Isolation Party
The boy's (re-christened Bubba-and-squeak for the duration) aren't too impressed at the furniture rearrangements necessary for the great isolation jigsaw party.
Proportions
Dear Interwebz, anyone know the right proportion of red cabbage to squeak? Looks like we might be heading for 10:1.
A Merry Covid Christmas
Yes, a triple jabbed (2 ⨉ AstraZeneca + a Pfizer Booster), Covid locked down Christmas. Déjà vu.
Restrictions in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Yet not in England.
The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin
Early Tree
If any more evidence were needed that this has been a topsey-turvey year; the tree went up before F's birthday.
Back in the office
Today I was in a meeting with five other people. 3 were working from home. 3 were in 3 different offices. That's the first time we've had more than 1 person calling in from the office. Given all the other news today, it'll also likely be the last for a while…
Where is everybody?
Ewok wanted to know where everybody had gone. Back to London in their Range Rovers thought Yogi.
Anniversary Walk
Every December we try and get away for a couple of days. This year was celebrating twenty-four with Lovely Fay.
x♡x
A flat white view
A flat white view. So called because it's the view you get while waiting for your flat white.
Other flat white views used to be available before they knocked down Leadenhall Court (and more importantly CoffeeWorks) to make way for 35-stories of office space.
Good morning Rock
A peak of Rock down the street.
Christmas Festival
The Padstow Christmas Festival was cancelled. Because some people are sensible. But there was Christmas lights, fireworks, and a Santa Parade (with boats!). All of which we managed to miss. Planning.
British Wind Power
A spot of wind and the wind-assisted surf vehicles were out in force. Some were flying.
Visitors!
We had visitors. Second visitors. F did an impression of J standing on her door step, chatting to everyone and looking over to Rock.
Sunbeams
Sunbeams on sand banks.
Then back home for a coffee and planning chat, around the table that's been with us since George Street.
It was a tad chilly, but F decided to quadruple wrap and was therefore nice and snug.
Pretty Lights
Setting up some winter lights on the back patio.
Blue Tin Comedy
Sat in a field on the coldest and stormyest(!!) night of the year for a laugh.
A great evening of entertainment from Charlie, Josh, Angela, Des and the two guys who danced on stage at the end. Impressive on a pallet.
A space
Woodinville bear was impressed with the space, but was a little worried about sliding off the new plinth.
Car park construction
The winter roses have a great view...
It started off as a quick "M can grade that for you with his digger, much easier than a shovel" and escalated into architecture with recycled-sleepers heaven.
Morning coffee view
I could, should, have been running. Instead I had a coffee and soaked in the view.
Student care package
"Anything you need us to bring H?"
"A honey roast gammon would be nice."
"Sure, we'll bring 2."
Any bets for how long they'll last?
Beacon Hill
"Well that'll end up on the c r o s s o a k blog" said H. So true.
A memory of a pre-lunch recovery walk at Beacon Hill. After the previous day's yomp I feel we all did quite well, especially old-man Ewok.
A little Ridgeway View
A lovely lunch, conversation and a walk with H & D. The walk was a tad too long, something for which I'm a) very sorry and b) pleading for forgiveness. D spotted this pic and I stole it (and he was right, we did something like this in a previous November).
Walking the bounds
While walking the hounds around the bounds.
Sunrise
This time of year I'm normally in the dark on a train. But for the second November in a row it's getting light in the morning and I'm not on a bike.
Corona. Still.
It's now 653 days and counting. Remembering the five million who have died1, including the many thousands of deaths in the UK that could have been avoided.
Edinburgh
The train back from Leuchars for a night in Edinburgh.
St Andrews
St Andrews. A train to Leuchars and then a bus.
Sleeper
Letting the sleeper train take the strain.
^ where everything == the things that are important in life.
Scotland via London
Our trip to Scotland was via London, with some time to spare before heading to Euston. So we hired Boris Bikes to explore London at night.
This could be a tradition.
NTS: if you're going to ask the police what's going on, try to ask the ones who aren’t all tooled up in their riot gear.
There's a book for that
Awaking this morning to an ongoing deluge of sleaze news. As F might say 'I bet you have a book for that'.
