vital functions still ate'nt dead

I last managed to write up a vital functions post (or indeed anything other than a tada list) on, apparently, the 24th of July.

( Embodiment. )

Reading. Since late July I have been almost entirely happily reading yánasenesse | brief sanctuary, Silmarillion fic set in the immediate aftermath of the rescue of Maedhros from Angband by Findekáno. ( Read more... )

Writing. Complaints. Self-advocacy. Instructions on the arcane mysteries of printers.

Watching. The very important arrival of a baby elephant. I had not realised, even on watching, until Adam pointed it out, that all of the adults immediately went WHOA RIGHT NOW STAND BACK until the baby had got itself actually steady on its feet! Presumably because they are worryingly delicate and one when is a large pachyderm one gets Nervous about being anywhere near a small that might at any moment unpredictably flail over underfoot. But it is Very Definitely Adorable to watch the moment where they go "ah! good! we can all go and say hel--FALSE ALARM, retreat retreat retreat."

Playing. We have recently picked up Heaven's Vault, which I bought lo these many years ago. ( Read more... )

Cooking. ( Read more... )

Eating. ( Read more... )

Exploring. ( Greenheyes Farm, Chester )

Creating. I painted Adam colours again for the handfasting! And got the amount of yellow about right this time, being "more than that, no, really, more," which is good to know for next time.

Making & mending. ( Read more... )

Growing. ( Read more... )

Observing. I saw four foxes on our way home from A&E at 1am. We've seen bats in Chester and at the allotment (without the bat detector in either case! the allotment bat conveniently flew very picturesque circles around us!), and I spent last night's horn practice watching the at-home bat do some very pretty aerobatics in silhouette against a beautiful indigo-to-peach gradient of sunset sky.

And! For a birthday present that was arranged at the time and came to fruition at the beginning of the month! A took me to watch badgers at a sett around the back of Wakehurst Gardens, also run by Kew. They were not very cooperative but we did get some excellent posing in some lovely golden evening light, and I did learn a thing about badgers that I did not previously know (they maintain separate latrines!), and it was very quiet and peaceful and pleasant.

... and that, I think, brings us more-or-less up to date...