Sunshine catchup
Sep. 26th, 2009 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stephbgI find myself in that most fortunate of states, to be falling behind in blogging duties due to real life fulfillment. Here's a possibly brief rundown of my last two days in the sun. I like sun. Particularly when it's not hot.
Friday
Zoo
Haven't been to the zoo for several weeks now, being defeated by a combination of awful weather and missed opportunities vis a vis spoons. However, Friday was just the day for it: sunshine to attract the beasties into the open, a school day but just prior to holidays, and close enough to Royal Show time to deflect the competition.
Ed: Brief. Ha.
It was a good call: the critters were indeed up and about (although what the lions were doing could hardly be described as "about"). I spent some contemplative time watching a shag preen, and got my best view yet of the penguins zipping back and forth in the water. Made it into the reptile enclosure for the first time in ages and was suitably impressed at the new facilities. Had some quality numbat time, although it was frightened off by some English 30ish soccer hooligan types who went behind the barriers.
I had a deep and meaningfulstaring contest conversation with the wombat, who was then harried into its den by a territorial raven (or crow - apologies to the twitchy community). Tasmanian Devils really know how to soak up the sun. The koalas looked pretty much the same as always. The otters were excitable and demanding food, so pretty much the same there too. I am becoming increasingly fond of the tiny monkeys.
There was the usual selection of overdressed bogans who loudly pronounced various animals "ugly", "dumb" or "yucky", but there was compensation in a 12ish-year old girl who pronounced the swans "awesome". There's hope yet for the future.
Book trading
Having cleverly put the to-be-traded books in the car I actually got them to the local second-hand bookshop, so now have a chunk of credit with which to reclutter my shelves. I wandered further than the SF shelves for once, and was amazed at how many Saddle Club books were lurking in the children's section. My 10-year-old self wibbled happily, but I escaped with no new acquisitions this time.
This might have explained my next move: when I went to the newsagent to buy a puzzle book I also bought the 2010 edition of Arabian Studs and Stallions. Not entirely unprecedented, and this edition has particularly lovely photography. I may yet draw another horse.
Somewhere about then I started to wonder if the YA market had reached the vital pretty horsie/vampire romance crossover genre. I could make it work I'm sure. Supernaturally sexy horses and supernaturally sexy bad (but good) boys...
Saturday
Garden
Eager for sun I tackled the obvious opponent of the ominously seeding weeds in the front yard, and ended up wading through them for an hour. Very satisfying, and enjoyed many moments of neighourly waving. There's plenty more.
Lake Monger
Felt like some swan action and tossed up Lake Monger versus Herdsman's Lake. There's probably more swans at the latter, but LM had the advantage of a fixed-length track. And there had to be *some* swans still there. I did a complete lap and only counted 30, but only a total of 6 small and uber-cute cygnets in three clutches of 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Not many at all.
The last time I was there a few weeks ago I could barely totter 20m, so completing the 4.5km track was a definite achievement.
Folks
LM isn't far from the folks place so I dropped by, to find Mum weeding the front lawn. Great minds think alike. Did the visiting thing, traded medical info, then home via the shops to bring in the laundry.
Ants bit me. Ouch. The bites started doing impressive things so I took a claratyne.
Astute readers will have noticed a change in pace over the last few days. I have no brain cells yet, but have acquired a few muscle cells which I will happily accept, although it looks like I need to rediscover moderation. I might slow down when it starts raining, but I've got plenty of cleaning to soak up my time. And more shelves to assemble. And swimming to start up again.
New drug schedule: good.
New insights into my psyche: good.
Note to self: remember to stretch. Ouch.
Viewing
The Boat That Rocked was OK, but too long.
Cats
Are now locked up nightly. It's just fabulous to wake up alone with my Husband, and he's really appreciating the lack of pre-dawn disturbance. As long as they let us catch them at night--they show no signs of twigging to the new pattern--we're going to barricade them nightly.
Yummies
It would appear that I can tolerate additive-free mango gelato. The fruit flavour is very satisfying, and I can actually breathe after eating it. Perhaps helped by the cold? Now to exercise restraint and only buy it in small quantities.
Friday
Zoo
Haven't been to the zoo for several weeks now, being defeated by a combination of awful weather and missed opportunities vis a vis spoons. However, Friday was just the day for it: sunshine to attract the beasties into the open, a school day but just prior to holidays, and close enough to Royal Show time to deflect the competition.
Ed: Brief. Ha.
It was a good call: the critters were indeed up and about (although what the lions were doing could hardly be described as "about"). I spent some contemplative time watching a shag preen, and got my best view yet of the penguins zipping back and forth in the water. Made it into the reptile enclosure for the first time in ages and was suitably impressed at the new facilities. Had some quality numbat time, although it was frightened off by some English 30ish soccer hooligan types who went behind the barriers.
I had a deep and meaningful
There was the usual selection of overdressed bogans who loudly pronounced various animals "ugly", "dumb" or "yucky", but there was compensation in a 12ish-year old girl who pronounced the swans "awesome". There's hope yet for the future.
Book trading
Having cleverly put the to-be-traded books in the car I actually got them to the local second-hand bookshop, so now have a chunk of credit with which to reclutter my shelves. I wandered further than the SF shelves for once, and was amazed at how many Saddle Club books were lurking in the children's section. My 10-year-old self wibbled happily, but I escaped with no new acquisitions this time.
This might have explained my next move: when I went to the newsagent to buy a puzzle book I also bought the 2010 edition of Arabian Studs and Stallions. Not entirely unprecedented, and this edition has particularly lovely photography. I may yet draw another horse.
Somewhere about then I started to wonder if the YA market had reached the vital pretty horsie/vampire romance crossover genre. I could make it work I'm sure. Supernaturally sexy horses and supernaturally sexy bad (but good) boys...
Saturday
Garden
Eager for sun I tackled the obvious opponent of the ominously seeding weeds in the front yard, and ended up wading through them for an hour. Very satisfying, and enjoyed many moments of neighourly waving. There's plenty more.
Lake Monger
Felt like some swan action and tossed up Lake Monger versus Herdsman's Lake. There's probably more swans at the latter, but LM had the advantage of a fixed-length track. And there had to be *some* swans still there. I did a complete lap and only counted 30, but only a total of 6 small and uber-cute cygnets in three clutches of 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Not many at all.
The last time I was there a few weeks ago I could barely totter 20m, so completing the 4.5km track was a definite achievement.
Folks
LM isn't far from the folks place so I dropped by, to find Mum weeding the front lawn. Great minds think alike. Did the visiting thing, traded medical info, then home via the shops to bring in the laundry.
Ants bit me. Ouch. The bites started doing impressive things so I took a claratyne.
Astute readers will have noticed a change in pace over the last few days. I have no brain cells yet, but have acquired a few muscle cells which I will happily accept, although it looks like I need to rediscover moderation. I might slow down when it starts raining, but I've got plenty of cleaning to soak up my time. And more shelves to assemble. And swimming to start up again.
New drug schedule: good.
New insights into my psyche: good.
Note to self: remember to stretch. Ouch.
Viewing
The Boat That Rocked was OK, but too long.
Cats
Are now locked up nightly. It's just fabulous to wake up alone with my Husband, and he's really appreciating the lack of pre-dawn disturbance. As long as they let us catch them at night--they show no signs of twigging to the new pattern--we're going to barricade them nightly.
Yummies
It would appear that I can tolerate additive-free mango gelato. The fruit flavour is very satisfying, and I can actually breathe after eating it. Perhaps helped by the cold? Now to exercise restraint and only buy it in small quantities.
