And they did ask VERY nicely. #rspbarne #walking #nature

Watching The Holiday for the first time and regretting it. Honestly, with such an A List cast I kinda expected something watchable but I can't guarantee we're going to make it to the end of this... #christmasmovies #badmovie

Sadly, I have to let you know that Eliza Guinea Pig, featured in my cover photo on here, has passed away. We loved her so much. Adopted with her sister four years ago, she has brought so much joy and fun to our household. She leaves behind young Norman, doting GP husband. Goodnight my girl x

Old To Do list for a trip to town. No idea if I achieved those things, but I hope so. Probably needed to tick off the first one in order to see the rest of the list though...

You can't tell me there's a better place to write. I won't have it. This is it. #writingcommunity #writing #dorset

I love the town band, even if they're playing Christmas carols in November... #band #music #dorset

Reminder: Every time you shop at an independent bookstore, Jeff Bezos loses a little bit of power.

Damn this made me smile

Saw a shooting stall down the local fireworks. A swagger of lads dressed in flat caps and attitude handed over their money to (not) win a bottle of vodka. Swapped my pint of Old Rosie for a rifle and knocked down the little tin men. Walked off with a fluffy pink shrimp. #girlpower #writing #dorset

Lovely to have a piece long listed for this competition. In good company. Some fab pieces here to read. #writing

🎉💚🥹 Delighted to be longlisted this morning Thankyou to the judges @marcellenewbold.bsky.social , Damaris West, @chantallyons.bsky.social & Matthew Beaumont Congrats to all long listers 🌚 I've just had a lovely morning reading through the pieces ☕📜 @rachelape.bsky.social 🧵1/3 #NatureWriting

Having bounced around Discworld in the wrong order, and having been thoroughly told off for it by a bookworm colleague, I'm now working through them as nature intended. Book 3: Equal Rites. 📚💙

I interviewed a steam train driver and now I want to be a steam train driver. Woo woo! Also available in Dorset Magazine (November issue, pages 164-170) #writing #trains #dorset www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/do...

#writingcommunity how many agents do you approach before shelving a project and moving on? Do you have a cut off point? Or do you stay on quest for someone who believes in your book? 💙📚 #writing

I'm sorry if you don't watch it, but if Kate wins this it will be flipping fabulous. The clueless beating all those clever Traitors. Come on Kate. This household wants you to accidentally, bumblingly, inexplicably beat them all! #thetraitors #traitorsuk

To the gym goers: what's with the folk that sit on the machines all evening staring glumly at their phones? Is doomscrolling at home not cool anymore? Does wearing shorts and paying an extortionate membership fee enhance the experience? So many questions. #exercisequestions

"It's a choice. To delve into despair, or to celebrate beauty." An inspiring evening watching The Velvet Queen as part of the Purbeck Film Festival. Gorgeous photography and footage. And for a Durrell fan, the interview beforehand with Dr Lee Durrell was the cherry on the top. #conservation #film

Hiding in the heather. I particularly like the cap's jaunty angle. I suspect this toadstool is a fun guy. #nature #naturewriting #comedygold

That sinking feeling when an editor you like working for moves on and you're not sure if their successor will be open to pitches. Don't panic Captain Mainwaring. #writingcommunity #freelance

On behalf of all animal carers, please stop photographing us cleaning out enclosures when you visit a zoo/farm park/rescue centre. We're just trying to make the animals' home clean and nice before they come back in, and we can't imagine why you want a pic of us covered in straw and poo. #animals

Phew, I do feel better after seeing this.

What a gorgeous chap #primates #animals

If you see a tree in the middle of the road, please be patient as it takes time for them to cross

Delighted and excited to have work published in Bradt's latest anthology South America: an Anthology of Travel Writing. And alongside such incredible names! So grateful. #writing #💙📚 #writingcommunity #booksky #books #travel www.rachelhensonwriting.com/blog-posts/b...

Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day? Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead 📚

Ooh I have 999 followers, that's fun. Wonder who'll be the one to tip it over to a thousand... Disclaimer: if it's you, I'm afraid you don't win anything other than seeing some more posts about wildlife, guinea pigs and interesting places on your feed. No exchanges or refunds. #bluesky #bemyfriend

There is nothing better than watching these two fuzzy herbivores having an absolute feast in the garden. I've told them I need the grass cut by bedtime. #guineapigs #pets #garden

The update you've all been waiting for: It was treating poorly hedgehogs. Big thanks to @valewildlife.bsky.social for organising a brilliant first aid course at Dorset Hedgehog Rescue yesterday. I learnt a lot I didn't even know I didn't know! Brilliant. #nature #wildlife

Off to a hedgehog first aid course today. Still not sure what I've signed up to. Am I learning to treat poorly hedgehogs, or teaching them to do CPR? Will report back. #nature

Very sad news about the passing of Dr Jane Goodall this evening. Such an inspirational woman. Although I hope her light will radiate through the generations, it's undeniable that the world will be a darker place without her. RIP after all your efforts and tireless work for our natural world 💚

Thank you for everything Jane. You led a life well lived and inspired generations of people not to give up on looking after our planet and all those we share it with. #Primates #Janegoodall #conservation #hope

Some of us need supervision with matches anyway. Definitely a two person job.

Singapore's Rainforest Wild Asia park is a fascinating way to lay out a zoo. 'log' crossings, stepping stones and aerial walkways make it fun before you even start looking for animals. The nice thing is sightings aren't guaranteed, you have to put some effort into spot them. #animals #travel #asia

Don't you just *love* fungi season?

Chuckle.

Windsor Nature Reserve in Singapore. An opportunity to see things from the other side of the canopy. Just don't look down. #nature #travel #singapore

Good evening from the Klias River. If I tune out the humans I'm almost able to hear the soul of the world. Spending time in the tropics completes me. It speaks to the part of me that suburbia can't placate. #river #nature #naturewriting #travel

Friday question: What's the best advice someone gave you about overcoming writing fear? I'll start: "Write like nobody's watching, edit like everybody is." Drop yours below—I want to create a resource thread next week featuring this community's wisdom 👇 #WritingAdvice

Good morning from Sabah, Bluesky pals. After an intense period of rain causing flooding and landslides here, I think everyone is relieved to have a few days of this kind of weather. I'm grateful to be here again visiting friends. #place #travel #sea #kotakinabalu

Even the M3 has its moments. Mostly when it sulks forgotten in the shadows beneath a soul-soothing sunrise. #dailynature #naturewriting #travelwriting #travel

Brilliant afternoon usual watching the Women's Rugby World Cup in Bristol. They played a good game and we were lucky enough to get a good view of the action. Nicely done, Canada. #womenssport #sport #rugby

She knows I'm going somewhere. The question is which bag to stowaway in? #guineapigs #travel #pets #fluffyfaces

Swanage Folk Festival was in full jingling swing today. So pleased the sun came out after last year which had claggy flags and soggy clogs aplenty. #music #folk #dorset

Norman loves the evening sun on his nose. He'll even put up with a cuddle for a little bit longer sitting out. #guineapigs #pets #fluffy

Any shares of this for algorithmical purposes much-appreciated. I'd love to get these books out of my spare room & into the world before my new novel comes out. I'll sign them all & I really am happy to let people choose what they pay. (Postage to UK is £4.)

Today is #InternationalOrangutanDay! "If we are to save the orangutans and their forest habitat, and address the catastrophic impacts associated with conventional palm oil production, we MUST do all we can to make #SUSTAINABLE palm oil the norm." www.sustainablepalmoilchoice.eu/can-palm-oil...

On International Orangutan Day, please think about reducing heavily processed foods that make up such a part of the modern (unhealthy) diet. Laden with palm oil, shipped straight from land that used to be tropical rainforest, they threaten our orange cousins. Home cooking for the win. #orangutans

I grew a carrot! Just one but, hey, I'm still chuffed with that. Banana for scale. Disclaimer: I did not grow the banana. #gardening #homegrown #tinycarrot #growingthings #garden

Sorry folks, I can't reply to messages because I don't want to provide my credit card details to a weird company I've never heard of, or let them analyse my face. This seems to be compulsory in the UK now.