A Turn Around the Grounds

 I had intended to do some gardening today, but the West Wind is bitter (and, as I type this, it has just rained), so instead of getting cold and mucky outside, I have sorted out some photos from yesterday's turn around the grounds. 

 Above, the daffodils I planted on the embankment behind Hexenhäusli Device when we first moved in are in full force.  And below, my shade garden behind the garage has been brightened by blooms:

 There have been some changes since this time last year: I moved the pheasant berry/Himalayan honeysuckle (Lycesteria formosa) from its pot next to the table into the ground next to the square compost heap (you can see its tall, dark red stems at the back right of the photo above).  In its place I put the chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) which is going great guns and competing with the Pyracantha (behind the pheasant berry).  It's also flowering, as you can see on the right.

"Julian fingering Fanny's lip"*

1983 Bantam Books cover

by Yvonne Gilbert

 It's almost the end of the year, so here are most of the things I've read, watched and listened to since my last update back in September.  Unfortunately, I don't have much time to spend on this as I need all the time I can get to work on the end-of-year roundup - which I've barely begun - Eeeek! (The observant amongst you will notice that I copied this intro from last year's end-of-year update because it's still relevant.)

 

Read

Oh, gods, it's been a year and I'm still struggling through Little, Big by John Crowley.  And I haven't even re-read anything either!  We'd better quickly move on to the next category...

Watched

⸰ The Vast of Night (Prime Video) - I could not make out what the male lead was saying for much of this alien abduction film.  His accent and specific 50s dialogue combined to become almost impenetrable to me.

⸰ Star Trek: Lower Decks, S3 eps 7-10 (Prime Video) - Amazing! The finale was so exhilarating, but rather than post a video of that and ruin it for anyone who may want to watch it without spoilers, here is a clip from an earlier episode.

 

"Thanks again for the mimosas."

GPE #9 : IDV's Fruity Goings On

My favourite fuchsia: Blacky

 

I N E X P L I C A B L E   D E V I C E' S

Divided Loyalties

 I didn't spend as much time in - or any money on, I've just realised - my garden this year, mainly because it was either occupied by The Parents or was far too hot!  So, this year's garden photos aren't really any different to last years - although there are one or two exceptions, of course.  In fact, I felt much more excited about my allotment, even though it's more work (despite never looking much like any work has been done on it at all!).  So, because I couldn't decide between them, just like with Mr Tonking's Garden Photos Event tour, mine is also divided into two: my allotment, and some snaps from the Hexenhäusli Device garden. 

 

 First, the allotment through the seasons:

 

April

 

After a bit of a tidy up and some digging

Apple blossom from later in the month

Knicknacs and Odds-n-Sods

 Before we get to what may be the final part of our Epic Collaboration - yes, I know, but nothing good lasts forever - and Terrifying Triffidery at the end of the mon-

 Which reminds me: those of you who haven't emailed us your garden photos and triffids, you don't have much time left - We want them in by 29th October!

We told you we'd be nagging and haranguing until then.

And probably afterwards, too...

 Anyway, before all that, here are a couple of knicknacks and a mish-mash of stuff We've been up to that doesn't revolve around epic blogging and gardening:

 

There was a reason for Lenny being here but it escapes me now...

 

Bike ride to Gimingham on the 12th:

On the way through Trimingham, I engaged in a staring contest with...

... these three roe deer.  I lost (they had the advantage of numbers).

Sunday Ketchup - IDV's Copy/Paste Edition

 I've realised that I'm in danger of never blogging ever again unless I do something NOW!  So, taking a leaf out of Ms Scarlet's book - almost literally, and with her permission (kind of) - here's my quick-and-dirty, copy-and-paste Sunday Ketchup. 

From Ms Scarlet's 5th December Sunday Ketchup post: 

"Sunday Ketchup. It will be a random account of my week and will include quotes from my journal [my very secret journal that I show no-one ever!]; photographs; collages; calligraphy; and, of course, the obligatory piece of Sunday music. How thrilled you must be to read of my good intentions. Again. Let us proceed…"

 My week - nay, my weeks - since my last post have been spent continuing the dither that engulfed me at the start of the year.  It's got to the point where I've become a passive observer rather than an active participant, which means I've barely done anything of note at all.

