I'm sad to see that Jane Goodall has died. She led the way in so many ways - that chimps were tool-users with individual personalities, that women are equal in scientific work, and to understand primates you needed to see them as individuals. Simply a Legend. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We are about to see Bill Bailey. I wonder if he will play all this lot or it’s just a tease? Bonus, a bit of Queen playing as we wait!

If this treatment for Huntington's disease works out, this is going to be huge for those affected and their families. It’s another example of the legacy of the Human Genome project and the growing field of gene therapy. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Now with picture! Origami (well, paper art to be exact but in an origami exhibition) David Bowie for @rfoote.bsky.social

I’ve now got my own weather station! It’s not ideally placed and I won’t be challenging the U.K. Metrological Society, but I’ll know much it’s actually rained and how strong the wind is.

Rosalind was born four years ago today. We fostered her mum, Hera, through giving birth to and raising her kittens. And then adopted both Hera and Rosalind. Rosalind at 3 days, 7 months, and almost 4 years.

Pretty much 4 years ago to the hour, I was playing midwife to Hera. She was only one year old and her second litter was on the way!

To celebrate the world athletics championships being on, I’ve baked a discus. Even Hera is unimpressed! It tasted very nice though (yes, it's a loaf of bread).

Hmmm, Rosalind is using one of the hats my wife lovingly crafted as a pillow. This may not end well! Happy #caturday

No “blood moon” lunar eclipse for us, a solid bank of slow-moving cloud in the East. To the West, clear skies, so I think people West of the A1 will have an excellent view. Maybe be even just West of the M11

I don't think you need to know UK politics (though it helps) but there is something deeply reassuring that, despite changes to government and the recent reshuffle, @number10cat.bsky.social still holds his position. More cats in control, they make more sense than most politicians!

This was my introduction to computers, my older brother's Spectrum! Of course, being my older brother he got to commandeer my portable TV and my tape recorder to make his Spectrum work - but was I allowed to touch HIS Spectrum? Well, when he went out…. What was your first computer experience?

Does this given anyone else flashbacks to the early 80's?

Since it rained (first proper rain in 2 months) the ground nesting bees have been very active -fighting, mating, excavating burrows.

I've been thinking of getting a weather station for years. You know - white box, rain guage, little, spinning anemometer which you pop out to each morning, notepad in hand. God I'm old, they ate all like this now!

I'm thinking of muting the words "Oracle", "PL/SQL", and "DBA" 😁

Oh please, oh please, oh please! It's only light rain but any moisture falling to the ground would be nice! If the usual happens, a hole in the front will appear, centred over our hamlet.

Hera's litter tray showed she has been having digestive system issue. It appears she failed to get to said litter tray in time - but being a genius cat she left this *exactly* as shown, right in front of the carpet cleaner, which I had not put away since the vole dissection incident. Clever kitty

Look away now if you are of a nervous disposition. One of the cats seems to have developed a curiosity for anatomy rather than simply hunting for food. I love my cats but sometimes…

I’m not sure what creature one of the cats caught last night, but it either lived in long grass or she wanted a side salad with it. I also know where on the cream carpet that dinner occurred. Pen for scale, neither cat can write yet.

I'd love to know how many of you are starting to see "X-like" follower patterns of people ("people" maybe) following you with no connection to your interest but clearly selling stuff (crypto, politics, that they cannot afford enough clothing). Maybe time for Bluesky to introduce "remove follower".

What *Does* Tim do? This post made me smile. He knows more about cabbages than most butterflies.

Ahh, sad day. The voice of "Mr Benn", Ray Brooks, has passed away. He did lots of other things (e.g. starring in "Big Deal" which I fondly remember) but as Mr Benn he has a special place in my child hood. Nod to @thebowlerhatman.bsky.social who I know will be sad. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Rosalind dozing in the sunshine . #caturday

I’ll just leave this here as witness to my less-than-mature sense of humour.

USB cable sorting day! I'll throw most of these out. I'll throw some of these out. Maybe I should keep one or two of the really short ones I already put in the bin?

