Tiny adventures

[kaberett]

1. I wandered up behind me_and while we were getting dressed this morning -- or, at least, while I was getting dressed -- to discover that he'd got distracted by entering the search query "how to attract bats", presumably inspired by our having see A Bat over the back garden at dusk the past few nights. "We could get a bat box," he said, slightly defensively, "and put a camera in it." "... and stream it to the big TV?" I asked. "..." said A, to whom this had not occurred, and who had suddenly discovered a potential New Best Friend. Don't get me wrong -- I am utterly delighted by getting to sit on my sofa and watch the bats for half an hour or so; even down in Cornwall you've usually got to wander down the lane a little to get to where they hang out. I am just, also, utterly charmed by A. Which is convenient, really.
   
2. Speaking of which, he continues An Actual Hero in re mortgage applications. Meanwhile, I am sublimating my anxiety about Whether We Get To Keep The House into Welp I'm Just Going To Act Like I Get To Keep The Allotment, so despite no actual paperwork having arrived for me U & I have decided that probably the council is just being slow... so when I went over yesterday evening I took some proto-compost over and fairly thoroughly weeded the smallest raised bed. During which process I found the BRAVEST of tiny carrots, which U has carefully planted in their just-dug-out bed along with some nasturtium seeds, on the grounds that the poor thing deserves a fighting chance.
   
3. I am reading Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor (released in the UK as Sunny and the Mysteries of Osisi) and am consequently, as usual, craving jollof rice and plantain. I have put together tomato stew based on three online recipes, and I've got two ripe plantain plus some bonus cauliflower to cook it all up with for dinner.

Comments

[davidgillon]

Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor (released in the UK as Sunny and the Mysteries of Osisi)

*Boggle* Why? It's not as if Akata Witch doesn't have a big reputation which could usefully boost sales. Whereas Sunny and the Mysteries of Osisi sounds more like it should be filed as a contemporary to The Famous Five and The Secret Seven.

WRT to the allotment, fingers crossed for getting it, and the house, but any work you do will improve it for (a person who is hopefully you, but anyone will still appreciate it). Plus bravest carrots successfully rescued.

WRT cameras and bat-boxes, friend has one streaming from their blue-tit box.

[kaberett]

IT'S ACTUALLY WEIRDER THAN THAT re the Akata series: the first one is apparently called What Sunny Saw In The Flames in the UK edition.

Re allotment, there is of course the ulterior motive that the allotment manager will assume It Woz Me and I will therefore even further ingratiate myself ;)

[davidgillon]

What Sunny Saw In The Flames

*Facepalm*

there is of course the ulterior motive

Gives ulterior motive the thumbs up!

[nou]

So Thursdays are takeaway night in my house, and tonight was going to be Sri Lankan. But I read this first, and now we’re having Ghanaian jollof :D

[kaberett]

This is approximately Nigerian-style and the rice is now cooking. :D

[vass]

Yeah, Nnedi Okorafor made me want to try jollof rice too. But the recipes I found all involve peppers I can't get here, and I haven't found any Nigerian or Ghanaian restaurants. (Ethiopian and Sudanese are no problem at all, there are even injera bakeries near me, but that doesn't help with jollof rice.) *sulk*

the search query "how to attract bats"

That is such a charming search string. I hope he got at least one comic book panel along with the gardening advice.

Crossing fingers for you very hard re the house.

[kaberett]

injera is THE BEST tho

More helpfully re jollof: most of the recipes I'm finding go "eh, use a Scotch Bonnet or habanero for the chilli" (e.g. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018069-jollof-rice), and just to use red bell pepper for tatashe. That's going to give you a slightly different flavour and a slightly different heat level, but peppers vary so much anyway...

[ironed_orchid]

Bats are awesome, and they are the nemesis of mosquitoes, who are my nemesis, so that means we must be friends.

[silveradept]

Much hope for the allotment.

And for the charm to continue for a significant time.