illustration by the Austrian artist Felicitas Kuhn (1926-2022)

The last few days did not move the main story forward AT ALL. It's just a guy eating little treats and doing nothing. And so many plot holes. He says, "no more little treats," and then he's eating another little treat in literally the next scene.

Very tired Labrador lying on his side

Did not drive 6 hours to the Peaks, but did manage a very lovely little 20km around home. Have now knackered the dog, so that’s the main goal acheived.

Debating a six hour round trip tomorrow for Kinder Scout. Hmmm

Getting itchy to book a hiking trip across the Caucasus mountains to look forward to this summer…

Beautiful!

Table laden with a large cheese & charcuterie board, ham, and other picky bits of food.

It’s the most wonderful time of year: Cheesmas.

If you’re not doing anything illegal, it’s actually really easy to be open and considerate to people living in the area and not damage land, disturb livestock, or intimidate locals and wildlife ;)

Zero problems with “Clean Boot” hunting, where the (blood)hounds chase a human runner along a pre-planned route and foxes are never in the equation. This means they never get sabbed, & as consequence they are free & transparent about when & where they will be out, so rural people can prep for them.

I live on farmland, so about as rural as you can get, went to agricultural university, and have owned livestock & horses in my time — count myself as plenty rural. Would also be thrilled to see the back of the hunt. They have ruined it for themselves with their own arrogance and lack of lawfulness.

Belated Merry Christmas.

Funny animal videos no longer being trustworthy just fucking sucks all around. I love the wonder of animal behavior and what it says about the experience of being alive. It's because it happened in reality that it's so fun. It's not fun if it was just made up. There's no wonder there.

I am genuinely just craving a huge break to sit and be, and grieve and try and live, and not have to worry about anything until January. Yet, work stays busy over Christmas and is one of the most stressful times of year. I am exhausted.

The internet and image integrity is dying

Text saying: “I must say I hope the coming year will be better than the last one, which, I think, was sheer hell”. - Edith Sitwell, Letter to John Lehmann, 19th Dec 1949

From @lettersofnote.com

I don’t, generally, rewatch films within a year of the first watch* but today I’ve been on a proper Benoit Blanc marathon and happy to say that Wake Up Dean Man is better on its second watch than on its (already good) first.

*apart from Master & Commander, which I could honestly watch on loop

Interesting how Spotify considers Irish and Scottish music to be basically the same, and proudly pops Kingfishr at the top of its Scottish playlist

Made a site comparing the sizes of living things :)

The great Julius Csotonyi spent 5 months painting over 60 illustrations for the site, no ai used

> neal.fun/size-of-life/

Been instructed to follow a low fibre diet for a bit. Reading the list of allowed foods (basically plain, refined, highly processed soft foods) is a grim proposal considering I normally eat whole grains and beans for most every meal and consider white bread to be a crime

I am so deeply sorry for your loss(es). I am also in grief and I can identify wholeheartedly with it being a transformative process.

I've done a lot of grieving this year, and while I don't want to repeat the process anytime soon, it has genuinely made me a better person on the whole; not in every way, not without friction or pain, but in sum, I'm better for the grief.

SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE

A Jurassic forest scene projected large scale onto three huge walls, depicting a T.rex standing over the carcass of a Triceratops

Prehistoric Planet at Lightroom was such a beautiful experience. Fully living out my inner dino-nerd dreams.

The Importance of Being Earnest was an absolute joy — especially Stephen Fry’s magnificent Lady Bracknell #london #westend

The smell from the bakery down the street is wafting in through the window and it is utter torture. Bacon on sourdough this morning, my nose thinks.

View of a London street with two red buses, cast in a rain washed, golden light

Rain-washed golden light in the city.

Three coats (different colours) is an acceptable number of coats to take for four days in London, right?

This is a poem of loss, taken from Whatever You Do, Just Don't (HappenStance Press, 2023)...

Benson Boone on a hot lap with Max in Abu Dhabi…my two obsessions are crossing over and I love it #F1

www.economist.com/britain/2025... new guy just dropped