We enjoyed a mini-heatwave, a few days when the temperature approached 30°C. So we went for a walk one evening when it was just a little cooler. We kept to shade as much as possible, avoiding the worst of the ultraviolet (there’s one) rays.
We found some blackberries in full bloom so I’m sure we’ll be back later in the year to enjoy the fruits. And, just a little further along the road (please don’t tell anybody where), we found some wild raspberries too, just a bit too far back through the thistles and brambles to approach in our besandalled feet.
Liesel pointed out the fireweed and explained that when this flower blooms, it will snow six weeks later. Quite an education (there’s one)! I suspect this is just Alaskan folklore, but, as a precaution (another one), I’m keeping my snow shoes handy.
The evening presented us with the first of the week’s technical faults that could have developed into an immensely vexacious (boom) affair. My Kindle displayed an error message that I’ve never seen before. Fortunately a hard reboot fixed it, which meant that I could continue my struggle with ‘Middlemarch’. After trudging through 11% of the text though, I’m sorry to say, I was so discouraged (aha), I gave up. I very rarely give up on a book once I’ve started. On the other hand, How to Argue with a Racist by Adam Rutherford is very readable.
Standing outside our luxury block of luxury apartments, looking up at the blue sky through the oak tree’s foliage, in a slight breeze on a hot day, is delightful. One branch is dead and bits of it fall down now and then. Maybe it was malnourished (oof) when it was younger.
Now that things are slowly opening up again, we enjoyed a couple of days out at National Trust properties. For the first time since the lockdown was implemented, we went to Dunham Massey. This is usually a very busy, popular place, but on this occasion, we had little problem keeping a safe distance away from people. We try to keep our levels of anxiousness (da-dah) down, but when you’re breathing the same air, the risk is always at the back of your mind.
I always investigate the sundial near the main entrance but it has never occurred to me before that the statue supporting it might be offensive: a ‘Blackamoor’ with white bulging eyes. There’s white privilege for you.
The deer were very prominent today: I suspect they’ve become used to people not being around, recently. Other visitors were indulging in the questionable (badoom) activity of approaching the deer and stroking them.
We paid a quick visit to Jenny to drop off some food items. It was an ideal day to deliver butter: 30° or so! We had a quick chat with Martha and William through the window, and I managed to get a good photo this time!
Technical issue number 2. My PC still runs Windows 7, which has not been supported by Microsoft since January. So I was surprised one night when turning it off, it said it was installing an update. My heart sank. This was not authorised (ooh) by me. Next time I booted up, it gleefully told me that Microsoft Edge had been installed. Ever since, it’s been nagging me to accept its terms and conditions. Why? I didn’t want it in the first place! I’ve been uninstalling a lot of unused software recently, and this is another candidate for the chop. But why am I worried? Because once when I uninstalled iTunes from a PC, it also took away that machine’s ability to play CDs. Technology’s great, when it works.
I can’t remember the last time I had a twelve hour sleep with only one interruption. But this happened at the weekend and I can only say I felt fantastic afterwards. Even the smell of freshly baked scones didn’t disturb my slumbers. Thanks, Liesel! We drove to Quarry Bank Mill, the second of the week’s National Trust venues, under changeable skies. Sunny and blue for a while, then cloudy and grey. We mostly avoided the rain and enjoyed a fabulous walk around the gardens. The mill itself is still closed, but we were able to buy a coffee, so that’s encouraging (bazinga).
At one point, we could look down and see the rain in the valley. We felt just a few spots but took shelter under one of the rocks, which strangely, was reminiscent of the painted rocks in the Kakadu, albeit much cooler. Growing out of the cliff-like rock, was this tree, just clinging on by its finger-nails.
As well as all the pretty flowers, they grow a lot of food here, but I was dissuaded from scrumping an apple.
The third of our technical issues was on TV. BBC iPlayer usually just plods along and does its thing, once you’ve navigated to the programme you want to watch. But again, our hearts sank when we saw this. Could our Freeview box be on its last legs? Was a transmitter struck by lightning in one of the ongoing storms? Anyway, it was soon rectified and hasn’t recurred. It briefly interrupted our enjoyment of the Glastonbury Festival. This year’s 50th anniversary festival has been cancelled due to Covid, but the BBC are showing several performances from previous years.
So far this year, we’ve watched or re-watched quite a few of our favourites, most of whom we’ve never actually seen in real life. So, thanks to David Bowie, REM, Florence and the Machine, Christine and the Queens, Adele and her potty mouth. Coldplay persuaded the Glasonbury King, Michael Eavis, to sing My Way and sang a couple of Bee Gees songs with Barry Gibb. Dolly Parton is always good value too. As well as many of her greatest songs, she performed Yakety Sax on her saxophone. Elbow’s songs are often pretty straightforward, but Guy Garvey’s voice and his magnificent instrumentation (ooh, another one) always make the performance something special. Even from the comfort of our own living room.
