland and it's just my cup of tea. I particularly loved the scene where the Japanese guy is desperate to get back to Reykjavik, hires a taxi and ... in the middle of nowhere there is an isolated building. The taxi driver asks him if he could just wait a moment and hops out of the taxi and into the building... After quite some time the Japanese guy gives up and staggers up to the building... inside he sees a full-scale nativity play going on with the taxi driver in pride of place...... I just love it.

If you get a chance, try to catch the film. And be prepared - there are an awful lot of deep-fried sheep's heads. And geysers. And elves. And black sand..........

Tuesday 29 November 2011

The Wonders of Matronymics

I's looking over Mrs Doonuthin's shoulder whilst she's reading her copy of Michael Ridpath's latest Icelandic set thriller "66 Degrees North". She's enjoyin it too. I can tell. She's slowin her crunchin on tortilla chips and the glass of red by her side is still practically full.

Anyways I am most impressed by the system of family names in Iceland.  Sons take Father's first name +..."son" and daughters take Father or perhaps Mother's name + ..dottir.

I do rather fancy struttin around as Greydoll Cecilsdottir or Greydoll Sybilsdottir.

Whatever. Now my dear little parthenogenetic daughters have a proper family name courtesy of Icelandic custom - Aurelia Greydollsdottir, Beryl Greydollsdottir ..........

I am happy.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Tuesday 22 November 2011

The Rook Scientific

So I'm a bit late getting downstairs this mornin... Busy swabbing out the bathroom etc. And when I gets down, The Old Man says...

"So you missed Jim Al-Khalili then..."
"You what?"
"Jim Al-Khalili... The Life Scientific.... on Radio 4... just now..."
"Yes?"
"Today talking to a scientist, Nicky Clayton about her work with crows... says they can work out problems that human children can't..."
"Damn. I likes rooks and so on. I'll have to Listen Again as they do like to say on the Radio. Or download it as a Podcast...."

Sunday 20 November 2011

The Old Man Watches "The Killing 2" on BBC4

So. There we have it. Saturday nights on the telly worked out.

As you may know The Old Man does have some problems with things like film or telly dramas... that facial recognition thing... (see Post for 6 Sept 2011)... So I's being all careful about it and says that as long as I can watch Episode 1 in real time... and Episode 2 is recorded for me to catch up with... then he's let off and we can watch something else at 10 pm. Cos I know he did manage most of the first series... much to my surprise.

He looks at me uneasy but says OK. And so we watch the first episode at the end of which The Old Man lets out a great sigh of relief. Then he says to me:

"Think I'd like to watch something else now. Rather than straight into the next episode."

"OK" say I, "I'll just pop out for a mo... be back in a minute..."

So I come back a few minutes later...
and The Old Man is sat there.... gripping the arms of his chair.... with the credits for Episode 2 of "The Killing 2" rolling up the screen.

"Hey! You..." yell I.... as I settle down on the sofa.... just in time...

Friday 18 November 2011

Deadlines

Reblogged from the group blog Drawn.....
which brings my attention to great little film on YouTube from KreativMagazin illustrating that deadlines can be a problem.... and creativity can take time to blossom.

Oh Yeah....


Thursday 17 November 2011

This Saturday - The Killing 2

Just a little reminder.
This Saturday Nov 19th on BBC4 at 9pm. Sara's back on British TV in series 2 of Danish thriller "The Killing".
Episode 1 at 9pm and episode 2 follows at 10pm. The Old Man will complain that he can't possibly sustain two hours on the trot.... wimp! But hey.. what are HDDr gizmos for, or "catchup" on the Internet.

And... And... for those of you Sara fans who are also knitaholics... Radio Times (19th - 25th Nov issue) has a knitting pattern for the new red sweater. Yes. The new one. Well they certainly hope to boost sales.

Monday 14 November 2011

Mrs Doonuthin Comes to Tea

Will you just look at the state of her?

Some elder-folk just never grow up.

Maybe all that red wine and all those tortilla chips finally destroyed whatever was left of her sense of propriety.

She says she's goin' to a fancy-dress party. But I just do not believe her. I know her too well.
I think it's her "new look".

Sunday 13 November 2011

Graphic Passions: Norwegian Ink: Comics Artist Jason

And just in case you think it's purely a question of Scandinavian Crime Writing... Consider the possibilities of Scandinavian Comic artists...

