Worms

It is my sincere hope that there are no worms inside my gastro-enteric system from the lovely fresh blackberries.

This morning (after industriously cycling to work), I found a tiny worm on my sweater at about 10.30. My first thought was that it came from the banana I had just had as a snack, which made the tummy rather turn on its side and the thought pass through my head never to eat another banana. Sickness was avoided by pure determination of will, and the fact that spreadsheets make one's brain go really quite blank.

Then this afternoon, after snacking on a few more blackberries, there was another little worm inching (or centimetre-ing) his tiny way across my desk. Have felt slightly queasy since. I don't think there were blackberry worms in Louisiana. Or maybe my constitution was just a little stronger due to being heathen wood spirit who didn't care about frivolous things like little ol' worms :)

If anyone knows of a way in which to rid berries of creeping invaders, it would be most appreciated, as I very much enjoyed my mango, yogurt, blackberries and country crisp cereal last night... Google has really fallen down on the job on this and makes no helpful suggestions other than 'How to get rid of Raccoons' and an article about berries being used in Russia to rid the body of parasites.

And then there is this helpful item.

Boo on bugs!
Well, bugs in one's food.

Here are some lovely bugs, however, that my newly-found fascination with macro function enabled me to capture:

Firstly, a fuzzy bee on a thistle.

Then a dragonfly from the bank of the River Wensum. I was quite disappointed not to get him with his wings out, but I really couldn't just lay there in the mud and nettles.

Then, a bee on a yarrow (I think) flower. His little wings are so pretty, although had the sun gone ever so slightly behind the cloud instead of all the way, it might have shown up better.

Lastly, these are thistles that grow in front of Norwich City Hall. They are about 5 times the size of normal thistles and are just gorgeous. This was taken at dusk, so the light isn't so good. The plants are about 5 feet tall and each bud is about the size of my fist!

Nettled

Perhaps one day, I will learn what nettles are in Britain and will manage not to get myself nettled. It just is slightly vexatious that the juiciest blackberries are in the deepest nettles.

This afternoon has been quite productive, as have gone for 3 mile bike ride; picked a pound of blackberries; had bike lock stolen when lost panniere bag raided after it accidentally fell off rack; recovered panniere bag and cloth shopping bag; recovered bike lock which had been discarded in tall grass while on way to purchase new expensive lock! Hoorah for trusting intuition...

Sermon this morning addressed issue of forgiveness, so I supposed it would be frowned upon to wish vengeance for stolen water bottle and glue stick... why the idiots took a glue stick instead of a panniere bag is quite beyond me (although I am pleased they are stupid). However, did learn interesting things in sermon which also included linguistic element. The use of the word priggishly is highly acceptable to me, especially in sermons.

Another lovely day today. Found a pedestrian bridge right around the corner and a pumping station where people fish in the fast water. Along this alley is a flood-level plaque which I noticed yesterday. Dates are, from top: 1912, 1570, 1514, 1646, 1752, and 177-something.

From my house, north along the River Wensum about a 10-minute ride (past quite an extensive crop of nettles), this bridge is right before the Sweet Briar Road (I think).

Then, went slightly off-road to get other perspective.

And to take photos of insects on flowers with new macro functionality discovered... (these will appear later)

On way back down (nettle-ridden) path, took a couple of side trails and found a gypsy wagon (well, not actually positive that is what it is, but is more exotic than just 'a wagon' where someone appears to be living rough... eek). Shall probably be scolded by mother and other parental-type persons with whom I am acquainted for straying into lonely field where all sorts of horrible things could have happened, but pshaw. The worst thing that happened was that my arm was bitten by a very small horse as a test of my edibility. Maybe it was my green sweater. He was tres cute and I shall visit him again! (If you cannot tell, he is very short, about to my hip).

Gypsies apparently just take their horses wherever there is grass and put a stake in the ground with a chain or rope and leave them there for a while. This is rather distressing. Little Horse here was not tied like the other 6 horses in the field but just wandering around (and biting things). Their hooves all need grooming.

