Eilidh goes skating

Harry's pencil drawing of Eilidh on her new roller skates.

An anecdote about translation

Confession time - I haven't yet read the article, but I couldn't resist passing on this little story from the comments beneath it.  I don't care if it's true or not, and I'm sure there are just as many rushed and stressed Irish and Spanish people as there are laid-back English and Americans:

The Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh, and a Spanish professor were on the radio  discussing translation.  In order to illustrate his point about translations  failing to carry  the finer nuances of words,  the Spanish professor asked,

"For instance, in Irish, is there any word which means the same as "mañana"?


"Indeed," replied Kavanagh,"we have several words in Irish that mean the same as "mañana". None of them, however, carry quite the same sense of urgency!"

Kiddy art - just for fun

Leonie posted one of Eilidh's pictures on Facebook.

She claims that all she did at primary school was stick beans and macaroni on paper plates!  Not so, Leo! Though this was done at home, as far as I remember.

Prison's great for lapwings

I'm not sure what the story says about modern farming methods.

The reason the lapwings ended up in prison is the ground, which is flat with short grass, rich with other plant species, and holds plenty of insects for the growing chicks to eat. Lapwings nest on the ground, and the open, flat spaces allow them to spot would-be predators. The land has never been reseeded, fertilised or treated with chemicals.
Because it is an area where no humans tread, it is also free from people who would disturb the birds' new home, the Prison Service adds.

Good luck to them, and whoooo knows, they may do the prisoners some good?

People thinking

Two links from the BBC website magazine - both written by people who think . . . both hidden away under A Point of View.  I spotted them today, and the Self one was published in late October.
Will Self on euphemism and warfare

Mary Beard on tyrants

Goldfinch

I know they're not rare, but until this year we've hardly ever seen any on our feeders.

Taken through the kitchen window, and enlarged from the original, so definition not all it could be, but it's a start!

Day in Leicester

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Yesterday, we hit the nearby city.  After the ritual of coffee and blueberry muffin, and the essential purchase of shoes and trousers, I wandered around, amusing myself by playing with (a few) of the camera settings.

I only wish I could understand the blog settings and get things to sit on the page where I want them!

Still and all, I more or less find my way round Leicester city centre these days - it hasn't played that disorienting street swivel trick on me for a while.

And finally, lunch in the museum cafe and a browse around the dinosaur fossils exhibition.

London aquarium visit - 2

London aquarium visit

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This drinking lark is a serious business!

I love the patterns on the rays.