My eyes were drawn (by the group blog Drawn!!) to an interview with Norwegian comic artist Jason by Dan Wagstaff on his book culture blog "The Casual Optimist"... which is great.

I borrowed Jason's "The Living and the Dead" from my local library some time ago. (Good choice!) And very much enjoyed it.... Zombies as Krazy Kat. (If you don't realise my tastes by now...) So for me this was a happy reminder of the intriguing work of another comic artist which I'd like to see more of.

Oh and comic artists in Norway? Well let's just say that Jason decided to base himself in France for more work opportunities. Bande-dessinee and all that.

Saturday 12 November 2011

"The Strand" & a Short Interview With Jussi Adler-Olsen

Lyin' around listenin to BBC World Service as I do. I catch their arts programme "The Strand" which includes a short interview with Danish crime writer Jussi Adler-Olsen on the popularity of Scandinavian Crime Fiction. Check out these links to find out more and "listen again".

And...and..and...
.....following on from yesterday's post about BBC4's Scandinavian Crime shows there is a Stop Press for Wallander portrayed by Rolf Lassgard. BBC 4 is showing a feature-length Wallander story "The Pyramid" starring Rolf Lassgard tonight, Saturday 12 Nov, at 9pm... repeated November Fri 18 at 01:30 am)

Mrs Doonuthin reckons you should know about all this stuff.

Friday 11 November 2011

More Scandinavian Crime Comes to the Telly

I meant to say....
that the Independent mentions several Scandinavian treats coming to BBC4 in 2012.

One is a Danish/Swedish co-production titled "The Bridge" - because the body of a woman is indeed found bang in the middle of the Oresund Bridge that connects Danish Copenhagen and Swedish Malmo - which means that a two-country police team has to be assembled in order to investigate the crime.

Another is "Sebastian Bergman" - two 90 minute films starring Rolf Lassgard (last seen by us as Kurt Wallander in a feature length version of "The Man Who Smiled") as a detective investigating the death of a 15 year old boy. You can read a bit more about both of these here.

There is also a Danish political series "Borgen" from the same production company as "The Killing".

Meanwhile... and for something a bit more Gallic... anybody got any news on the fourth series of French crime serial "Spiral" aka "Engrenages"?

Thursday 10 November 2011

Harvesting My Squashes...

All two of them! But there you are.

They's a good size each so worth it if they ripen off and store well.
One's a Crown Prince, bless him. The other is a Musquee de Provence which should turn orange when ripe. I've never eaten one of those.

Ooops! Not in front of the children.....




Monday 7 November 2011

Red Sweater Day: "The Killing 2" is Coming

Hang on to your nicotine chewing gum, Sara's back.
And this time the sweater is red.

Yup! Splendid Danish crime serial "Forbrydelsen" returns to BBC 4 with Series 2, starting Saturday Nov 19th. You can read the Independent's article and their interview with lead actress Sofie Grabol here.
But meanwhile make sure you clear the calendar, set up the HDR or ... whatever it takes to make sure that you see "The Killing 2" from the very start.

Me? I'm sittin' in front of the telly right now... and I ain't movin till I seen it....

Friday 4 November 2011

Time to Go Home....

We walk on the moors and wait to see the starlings which don't quite arrive when we hope but hey I reckon we's too early in the season. But we do see lots of cormorants hanging their wings out to dry instead.

I do feed the farm goat with carrots in order to discourage it from eating my clothes - whilst I'm in them.

We buy stuff in Glastonbury from the biggest eco-organic supermarket that I've ever come across. And we queue up and eat good veggie grub from Glastonbury's Rainbow's End Cafe.

We get a visit from old friends Photo-Girl and Hubbie from Bath. We share lunch and a good chat and a moory-reedy walk with them.

I see the places that The Old Man lived in when he's growin' up.

And I have to say ... last but not least... I do love my stay at MapleLeaf Middlewick Cottages in the wooden cabin with it's garden and view of old orchard fields, horses, hungry goat, chickens... and The Tor.

But..... it time to go home.

Thursday 3 November 2011

A Beautiful Morning in Somerset

Mist rising up from King's Sedgemoor below this hill.

You can see the checquer board effect of the rhynes, narrow drainage channels, running through King's Sedgemoor below.

"Wow..." I did say. As did several others standing on the hill.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

My Own Little House on The Levels

Oooh ain't she sweet? A Shepherd's Hut all for me to sleep in.

