Kes

 "To succeed in life, you need three things : a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone."

Reba McEntire

Where were we ? Oh yes, I was going on about it getting lighter in the evenings. And did I also mention that Donald Trump is an odious, ignorant, dangerous shitehawk ? Well both things are still true.

Jan 25 - Londonicus, UK  - Sunrise 07.49, Sunset 16.38
Light gained since "the shortest day" - 59 minutes, 34 seconds.

Wunderbar, eh ? For the last few weeks the weather has been, for the most part, glorious. Cold, windless and sunny and as per usual I've been out "filling my boots". I can't be inside for long.

Last week I was having a run through the woods and meadows around Mistley and came across an injured kestrel. After climbing over a fence through some thick brambles I managed to catch it and took it to a local wildlife rehabilitation place. Beautiful creature.

The woman who runs it said they'd keep it for a few days, do a few checks and see how things went. After a week I spoke to her and she said it had fully recovered and a bloke from the BTO was going to ring  and release it. That was my good deed for the week.

Yesterday I had what I laughably describe as a "business trip" to Ludham on the river Ant. What a cracking area, nice bit of river too. On the way back ( not too late of course ) I stopped off for a walk along the stour, which was full of widgeon, teal and various waders.

Hear This 

Anything by Flatworms. Not "Anything" by Flatworms. Marc Riley has been playing them, sound very raw. Excellent.
Airbourne Toxic Event - "Such Hot Blood" - Full of chuuuuunes.

Read This

Absolute Pandemonium - Brian Blessed - Look, I don't know how I ended up reading this OK ? But it was entertaining.
ISIS:Battling The Menace - Patrick Cockburn - Top journo. Dear, oh dear. What a mess and what a bunch of barbaric sub humans.

Watch This / Don't Watch This

Taboo - On a Saturday evening too. About the only half decent thing I've seen in a while. Creepy and atmospheric.
Sherlock - What a load of crap. Can't they just tell  a story without all that self indulgent, too clever by half guff ?  I have no idea what any of it was about. A pity, because I used to like it.

Enough of my waffle. Good day to you.

Loada Bloody Nowt

 “Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
  Leo Tolstoy

Every new spring is more precious than the last ( that's one of mine ). Yes, I know it's only January.

Anyway, Leo is wrong. Winter is the time for plans and projects. For confirmation of this refer to the mighty Henry Rollins.

Sunset today, 10 January, 16.14. By my calculations we have gained twenty two minutes evening light already. Bring out the flags, it's coming, it's coming.

Today on my run I saw the first elder tree buds poking through.

Praise the sun god. Again.

Point To Point

Had a great run yesterday. Started at Harwich pier, on to the beach at Dovercourt, across the fields between Ramsey and Wrabness, along the river to Bradfield, up through tiny lanes to Mistley Heath and finishing at Lawford. Too many commas I know.

A fantastic, mostly off road trail of 14 miles, all in glorious sunshine, albeit with a nippy north westerly wind.. Then a pig out in Luccas Italian restaurant with Bong as a treat. That'll do for me.

The TT prints mounted and in position. As if I'd put them in the bog.

I did re decorate the bog though. Blue tac and a few drawing pins and it was done in half hour. DIY SOS ? Nick Knowles ? Pah !

Pure class. Toodle pip.

Onward

Had the usual good Christmas, kicked off by a double header of films on Christmas Eve, both of which  are a tradition in the ES household. The legendary "It's A Wonderful Life" and possibly the best western ever made, "Tombstone". And yes, it is better than the original "Gunfight At The OK Corral".

I of course ruin it, by coming out with most of the lines a fraction of a second before they are spoken. Also a tradition, though not universally appreciated.

Plenty of runs and bike rides in the ( mostly ) good weather. Now making plans for the coming year.

Pressies included port, wine, one of the new Medlar books, several CDs, including my first dabble into prog rock ( well, if you don;t include Pink Floyd ). King Crimson no less. I'd heard and liked "21st Century Schizoid Man" and hoped the rest of the tracks would be similar. They're not, they're noodly, wanky bollocks, which is why I've always hated prog. Can't say I didn't try it anyway.

