Dear Steve,
Gilbert devotes the entirety of his Letter XXV to birds and reptiles, especially smelly snakes (snakes that generate a smell to defend themselves). The weather at the moment really prevents me from going anywhere unless I absolutely have to. I can’t match that.
It’s been too hot for me to have been very active this week. So the letter is more like a list of activities than anything.
We have bird feeders in the garden. They haven’t been touched for weeks. There’s usually a flock of sparrows and starlings that know every feeding station in town, and they move around. I’ve seen none of them. The one good thing is that I have a stockpile of dried mealworms ready for when they return.
I took a look at the compost bins. West seems to have a fair bit of insect life, which is good. Mid, on the other hand, is composting by fungi. I did take some video footage, but I haven’t reviewed it yet, so I don’t know if it is usable.
We were sitting at the bottom of the garden. I was watching the clouds. One caught my attention,, I immediately thought that it reminded me of Cyprus. If I were asked whether I had ever been there, to be truthful, I would have to say yes, but I only spent two hours in the departure lounge at RAF Akrotiri, so I didn’t see any of the island – except from the air.
On Thursday, we did get out for a walk with the Granddaughter. We had a meal in town, and then walked along the waterfront, past Trinity Church and along the side of the Cockle Ponds. I thought I saw a small fish, say, about two inches long, but that was it. The jellyfish, it appears, have flown the nest.
I have become really quite enthusiastic about the thought of another potential u3a group. It has a particular title: (Building) A Natural History of Gosport. The scope of this could possibly be even greater than creative writing. I’m working on the proposal, which is in its final draft. I think I might hold off introducing it until after we get back from our holiday, and I have settled back into the u3a routine.
But it is the basic notion of a Natural History group that absolutely grabs me, as I said to my assistant, nature is something that we all experience every day. I wonder though, how many of us notice it?
I guess if I have one moan this week, it is about attempting to get a map of the Browndown Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). You’d think it would be easy. I had a real tussle with my assistant, who kept on saying she would produce a copy, but never did. I was getting quite frustrated with her and gave up with her. I then had a go at finding a map myself. Only one word to summarise my results: Failure. It was not easy. I went back to My Assistant and apologised to her. Which she gracefully accepted.
Oh yes, the passion fruits. I’m keeping an eagle eye on them, waiting for one to drop; that’s when I’ll do the next dissection. Beyond that, it’s a case of watching the bush to follow it through the year. I want to get a full cycle.
I’m sorry if this week’s letter seems a bit formal in its delivery. It’s just the way my brain is working at the moment.
All the Very Best
Bill.
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