*******
Saturday was a fun day as well. V. busy morning, what with getting ribbon to finish window screen, acquiring planting acoutrements and sitting outside front door at table being eccentric.

Then met Sally and Sumiko (from office) to go to Wroxham Barns, which is in Wroxham (funnily enough). Had relaxed stroll around with only a very few sensible purchases (flower pots are utilitarian and candles are good in an electricity outage...).

On road, passed signs to the Worstead Festival, which is apparently happening (or happened at this point) this weekend. Am kind of disappointed to have missed it as it claims to be the largest village festival in Norfolk. The village is the origin of 'worsted' wool in the 14th century! It also (from this link) appears that there was weaving and spinning. Now I shall go and feel sorry for self and plan for next year.

Sally met me at The Forum for Carmen. We arrived 40 minutes before the start and it was already crammed. Caroline from the knitting group joined as well and we knitted. We all had to sit on a very far side (hahaha) and peer through railings for most of it. They could still have done with a sound system, but as the voices were adult, more was audible. V. chilly; cold nose. Overall, still fun!

Actually, must clean flat so as to impress landlord tomorrow with quality of tenant and so he will happily replace demonic shower head. Pray it doesn't rain tomorrow as must ride bike to work so will not be evidence for landlord to boot me out. Hope the fish will be well-behaved so he won't call me on that, either...

If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. -- Katharine Hepburn

Opera with kids, & spiritual kitties

Last evening, with a slight break in the massive rains, went to opera in the open air.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the result of an 8-day kids opera workshop and was staged in front of The Forum building in the city centre. To the right of the photo is the front of St. Peter Mancroft and to the left is City Hall, and The Forum (not pictured) is a glass-front building to the stage's face.

It was an okay production, but would have benefitted from some sound equipment :) Bless poor Mr. Tumnus, who whispered his little song (to L). He was much more effective when he played his little flute and the piano took over -- but he was precious anyway. Also, it was pretty funny how the trees just kind of gazed around all over the place, and turned to the sides to look for their parents :)

Sadly, the rain is supposed to be back tonight, which is slightly disappointing, as Carmen is tonight. I think I shall go earlier and knit so as to get a better spot on the steps and in front of the glass front, which amplifies the sound a bit. Not sure how long my dedication will last, though, if it is chucking it down...

Here is a lovely picture of the tower of St. Peter Mancroft taken last evening with the setting sun on its face. There is another good shot, which was unable to be coordinated last night due to crowd -- sunset tower reflected in glass front of Forum building which it faces, at many different angles all at once. The foundations of the church are Norman, but the major part of the church dates from the 1400s, when more money started to come into Norwich. I have not yet been inside (people who know me well should try not to become weak in shock at this point), but I think I will go to church there tomorrow a.m. Tried to go one time but got times mixed up and so was late. So I went for a coffee instead :)

*******
On another note, there was an interesting story on BBC1 yesterday morning, and then the same story was highlighted on the Brown University website if you scroll over the 'Academic Life' tab (I was doing work... looking for international officers) -- original story from New England Journal of Medicine (**Weeping Warning for readers of article). The newsreader (who is a pompous pomaded prat) said this item justified his dislike of cats, but I think it is fascinating and sweet:

Oscar is a cat who lives in a nursing home in Maine maybe, and he has become so accurate at predicting peoples' deaths, that when he curls up in a resident's bed, staff phone the families. Sally thinks that you would just freak out if the cat came and got in your bed, but I think that you would be happy that the kitty was there as you are probably pretty miserable and ready to get out of the nursing home. Also, he is in the advanced dementia unit, so I don't think a moggy is going to upset them too much at this point. Personally, I would like to have a kitty next to me for comfort if I were about to die. CATS ARE NOT EVIL!!!!!