 I haven't produced any calligraphy of course, but I did spend 10-15 minutes making a £999,960 Bank of Bungle bank note for my sister Indescribable's birthday earlier in the week.  She wanted a million pounds so I topped up the £40 John Lewis voucher I got for her with this:

Spot the mistake (which I corrected after I took this photo)...
 

 In my very secret journal I wrote: A rescue - from [a spiral in(g) time] - a survivor, Galuth Nym, an old woman who should be young.

 From my emails I wrote: Thanks very much for sorting Car out. Again. I’m sure it won’t be the last time – unless I get a new car sooner rather than later...

 Photograph of the week: 

Taken for an art project that never took off...
 

 A tune that I discovered yesterday and have listened to rather a lot: "Impossible" by Röyksopp & Alison Goldfrapp

 

In fact, I'm listening to it now...

 Right.  I'd best be off as there's loads to do before I can lounge about in the bath for a couple of hours this evening.  Plus, I need to do the catch up with all of you that I didn't do last time.

P.S. I love all your comments in the last post.  Carry on! 

EDIT 20:40 - P.P.S. For a birthday I usually forget... (not mine, although I did shoot this on my birthday 12 years ago)

"Aunty Anne just gobbed at us."

 It's almost the end of the year, so here are most of the things I've read, watched and listened to since my last update back in September.  Unfortunately, I don't have much time to spend on this as I need all the time I can get to work on the end-of-year roundup (which I've barely begun - Eeeek!).

Read

⌑  Light from Uncommon Stars (2021), by Ryka Aoki - I read this to learn more about trans people and because the premise sounded bonkers (cursed violins and alien-replicated donuts, anyone?), and also because it was likened, in style and feeling, to Becky Chambers' (one of my favourite authors) novels.  The descriptions and world-building were good - everything came alive easily in my head - and it felt clean and comfortable (despite some horrible transphobia and ignorance-fueled violence suffered by Katrina, one of the main characters).  Secondary characters seemed to get short shrift, though (Lan Tran's family in particular) - I didn't feel I got to know them, they just did things.  Overall, I rather liked it, but probably won't revisit it.

⌑  White Trash Warlock (2020), by David R. Slater - This one I read because of this part of the description in the Tor review: "This is no Chosen One narrative—this is a regular guy, who just happens to have a bit of magic, trying to do his best in life."  Although I quite liked it, I probably won't go back to this one (or any sequels) either.

⌑  Little, Big (1981), by John Crowley - I'm only about a fifth of the way through (if that), and I'm finding it hard-going (it's not an easy read like the previous two novels), but it is quite fascinating.

ReRead

⌑   The Indispensible Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson - Just a delight, as always.

[strip via]

"I don't think that's a tower full of cows..."

 After the Garden Photos Event announcement and various Star Trek-related scribbles, sketches, and photo-comics, I thought it was time to get back to a post full of photographs.  And, unlike many photos displayed here over the past few years, you may be surprised to discover that some of them are of subject matter never before seen on this blog!

 First of the unseen-til-now is the lake at Felbrigg.  I was dragged across fields and countryside by my sister, Inexcuseable, her husband, and Count Podgkinson (although he spent quite a lot of time in his pushchair... lucky sod), on a boiling hot day back in mid-September.  It was all right, I suppose...

There were cormorants!

Not The Device Mansion Gardens: The Sequel

 Yesterday saw a return to the Old Vicarage Gardens in East Ruston. But this time, instead of going on my own to spend as much time as I liked there in peace and quiet, I reluctantly agreed to go with my sister, Inexcuseable, and three year old nephew, Count Podgkinson.
 Needless to say, much of the visit passed by in a blur - which wasn't as bad as it seemed as most of the gardens had obviously had their day and were looking a bit tired.  However, I did manage to get some snaps of a handful of unusual or distinctive flowers.

These are seed heads from some sort of ghastly lily, I think?

A feathery, clockwise-curving fern

Threatening Orchids

  I took these photos this morning, then visited Dinahmow's to discover that she's threatening orchids, too.  Hers are bound to be far more spectacular than the three here in Château DeVice, so consider this post a warm-up for the show at Dinah's!