Wake up in the mornin', open the blind and stare out at The Tor.

I do love it.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

We Did Go on Holiday!

We goes to Somerset ... land of The Old man's upbringing and land of my very first student years all those decades ago.

Like the faded hippie that I be... I chose a place right next to Glastonbury.

Here you can see us standing in the garden of the wooden cabin what we stay in....next to a little orchard ... with Glastonbury Tor right behind us.

Oh I always wanted to stay in a wooden cabin. It were nice.

Sunday 30 October 2011

F is for Freda....

This is my sixth born, Freda...
although she insists upon being called Freddy.

She is learning "body-building" and spends quite some time in front of the mirror drawing a moustache onto her upper lip with my eyebrow pencil.

I'm not sure which direction she is going in.....

Friday 28 October 2011

E is for Evie

Bless her, this is my fifth born... Evie.

Evie is the motherly type. She sweeps, cleans, and wraps up pine cones and puts them to bed... with lullabies.

She tells me that she wants to find a good husband and have lots and lots of babies.

I tell her that she needn't worry about the good husband bit and explain about parthenogenesis.

She bursts into tears.

Wednesday 26 October 2011

D is for Dorothy

This is Dorothy.

I don't know where I went wrong here. Dorothy is always angry.
And most of all...
She's angry with me...

...Says I have ruined her life and that there is nothing for it but for her to enter therapy.
...She says she hopes I am "proud of myself".

Sometimes I think that is the kind of thing I am supposed to say to her.






Monday 24 October 2011

C is for...

My third born I called Catherine.

But she calls herself Candy.
She has turned out to be a bit of a party girl.

She watches Skins and True Blood.
I never know where she is.

I don't think much good will come of this.


Saturday 22 October 2011

B is for Beryl

My second born is Beryl.

Beryl loves reading.

She had considered a career in librarianship. But she has it on first hand knowledge that this is a shrinking career field. Most librarians that she knows are redundant - in fact, if not in nature.

She is instead contemplating studying linguistics.
She informs me that she is particularly interested in the field of linguistic typology.

I don't know what she is talking about.

Thursday 20 October 2011

A is for Aurelia

The children are ready to go out in the world.

This is my first born, Aurelia.

She is very musical.
Her schoolteacher, Mr Dorchester, wanted her to take up the trombone. But Aurelia tells me that she would rather study the cello. When she is not listening to Schubert lieder - she listens to Rostropovich. Her most recent favourites are Britten's Cello suites.


Sunday 16 October 2011

Zut Alors! Le Vieil Cuisine des Beignets....

Most excellent little doughnuts too.

.... a personal response to Andrew Lansley's attempt to cut the NHS expenses further... by announcing we should all eat less.

Marie Antoinette comes to mind. And most deliciously in this case.

Saturday 15 October 2011

Beelzebub! Where Are All These Flies...?

It is like one of the circles of Dante's Hell round here.

Swathed in mist and cloud for days on end.....
And now?

....My bedroom is full of flies when I go up last thing at night, I swat and flap and sweep... and so does The Old Man....

It makes me wonder if something has deceased in the roof space... But I don't smell anything... And with all these flies... Could a horse have crept up there to die?

I could also feel guilty about my house-keeping. But the other day we visit a friend along the road... Her kitchen is festooned with flypapers...

She says to me...
"All these flies. Where are they coming from?"

Thursday 13 October 2011

In Which I do Contemplate......


Parthenogenesis.

....on account Old Man and me had passing discussion on stick insects and greenfly. As you do.

Monday 10 October 2011

Travels With my Film-Life: USA, CBS newsroom, 1953

Here I am with my beads and handbag, taking a back seat and watching the action as journalist and TV newsman Ed Morrow goes into battle with Senator (Blacklist) McCarthy.

We's watchin "Good Night and Good Luck" a 2005 release George Clooney film for Warner Brothers - with the delicious Mr Clooney as Morrow's co-producer Fred Friendly. The film is set during the time CBS News, or rather the Ed Morrow team, took on the communist-fixated senator who was twisting America up tight and getting everyone looking over their shoulder.... and decided to bring him down.

The film plays in black & white and looks pretty good as a recreation of the 1950s (I should know). It incorporates actual news footage from the time, such as sequences from the McCarthy hearings. According to Wikipedia - one audience member at the initial showings of the film commented that they thought that the Senator McCarthy performance was over the top.... not realising that it was in fact the real McCoy McCarthy, if you get my drift.

