pumpkinstrokemarrow

The red worms in the compost dustbin were clearly not happy just waiting for their transfer to the compost bin. Making determined bids for escape. Which all goes to show that they must be worms of very little brain as they would be snapped up by the aforementioned birds in no time. However, I have now emptied the dustbin into the bin and most of the worms are back where they are supposed to be. How will they get on with the smell of fresh Dulux Weathershield, which the blurb on the tin suggests should not be used indoors as Dulux cannot be responsible for any unpleasant ailments you might catch in consequence?

Have now received the Autumn newsletter of the chain saw gang. They tell us that they have now chopped down enough trees to make room for 23 cows. So they are now pumping 23 cows worth of global warming into the sky all day every day. A regular 24 by 7 job.They appeal for volunteers to play herdsmen and women: it seems that one is supposed to peer at the cows' tongues every day to make sure that they are not ailing. Why do they bother? Why can't they play at Horton Park Childrens' Farm and leave our common out of it? Possibly because they don't have cows there any more, in case the children touch them and catch some unpleasant ailment that way. Lot of fuss in the papers on this account a year or so ago. But they do have a large play barn where the children can tear around shouting on apparatus. Perhaps this is what Childrens' Farms are really for.

And a little while ago I read in one of our free papers that the chain saw gang have been awarded some award for their management of Epsom Common. To quote the press release: 'Epsom Common Local Nature Reserve has won the Green Flag Award for the first time. The Green Flag scheme, which has been running for 11 years, awards those parks and open spaces judged to be welcoming, safe and well maintained and involve the local community'. Mr Google tells me that the Green Flag award is a subsidiary operation of the 'Keep Britain Tidy' campaign: see http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/. Presumably leaving dead trees lying around does not count as litter.

Picked up a book of reminiscences by J. Conrad yesterday from which I share three snippets. First, it seems that if you are a seaman used to being up close and personal with wild and hellish seas, the idea of drowning in a calm sun-lit pond seems all very calm and peaceful. Not like being sucked into the mouth of hell at all. Second, he gets very hot and bothered about people who talk about casting anchor. He says that anchors are far too heavy for casting; one just drops them. Odd that the casting word should have irritated him so much. Perhaps I will find out as I read on. Third, the magic went out of seafaring for him when sail gave way to steam. A sailing ship was a beautiful, but frail and wayward thing which needed love and art to survive. A steam ship just trudges through. No love or art at all by comparison.