DrJ
@squinge.bsky.social
Thoughts and musings on the never-ending search for daily joy even when everything feels doomed.
Up the hill again today. Was tough. More snow than yesterday. Some melty areas though where I saw:
A pheasant
A mole
A face in profile with South America as its body
A squawking vulture with a dinosaur above it
A pheasant
A mole
A face in profile with South America as its body
A squawking vulture with a dinosaur above it
January 3, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Up the hill again today. Was tough. More snow than yesterday. Some melty areas though where I saw:
A pheasant
A mole
A face in profile with South America as its body
A squawking vulture with a dinosaur above it
A pheasant
A mole
A face in profile with South America as its body
A squawking vulture with a dinosaur above it
Bought yesterday! For 1st time ever we could have steak pie at New Year! Australians had real one but ours pretty good too. Also made a Tipsy Laird trifle for 1st time - whisky instead of sherry, no jelly & (defrosted) local rasps. Plant cream & custard. Late photo - spoon had already been in!
January 1, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Bought yesterday! For 1st time ever we could have steak pie at New Year! Australians had real one but ours pretty good too. Also made a Tipsy Laird trifle for 1st time - whisky instead of sherry, no jelly & (defrosted) local rasps. Plant cream & custard. Late photo - spoon had already been in!
Hogmanay saw us slipping into the static caravan for a sloe gin homemade by the Australians. They also seem skilled at stacking wood. This reminded me of some kind of geological section.
January 1, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Hogmanay saw us slipping into the static caravan for a sloe gin homemade by the Australians. They also seem skilled at stacking wood. This reminded me of some kind of geological section.
Part of a fountain visited yesterday in Bridge of Allan with lichen like a pair of Minion glasses.
December 31, 2024 at 3:18 PM
Part of a fountain visited yesterday in Bridge of Allan with lichen like a pair of Minion glasses.
Set off for a day trip to Stirling on Sunday to see N's sister & family. Ended up staying the night. Visit was bookmarked by fountains - this fine one was in King's Park where we had a quick stop to let the auld pooch have a stretch before the official visit commenced.
December 31, 2024 at 10:41 AM
Set off for a day trip to Stirling on Sunday to see N's sister & family. Ended up staying the night. Visit was bookmarked by fountains - this fine one was in King's Park where we had a quick stop to let the auld pooch have a stretch before the official visit commenced.
Gave N a mushroom kit a few weeks ago but he's been a bit neglectful of it. On the other hand .....this is meant to be a chestnut mushroom but is more like a parasol. It's like all the mushrooms have flowed into one.
December 28, 2024 at 10:52 PM
Gave N a mushroom kit a few weeks ago but he's been a bit neglectful of it. On the other hand .....this is meant to be a chestnut mushroom but is more like a parasol. It's like all the mushrooms have flowed into one.
Short walk in Tomnavoulin yesterday. Stretch of trees dripping in lichen and a pretty patch of British soldiers Cladonia lichen with festive looking red fruiting caps.
December 28, 2024 at 6:35 PM
Short walk in Tomnavoulin yesterday. Stretch of trees dripping in lichen and a pretty patch of British soldiers Cladonia lichen with festive looking red fruiting caps.
In the garden yesterday, the young silver birch trees looked like giant webs - concentric curved branches covered in dew. Didn't check to see if there was a Darwin's bark spider in there (weaver of the world's largest web - can pan over 25m & can catch over 30 insects at a time. Is that all?!!)
December 28, 2024 at 6:06 PM
In the garden yesterday, the young silver birch trees looked like giant webs - concentric curved branches covered in dew. Didn't check to see if there was a Darwin's bark spider in there (weaver of the world's largest web - can pan over 25m & can catch over 30 insects at a time. Is that all?!!)
The Curious cider from Kent has gone down as well with N & J as it did with C when we visited the brewery back in July. The 12 pack has been imbibed over the last 48 hours. Order more! #curiousbrewery do not charge more to post their wares to the north of Scotland & I applaud them for that too.