If only there was some requirement for MPs:
- to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law;
- to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of parliament and to society more widely;
- to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services;
- to encourage respect for other people;
- to encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied.
If that sounds familiar, then you're likely a teacher responsible for teaching British Values, as introduced by the Conservative Government in 2014.
This way
This way to a row of charged up parking bays; and the new James Bond movie, which had mixed reviews on the way home. Electrifying it was not. But the evening was incredibly civilised.
Returning to the scene
You might think that after being Caught Red Pawed Ewok would want to keep a low profile. Think again. I suspect all that Sir Ewok… business went to his head.
A "Who done it?" mystery
Well, I am no Hercule Poirot, but I think the evidence is pretty compelling. Plus, we all know that Ewok has expensive tastes.
Leaf Blowing Views
An amazing view to wake up to this morning. The most tranquil scene with perfect autumn sound track (Leaf Blowing by The Neighbourhood). I saw them in concert a few years ago and they were awesome then too!
> Then suddenly there are the leaf blowers. The whole neighbourhood is filled with a blaring din as one garden after another is meticulously blasted clean
From, In America: Travels with John Steinbeck and a reminder of an old Coffee Table Thought.
The little cutting that grows
A pressie for F from lovely C: the little cutting that just keeps growing!
The Rings
Cobweb blowing stroll around the rings.
Pumpkin
It's a multi-sided pumpkin, created in a flash before J arrived, and a conversation piece when we met the neighbours for a drink or three.
17.21 kWh
There's a danger that c r o s s o a k may turn into the trials and tribulations of EV charging. The novelty may wear off. Or we may give up.
Hawkers Cove
We planned a loop walk, but the path out of the cove was a swamp. So we switched to a there-and-back walk.
Eleven years later
Eleven years after we moved back from the USA we finally have faster broadband than we had there. Luke from Kelly Communications popped round this morning and pulled 100Mbps through the wall.
AirThings
An AirThings monitor. Because Cornwall & Radon. Radon is negligible. While CO₂ and VOCS spike at night...
Electric Experiences
Yes, this one is electric. With a whole new world of experiences.
Which means a whole new way of long distance trip planning. Hurrah!
But it did do Padstow via Honiton with a 15% top up at Solstice Services and 22% remaining at the end of the trip.
The house with the Spitfire
The house with the pillbox, now turned into a work of art. Spitire RF-D as flown by Wing Commander Jan Zumbach.
Welcome to our virtual tour of Durham University
With Covid and all the unpleasantness old fashioned university tours have gone all virtual. "There's an app for that" (although not a particularly good one).
A night out in Durham
An awesome meal out with Dave in Durham...
River Weir
Edit: How embarrassing, it's the River Wear. If you look closely there is a river weir, but that's not what I meant so that excuse doesn't count ;-)
Waiting
The 0720 from Cholsey used to be a magic train. A HST service that missed out Reading and then ran non-stop from Twyford.
A quote from hit makers
A quote from Hit makers: how things become popular.
> Some of my friends would welcome fashion tastes so static that a single wardrobe would last several millennia. Ironically, they tend to work in the technology industry, which embraces, and even pushes, change in just about every other category of life.
Looking back through the evidence, I can see no indication that this observation applies to me.
Edge of the trampoline
The edge of the trampoline, signifying the end of the trampoline. And an end of an era.
Student Care Package
In 2021, a student care package means fast, reliable, low latency Internet. Everywhere. Well, everywhere except where we are, where the two asthmatic mice blowing ones and zeros down a piece of string usually max out at 8Mbps.
Walking to Paddington
Things seen walking back to Paddington. Yes, I was avoiding the tube, and yes I was also missing my bike.
New Office View
I've had a few office views over the years.
There was the Barrington Hall View; the gardens of an English Country House. There were the Microsoft Redmond Campus views that included Lake Bill, a hint of the Cascades and perfectly manicured grass. The Microsoft UK office view was memorable through not being worth remembering (but the walk there and back was awesome). I'm not sure if the The Oxford Academy counts, it was a classroom not an office after all (but the commute was good too). Skype had many views, from Tallinn, to Seattle and even London. And mixed in around this period were some "I'm workings on the train office views. Amazon provided some variations on a theme, Seattle (again!) towards the space needle, and London looking East and West. Then there's been last 19 months of office views that have had a large proportion of "working from the garden".
