I was feeling grumpy about our cool weather with persistent drizzle, and looking fondly at old September holiday photos in warm places. After seeing updates from my online pals suffering from wildfires after a stinking hot summer I’m rethinking those grumps. Stay safe out there!
Clocks go back on 27 September. Today I start moving dog meal times to ~3 minutes later each day. I wish we’d dump this whole daylight savings malarkey. And to think it was a Kiwi who started the ball rolling! 🕑
New Zealand entomologist George Hudson first proposed modern DST.
Many thanks to all those who mentioned enjoying TV+ ☛ Ted Lasso. 📺 Two episodes today cheered me right up on a day of cold wind, grey skies and drizzle.
Today’s racism realisation (thanks Crossword clue): The Lone Ranger was not Lone:
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws … with his Native American friend, Tonto
an enduring icon of American culture.
Literally erases the native character.
Such an interesting interview (41 minutes): Georgie Harman on women and mental health:
Julia Gillard talks to Georgie Harman, CEO of Beyond Blue, Australia’s leading mental health support organisation, about the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on mental wellbeing.
Another excellent read: Find Me When I’m Lost (A Charlie Mack Motown Mystery Book 5) by Cheryl A. Head. 📚
Charlie Mack is hired by her ex-husband’s new wife when the ex, Franklin, has been charged with his brother-in-law’s murder.
A nice story to start the day: Scientists Clone an Endangered Przewalski’s Horse For The First Time:
What makes Kurt even more exciting is that he was cloned from genetic material cryopreserved 40 years ago - reviving genetic diversity thought to have been lost decades ago.
The calves in the paddock next door are so young the farmer still brings them a small tank of milk every day.
Sometime in the past someone’s pet black rabbit must have escaped. This wild cutie is often near our place. I didn’t even notice the more usual brown rabbit till I zoomed and cropped the photo.
Families! 🤯 My partner was adopted very young. She grew up with one younger brother. 30 years ago she found 4 more younger brothers from her birth family. Last year an older brother (also adopted out) suddenly turned up. Last night an older sister noone knew about popped up! 🤯
This ~10 minute video was way more interesting than I expected — the science and tech behind taking balloons and a human up to 25,000 feet: I WAS THERE! How David Blaine flew helium balloons to the height of jets (and jumped).
The event itself: David Blaine Ascension.
This happened just up the road from us (about 16 Km along the beach). Locals stunned as enormous whale washes up on beach in Levin
The whale was already dead when it washed ashore, but the cause of death is not yet known.
So huge and so sad. 🐳
Update: the news source gave Waitārere Beach as the location, but local sources have identified it as in fact Hokio Beach (even closer to us).
Last night we watched Palm Beach, an Australian film from 2019 🎬:
A reunion party is being held at Palm Beach in Sydney by a group of lifelong friends.
Beautiful scenery. Good music. Nice to see Kiwi actor Sam Neill. Not great; not terrible.
The river has created almost an oxbow in its lazy loop between throat and sea. It’s whitebaiting season so a few folks are out with their fishing nets.
Hmm, 5.7 but 64 Km deep and not too close: Strong earthquake occurred 10 km west of St Arnaud. Bit of a shake as I was going to sleep. 〰️
Success: 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep. I’ve been working on my sleep for a couple of years now and am starting to see and feel improvements. It makes so much difference to not be tired and foggy all day. I have a decade or more of terrible sleep to catch up on.
Ahhh, this is the time of year when the sun rises before 7 am. It feels like the year is really actually heading towards summer. I’m looking forward to some good warm days and not-cold nights. I’m ready for a holiday in a hot place (not happening, of course).
I really enjoyed most of the stories in Voices Carry and Other Stories of Women and Crime by Dayle A. Dermatis. 📚
I didn’t finish the first story, but found the second, Bothering with the Details, specially appealing. I bought this as part of The Mysterious Women bundle.
Amazing. According to Ancient Earth globe, 260 million years ago Wellington, New Zealand (close enough to where I live now) was located at the South Pole.
So, in another 260 million years will it have drifted north all the way to the North Pole?
Day Two of spring and the peach tree is already in sync. Blossoms appearing.