I missed #caturday and this was actually a few weeks back but... Ahhh!

It’s that time… Let the annual Odd Sock Pair-fest begin! Only, this year , I *will* throw out all the unpaired ones at the end.

Weekend loaf - I’m rather pleased with this one.

This is the sort of thing I say to Sue which usually results in me, somewhat ironically, needing an ice pack...

Ossy Osbourne, crazy & wild lead singer of Black Sabbath, the most famous metal band from Birmingham and one of the best heavy metal bands of all time, has died. It's kind of wonderful that he did his farewell gig only a few weeks ago. Bats can sleep safely tonight! www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...

Bugger. My lovely-looking loaf stuck to my hand as I moved it to the dish for baking, and it went Splat. It will taste the same but the rise will probably be poor.

The book I helped to write comes in really useful sometimes! @mhmillinery.bsky.social is using the four of them to weigh down & flatten a hat brim!

What to do during a heatwave? Climb into the dried-out stream and give it a good clear! In 22 years I’ve never known the stream to dry out so early, when we first moved here it would dry out every 3 or so years, now it’s every year. That’s climate change for you.

My poor raspberries!!! I hate wasps. I know, I know, they fill several vital & useful roles in our environment but I don't care, I hates them. A swarm attacked me as a child, they get my apples every year, and now my bumper crop of raspberries. There's 100's of 'em! How much do flamethrowers cost? 😆

I’ve been watching a bumblebee nest in my grass pile develop. The number of bees and activity increasing- until a badger dug them out😞. A few bees remain, I’ve no idea if the nest will recover or the badger return.

A thunderstorm forced a swift retreat to the shed with the battery garden tools. At least I have a cup of tea I’d just made to sip as I wait.

I've just ordered a load of old lady's knickers & trousers online for my mum (she's in a care home). That's going to mess with their f*ing ad algorithms. I'm expecting a sudden change in ads I see online, concentrating on sensible underwear, boring clothing, incontinence supplies, & funeral plans.

Happy 4th July to my USA friends! Just under 250 years ago you freed yourselves from the oppressive yoke of an English King. How’s it going with your new, home-grown King? (ducks and runs)

I've been retired for 2 years and a day. I know! I've done a blog post about it. Zero technical content mwidlake.wordpress.com/2025/07/02/t...

#blastfromthepast Who else remembers wasting hours (sometimes at work!) playing Minesweeper? What always annoyed me about the game was how often the (especially Expert) game could not be totally solved by logic and you had to guess between 2 or more equally valid options.

#blastfromthepast Who else remembers wasting hours (sometimes at work!) playing Minesweeper? What always annoyed me about the game was how often the (especially Expert) game could not be totally solved by logic and you had to guess between 2 or more equally valid options.

Well, in these times of gloom, this is a nice story of a cat with a strong bond to her 10 year old owner. If you like cats. And have access to BBC news articles www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

A quick Happy #Caturday. It’s too hot to do much else but relax in the garden, but now I’m trapped!

We have the first raspberry of the season! They taste so good straight off the cane. It might not come out in the second photo but we have a bumper crop this year.

There must be a word (probably German, they are wonderful at compound words) for the sick feeling and mild anxiety when you realise the item you ordered online is going to be delivered by Evri. It would be hard to kick to death a desk chair, but I reckon Evri (used to be Hermes) will give it a go...

For those of you (errr, about 3 of you) - flap wheels and flap cones! Basically, lots of bits of sandpaper mounted on a drill bit. For sanding things. Using a drill. They are now safely stored in the tool shed.

Can I just say how much it makes me smile to know I have a set of flap wheels and flap cones delivered tomorrow. Don't google it, just revel in what in heck they might be! - birds? weird cat flaps? Things to wave at people? Flapper dances from the 1910's and 20's?

One of these cats has been naughty, but I’ve pixelated her to protect her identity. Happy #caturday! (Ok, she’s Lego)

I do love a large, majestic, mature oak like this. I found several such specimens at Wandlebury park, just south of Cambridge, today.