Looks like we're flying again
After a year and a half of beautiful, plane free (or mybe more plane-challenged) skies, it looked this morning like things were getting back to How They Were.
Scotland, a rough guide
F caught me reading this this morning. He said, "you know that there's this thing called the internet". Cheeky so-and-so.
Not this one?
Probably not this one. It was more like driving an iPad than a car. Maybe this one because it feels more like a car than a computer game.
The mouth of the Camel
Snapped between the showers while on a walk with Ewok and Yogi.
Very different from yesterday's view.
Morning Padstow
Up early and a walk with the boys before breakfast.
Quay Side Reading
A quiet spot on the quay for a spot of reading.
Overheard while sat there, the crew of a boat planning to sail up to Scotland for the climate sumit, sampling the sea-soundscape on the way. I hope they got their TV slot. The producer (just arrived from south east London even though there's no petrol) sounded positive about an early morning piece to camera from the foredeck. But the lost and exasperated cameraman I saw the next morning probably meant that the tide-constrained slot had been missed.
Amazon Delivers
90 mins after the apology email that the delivery would be a day late, up pulls a branded van. It sits there for a few minutes and then drives off. I'm wondering which person or system realised that the package wasn't in the van and when, oh, and what the COE will read like. busmansholiday.
Winter Cabbages
Taken from the same spot as this pic, one of the earliest on c r o s s o a k back in 2005.
Walk, Surf, Lunch
Morning walk, some boarding (brov was sooooo right, it's warmer in the autumn!!!!), and a roast at the Harbour Inn. Tradition making?
Brick Tent Camping
I don't know who coined the phrase brick tent camping but it's perfectly apt. The project has a single pan induction hob which is perfect for brunch. There's a microwave, kettle and, most importantly a toaster. The plumbing works, just. And there's leccy too (although whether we'll be able to afford any in a month is anyone's guess). A fridge arrives tomorrow, just in time for it to be cold enough not to need a fridge. There's also a futon to sit/sleep on and a possibility of a bed arriving on Tuesday.
Tommy's Bench
Tommy Morrissey, 1915 - 1996.
> Just tell me Old Shipmates
> I'm taking a trip mates
> and I'll see you someday
> in Fiddlers Green
Futon
A futon arrived for the project. It was hanging out in the shed, but we thought quarter-past twelve in the morning was a little late to be figuring it out. Fortunately the airbed survived one more night (unlike our first attempt camping out at the project, which I'm not sure I'll ever be forgiven for). It's all quite cosy really…
Swimming
M wanted to swim in the sea so everyone got their bathing costumes ready.
More Tryfan (and around) Colour
Halfway up, faint right-to-left rising diagonal line. One third of the way along follow a gulley up. Along to the high point and then a scramble down and along the back of the ridge.
Tryfan and around
A blast up to (almost) where the A5 meet the sea.
We bought a house
We bought a house.
Stay tuned for details of how we didn't really but a house, it's more of a project, or a place to look after.
covidmasters
Dad joking about isolating before the Boardmasters Festival hits him hard when Covid comes home.
It was worth it says F, just don't say that to H.
Well, I guess it took us seventeen months (almost as long as the gap since the last update of c r o s s o a k), although one of us was suspiciously ill after a week in Seattle in January so maybe that was it too.
More Cricket
Cricket at Lords was so much fun that we went again.
Cricket at Lords
A was playing in The Hundreds. Lovely day, until the rain. But that just stopped the men's game ;-)
New tap
5 mins to change the tap. 20 mins to find the spare in the shed. 2 hours tidying the shed out of sheer frustration from not being able to find the spare tap straight away.
Spot the buzz
Low and loud training hover over the house (at least we hope it was training). Made a bit of a challenge for the noise cancellation on the conference call.
H
H. Caught part way through a post-gym 530 calorie fuel stop.
I'm currently working on the post-gin fuel stop.