The kitchen windowsill at Château DeVice

This tiny, pretty little orchid came from Waitrose a couple of months ago

This one was a gift from one of my cousins last year

And this blousy beauty showing off in the smallest room, I've had for years!

It's managed to survive two or three moves (I know I had it when I was with SP, and I may have had it before that) - one more to go before it equals Margaret 2.0's record (maysherestinpeace).  Its smaller, pink companion, gave up the ghost late last year (last seen here next to Prince Harry's underpants) 

  I don't know the names of these orchids - and I can't be arsed to find out - but I'm sure Dinah or Jon, The Official Plant-Spotter of Castlette DeVice and its Extensive Witchdom, may have some ideas...

The Stars Are Coming Out Tonight*

  I said I was "going to map out the constellations and try to get Camera to take longer exposure photographs", and I did!  Well, I managed to do half of it.  Kind of...
  While I couldn't find any way to take a longer-than-30-seconds exposure photo, I did start mapping out the constellations.  And bugger me it's difficult!  I had to brighten the photos even more (and mess around with the contrast, which left the stars surrounded by rectangular pixellated halos), and pore through books, star charts, and the interwebs to make sure I'd got the right stars in the right place.  And even now I'm not sure that I have.  
  Oh, and I also found out that the two non-Orion photos in the previous post are upside down (depending on where you stand and which way you're facing...).

  Anyway, the following are photos I took on 6th January - the last clear night here (it's been overcast, misty, and down right murky ever since).   

The photo on the left is the original,  unadulterated 30 sec exposure shot; the one on the right is after I'd buggered around with the brightness and contrast sliders on Computron.

  Here's Orion over the scary house on the cliff again.  The glow isn't from the scary house though, no, it's from a bloody Nightship stop!  Somehow, I was unaware that Overstrand was serviced by the Nightship.  I didn't think the village entertained enough of the usual sort who'd use such a method of transportation?  Although, it would explain some of the raucousness that goes on outside my bedroom window some nights...

Two sides to every story...

 ... and two sides to my book case.

 I have vague recollections of threatening to show you my bookcase towards the end of last year. I don't know whose blog this threat was left at, but I don't think it was mine?
 Anyway, as a warm-up to another year of reading-
  And because we've got shit-all else to blog about!
 Well. Yes. Um... Here is our bookcase. The upstairs one, not the downstairs one which is a bit higgledy-piggledy, and stuffed with gardening and recipe books.
  Not to mention Inexcuseable's cat books, Elvis collection, and Twilight novels, and her husband's fishing and DIY books.

Embigulatory probing can be effected by clicking...

... and I only had to do a modicum of "weeding"

 As I've shown you mine, will you show us yours?

 Snippets of Mago's have already been released, and Hound's bathroom bookshelf has been seen out and about in public, but there's always room for more!


 UPDATE 12.02.2017 : LẌ's industrial-strength shelves are on display here, and MrPeenee is on a promise...

 UPDATE 23.02.2017 : In fact, just pop to The Very Mistress's for a handy list of all who have taken part (so far)... 

300 Screaming Kids...

... or On This Day...

 I was just trawling through my dusty old archives, and wondered what we were up to on this day in the years gone by.
 It turns out that in 2007 we celebrated the 300th post of Inexplicable DeVice.
 In 2008 we screamed:

 And in 2010 we became an unwilling babysitter.

 That's it. Oh, some stuff happened in 2005, but it really needs an overhaul before I link to it, and I really can't be bothered right now - mainly because I'm tired and want to go to bed!

 See you all at the weekend! 

 

Weekend Walkies III (lazy)

 I wanted to post something else, but my innate laziness kicked in, so you're going to have to put up with this.

 After a whole morning yesterday - and half the afternoon - spent gazing into the depths of the Demonbox and eating fruit jellies and chocolate, I hauled my carcass out the door and into the woods behind Castlette DeVice for some fresh air. I didn't go far, only venturing on to Smallhopes Hill, and didn't even take any photos of note, but, as I have a conspicuous absence of anything else to post at the mo, I'm going to show you, anyway.