What? You’re wondering how I can just briefly mention David Bowie at Glastonbury and not dwell a little longer on the subject? At the time of writing, I have watched this programme twice. It’s the first time the full performance has been broadcast on normal TV. He enjoyed it, we fell in love with his bass player, Gail Ann Dorsey all over again, the band was all together.
The set list:
Wild is the Wind
Little China Girl
Changes
Stay
Life on Mars
Absolute Beginners
Ashes to Ashes
Rebel Rebel
Little Wonder
Golden Years
Fame
All the Young Dudes
The Man Who Sold the World
Station to Station
Starman
Hallo Spaceboy
Under Pressure
Ziggy Stardust
Heroes
Let’s Dance
I’m Afraid of Americans
We still miss Mr Bowie, and many of us think that the equilibrium of the world was upset by his early death in 2016. So happy we still have his music.
The heatwave came to an end and the rain returned.
It was a quiet Sunday, but I was definitely wabbit by the end of the day: wish I could justify my state of exhaustion (yes).
Liesel’s been busy knitting a beautiful hat.
Radio Northenden broadcast its 50th show today, Monday, and I, Mick the Knife, was invited to take part, have a chat and pick three songs on lock, three tracks that I like to listen to while on lockdown. Thanks for the opportunity, Sanny, and I hope I’m not too embarrassed when I listen back later!
If you want to hear me and my little show, visit the Radio Northenden showreel and listen to Monday 29th June 2020.
So there’s a 50th, and here’s a 300th. Yup, you are reading the 300th post on this blog so as a bonus, to celebrate, here is a list of 300 words, each of which contains all 5 vowels. I’ve been collecting these for several years. In fact, the first one I was aware of was while still in education (ding). A teacher at school accused me of being facetious (dong). I very nearly said, “Did you realise that ‘facetious’ contains all five vowels?” But luckily I realised just in time that that would just be confirming her ridiculous opinion.
I’ve been adding to the list pretty much ever since then, moreso recently, as I know how fascinated Liesel is(n’t) when I announce a new discovery. Most of them are from books, some from subtitles or dialogue (ooh) from TV shows and, this week, in the space of ten minutes, I spotted a few on my Twitter feed.
In (more or less) the order I noted them down, here are 300 words all containing at least one incidence each of A, E, I, O and U:
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- Precaution
- Precarious
- Exhaustion
- Nonsequential
- Equiproportional
- Persuasion
- Insouciance
- Remuneration
- Augmentation
- Autoinjector
- Overpopulation
- Delusional
- Ecuadorian
- Dishonourable
- Rheumatologist
- Unsociable
- Expostulating
- Coeducational
- Neuroradiology
- Recapitulation
- Pseudobirthday
- Neuroplasticity
- Favourite
- Gregarious
- Intermolecular
- Consequential
- Equinoctial
- Manoeuvrability
- Autopsies
- Equatorial
- Malnourished
- Institutionalised
- Exsanguination
- Encouraging
- Repudiation
- Proceduralism
- Deucalion
- Autoimmune
- Anxiousness
- Hermaphroditus
- Refutation
- Unequivocal
- Authoritative
- Communicative
- Dehumanisation
- Misdemeanor
- Deputation
- Reputation
- Unifoliate
- Eunomia
- Unconscionable
- Housewarming
- Pterosauria
- Overqualified
- Uncontaminated
- Discombobulated
- Housemaid
- Unnegotiable
- Reconfiguration
- Moustachioed
- Denticulation
- Neurological
- Insurmountable
- Intercommunication
- Pelargonium
- Unprofessional
- Sequoia
- Authorised
- Authorities
- Endocarpium
- Autoerotic
- Mountaineer
- Education
- Abstemious
- Unmethodical
- Facetious
- Harbourside
- Carnoustie
- Cointreau
- Immunotherapy
- Evacuation
- Bivouacked
- Businesswoman
- Regulation
- Recuperation
- Euphoria
- Euphorbia
- Nonequivalence
- Unfashionable
- Revolutionary
- Cauliflower
- Behaviour
- Chivalrousness
- Pneumonia
- Boundaries
- Authentication
- Gelatinousness
- Absolutist
- Evolutionary
- Exclusionary
- Unaffectionate
- Encrustation
- Equation
- Prosecutorial
- Tambourine
- Unprofitable