When I see films like this... I wonder what I would do? Would I stand up and be counted? I suppose I just thank my lucky stars that this was another time, another place.....

Yeah.... right.....

Friday 7 October 2011

Strolling Down the Highway: Bert Jansch 1943 - 2011



Moody teenagers.... 1965... me and me school friend Ros obsessively listening to her LP of Bert Jansch on the old portable record player in the bedroom: Angie, Needle of Death, Courting Blues...

There's already been the sacred Bob in our lives with "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", and "The Times They Are a-Changin". (Of course one dutifully marvelled at the purity of Saint Joan Baez.) But I don't remember anyone else with near the same punch as sacred Bob

... except for Bert Jansch.

It's probably around this time I decides to walk about with no shoes on.... I mean walk to St. Ives, walk around school.... surely they didn't let me do that? St. Ives already warming up to beads, candles and the clanging of hippy bells... Me stopping walking around with no shoes on... after that foot infection. Slouching into folk clubs... but twas all very traditional there... Brenda Wootton and John the Fish.

No, after a while we had to slump by the harbour and stare at the water - contemplatin' getting back to the grittiness and miraculous guitar-playing of Bert Jansch.

The Old Man Gets His Arm Back

To those of you concerned as to the outcome of The Old Man's Hi-Fi dilemma and related queasiness - described in previous posts.

Let me assure you that The Old Man grasps the nettle of The Invoice for Arm Repair. He rings up The Arm People who explain that they offer not so much a service as a Rebuild. So he gulps and says yes to the procedure.

Quick as you like... the Arm wings its way back to The Old Man. He declares it pristine and practically unrecognisable... and promptly ditches all other plans for the day in order to settle down by The Deck to reattach The Arm.

Some time later.... records are being played, The Old Man is smiling sweetly and all appears to be well.

As I waft past on the way to start making supper... a slight frown appears on The Old Man's phyzog.

"Of course... there is now the question of The Cartridge....." say he.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Patrick McHale's "Fall Guy"

Fall Guy (2011) from Patrick McHale on Vimeo.
And whilst we are being both animated AND thriller minded....Watch this most excellent "animation noir" by Patrick McHale. For those of nervous disposition... there is sound on this one.

Mrs Doonuthin is sitting and weeping....

Monday 3 October 2011

Sicilian Crime Euro-Telly on BBC4

Mrs Doonuthin says... if you ain't seen it yet... you may like to catch up with a little bit of Euro-Telly crime drama: "Montalbano's Croquettes" - showing on Wed 5 Oct 2011 23:20 on BBC Four.

(It's a repeat showing from last year.. and we missed it on Saturday didn't we... that Mrs D is usually so zonked on her Little Glass of Red by that time of a Saturday night that she's snoring her way through telly....)

The drama is an Inspector Montalbano tale based on the books by Andrea Camilleri and featuring said Sicilian police detective.

Find out more by clicking through here with the added possibility of watching it on iPlayer over the next 9 days or so.

Sunday 2 October 2011

Hot October Day

Blimey but it is hot and sunny here. How's it with you?

This morning we go for the beach walk. Pearly, hazy light over a shiny flat sea.... well ... as flat as Cornwall can have a go at.
Wheatears (birds!) on the granite rocks at the top of the beach. Dogs and people splashing about in the briny.

Phew, mop the brow.

The Old Man Feels Queasy

So... you may remember that The Old Man is having some problems with his beloved Hi-Fi? (See 28 Sept Post.)

He be greatly comforted when the Arm Man tells him that he can send his non-tracking Arm back home.... and they will take great care of it and make it a-a-a-all better. This he does....

.... and Friday he gets the pre-pay invoice for the servicing of The Arm...

Around lunchtime The Old Man reports he be feeling sick. As usual, we anxiously consider possible causes. Has he eaten something that's upsetting him? But.... we decide that it is the size of the pre-pay invoice that is turning his stomach!

Thursday 29 September 2011

A Beautiful Day up the Creek

The ole Riverside at Devoran. The Old Man examining the places of his forefathers.

Me admiring the late September sun, the mud.... and best of all listening to the curlews. Love them babies.

