Death From Above

Fieldwork over, back in the lab/office. Managed to get out of electrocuting myself/soil and spent much of the day in a greenhouse instead. Much warmer. Bargining ftw!

There was mild drinking on the Thurs night to celebrate the end of the field season. Luckily I remembered NOT to approach the firemen who'd been staying in the hotel all week and thus saved myself from death by embarrasment. In consequence of this Friday was quite a fragile day, though I did manage to drag myself to the local pub for a Guiness. Which did me a power of good.

Shopping of much spending money happened on the Saturday followed by drinks/football, drinks/boxing and once that debacle was over drinks/dancing to cheese. CHEEEEEEESE.

The tinnitus has pretty much faded now.

A friend brought over a bike they're letting me borrow on Saturday as well so on Sunday there was cycling gingerly around the local area, admiring the views. They're well worth admiring!

And now back to work. Gonna attempt to go swimming on Weds, see what the local pool is like. Hopefully it's not too busy. I have heard that people swim in the sea. HAHA. No Thank You.

Dear Diary,

Today the sun shone and I found a dead thing with teeth (skull of).

It was the best day ever.

Also: I got to DIG a hole. Hee! And whilst augering the very last hole I found a field drain/gap in the rock and almost lost the auger. Oooops.

The trees are all colourful and autumnal and I get to sit in a field all day and look at them. Even a couple of days of rain can't wash that smile away.

And the waterproof is brilliant, though it may be tempting fate to say so.

So far, no wireless at all, but bless this beautiful hotel, it's got a little I can leach off of.

So hey y'all. I'm alive. How're things?

Cold mornings, insistant rain and STRIKLEY back on the tele. And Ann Widecome was actually watchable! Eee, she's a game old bird.

Must get the SAD light out of storage, I've been impossible to live with the past week. This state of affairs cannot continue. Will get the base layers out while I'm there. Mmm, base layers. Went cycling in the short period of dry yesterday, but leftovers of Scotland still impinging on enthusiasm for bike related exercise. Only stayed out an hour. Still, there's the hope of bagging one of the three peaks later on in Oct so that'll be something.

Status Quo on Wogan helping with the autumnal blues, if only it would stop raining!


Oh, and in the continued vein of yay dancin' (with thanks to SMTB's Friday Videos)

Yeah bitches. 46 miles. Read em and weep.

Festus was a darling, running as sweetly as a well serviced Aston Martin. It's such a sweet feeling when the lights go green and you push off - there's a short second of "oops, maybe wrong gear" and then he responds and pulls away like a steam train. *hugs Festus*

Ran steadily all the way out to Skipton (two cloud bursts but good ole Festus kept going) and then took the canal back. Massive unexpected cloudburst on the canal as well, surprised me and the guy in the canalboat I'd just said "good afternoon" as I cycled past. As he puttered back past me while I sheltered under a tree, the rain bouncing off the canal surface we shared a "where did that come from?! It was clear and sunny only five seconds ago!"

I let the cloud pass over, but soon caught up with it again. In the end there was nothing for it but to grit my teeth and battle through it and out the other side. Bit of a shock for poor Festus, he's willing to go off road but he gets a wee bit skittish if the surface is too uncertain-sloping-slippery. So that was an hour of intense concentration and balancing the bike, but Festus threw himself against the traces with great heart, can't fault him for effort. He's gonna get a lovely clean as a reward and then a rest until the weekend. Good Festus.

Yay off-roading! I may have been proud of the 46 miles, but I've got to tell you, I was even prouder of the proper cyclist's mudsplattered shins. Oh yeah.

Finished the day with chilli, and feet up in front of Last Night Of The Proms. Didactylos came over and we poked fun at Merlin for a bit and then put on our nationalistic hats for an hour or so. Much singing.

All in all a good day. :D