Wet June Garden Morning
It's warm and damp, very damp, this year. Everything is growing a bit mad at the moment. It also means I can combine breakfast outside with a morning shower.
Evening Run
Evening run-walk-run. Down river over the bridge, back along the other side, over the weir and home.
Flower Shopping
A bike ride down to Green and Gorgeous for pyo Sweet Peas. We took it slow, so no sweaty peas.
Caterpillar Tree
In the wood, a tree covered in caterpillars. Not nice to walk into on the way home in the dark.
Green roof happy
I think it's looking healthy. But it might be looking stressed. But if it is stressed, then it's from too much rain. Maybe I should have paid more attention playing Viva Pinata.
Wheat
Bob's field of wheat. Sold before it was even planted to hedge the impacts of both pandemic and Brexit.
No car paddle board trip
Not everyone needs a car for everything. Up before the world this morning for a bike-pump-pump-paddle-bike workout. I didn't plan on two pumps, but that's what happens when you're a newbie and don't set the valve to inflow.
May in the Garden
W00t! is time for May in the Garden.
Previous May in the Garden's:
2020 | 2019 | 2018 (May-ish) | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 |
Football
Wallingford vs. Charlbury. A nice venue for spectators, even though the pitch looked like something out of a crazy-golf course.
Signs
Walking back from the Red Lion I was reassured to see many signs pointing the way to new housing developments.
> Signs should not be added piecemeal to a signpost as this obstructs lines of sight, can detract from road safety and damage the environment of our towns, villages and countryside. Our policies include careful consideration of these issues to limit the impact of 'signs clutter'.
(Oxfordshire County Council, 2021)
Avoiding the football
Friends round to watch the Champion's League final so we escaped for a walk with the dogs and, suprise! We managed a drink at the Red Lion. It's been a while…
New eatery in town
There's a new eatery in town. We tried it out yesterday evening before the football. It was great, the chef is a m a z i n g.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Getting outside for some headspace with Ewok. Or Gummy-Bear as we lovingly call him at the moment.
Oxford Botanic (Botanic III; the return)
We were here last September.
Last Day at Harlyn
The end of a wonderful week at Harlyn. Had to go in even though the waves were meh. A farewell float.
Old Man of Harlyn
In good weather you might be lucky enough to see the "Old Man of Harlyn". Usually he's on the cliff path between Harlyn and Mother Ivy's bay and occasionally he'll take his cap off to pass on a traditional traveller's greeting.
Honey Street
A circle walk up and along the Ridgeway and back from the awesomely named Honey Street. We saw two other walkers on the route (excluding the canal bit which was heaving). But then it was blowing an absolute hoolie. Lovely. As always, thanks chaps, a most excellent strole.
London, Again
I used to do this 3 or 4 times a week. Now it's 3 or 4 times a year. Paddington to Dean Street via Hyde Park. It felt quieter than Wallingford. Actually, it was market day in Wallingford and I'm pretty sure Wallingford was busier.
During the storm
Ewok taking shelter after getting wet and windswept from whatever storm it is that's battering us at the moment.
Welsh Motorcycles
Enjoying a quiet spot out of the wind along the harbour wall, reading random stats about the carbon impact of everything, when a group of very friendly Welsh motorcyclists arrived looking for a spot to park.
How could one say no?
Night out
I know how to treat a girl: out for a dinner date.
Takeaway pizza and a quiet but windy spot on a hill with a view. 10 points for the view, not so many for everything else.
Pausing for the view
I tried to make it look like I'd stopped for the view. More like I'd run out of puff. Up hill, in slippy snow, with a demister failure with my spex.
Garden Evolved
The garden has changed. Controversial I know, but the boys claim to prefer it as it was.
Cue silence at the dinner table.
That's a lot of sockets
"That's a lot of sockets" said Paul, a long log time ago. He was right. By my count that's four too many.
Comments
A long log time ago is a longer period of time than a long long time ago because it's time on a log-scale.
Floating in the Pod
The floating book shelves in the pod work and Gran's picture looks even better here.
Ride
First ride of April. With sun and snow! Strava reckons it was 27.9km with 272m of elevation gain. But then Strava also claims a top speed of 75.2kmh so YMMV (or in this case YKMMV).
