This will hurt me...

When you live on an island (even a comparatively large one), water safety is a useful thing to teach.

Gnome. Boat Harbour, Tasmania. March 2013. A gnome is legendary dwarfish creature alleged to have been brought to Earth to guard the earth's treasures. I believe that blackberries are uncluded. Blackberry Eating , Galway Kinnell I love to go out in late September among the fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries to eat blackberries for breakfast, the stalks very prickly, a penalty they earn for knowing the black art of blackberry-making; and as I stand among them lifting the stalks to my mouth, the ripest berries fall almost unbidden to my tongue, as words sometimes do, certain peculiar words like strengths or squinched, many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps, which I squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well in the silent, startled, icy, black language of blackberry -- eating in late September.

Walking home from school is inherently a good thing.

Ladybird, ladybird fly away home... Coningham Beach, Southern Tasmania. February 2013. Icons of Design: The 20th Century , Albus Volker: A selection of furniture, accessories, household appliances, vehicles and toys that achieved iconic status over the course of the twentieth century. A great use of text and image, well worth a gander. B . The Wars , Timothy Findley: Fantastic Canadian novel that explores male sensitivity in a World War One setting. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Equal parts beautiful and harrowing. A- . God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything , Christopher Hitchens: Hitchens calmly and succinctly dismantles the notion of 'God' across multiple religons a mixture of personal stories, documented historical anecdotes and critical analysis of religious texts. Fantastic. A- . The Year of the Hare , Arto Paasilinna: A Finnish journalist rescues a wild hare that has been hit by a car, and then walks away from his old life. A paean to ...

Another day, another dance routine at a beach...

Theme Thursday and something MAGICAL is in the air. The last time that he saw Billy, he was being hit about the head and shoulders with a block of firewood. To be fair to the woman that was hitting him, Billy was not a very nice person. Billy had a problem with his temper. He did not take kindly to rejection. This was a special challenge, because with Billy’s temperament (among other things) he regularly face people rejecting him. Billy also had a problem with his vocabulary, his personal hygiene, his emotional intelligence, time management skills and his general sense of self. While these things are not unrelated to Billy’s assault; they offer an interesting insight into the nature of alienation in post-industrial societies, the failures of our modern welfare (post-welfare) state, the nihilism inherent in a capitalist, consumption-oriented world whereby success is measured by the wheels on your car, the size of your television set and the specific shade of orange on your girl...

Ezra explains the mechanics of a recently-departed Shaw's Cowfish ( Arcana aurita ).

Walking to work. Murray Street, looking out over Sullivans Cove. March 2013. Wordless Wednesday.

Even the largest of creatures can be harmed by discarded rubbish. Do the world a favour and Take3 .

Electioneering. East Derwent Highway, Geilston Bay. April 2013. Sunday Stealing: The 5000 Question Meme, Part Three A 51. Make up a definition for the following silly words... Fruitgoogle : A very private part of a lady. Ambytime : That point when a binge drinker passes the point of no return. Asscactus : A particularly intimidating sex toy. 52. What was the last thing you made with your own hands? I made an impressive space shuttle out of Klikko the other day. 53. What was your favourite toy as a child? Sand. 54. How many TV’s are in your house? Just the one. It’s rarely ever on these days, thankfully. 55. What is your favourite thing to do outside? Walking, swimming or taking photos. 56. How do you feel when you see a rainbow? I can’t say that I feel anything in particular. 57. Have you ever dreamt a dream that came true? Indeed I have. A naughty dream it was too… 58. Have you ever been to a psychic/ tarot reader? No. I don’t think that I could keep ...

Ezra and Henry take their own turn at fire watching.

Fence. Primrose Sands, Forestier Peninsula. February 2013. As you know, the Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (and RSS feeds.) The following are some things that I've had a look at in the last week. I call this: a Compendium of Click-throughs for Monday Morning... The pleasures and perils of the open-plan office. 'Our Mothers, Our Fathers': Next-Generation WWII Atonement in Germany. Is There Life After Fifty for a Songwriter? 15 Spectacular Hidden Beaches. Go #7! Hagfish slime: The clothing of the future? The Dapper Rebels of Los Angeles, 1966. A Man of His Time: ‘Karl Marx,’ by Jonathan Sperber. Tres cool! Paris 1900-2013 en photos : pilotez notre fabuleuse machine à remonter le temps . The Greatest Unfortunately Timed Baseball Screenshot Ever. Have We Evolved to Be Nasty or Nice?

Does anyone have a twenty-cent coin?

Angry crab. Little Coningham Beach, Coningham. January 2013. Today's Sunday Top Five TEN was prompted by Henry's probing question today regarding my opinion on the fine strand of music known as " The Blues ". Now, by and large I'm a traditionalist, so I belted out a fire and brimstone version of Mannish Boy (complete with simulated audience whoops and hollers) to establish my admiration. Which got me thinking, What Are My Top Ten Blues Songs ? Muddy Waters, Mannish Boy John Lee Hooker, Boom Boom Boom Boom John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Ramblin' On My Mind Blind Willie Johnson, Praise God I'm Satisfied Bessie Smith, Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Ou t Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Born In Chicago Etta James, I'd Rather Go Blind Albert King, Born Under A Bad Sign Big Mama Thornton, Hound Dog Sonny Boy Williamson, Don't Start Me Talkin'