Can’t stop laughing 😅😅😅

Magnificent Magnus. Just on time for Caturday. Woot.

It's Friday the 13th. What better time to share a photo of Tansy as a puppy. Total cuteness. She's still cute, just bigger (in so many ways).

Yeah …

We are possibly looking at a drought this summer, so I added an old Belfast sink in the top field for the dog pack. I feel awful for restricting it but can’t take the risk. “Shared water can spread dangerous bacteria and parasites, including Giardia, Salmonella, leptospirosis, and kennel cough.”

OTD 2019 (Bangkok) Me: Could you please watch Saxton? Me: I need to walk to the store. Diaw: Walk? Me: Yes, walk. It's under ten minutes. Me: I do it all the time. Diaw: But I can drive. Me: Saxton doesn't like being left alone. Diaw: We can bring Saxton. Diaw: I can watch him in the car.

The Man just received a award from GeolSoc. His stomach is iffy, and I no longer drink (overindulging during Covid bored me stiff) so we've been celebrating with pastries collected from nearby bakeries. Oooooof. Congrats Man. It's well deserved! www.geolsoc.org.uk/about-us/soc...

An intense Saxton perched in a D'avesn plate. Crazy kitty.

Magnus … seconds away from a yawn (and I missed it).

If I had a supplements company I would make ‘how many’ (whatever) easily seen at a glance. Fav book: Don’t Make Me Think (a classic).

Cats. Look to the left. Look to the right. Only after making weird mouth noises will they look at the camera. Cats.

I love that grumpy face 💓

Romania has decoupled economic growth from pollution faster than anywhere else in EU. Its net greenhouse gas emissions intensity fell 88% between 1990 & 2023, so each euro’s worth of economic activity heats planet 10 times less. Emissions have plunged by 75%. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Valentine’s Day drive to Buckland-in-the-Moor. There was ONE sunny day this week and today (this morning anyway) was it. I expected more cars on the tiny country lanes but it wasn't awful. And we managed to get behind a ginormous farm vehicle, which meant everyone coming towards us had to give way.

Well this sucks. Thursday night the vacuum does its thing. Friday morning I take over, hitting the stairs plus the upstairs, the kitchen and the sunroom. During, it was sunny. Now that I'm ready to garden it's raining. And that's why Brits drop everything to run outside when there's sun? Ugh.

No Colin Cotterill on bluesky? Pooh. I'd love to share his recent ICE/Chihuahua cartoon (posted on FB) but cannot? "Sharing a cartoon on social media, even if you give proper credit, is not legal in most circumstances without the express permission of the copyright owner"

I get to post a mushroom pic! Anyone know what it is please?

The UK is wet wet wet. Relentlessly wet. And things are happening. Hellebores (earlier). Cherry blossoms (now). Frogs (uncovered prematurely).

Nearly a decade later ... "Thanks to significant research efforts during the past decade ... the WHO now estimates the number of “premature deaths” caused by air pollution is over 6 million people worldwide every year." www.bumrungrad.com/en/health-bl...

Monica Lennon MSP, introducing the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill: “By advancing the Ecocide Bill, we are making it clear that eco-criminals will not be tolerated here ... It’s a powerful deterrent that puts polluters on notice to clean up their act. www.stopecocide.earth/bn-2025/scot...

My gardening schedule says it’s time to cut back decorative grasses. I was late last year and regretted it (blinked and new shoots were coming up through dead stems). But either way, taking special care is critical. Isn’t he sweet? Especially all in one piece 😊

OTD 2020: Clean Air for Everyone? "Unfortunately, today the government is telling growers in central Thailand to switch from corn to sugarcane. This will increase the smoke by returning us to when sugarcane was the largest source of smoke in Thailand." www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-art...

Saxton has Monday vibes.

The man drove to Brighton (it was hopping!) and back. His aim? Lanes Armoury, known for antique weapons (militaria). He also stopped at the Royal Pavilion. I’d pass on the Armoury but I’d love to see the Pavilion at some point!

Powerful wind last night… yet another chore to add to my never ending to-do list. Do we repurpose or build something new? Decisions … decisions …

Stoke Gabriel, where the man stayed on holiday as a kid. Memories (his, obviously) … the uncle they’d visit would drive around the village in an old Volkswagen, yelling ‘ice cream lickers’ at any invading tourists.

The plan was to head for Plymouth but we went to the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark instead (it was a weather thing).

My solution. Create a place of calm. It's working ...

There’s a scenic walk that goes up and over the top of our property, then down and around to our front door. Handy for pushing away from the phone, for starters. And starting tomorrow, I'm going to be doing more of that (getting out) and less of what I've been doing (scrolling through tragedies).

Here's a practical guide for planning your garden, with links to goal setting advice and seed starting advice. It's been difficult for me to stay focused on anything lately, reading about new horrors every day. I'm trying to remain hopeful and help people garden. open.substack.com/pub/gardenin...

Fun times. But not for long ... OTD 2024: USAinUK (@U.S. Embassy London) posted: An important statement on the latest tea controversy.

That look. I know it, I do.

OTD 2020: A ball of confusion @Arthuristheboy "As of September 2014, all ten ASEAN countries have ratified the haze agreement.:." Translation: Something, something, we, the ASEAN community, don't give a toss, something, something... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASEAN_A...

Maybe tomorrow it won't be too emotionally painful to breathe. Goodnight heathens. I love you and wish us peace.

OTD 2022: Helmut Duerrast @HelmutDuerrast PM10 Smog over Thailand a seasonal phenomena >>> always during winter OTD: PM2.5 on my balcony in Bangkok - 7 years ago, 6 years ago, 5 years ago, 4 years ago (smog chart shared by Helmut).

Judging me (I’m petting Saxton instead of him).

Wouldn’t that be something? If only …

Saxton (doing his best to avoid looking at the camera).

Magnus (sharing the mood of the day).

Sedgwick has my heart.

Great tool for all browsers and operating systems.... Easy to use for almost every user... 😎 justthebrowser.com #freeme #mybrowser #nobloat #nospy

St Martin (French) 6/1/26 - my last Vinny fig! Moro de Caneva 8/1/26 - no, seriously, this is my last Vinny fig! Malta Black, Michurinska Green 10/1/26 - I swear, these are my last Vinny figs! Hative d’Argenteuil 12/1/26 - I mean it this time, this is my last Vinny fig! (figs make me happy) 😊😊😊😊

Thursday already. I feel you Saxton. I really do.

Magnus. Our beautiful girl 💗

I’ve gained a few more followers recently (no idea why), so I’m putting this first attempt at writing about my unusual experiences since I moved to Bangkok in 1989 out there for your reading pleasure (hopefully). open.substack.com/pub/qbarandr...

Potting up new fig cuttings isn’t exactly gardening but is peaceful all the same. And today I have a need for peace. Chicago Hardy, Ischia Black UCD, LSU Champagne, and VDB (Violette de Bordeaux) / Negronne Type.

This is the second winter I’ve kept myself occupied by rooting figs from cuttings. It’s not sustainable as I have no interest in selling cuttings or fig trees. Watercolour is calling me but procrastination is winning! Even though I know all/most motivation tricks…

The majority of Americans oppose: - his invasion of Venezuela - his reckless tariffs - his obsession with Greenland - his alienation of our allies - his trillions in tax cuts for billionaires - his open solicitation of bribes and accolades - his demolition of the East Wing - his $400M+ ballroom …

Brrrrrr. Cold! I only ventured into the sunroom to take photos of that weird circle. The cats followed me in … and Sedgwick being Sedgwick … 😁