December 28, 2024 at 5:45 PM
The Curious cider from Kent has gone down as well with N & J as it did with C when we visited the brewery back in July. The 12 pack has been imbibed over the last 48 hours. Order more! #curiousbrewery do not charge more to post their wares to the north of Scotland & I applaud them for that too.
J loves Yorkshire Pudding & is sure we used to have them with Xmas dinner but I insist we didn't. Maybe I did give him them though as it would've been another thing he'd eat. Anyway, now we have it on Boxing Day. I forgot to buy some this year & had to make it from scratch for the FIRST TIME EVER!
December 28, 2024 at 5:20 PM
J loves Yorkshire Pudding & is sure we used to have them with Xmas dinner but I insist we didn't. Maybe I did give him them though as it would've been another thing he'd eat. Anyway, now we have it on Boxing Day. I forgot to buy some this year & had to make it from scratch for the FIRST TIME EVER!
Gobsmacked by my presents this year. Highlights: a book from N - 1st gift ever in the 8 Christmases we've been together (too anti-society's norms) plus J got me a pair of the same bee glasses that I'd delighted over when we were in the fabulous Curfew cocktail bar in Copenhagen back in October.
December 28, 2024 at 4:21 PM
Gobsmacked by my presents this year. Highlights: a book from N - 1st gift ever in the 8 Christmases we've been together (too anti-society's norms) plus J got me a pair of the same bee glasses that I'd delighted over when we were in the fabulous Curfew cocktail bar in Copenhagen back in October.
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a dog who looks a bit like a Springer Spaniel but whose long legs might indicate that there's some other breed in there somewhere"
Not a creature was stirring, not even a dog who looks a bit like a Springer Spaniel but whose long legs might indicate that there's some other breed in there somewhere"
December 28, 2024 at 4:07 PM
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a dog who looks a bit like a Springer Spaniel but whose long legs might indicate that there's some other breed in there somewhere"
Not a creature was stirring, not even a dog who looks a bit like a Springer Spaniel but whose long legs might indicate that there's some other breed in there somewhere"
Christmas Eve & over to Huntly to collect boozy mincemeat croissants & a cognac soaked fruit & nut bread from the Culinary Kiwi. Short walk taken at Cleanhill Woods, Aberchirder with 20+mile views south (PeakFinder app told me that the snow-patched hill in the distance was Carn Allt a'Chlaiginn).
December 28, 2024 at 4:01 PM
Christmas Eve & over to Huntly to collect boozy mincemeat croissants & a cognac soaked fruit & nut bread from the Culinary Kiwi. Short walk taken at Cleanhill Woods, Aberchirder with 20+mile views south (PeakFinder app told me that the snow-patched hill in the distance was Carn Allt a'Chlaiginn).
Monday brought a visit to the cemetery. Mum was a fan of Christmas wreaths on graves. She had several plastic ones which went on various graves each year. Since she died in 2021 I've made one for her on a willow frame. Rustic & rough but I think she'd laugh & be proud-pleased at my annual attempts.
December 28, 2024 at 3:21 PM
Monday brought a visit to the cemetery. Mum was a fan of Christmas wreaths on graves. She had several plastic ones which went on various graves each year. Since she died in 2021 I've made one for her on a willow frame. Rustic & rough but I think she'd laugh & be proud-pleased at my annual attempts.
Still playing catch up with my days. I drank this last Sunday. Long ago gift from a now ex-colleague with rich relatives. @ £80 a bottle. Never drank any wine that price before but if not now then our lodgers might just help themselves to it not knowing its value. Good? Very! £80 good? Not sure!
December 28, 2024 at 3:15 PM
Still playing catch up with my days. I drank this last Sunday. Long ago gift from a now ex-colleague with rich relatives. @ £80 a bottle. Never drank any wine that price before but if not now then our lodgers might just help themselves to it not knowing its value. Good? Very! £80 good? Not sure!
A Black Isle brunch with friends again on Sunday. Then more supermarkets in a search for a non-pre-stuffed vegan roast (finally found one!). No stuffing for us - we like making skirlie! Feel like I am in a skirlie frenzy just now. An oatmeal & onion obsession. This nativity scene was outside a shop.
