This almost empty bus took me to the hospital clinic today. Heater worked, pretty upholstery and there was even WiFi. Too bad they skimped on decent suspension. The hospital visit went well, so all's well that ends well.

The shaka hand gesture started life in Hawaii and means everything from thanks to hang loose. In other words, Aloha 😄

I've often wondered what it means and where it originated. Look it up for yourself and you will feel better, for sure.

I wish this was sharper, but I thought it was interesting anyway.

The tourists have gone home and the gates are shut. Time to look at the pretty flowers (Aquilegia vulgaris).

"Fading light dims the sight

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright

From afar drawing nigh,

Falls the night."

(Taps)

Wearing the same sort of thing every day makes mornings easier. It doesn't imply that I do the same thing everyday; today I'm being a musician.

from my back garden

A change is as good as a mossless bird in the hand. And other such wisdom. That, and a bag of wholemeal flour that needs to be used up.

A peculiar bid emerged from the roots of my snake plant. So I broke it off and put it in a pot of soil a couple weeks ago. And here it is, growing and thriving.

I fancied a boiled egg and tried a method that I'd found on Reddit. When I cracked the egg it burst, as shown here. The key step of piercing the egg had been omitted. So, no egg today 😅

Getting a table was remarkably easy.

Migraine sucks like a chest wound.

The pill is working - I'll toddle off to work shortly. An earlier TBI was predicted to have 'fixed' it; more likely it fixed it in place.

On the plus side, light, sounds and smells will be intense this morning.

Coconut milk added and stirred in shortly after. Left to simmer for 10 minutes, then tasted and corrected with more salt and a healthy glug of cider vinegar.

Ready to serve.

Age, rain, and the splitting action of buddleia roots have caused this wall to partially collapse.

Buddleia might be pretty, but it's a thug. If you let it grow on your property, this is going to happen eventually.

📷 Google Pixel 8 Pro - Main Sensor (50MP) - Plum Tree

Seeing this brilliant red canoe reminds me of the poem by William Carlos Williams,

www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45502/the-red-wheelbarrow

A canoe like this can carry 2 or 3 adults and all their gear for a trip. You can even hang a motor off the back It's a shame to see this out of the water on such a lovely day. I liked the reflection.

Do listen to this recording by Florrie Ford, made in 1909.

The pollen count is very high today so I'm going to where there aren't any trees; Morecambe Bay. What a lovely day it was.

I thought it might be fun to do a bit of bibliomancy using Doctor Johnson's dictionary as a source. Think of it as an alternative to the popular 'Word power' feature in a well-known bi-monthly magazine.

I think this is a word that could do with revival.

"It was a thrilling but dangerous liaison; Hugo came away with the clap" might be an example of afterclap.

The last edition of Pears Cyclopædia appeared in 2017. The Internet and falling sales, and the retirement of the editor, Dr Chris Cook (after 40 years) caused publication to cease.

The soap is renowned for its purity and transparency.

There's nothing quite like walking in the pouring rain, comfortably numb from some newly prescribed painkillers, to find this beautiful hydrangea waiting to greet me.

Even when the tide's out this place is spectacular. But the tide is about to turn and the win will change; I don't like the look of the cloud bank to the north. Time to move on again.

Depression comes and goes. There are many ways to address it. For me I have to get busy and do something new.

Today I made Russian kotleta following a friend's inspiring description. A recipe book had something I could easily attempt.

I even set the table with a clean cloth and put my Tsingtao beer into a glass I keep for best.

You can also see some calligraphy here that I framed this afternoon. It's "shi" or 'double happy' which is how I'm beginning to feel again.

Chips are kumara and white potato. The mushrooms cooked in homemade yogurt.

If you want the recipe send me a Flickr mail.

If you want to talk about anything to do with mental health message me. I have a bit of experience.

Have a wonderful day/evening. Kia kaha 🌿

This gate always gets a look when I walk past. I love the wrought iron work as much as the stone.

Walk through here to the hidden tasting garden where heritage strains of apple, pear, plum and other trees are nurtured. And if you come at the end of summer when the fruit is ripe you are allowed to have a free taste.

Pups are thriving even in the weak winter light.

After my previous adventure, I cooked this egg in the air fryer for 7 minutes to produce this delicious soft egg. No water, no fuss, and no explosions.

The eggcup is stoneware, made by Abaty in Pontrhydfendigaid, Wales in the 1980s. I like their rustic, hand-thrown pottery.

World shortage of macaroni makes me substitute with spirale.

Add nutmeg for depth of flavor.

For 40. Less than 1 Euro per serve.

Comfort in a plate 😅

To see more of Clark Sorensen's work, type this address into your browser.

An eighteenth century house displays its fire insurance certificate.

I like pink for its soothing effects. I don't know this specific shade here. but I found this snippet from AI.

'Baker-Miller Pink is a specific shade of bubblegum pink scientifically tested to reduce aggression, lower heart rates, and create a calming, tranquilizing effect in confined spaces, often used in prisons and holding cells. The color is named after Navy correctional officers Baker and Miller who first applied it in 1979.'

The coolest summer of the rest of your life.

Happy World Photography Day.

Pizza night. It's a team effort: they make it and I eat it -- what a team!

I hope everyone has a blessed Easter weekend.

A bee visits some common ragwort.

This plant is potentially lethal to horse and cattle but is the natural feeding plant for the cinnabar moth, whose numbers are down considerably in the last few years. This particular plant was also full of bees doing their pollination job. Humans should not touch this plant either as it can cause rashes and other irritations.

As I stood next to it in the sunshine, there was the most amazing smell of honey coming from it.

Processed with VSCOcam with kk2 preset

Went walk about today and encountered this post-industrial alley. I liked the cobbles especially.

Taking a moment in the sunshine.

Happiness and beauty to all 🙏

Caton Court is student accommodation comprising single and 'cluster' apartments, gym, cinema, study areas and a 'sky lounge' with views across the surrounding area.

And still this flower spike grows, and tries to follow the sun. It's developing a pinkish tinge now.

Soft-cooked eggs from Cornwall. Wholemeal soldiers. A light twist of sea salt takes this to the next level.

These eggs from St Ewe in Cornwall are spectacular. Seeing how the hens live makes the extra cost worthwhile. Keeping my own chucks is sadly not an option.

Apparently, purple vegetables are good for aging. Doesn't this cauliflower look great?

The breeze rippling through the long grass makes interesting patterns.

Apparently, reading for pleasure is collapsing in many countries. This is borne out by lower levels of attention, comprehension and critical thinking. It is most visible among national leaders who depend on social media and similar for their news and general information. Their decisions are compromised and vocabulary limited. If an academic only read the 'Abstract' they would miss critical details.

This little book is indeed intoxicating in its seeming ordinariness - but there's so much going on. It's a pleasure to read.