Route: Braziers Common Loop
Border
F has been busy. A new border to hide the edge of the steps. Smart. My side of the garden is going to look good this year!
How I Feel
Ewok is doing impressions now. He calls this one "How you feel". I think you is me not you. He's getting quite good.
Ping pong tournament
Wow. The gradual easing or lockdown and our first visitors. Cue ping pong tournament. You'll be none too surprised to read that I lost. Again.
Lost, again.
Playing chess with H. Lost again. 4:1 down in the series. I was winning too, until I wasn't.
Yogi looking beautiful
No one could have believed, in the closing minutes of the third month of 2021, that minds immeasurably superior to ours were plotting against us.
Garden early spring
Early spring in the garden. Stuff peaking through, saying hello to the new year.
Tubtastic
I can think of worse ways to ease into a relaxing weekend. Like most of the past 52 weekends we're planning not a lot. I might stay here for a while...
COVID home testing
First attempt at COVID home-testing ended up with a void result. Turns out that there's insufficient buffer fluid in the sachets to overcome the surface tension on the inside of the extraction tube. When you invert the extraction tube to get drops of fluid onto the test strip the fluid sticks to the inside of the tube and never makes it to the end.
From a box of three tests we got one success. I guess penny-wise and pound-foolish means you can count a larger world-beating amount for the number of test kits supplied, even if those kits don't work.
You might think that the requirement to report results would let someone wise up to all the void results. But the covide.gov.uk reporting site is a PITA. You have to give it an occupation even though you've already said it's for a student. You have to say what country you're in even though you've already provided a postcode. And the final nail in the coffin? You have to prove that you're not a robot by identifying objects in pictures that are meaningless in British-English. Here fire hydrants are underground so good luck identifying with those bollard things while a crosswalk is about as easy to spot as a cross oak. The UKs GDS even published Design Principles for all this:
> We’re designing for the whole country, not just the ones who are used to using the web. The people who most need our services are often the people who find them hardest to use.
Sorry, I did promise a less snarky C r o s s o a k. It might be a while.
Friday night now burger night
We started lockdown with Friday Night is Movie Night. A year on, Chef F has surpassed the accompanying pizza extravaganza with his amazing burger bar. It encompasses Chef H's trademark secret sauce (a ketchup & mayo mix). Yummy yum.
Ewok found a new bench
Ewok had enough of the pew and opted for a seat that was a bench with a view.
scones
Cream tea for mother's day? Waitose-on-Thames had sold out. Fortunately Mary Berry came to the rescue and I didn't know better than to try.
Beginner's luck or fooled by randomness.
Looking at the back of the daffs
Looking up the garden admiring the view that the daffodil's have. That's why they're all looking the other way.
Running again
Note to self: starting to run in your late 40s, stopping for a month, and then starting again aches. Aches a lot.
Which way the wind blows
"So Yogi, which way does the wind blow?"
"It'll be next month's hair style across the sixth form" he replied "Mark my words".
So far, F has been silent on the issue.
Haircut
F had a haircut. It cost less than the £37 billion allocated to the UK Test & Trace system and, unlike the Commons Public Accounts Select Committee conclusion about Test & Trace, there is clear evidence to judge the haircut's overall effectiveness.
At some point the usual, slight less snarky, service on c r o s s o a k will resume. In the meantime I bet you wished I'd stuck to the abstract stuff.
Tosser
Apparently somebody got upset that Boris has made a right mess of things and has covered the town with appropriate signage.
A f£$%"#g year of Working From the Garden‽
A year ago I started Working from the Garden. What a ‽‽‽‽ of a year.
A year and a bit ago I was in Seattle, stumbling over a prophetic quotation:
> "The 20th Century was about getting around. The 21st Century will be about staying in a place worth staying in."
James Howard Kunstler
c r o s s o a k had more posts last year than in any other. I wonder why.
Looking back to last March I shared these stats:
> In the UK, today is day 53. 8,077 cases, 422 deaths. Twelve days since I was last in the office. Four days since the schools shut. Six days since H came home from university. One day since the government said "shutdown".
