Planning

 

Planning

All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Unusually, I am preparing well ahead – well, a day or two, anyway – for the 2023 A to Z Challenge. It is several years since I undertook this challenge.

I am basing my posts on ‘Nature’, a fairly wide-ranging theme, I think you’ll agree.

One of the wonderful things about ‘Nature’ is that most things have at least two names, the official, usually Latin name, and the accepted common name or names. Some things have many different local names. It also means that one ‘thing’ may appear in several categories, though Q, U and X are a bit thin.

For example, woodlouse can be categorised under W (obviously!)

but also under crustacean (C), Oniscidea (O), Isopoda (I), Armadillo bug (A), butcher or butchy boy (B), cheeselog (C), gramersow (G), pea bug (P), roll up bug (R), slater (S), wood pig (W). See how I have, in true teacherly fashion, emphasised the concept of multiple categories, otherwise known as ‘hammering it home’?   

  

 Their only form of defence is to roll into a ball. I don't think it's very effective

I discovered, thanks to Wikipedia, that the mother woodlouse keeps fertilised eggs on the underside of her body in a marsupium (lovely word) or brood pouch. The eggs hatch into little white baby woodlice, though they only have six of the eventual seven pairs of legs. Females can also reproduce asexually. 

If you should be tempted to try eating these tiny crustaceans, be warned that they taste unpleasantly of strong urine. (Would weak urine be a more acceptable taste?) 

As an aside, how many woodlice would one need to create a starter?

They are also a popular pet! Some are bred specifically for their colour.

Blue woodlouse

 Should you so desire it, the Rubber Ducky will set you back more than $100 (£100) for six individuals.

Rubber Ducky Isopod, (Cubaris sp. "Rubber Ducky")

   £25.00 GBP

The collective noun for woodlice is ‘a quabble’. I really want an opportunity to use that lovely noun in company. (I am a fount of useless knowledge and can close down any conversation.)

Oh, damn, now I can’t use woodlouse . . . !

From a plethora of photographs in Lightroom, I have compiled a list of ‘things beginning with’ and now have to select one or two for each letter, otherwise my posts will be unconscionably long. I just hope I can continue to the end, to Z, (there I go, ramming it home again) rather than fading out ignominiously around the half-way mark.

Octopuses

 

Octopuses

All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

I was horrified to learn that plans have been made to create an octopus farm in Spain.

Octopuses are incredibly intelligent animals, capable of using tools and dealing with problems in a multitude of ways. They are largely solitary and territorial, the females meeting a male once only to mate.

Once they have laid their eggs, they cease feeding, devoting themselves to the care of their young. When the youngsters are independent and the last one has swum away, the mother octopus dies.

Sy Montgomery’s book, ‘The Soul of an Octopus’, provides a fascinating insight into creatures with complex habits. The prospect of corralling these amazing invertebrates into pens is abhorrent.

Where is man’s humanity? Are we now so degraded that we cannot see beyond our own greed?

Lovely day for a dip

 

Lovely day for a dip

Labradors, particularly of the working variety, love water.

Lakes, ponds, even puddles, attract them like iron filings to a magnet.

We had decided to give Gilbert a gentle introduction to water, remembering Roxy’s first venture. Following her friends, she dashed into a large pond and was soon out of her depth. Probably she would have been alright, but I panicked and hauled her in on the end of her retractable lead, like a furry chocolate fish. I didn’t worry about her after that.

 For many months, she doggy paddled in an upright position, looking for all the world as though she didn’t want to get her hair wet.

 Splash!

Retrieving

 Bertie showing Roxy how to do it

Today was a beautiful day for a walk and we went to an area of the forest very familiar to Barry, who used to run there before the advent of the chrome alloy knees. The well-defined paths had disappeared and we followed an animal trail, probably made by roe deer. to where we thought there was a small pond.

A few minutes beforehand I had commented that I thought Gilbert would be quite cautious, as he seems to be a rather careful puppy. How wrong I was! We were upon it before we realised. There was a loud splash and Roxy and Gilbert were in it immediately.