And, nooooow... there was just a story on BBC1 news this morning about the vast over-population numbers of kittens without homes. There are people who are fostering kitties for the National Cat Centre until they can find homes.... hmmmm!!!!! (they showed a picture of a kitty nursing a tiny bottle just now. mew!)

------------

This morning's blog has been written in part sitting outside at the little cafe table which E brought from Cardiff a last weekend. The pavement in front of my door is 5 paving slabs wide between house and churchyard, or about 3 sidewalk widths, so there is plenty of room. Not that there are a whole lot of pedestrians down my alley, esp. early on a Saturday morning. So far, it is a gorgeous day -- I feel the blueness of my skin getting toasty -- and it is really nice to sit out here with tea and blog. It has not escaped my notice that I am still not caught up with blog, but shall make effort this weekend, as have had several things occupy me this week:
* talking to various lovely fambly members
* finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows before anybody ruined the ending for me
* going to knitting (which was very large this week!)
* kids' opera
* losing to E at online Scrabble yet again
* and this afternoon, going to Wroxham Barns on shopping outing with Sally and Sumiko

Saturday-week (cont.)

Since someone's creativity was so tragically hampered last week...

...I can no longer remember what brilliance was being forced upon readers.


Well, that is why we like cameras.



...so, we talked to Clem and Richard. And then I took some more pictures of trains and lanterns. The train window has the reflection of the Sheringham station sign.

And then we caught the 7.40 train back to Norwich. And Eamonn showed me the macro function on my camera (which was quite a nice surprise -- this camera hides things from me on purpose, I swear). So I took some pictures of a lovely flower, and was accused laughingly by some festival goers of trying to take a photo of a man's bum. How embarrassing!

Once we got back to Norwich, we went and sat on the balcony at the Ribs of Beef on the River Wensum and took photos of spiders and river reflections until six random people joined us and made friends. Eamonn can make friends with a post :) They were all about 60-70ish, one was a Scottish transplant, and they were a great laugh! (Unfortunately, the best picture was accidentally deleted, so we will just have to go back. This is the best I got.)

We made it onto the bridge just in time to see some of the Lord Mayor's Fireworks show from the Castle mount over the buildings.

And then the camera battery died for the day.

Oficina

Forgot to mention that during my absence from Floor 3 (aka, 4th floor in US-speak), the whole office was torn apart, painted, and reassembled in a much more efficient layout.
Oh, and a wall was knocked down.
And some new carpet was laid in the expanded area.
It is very nice and there seems to be so much more room!

Is it bad to like the smell of carpet glue?

(oooh! look at the colours!)

fotografia

There are now various photographs added to 'Friday the 13th to Tuesday' post (which actually only covers Friday and Saturday... but who is counting? Judith, that is who. hee hee)

More will be added later, but NOW i am going to read. I am sadly behind my fellow-geek friends who are finished with the new HP book. Being mocked by geeks is no fun.



P.S. Everyone also needs to say a prayer (or do a rain un-dance) that Helene will not wake up in a pool of the Thames tomorrow. Oxford is flooding, and we do not want her to lose any of her cute clothes! At least she still has water, unlike the poor people in Tewkesbury... it is quite sad. What a summer.

Oregon

Today is apparently Oregon Day.

This is to warn readers in the US, as you still have most of the day ahead of you... WATCH OUT FOR OREGON!

Evidence 1:
Sally was phoned first thing this morning by a student in our lobby wanting information on graduate programs at the University of Oregon. (HELLOOOOO! Ummm, our office does handle outgoing exchange, but we are not part of the marketing team for Oregon graduate recruitment.)

Evidence 2:
Sally was emailed by a student wanting information on our exchange with U of Oregon.

Evidence 3:
Clare read in an application from Hong Kong that the student spent quite a bit of time in Oregon.

Evidence 4:
On my way to the Post Office just a while ago, there was a man walking across the Quad with an OREGON DUCKS t-shirt.



[Note of interest: Wayne, the International Office Manager, is also from Oregon. Although he is in Nigeria for two weeks now.]

It is just rawther odd.

Quack.