I managed to film a dragonfly breathing.

Newly emerged (teneral) male common darter by my pond this morning. Wings silvery as they are soft and need the sun to harden. The colour will quickly change to red over the next day or so.

Four spot chaser on Chat moss, I think my best dragonfly photo so far.

Azure damselflies

A vividly coloured migrant hawker

Four spot chaser, body darkened with age, on the Somerset levels today.

A scarce chaser, photographed today on the fens northwest of Wisbech. First time I have ever seen this insect.

Witch marks at Halsway Manor, Somerset

Not feeling well so fire up the popular marsupial themed food delivery app. I don’t *think* this is where I am.

Some of y'all can't handle 2 high agency males going at it and it really shows

My father photographed this four spot chaser by the pond my sister and I dug two winters ago.

New dragonflies emerging from my pond

An abandoned teddy bear in Leicestershire yesterday

I had a lovely night performing with Paul Hutchinson in Loughborough.

Everyone in the past was neurotypical, which is how we got things like this single-author, eight-volume encyclopedia of ferns

I’ve not tried to promote anything on Bluesky yet, so here goes. These are my upcoming tour dates. It’s my show about the waterways of England. Take a look, maybe give us a share! Here’s a bit of it, m.youtube.com/watch?v=_dfq... Tickets + info, www.tomkitching.co.uk/upcoming-gigs/

Motivational poster on the wall of a B&B in Broadstairs

From within an ancient oak in deepest Cheshire

I was lucky enough to see a long eared owl hunting this evening.

The leafy Cheshire village of Bickerton. Fucking slackers for over 42 years.

I’m going to rebuild this old Cheshire Souling horse

nostalgia is remembering when you didn’t have to pay bills and attributing that feeling to mario

Hulme Locks, Manchester, 1900 (Archives+).

Absolutely obsessed with the Whale in the coat of arms of the Basque village of Ondarroa.

This is the largest ever recorded oak with a photographic history. The girth at 5 foot was 57 feet when this photo was taken with what appears to be the whole Austro-Hungarian Army in 1887 It is the Imperial Oak (Carski Hrast) - Rankovici, Bosnia & Herzegovina Sadly no more

I have a solo gig in Sheffield this Sunday, co-headlining with trad singer Jill Pidd. It’s a new venture and we want to get the word out, can you help by sharing? Thankyou! wegottickets.com/event/649011

I visited The Marton Oak, England’s largest tree by circumference at 44ft. The middle has entirely rotted away, leaving three separate trunks connected by the roots. It’s estimated to be 1200-1400 years old. It’s in someone’s back garden so you have to ask permission to meet it.

Current mood

HM Bateman cartoon

Money has recently been a little tighter than I would have liked, so as part of a virtuous economy drive, this week I twice attempted some batch cooking. I saw ‘attempted’ because what I actually made, in practice, was two absolutely massive delicious dinners.

The Alderley Mummers had a photoshoot.

The life of a gigging musician. Another year’s journey down the Haggis Highway of Burns’ night gigs commences with a ceilidh at the Prince William of Gloucester Barracks officers’ mess.

A nespresso machine, but the pods make gravy

Had a case of wine delivered this morning and this is the picture the delivery man took to prove he had delivered it correctly.

Massive thanks to all the inspiring musicians who performed and taught at our events in 2024! Peter Knight, @squeezyjohn.bsky.social @tom-kitching.bsky.social Marit Fält @andycutting.bsky.social @jofreya.bsky.social Oakstone Trio, Ryan Young, GillieO'Flaherty, Dave Shepherd, Grace Smith Trio

The Alderley Mummers play assembles outside the Cotton Tree in Bollington.

International Boatbuilding Training College Lowestoft folds. www.lowestoftjournal.co.uk/news/2479242...

It’s an incredibly glamorous life being a gigging musician. The private jets. The beach parties in Malibu. The private dining rooms at the Ritz.

Why are you asking me. I haven’t seen any pies anywhere. I would not eat a pie. Don’t ask me any more questions. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

At the weekend, my housemate got up early to make an ammonite to take to a party.

As a musician, I do see some stuff on my travels.

I’ll never get my toilet tissue dry now.

My photo 1974.

For Black Friday, my books & albums will cost exactly the same as normal as, - I’m not American. - Gotta make a living. - That Xmas case of Margaux won’t buy itself. But I will include a small sketch of a monster shouting with each order received this weekend. www.tomkitching.co.uk/shop/

Out now!!!

If anyone fancies it and is in the area, I’ll be giving a talk about the history of ‘Spey’, the 1937 wooden oil tanker, for the Chiltern branch of the Inland Waterways Association in Rickmansworth this evening. All welcome. waterways.org.uk/support/ways...

You can’t beat that virtuous feeling of getting up in the glow of predawn and walking wherever the muse takes you through the local area, looking for a pint of milk to steal off of someone’s doorstep.

New episode this Wednesday (27th November)!! S2/E7 - Roud 17: THE THREE BUTCHERS Historical guest: Steve Roud Singer guest: Jon Loomes Available from your podcast platform of choice.