December 23, 2024 at 11:15 PM
A Black Isle brunch with friends again on Sunday. Then more supermarkets in a search for a non-pre-stuffed vegan roast (finally found one!). No stuffing for us - we like making skirlie! Feel like I am in a skirlie frenzy just now. An oatmeal & onion obsession. This nativity scene was outside a shop.
Didn't sleep well at C's so got up at 5.30am and was in Sainsbury's by 6.15am to start big shop. All done and dusted by dawn, a new public artwork visited on Great Northern Road, Aberdeen then some more shops and was still home in time to have brunch with N. What a successful morning!
December 23, 2024 at 10:49 PM
Didn't sleep well at C's so got up at 5.30am and was in Sainsbury's by 6.15am to start big shop. All done and dusted by dawn, a new public artwork visited on Great Northern Road, Aberdeen then some more shops and was still home in time to have brunch with N. What a successful morning!
Friday brought end of term and a drive through to C's for a late pub lunch and overnight stay. Turkey and skirlie* Yorkshire pudding wrap with lashings of gravy. And chips. Divine. Even the wine glasses had fireworks bursting within them.
*Skirlie surely must be part of death row last meal.
*Skirlie surely must be part of death row last meal.
December 23, 2024 at 10:39 PM
Friday brought end of term and a drive through to C's for a late pub lunch and overnight stay. Turkey and skirlie* Yorkshire pudding wrap with lashings of gravy. And chips. Divine. Even the wine glasses had fireworks bursting within them.
*Skirlie surely must be part of death row last meal.
*Skirlie surely must be part of death row last meal.
We laughed at P after the Automata show as his eye was glued to a kaleidoscope in the shop. What was so fascinating? Oh my days! It was called an octascope and it was hypnotically amazing. We all bought one! I honestly think sticking your eye over it is the best mindfulness activity ever.
December 23, 2024 at 9:30 PM
We laughed at P after the Automata show as his eye was glued to a kaleidoscope in the shop. What was so fascinating? Oh my days! It was called an octascope and it was hypnotically amazing. We all bought one! I honestly think sticking your eye over it is the best mindfulness activity ever.
A busy few days. Catching up with everything now. Went to the House of Automata's Silent Night show on Thursday. This was on the road outside. "What's she gonna look like with a chimney on her?". My ex father-in-law couldn't pronounce chimney and always called it a "chimley"
December 23, 2024 at 9:08 PM
A busy few days. Catching up with everything now. Went to the House of Automata's Silent Night show on Thursday. This was on the road outside. "What's she gonna look like with a chimney on her?". My ex father-in-law couldn't pronounce chimney and always called it a "chimley"
Eek! A sort of capybara creature appeared in thread on the side of our sofa two nights ago! Apparently dreaming of capybaras indicates a longing for more calmness in your life. Wrapping presents for hours may well have led to this appearing in front of me then?!
December 20, 2024 at 9:29 PM
Eek! A sort of capybara creature appeared in thread on the side of our sofa two nights ago! Apparently dreaming of capybaras indicates a longing for more calmness in your life. Wrapping presents for hours may well have led to this appearing in front of me then?!
Yesterday I went into the farm shop and initially thought "Oh! That's clever! Christmas baubles in the shape of a giant garlic bulb" ........
December 19, 2024 at 3:52 PM
Yesterday I went into the farm shop and initially thought "Oh! That's clever! Christmas baubles in the shape of a giant garlic bulb" ........
24 yr old son went to a gig the other week and was in the mosh pit. Acquired a cracker of a bruise. This was it a week later - I can see a pug in it!
December 17, 2024 at 11:27 PM
24 yr old son went to a gig the other week and was in the mosh pit. Acquired a cracker of a bruise. This was it a week later - I can see a pug in it!
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 20.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 20.
December 16, 2024 at 4:47 PM
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 20.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 20.
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 19.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 19.
December 15, 2024 at 8:39 PM
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 19.
#BookSky💙📚
#Books
Number 19.