 They loved it and splashed to their and our great delight, galloping in and out and around in the tussocky grass.

Gilbert's flying pig impression

They are both sleeping soundly now, dreaming sweet dreams of sniffs and sights and sounds – and water!

By chance

I came across this by chance a few moments ago. 

Wait until the boy at the front sings.

Update

 Update on the missing defibrillator

Apparently, there was CCTV footage available at the site of the defibrillator and it has been established that it was indeed stolen.

 A fundraising campaign has been started to replace it. 

I still cannot fathom why anyone would steal such a device. What possible use could it be? F from Tigger's Wee-Blog suggested . . . 

Somebody is looking for the small amounts of valuable metals in modern electronics possibly.... 

 The following appeared on Facebook a few hours ago.

Can you help save a life today?

You fabulous lot have already helped raise nearly half the cost of a replacement defibrillator! Thank you

Full story …

WEEK COMMENCING 20TH MARCH IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE DEFIBRILLATOR LOCATED IN DUKES RIDE, CROWTHORNE HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM ITS CASE.

After some research and viewing of CCTV it has been confirmed that unfortunately the defibrillator has been stolen.

A Defibrillator is most effective when administered within the first minute of someone collapsing. If used within the first minute, the survival rate can be as high as 90%. If however, a defibrillator is used within the first 3 to 5 minutes, the likelihood of survival drops by 16%, showing that having a defibrillator close by makes a huge difference.

PLEASE HELP REPLACE THIS VITAL PIECE OF LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT.

Crowthorne Parish Council  · 

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Thank you, Liz Penn Roe, for setting up this fundraiser and to Pam who fundraised for all the community defibrillators on behalf of the First Responders and SCAS all those years ago.

This equipment could save a life.

Gilbert the horticulturist

 Gilbert the horticulturist

After a bracing walk in the forest followed by an excellent lunch, Gilbert decided to relax with a little indoor gardening.

He chose the plant he wished to work with and recognised that a little pruning was required. Plants benefit from careful trimming.

It was quite a healthy plant . . .

Then he expertly removed it from its pot, spreading the earth neatly on the floor. He had intended to put paper down first but forgot. There was a little paper on the floor, so we can assume that he remembered, but too late.

The label, somewhat faded said 'Grapefruit', but we can be fairly certain that was not the plant in the pot!  

He was just beginning the next phase, which might have been repotting, when Janice asked him what he was doing. She may have been a little sharp with him.

He was clearly very sorry and promised never to do it again . . .

 . . . and how could you be cross with a little face like that?

Sensing that something was happening that might involve her, Roxy came to find out what he had been doing. After some conversation, and a gentle reprimand from her, they both repaired to bed for a well-earned snooze.

 

                                                             In a little while, Janice will attempt to identify the remains of the plant and pot up what's left. It is/was a trailing plant. Now it's more of a fallen plant.

A rare moment of togetherness

 A rare moment of togetherness

Jellicoe and Herschel are litter brothers, but spend more time batting each other than sleeping together.

They are Ocicats. Jellicoe is a Classic, now called an Aztec (!) and Herschel is a standard Ocicat.

We did have three brothers, but Isambard died very young after a strange and short respiratory disease.

Isambard, Herschel and Jellicoe as kittens

 

Problem solving

I'm linking with Feline Friday, hosted by messymimi of messymimi's meanderings

Loyalty

 

Training continues

 Training continues

Training recommenced after breakfast at 7:30.  

Jellicoe provides a soft, warm pillow for Gilbert.

Missing!

Missing!

One of the community defibrillators has gone missing. In order to use it, the user has to call 999 to get the access code, but the 999 call handlers are finding it hard to trace the individual who called in. The parish council has contacted the ambulance service but without success.

As someone said, ‘You can’t just shock someone and then send them home’.

Defibrillators cost around £1200 and are situated in busy local areas. Cheaper ones are available, but presumably there’s a standard that must be adhered to for community use.

The missing one was next to a hairdressing salon. Others are at schools, leisure centres and local shops.