The government reported total deaths for the UK as of yesterday was 124,797. Wikipedia's list of UK causalities of war provides some context. It's greater than all UK civilian deaths from conflicts since 1900.
I'm very fortunate to be working, and even more so to be able to work from a garden, but when we look back on this period, I wonder what we will have learnt.
Blinded by the Light
"A bit bright this morning" said Ewok
And, he did.
Walking in Ipsden Woods
Early morning reports from Devon that the weather was brightening up, and an introduction from Hazel to a new spot to walk, resulted in a very pleasant wander around Ipsden woods. The boys were impressed.
Paddling the Thames
Lockdown sucks. A small respite by taking my daily exercise as a float (and occasional paddle) down The Thames from Little Wittenham to Wallingford.
The Trees
Hands up if you're a happy tree!
Or a tree all on your own.
Or a group of trees all in a respectful line. Must be British trees. Always in a queue.
On Thin Ice
Lake Gerald has frozen.
Please, don't do this at home.
Frozen Steppe of South Oxfordshire
Late this afternoon the three boys completed an expedition to Lake Gerald. They determined that Lake Gerald is frozen to a distance of 2m from the shore, at which point Yogi broke through and plunged paw deep into the frozen depths. Mum was not impressed.
The boat house
The boat house house (it's a house on a boat house) at Shillingford is surrounded. More of a boat house island house.
Trouble remembering things
More memory is the solution. But maybe we're happier when we forget things.
It's been a while
The snow gear had shrunk since the last time it was needed.
Frosty morning walk
A frosty morning walk to Castle Meadows just so that Yogi could have a pint of his favourite beverage. Chilled.
It was lovely he said.
The path is muddy and bumpy
The path between Wallingford and Benson was resurfaced. The the river flooded over into the water meadows (like it is supposed to). Then the water retreated. Now the lovely path is muddy and bumpy again. It cycles.
Lockdown Sports
Ten months after the UK locked down for COVID and we're running out of indoor sports.
In the vague chance that you stumble upon this, please please do not try this at home. Or at the shops. Or at the park. And definitely not at school.
Shed. Done (ish)
The shed is done. Not done done. Just done.
The boxes face west, so hopefully won't be too hot, nor too cold. But if they're successful in attracting residents then I might not be able to use the door.
On reflection maybe I didn't plan that bit too well.
A two coffee day
Today was a two coffee day. Recently many days have been like this. I'm blaming a COVID-restrictions induced brain-fog.
Or maybe just a love of coffee.
Woodinville Bear!
Woodinville spent the holidays with S&D next door. He said he'd had a wonderful time, but that he was ready to come home to the front garden.
Avocado Challenge
F, getting ready to challenge Toni to an Avocado growing competition. Results in 5 years.
Winter sun blues
The sun was trying, but only succeeded in making the day feel like a Harry Potter scene. Or an album cover for something Sean would like us to listen to.
Thames Path Disappearing
Between Benson and Wallingford. You can see the old fence that used to be the field boundary almost in the river.
Exercise
My physically-distanced exercise today was collecting the canoe that Tony borrowed during the flood, and wheeling it along the river bank. I would rather have paddled it, and based on the number of people also walking along the path, the water option would probably have been safer.
Snow! 2021 style
It snowed. Just a tiny bit. But it was snow. The last time we had decent snow here was December 2010.
The Clumps in the Distance
A glimpse of The Clumps from the bridleway in Dorchester. Taken on yesterday's ride just before I remembered the river was flooded.
Riding home from Oxford
Up early doors for an MRI with the lovely folks at the Nuffield and then a ride home, cross-country style. It would have been more cross-country, but I forgot that the river was flooded at Dorchester. F said that was no excuse and I should have made it into a triathlon. He's probably right.
It's been a while since I came this way and 9 months of repeating lock-downs and stay-at-home government messaging mean that my cycling legs and cross-country arms aren't what they were. Tired now.
new door new wall
New year, new wall and a new door. Well, almost, still some bits to finish.
You might say this is part 3 in the shed project. Part one was the roof and part two (solar!) powered lighting and USB charging. Progress.
