Deb and I just finished watching Series 9 of Shetland:
Amid spectacular scenery, in an isolated and fascinating environment, the team have to rely on a uniquely resourceful style of policing.
The show seems a little less grim with the two female leads and remains a really good watch as the hunt twists and turns. Bonus: the scenery is magnificent.
I hadn't heard of Nocturnal Preserves before, but what a good idea! Why – and how – to rewild the night:
“In the case of nocturnal preserves,” says Bob King, national chair of the RASC light abatement committee, “we allow brighter skies, and we don’t require it be a site for astronomy but that it must really focus on preserving the nocturnal environment for the animals and birds that frequent the area.”
I'm always happy to read another in this series. A Troubled Tide (Detective Shona Oliver Book 5) by Lynne McEwan. 📚
I specially enjoys the Scots words, phrases and accents. I love when a book sends me to the dictionary. 😀
PC Hayley Cameron drowns during a triathlon in the Solway Firth. The post-mortem reveals drugs in Hayley's system, perhaps self-administered performance enhancers. But a puncture wound in the back of her wetsuit suggests foul play.
Yesterday I made these yummy egg bites with red capsicum, edamame beans, a little minced fresh ginger, grated cheese and a hint of chilli flakes. Quick and easy.
This week the photos from the builder show they've been working on the cladding of our new house; next week brickwork. 🏡
The wind is only strong rather than the fierce gales hitting Wellington today, but the cabbage trees are a good indicator of wind strength.
I rewatched Star Trek Voyager S04E25, One:
After the rest of the crew is placed in suspended animation to protect them from dangerous radiation, the immune Seven, with only The Doctor for company, is placed in control of the ship [for 4 weeks].
It's such a good episode, when Seven, seeing no need for the company of others, finds loneliness taking a terrible toll on her. She hallucinates threats; her fears being embodied by crew members who appear to her in order to undermine her confidence.
"Seven, are you… frightened?"
"I am Borg."
- The Doctor and Seven of Nine
Came upon some really old photos: me as a pupil at Christchurch Girls' High School.
I do not recall the names of most of the other people.
On this morning's dawn beach walk there were reflections in remnant water.
It turns out I find romances easier to read when they're lesbian romances. I enjoyed Jones by Gerri Hill. 📚
When a girl’s weekend in Port Aransas ends with a lifelong friend dead, Nina Evans’ world is shattered.
It wasn't terribly challenging, and the author brought in a new character rather late, but it was a pleasant read.
This breaks my brain:
World military expenditure reached $2718 billion in 2024
Via Sunday’s Trailheads | scattershot.
We human beings spend $2,700 billion per year to kill people and destroy parts of our world.
Meanwhile billions of people scrape through lives of poverty and sickness, trying to grow things and make lives better.
It leaves me just utterly without words …
I do several word puzzles of US origin and every day they reveal just a bit more about how different US English is from the variant I speak.
Today's problem word was 'candy' — I tried 'sweet' and 'lolly', which didn't work.
One of hundreds of words that seem common in the US and rare in Aotearoa.
Feeling a bit meh today after an Open Home with no visitors so found a random photo from my album. Vanuatu, 2002, taken with a Canon PowerShot A20.
Extensive Internet searching has failed to turn up the name of this waterfall. It's located about a 20 minute drive from Mount Yasur volcano.
Deb and I go to the most excellent 24/7 Fitness Gym in either Levin or Paraparaumu, though they have some other lower North Island locations too.
When we move to Ruakākā we intend to join the (different) 24/7 up there. Interesting opening hours though, for a 24/7 offering. 🤣
I didn't like this book at all, and ended up skipping about a third of it only to read an unsatisfying end. The book was very little about Naomi Blake and mostly about an unpleasant group of people called Simon, Tally and Jack. The Camera Never Lies (Naomi Blake Mysteries Book 2) by Jane Adams. 📚
Simon thought he’d found something real with Tally Palmer, a brilliant photographer. Then, without warning, she ended things and vanished from his life. Heartbroken and unable to move on, he starts digging for answers — tracking her, questioning old friends, even compiling a secret file.
I'm wishing I hadn't already bought the third in the series and annoyingly Amazon won't let me return that unread book for a refund.
Got up to check out the helicopter flying overhead before dawn — rather unusual, but then I realised it'd be on its way to a Dawn Parade for Anzac Day.
Then I spotted the waning crescent of the Moon in the East with Venus and what turns out to be Saturn (not seen in the photo) right below.
It's quite something when the helicopter pilot flies at eye level straight towards our lounge window and then banks at the last moment only about 50 metres away. The video doesn't show the window vibrating and the air pulsing.
I've been watching Cornwall Air 999 - Cornwall Air Ambulance and have two key take aways: I won't be climbing any more ladders, nor will I be going anywhere on a two-wheeled motor bike. 😆
This gripping documentary series follows the dedicated air ambulance crews of Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust as they race against time to save lives across the stunning landscapes of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Landed an hour or so ago in the paddock next door. Perhaps it's picnic time … 🤣
Wow, I had no idea this was possible — Text Fragments Enable Deep Linking on Web Pages. The article explains more what deep linking is and how it works.
I encourage you to start using text fragment links when you share information from the Web—people might not realize why the experience is better, but they’ll appreciate not having to hunt for the information you’re referencing.