Wednesday 28 September 2011

The Old Man's Hi-Fi

Alors!
The Old Man makes a phone call to the makers' of his Beloved Arm (hi-fi equipment - see previous post). His voice drops from petrified treble to relaxed baritone as he exchanges "woof-tweet-arm" talk with person on other end of phone. Formidable! They will look at the poor mal-functioning arm.

Voila!
Il est un homme transforme.

Monday 26 September 2011

The Woof and Tweet of it All

Ladies and Gentlemen, you may not know this.... but The Old Man is a bit of a Woof and Tweet merchant. No, no... he has neither Dog nor Twitter account. (How times and the vernacular have changed.) No.... The Old Man is a hi-fi buff.

And I mean really....he would not know what to do with an iPod or an MP3 player, he is barely on speaking terms with a CD.

No.... he lerves "Vinyl".
And I don't mean he frequents S&M clubs (nor M&S for that matter but that's another subject). Blimey, how fugitive is the patois of hobbies and passions.

The Old Man lerves his speakers, his amp, his pre-amp, his cartridge, his stylus and his arm. He loves them all with obsession and parental tenderness.

People like moi who cohabit with Hi-Fi People will resonate more than said woofers and tweeters with the familiarity of such scenarios as ..... the day the three-piece suite leaves the sitting room in order to accommodate the wardrobe sized speakers; the hours that the whole house vibrates to the tedious range of sounds and chunks of bad music that is - "The Hi-Fi Test Record"; the evenings of mummified hostessing when Hi-Fi fans get together... obsessively comparing and evaluating the qualities of their favoured cartridge.

And last but by no means least, the fact that I have not played any of my once beloved scratched LPs for years, nay decades even.... because I will not go near The Old Man's set-up which sports a stylus (commonly referred to as a "prickle" .... nuff said) that required a small mortgage.

Anyhoo. The Old Man now looks very glum indeed. I can't have a conversation with him. His eyes glaze over. His thoughts are elsewhere.....

The "Arm" is refusing to "Track".....
Translation: the sacred hardware will not play a record.

Friday 23 September 2011

Blue Flowers and Red Dragonflies

A day or so ago.
Another walk by the river near the woods. Find tiny "meadows" which are full of blue flowers. I think they might be Devil's Bit Scabious but not sure.

Further away - in a sheltered spot full of heather grown mine-waste ... and a shallow pool.

Red dragonflies. (Maybe Common Darter.)


Tuesday 20 September 2011

"The Killing is Killing Me"

Gotta another mail the other day from my insomniac "Forbrydelsen-fan" friend. Now she is lying awake worrying about some plot points that are puzzling her. She did send me a whole list to clear up. But I says: "Don't look at me. You need Mrs Doonuthin for this."

So I has a go at passing some of the questions over to Mrs Doonuthin... like
"Was Nanna killed at the flat or in the woods?"
"Who cut the wire to the stairwell light outside Lund's flat"
"Why did the powers that be want to cover up the link between Nanna's and Mette's murders?"
... and many more.

Mrs Doonuthin, ever helpful, looks up at me with bleary eyes, hiccups, and says: "I dunno... didn't spot them dyscreppersies meself... I just thought it was a jolly good telly-thing, me."

Sorry, dear friend - despite her cutting edge critical faculties, Mrs Doonuthin is of no use whatsoever. Meanwhile, I can assure you that you only have to Google "Forbrydelsen Nanna..." to get plenty of blogospheric discussion links on the matter of plot points.

But I shall step over Mrs Doonuthin's snoozing form, ponder on your questions - and get back to you.

Monday 19 September 2011

It Really is Autumn

See? Just come back from a bit of a local walk.
The Old Man says these be Horse Mushrooms. Dunno, me. But they look splendid.

Mind you we did leave them there... partly cos they do look so splendid. And partly cos we don't know for sure what they be.... so better safe than... poisoned.

Saturday 17 September 2011

Ruining Your Friends' Sleeping Habits: Telly

I got mail the other day... from a friend who's complaining that she's not sleepin well... cos she's lyin there trying to anticipate the plots of both versions of The Killing. And this is also because she's stayin up half the night watchin both versions. She blames me totally for this. (see my recent post bout this here).

I am sorry, babe. Oh! but don't tell me the outcome for the US version cos I haven't caught up with that myself!! Good job I didn't tell you to catch up on BBC4's "Spiral" at the same time though.

Oh where would we be without BBC4's foreign crime serials?

Well don't hold your breath. We may be able to find out soon. Remember those cut announcements are due soon. (See this post.)