Anyway, the other two CDs, the mighty Wave Pictures and the newly re discovered Depeche Mode ( top chuuuuunes ) are great. 

I managed to read Robert Harris's "Fatherland" in a few days. Cracking read, though I was always going to say that as I'm obsessed with anything to do with WW2. 

Just spent this morning framing TT's last two Christmas cards. Seems a shame not too, the man's too clever by half.

Now going to decorate the bog i.e put some more photos and press cuttings up with blue tack. It's my version of shabby chic. Or shabby shite. Ah, a good title for the next blog. 

Happy New Year to all.

2016

The dark days down to Christmas paw
Like horses at an earthen floor
When all the ghosts of autumn pass away
And ragged squads of starlings fight
In firethorn trees in fading light
For orange berries brighter than the day

Martin Newell

Highlights of the Year

In no particular order...

Savages / Bo Ningan gig at Cambridge Junction.
The camper tour of France and the Spanish Pyrenees
Cycling to the top of the Col Du Pradel. 5500 feet of pleasure ( on the way down ).
Cycling all over the Tarn and Jonte gorges. Looking DOWN on soaring griffin vultures. Fantastic place.
Rock climbing with brother in law Ian at Aix Des Thermes.
Seeing half a dozen beavers one evening on the river Tarn.
Another great weeks fishing on the Beara Peninsula in south west Ireland, made even better by seeing big pods of dolphins most days. One day we saw a fin whale with the dolphins. A huge beast and truly awe inspiring.

Wild Camping at Loch Slapin on Skye.
A fantastic day rock fishing on a remote headland by Loch Brittle, catching big pollack with Goozgog from the rocks in the sunshine.
Swimming in the Stour estuary in September, on a beautifully calm, warm evening.
Watching Leicester win the league and Man Utd making cocks of themselves on a weekly basis.
Enjoyed the running too. First 5 and 10 km races. Good half marathon in the fens too.

Read this....

Orwell's "Coming Up For Air". Not as well known as Animal Farm or 1984, but a great book. He was a fisherman too and mentions the subject often in this one.
Guy Martin's "When You Dead, You Dead". He writes like he talks. Constant references to farting, defecating outside and "spanking one off" meant I was always going to love this book.

Watch this....

Storyville - Jim - The James Foley Story. Uplifting and appalling in equal measure.
The Intouchables - French film ( yes, we're very sophisticated in north Essex. Subtitles, obviously) Fantastic, funny, touching film. Don't worry about the subject matter, just watch it.

Hear this......

Anything by the Sleaford Mods ( yes, again )
Anything by the mighty James. Glad I rediscovered them. Mighty tunes aplenty.

And with that, another year ended. Toodle pip, have a good one.

Golden Days

Autumn is the second spring
When every leaf is in flower

Albert Camus

The boy Camus played in goal for a team that twice won the North African Champions Cup in the 30s. That is your factoid of the day kids.

What a stunning couple of days we've just had. Perfect late autumn weather. Crisp, totally windless, the sun straining to melt the frost.

Most of the trees are clinging on to the last of the leaves, all of which will be gone in the next decent storm, but what a show it is at the moment.

I went out around midday today, along the river and through the woods, now several inches deep in brittle, flaky leaves, crunching underfoot. Almost total silence, just a few tell tale peeps from a group of long tailed tits and the far off "cawing" of rooks, squabbling on the stubble fields.

Days like these are rare, especially near the coast and you cannot help but be aware of the lack of "weather noise". I made the most of it today and probably did five or six miles in total.

It almost makes me want to dig the pike rods out for a go on the river. Toodle pip.

Roll On Spring

God, I hate it when the clocks go back. Dark at five. Horrible.
Caught yet more skate last week, plus too many whiting.
On Sunday I did the Lode Half Marathon in 1.38.40, battling a strong, cold northerly wind blasting across the fens. Good course and sunny though. Didn't enjoy the last mile. Like most long runs, enjoyable in retrospect.
That is all. See you in April.