- Auctioneer
- Trepidacious
- Tenacious
- Emulation
- Evaluation
- Undiscoverable
- Seismosaurus
- Ostentatious
- Crematorium
- Quaternion
- Discourage
- Mountainside
- Exhumation
- Functionalities
- Unemotional
- Preoccupation
- Semiautomatic
- Byelorussia
- Mendacious
- Excruciation
- Beautification
- Ejaculation
- Reunification
- Undomesticated
- Warehousing
- Documentaries
- Atrioventricular
- Fontainebleau
- Questionable
- Autofellatio
- Overcultivate
- Simultaneous
- Documentation
- Perambulation
- Auditioned
- Discontinuance
- Exculpation
- Exultation
- Sanctimoniousness
- Instrumentation
- Andouillettes
- Microcephalus
- Pandemonium
- Endeavouring
- Spermatogonium
- Nefarious
- Vexatious
- Manoeuvring
- Mozambique
- Ratatouille
- Bougainvillea
- Renunciation
- Biconjugate
- Savouries
- Endocranium
- Houseplant
- Intellectualisation
- Unequivocally
- Heliopause
- Duodecimal
- Boatbuilder
- Sacrilegious
- Sequestration
- Reuploading
- Filamentous
- Unapologetic
- Ketonuria
- Overfatigued
- Resuscitation
- Coequality
- Gubernatorial
- Labourite
- Simultaneously
- Flirtatiousness
- Dunbartonshire
- Boardinghouse
- Numerlogical
- Quadrisection
- Outdistance
- Jalousie
- Ultraviolet
- Aeronautical
- Unintentionally
- Unostentatious
- Authorise
- Glamourise
- Radioluminescent
- Communicated
- Contextualisation
- Conceptualisation
- Gigantopithecus
- Authenticator
- Perturbation
- Austronesian
- Fluoridate
- Uneconomical
- Unexceptional
- Grandiloquence
- Misbehaviour
- Muscoidea
- Beaujolais
- Boulangerie
- Praetorium
- Dauphinoise
- Jailhouse
- Questionableness
- Preoccupational
- Gauloise
- Consubstantiate
- Quatrefoil
- Plesiosaur
- Misfortunate
- Undemocratically
- Secularisation
- Dialogue
- Antineutrino
- Obituaries
- Heterosexuality
- Efficacious
- Uncomplimentary
- Unconstipated
- Gelatinous
- Repopulation
- Dehumanisation
- Neurobiochemical \
- Speculation / these two in a row in this book
- Portraiture
- Sulfonamide
- Tenaciously
- Langoustine
- Excommunication
- Carboniferous
- Eunoia
- Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
- Crenulation
- Gourmandise
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- Enumeration
- Menstruation
- Overhauling
- Pasteurisation
- Reevaluation
- Neurofibromatosis
- Boulevardier
- Conceptualise
- Physiotherapeutic
- Automobile
- Autoshield
- Pseudohermaphrodite
- Larcenious
- Outpatient
- Unmotivated
- Uncontaminated
- Contextualise
- Autosuggestion
- Magnanimousness
- Overenthusiastically
- Equivocal
- Consanguineous
- Permutation
- Unexceptionable
- Armouries
- Humectation
- Underestimation
- Australopithecus
- Hallucinogen
- Europeanise
- Tragedious
- Putrefaction
- Fountainbridge
- Expurgation
- Groundbreaking
- Thermocoagulation
- Revolutionary
- Abstentious
- Miscellaneous
- Multimillionaire
- Audiophile
- Elocutionary
- Praseodymium
- Unsensational
- Housecleaning
- Eukaryotic
- Genitourinary
- Mykobacterium
- Abdoulie Sallah
- Prepublication
- Unsportsmanlike
- Anticoagulative
- Countersurveillance
- Decoagulation
- Gratuitousness
- Salaciousness
- Misevaluation
- Recurvation
- Ambiguousness
- Inoculated
- Tautologies
- Outlandishness
- Overenthusiastic
- Regularisation
- Oh, extra, extra, here are a few that don’t really count!
- (Tamsin) Outhwaite
- Jo Caulfield
- (Simone de) Beauvoir
- Serge Gainsbourg
- Liquorice Allsorts
- Au revoir!
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See you soon for the 301st!
Another kind of puzzle that I tried to solve in Malaysian newspapers last year is Slitherlink. I’d never come across such a thing before, and I never got anywhere near completing one. You have to join the dots on a diagram, the numbers tell you how many sides of the square have a line segment. The line has to be one continuous loop. I’ve found an app now for this kind of puzzle too. And I solved one. It took far too long and I’m sure I will get faster, but I’m very proud of my achievement. It was much, much smaller than those in Malaysian newspapers! 12-year old me punched the sky.
Mick and Liesel's Antics 