Theatre. Outdoors!
We has a night out. Outdoors out.
It was quite good.
Comments
Quite good? It was _amazing_!!!! Fay
Dartmoor Loop
A twenty-something kilometer stroll around Dartmoor. From Two Bridges to Two Bridges. Taking in Wistman's Woods (L9), Winford Steps (M12), Bellever Tor (L11), and more.
Changing Trains in Exeter
I got to Exeter in time to miss my connection. But a kind Giraffe helped me out with a Katsu Curry while I was waiting.
Fixing the washing machine
The door seal started to leak. A YouTube video and a spare park from eSpares felt like a good idea. When the nice person on the video said "and now you just have to put it all back together" I had a little wobble.
Walking the loop
We waked the old river loop this morning. Except the last / first leg is no more (since the meadow track at Tony Lane was removed last summer). There was access earlier in the week to repair the footpath surface, but the contractors had done an excellent job of reinstating the barbed wire. Instead we walked there and back (which isn't a loop...)
Steps and Ramp
R has built us a small patio, with steps, around the tub. It has Fay's ramp for sledging (or maybe that's for the wheelbarrow, I'm not sure). All with awesome timber from D&S next door. H assisted a little with the heavy lifting!
Too Wet For Walking
"It's too wet for walking" said Ewok. "But perfect weather for a morning snooze."
"Bet you're glad you didn't go camping with Finn" said Yogi. But Ewok was already asleep and didn't hear him.
The bed's too big without you
Ewok wasn't sure if the bench had shrunk or if he had grown. He decided to sleep on it.
The Oak Tree
While pruning the lavendar (which was a great move BTW) the Oak sapling was accidentially decapitated. Whoops. Fortunately it appears to have recovered with gusto.
Exam Fiasco
The (still ongoing) exam fiasco in three books:
- What went wrong — Cathy O'Neil on algorithms that "exploit people and distort the truth while posing as neutral mathematical tools".
- Why that matters — Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett on "how more equal societies are better for everyone".
- How it could happen — Philip E. Tetlock on how "people that make prediction their business are rarely held accountable".
ofqual published a technical report which neatly explains (in §9.5 & §8.4) how their model is biased in favour of small cohorets. Those just happen to be most independent (aka private) schools.
It's probably a good time to remind myself of the blurb for Mistakes were made but not by me:
> Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell?
Footpath Squeeze
Ploughed right up to the field edge, the footpath is squeezed. Muddy walks for a while.
Steve Cuing
The regular evening at the pub is slowly gradulating from video call to physically spaced in a backgarden. This week numbers were slightly reduced due to Holidays-up-North and Post-A-Level-Result-UCAS-University-Data-Crunching. Thanks Steve for hosting and for cuing the sounds.
Keeping Cool in the Heat
Ewok found a comfy spot to stay cool(-ish) in the heat…
Dinner at Pebble Beach
A lovely meal out with Fay (it's been a Covid-while!) at Pebble Beach. Not a bad view of the needles in the evening light. Not a bad sunset sky on the stroll home either.
Ansel Inspired New Forest
One bit had a reputation for being very muddy in the winter. Not sure if the boot was as a consequence, or a piece of art someone had created.
New Forest walk
A stretch for Pip, Ewok and Yogi in the coolness of the New Forest. A pause for a famly snap (in a holly tree, well posed).
Beer sunset
First round at the King Billy as the day was closing. Beautiful views across the valley.
Dinner (local)
Dinner by Fay with (very) local veggies from two fields over courtesy of Beatrice. Very tasty.
Finn's Away
The boys are missing little-getting-bigger-now F. I'm not sure how much he's missing them.
Hat
The hat is now a teenager. It's showing some signs of wear. But yesterday, it still managed to keep a head shaded and dry the long river way to Wallingford and back.
Dinner Delivered
Le Clos is shut. It's very small, so little space to distance while dining, and there's scant sign of Wallingford Town Council creating something amazing for outside eating [1]. But, Stefan is doing home deliveries. We had a very enjoyable dinner with wine at the bottom of the garden last night. Yum.
Footnotes
[1] Or at least based on the evidence of the May minutes and June agenda…
Worldclass Telecoms
Many things are world class these days. Our response to COVID. Our democracy. Brexit. We even have world class telecoms. This post posted courtesy of a home broadband connection that is 10x slower than the one we had 10 years ago. There's a certain symetry there. Maybe we could adopt this phone box for the community. It's outside St. John's school. I wonder what it could be?
Patch of Blue
Yesterday's patch of blue got bigger. It reminded me of something.
I thought there was a saying, an expression of good luck or blessing to a departing friend, to wish them clouds. Because clouds bring rain which is kinda essential. But, when I went searching, I couldn't find it, so here it is:
> May there always be a cloud on your horizon.
Many Beds
When Ewok can get away with it, he loves to re-enact scenes from his favourite fairy stories.