(Photo: The Aberfan memorial at Bryntaf Cemetery by Stephen McKay courtesy of wikipedia).
1966 was not a good year for me, despite England winning the World Cup, it saw the Aberfan disaster happen and about two weeks later my father died, both were total surprises to the thirteen year old child that I was.
Oh well, all good things must come to an end so it's back to the grind and colder weather. I can't believe that two days ago I was struggling with the heat as I tramped around El Hondo, a nature reserve outside Elche near Alicante. Now it's catch up time, do washing and other chores ready for work tomorrow. The latter is becoming increasingly difficult to psyche myself up to do, especially when there are things I'd prefer doing like chasing dormice or watching birds. However, going on holiday is definitely a luxury that my working pays for.
It is still quite warm here on the Costa Blanca. Yesterday was a bit of bummer as we had to wait in for the wi-fi connection to arrive via Spanish Postal services, so practically lost a whole day just kicking our heels. I did some university work and also read my book, Farewell to Ice by Peter Wadhams a scientist from Cambridge. I admit it felt quite weird reading about ice formation when the temperature outside was in the low thirties Centigrade. I explored the garden and found a couple of butterflies and the remains of a tiger butterfly, one of the Danaidae or milk weed butterflies.
None of those I'm pleased to say, but two twelve hour days have pretty well wiped me out and I can't settle down to write this evening. Hopefully will finish earlier tomorrow and have enough energy to scribble.
On Saturday my course begins and I'm going on on holiday the next day - clever planning that - c'est la vie. The thing is, I've invested quite a bit of money in the course, a degree in Environmental Science, which is going to keep me a bit busy for the next six years. I'm hoping I'll still be able to write some Bikesodes, but obviously nowhere near as many as you have had in the past. I'm still working part time and that has got very busy as well, so life isn't easy at present - and the dormouse stuff I do in real life is also quite busy.
I shall be out with the bat group until quite late so won't have time to write, I'm afraid. This being a part time ecologist is hard work and we only had one dormouse yesterday, which ran up the tree, so we didn't get to sex it or weigh it. Thankfully, it wasn't me who let it escape. We did have a couple or more nests in the boxes but that was it.
As it's a fairly quiet night, windwise, we might get some bats. I'll let you know.
Sorry folks I have a visitor and we were out walking this evening, so it's too late to write this evening. I'll try and do one tomorrow.
I'm giving a bit of advance notice that my course begins on October 1st (I'm going away for a week the next day, my timing is always impeccable) and it looks as if I have to supply a written assignment about every three weeks, so I may not be able to write Bike as frequently as you've been used to seeing it.
Interesting article in the Guardian which is about a transgender woman who stayed married and thus never got female legal status and so missed out on the right to a pension. It has been referred to the European Court for an opinion.
After six years and two months, I've got my registration for a WML-CL10a user status. (For those not in the know a licence to survey Hazel Dormice in England). In other words I'm now licensed to handle dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) in my own right, not under someone else's licence. I'm so pleased I can't describe it.
Sorry folks keep falling asleep over Bike so I think I need to et an early night. We had two dormice this morning, so numbers are down. One of these was in a box I checked an and I managed to handle it. The mouse was very active and thus fiddly to grab, especially as I couldn't always see through the bag to ascertain where he was and what he was doing.
I had a splendid week with my two outstanding hosts, who fed and spoiled me. I saw some of the Alps, the historic city of Berne, two stages of the TdF, countless wild flowers and insects (some of which bit), some mammals - admittedly - in captivity, some new species of birds and a nightmare journey home from Basel airport. P dropped me off about 3.00pm for a flight at 5.30. We eventually took off after 7.15pm nearly two hours late and made good time flying back only to have to wait over an hour in the plane because they were short of ground crews at Gatwick. I finally got home at 12.10am.
Friday was spent in transit to Switzerland, the transit bit not helped by road works on the M3 and poor sign posting, however I managed to find the car park and get myself to Gatwick where the usual two hours of boredom became three as my plane was delayed, according to QueasyJet, by the atrocity in Nice, the night before. Anyway, my broomstick finally landed at Basel and eventually I found the right exit where mine host was patiently waiting. The traffic to Bern was not helpful but we got there in time for lasagne - a favourite of mine.
On the 16th of July it being started on that day in 2007. Unfortunately I shall be away then but I thought you may be interested in sharing the date with me.
Um - sorry, I was out at an AGM for a mammal group I belong to and apart from getting elected on to another committee, I sort of got talking with our mammal records officer and got back a bit late to write Bike.
I was out dormousing this morning and we had six, I got to handle two and it was somebody else' turn to drop one of them instead of me. So here's a photo of one of the ones we had today (dormouse, I mean).
Cavendish takes his third stage win of this year's TdF to lie second only to Merckx in the number of stage wins at the tour. With his form as it is, who knows if he might even overtake that one day. He may not be Britain's greatest cyclist in some people's eyes but he has to be the most successful in terms of number of wins.
Each episode I write is breaking new ground as no one has written this amount over such a period before, at least in this genre and on this site. I have the support of Erin to continue posting this interminable saga, the transgender equivalent of watching paint dry, as long as I wish to continue. I suppose it has become something of a feature of the site alongside the reasonable literacy of its authors compared to some other sites.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
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Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