Join my united Zoid army or DIE!*

 Well, here we are again with another update on books read so far this year. As usual, you don't have to take much heed, as this is just a memory aid for when I do the Coven Awards at the end of the year.

 Right. On with the show, then!
 

11. First Frontier (Star Trek), by Diane Carey and Dr. James I. Kirkland

 Star Trek and dinosaurs! What could be better?

 Actually, this novel could be better. While the composite parts of it are entertaining/intriguing/wondrous/slash-fic (urgh, thanks, Diane), they don't come together to create  a coherent sum. All-in-all, a surprisingly scientific (I imagine thanks must go to Dr Kirkland for that), but light & fluffy read.
 

If this is a fairy story,
it's akin to one of the
original Grimm tales

12. Animal Farm, by George Orwell

 I found this a bookcase at The Parents' and managed to nab it before Indescribable got her paws on it. I'd heard of it, naturally, but only had the vaguest idea of what it was about (I don't recall seeing the animated film when I was younger, although there's a good chance I might have done). Suffice it to say, that I was bitterly disappointed that there wasn't a happy ending, despite being aware of George's other works (I'm looking at you, 1984). If this was a TV show, I'd've been shouting at the screen before giving up and changing the channel to something more light-hearted. Friends, for example. What a horrible - but well written and observed - book.

13. The Mysterious Maid Servant, by Barbara Cartland

 This was an amusing gift from the late SP that I had forgotten about until I found it while clearing out some drawers. I'd never read anything by Dame Barbara before, so I thought I'd give it a try.
 While hardly Pulitzer worthy, it's not quite as bad as the novels of Dame Sally Markham...

 

14. Beam Me Up, Scotty, by James Doohan (with Peter David)

 Yes, this is Doohan's autobiography, and no, it's not a Star Trek novel. Although, a small part of it is Star Trek-related, obviously.
 In fact, the Star Trek part is probably the least interesting. Doohan doesn't go into any great depth or detail about his time with Star Trek, probably because it's all been said before by other authors and biographers. Instead, we are treated to Doohan's early family life; his experiences in England during World War II (in particular his part in the D-Day landing at Normandy); his first forays into acting; being typecast as Scotty; his friendship with Gene Roddenberry and Leslie Nielsen (amongst others); and his three marriages. 
 This is not a tell-all type biography, rather it is like a general overview of his life. A bit like an appetiser, I suppose? But there's no main course to follow, which is a shame, as the life of James Doohan seems to have been anything but dull!

15. The Woman Who Died A Lot, by Jasper Fforde

 The seventh novel in the Thursday Next series, and the first one I actually read. I totally judged this book by its cover which is why I bought it at the end of 2013 (along with The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter). It was the first book I read in 2014, and I've just finished reading it again having read the first six books in the series throughout 2014 and 2015. It makes more sense now I have knowledge of what had happened before and it is still my favourite in the series.

16. Zoids Annual, published by Marvel/Grandreams

 Having spent an hour or so caught up in the Zoids wiki with no recollection of how I go there, I remembered that I have a box of Zoids in the loft which includes the Zoids Annual. Before procrastination or forgetfulness could kick in, I was up the ladder into the roof-space trying to find the box that contained my Zoids amongst the boxes that contained a myriad of other items (Transformers, books, Christmas decorations, old school work, tea sets etc).
 Once found, it was a quick read having only 62 pages, but the stories and artwork hold up surprisingly well. There's even one of those multiple-choice story-game things where you progress through the story depending upon the roll of a die. I rolled a 1 to begin which meant I played the game as Gore. Despite being one of the most powerful Blue Zoids and destroying a Hellrunner, a Red Zark, and a Z-Ray, I came a cropper after rolling a 3 and getting blown up by two more Z-Rays. Bummer.

* Post title from page 31.

 

Preparation for the Infomaniac Garden Photos Event

As it's only a couple of months away, I thought I'd better get prepared for the annual Infomaniac Garden Photos Event.

I'm going back to my roots this year (no pun intended) in having only a back passage to bring forth into luxuriant green growth. From 1998 to 2008, I lived in a small rented terrace house with only a concreted passageway with which to call the shots in plant wise. There was a back lawn and paysho*, and a paved & gravelled front, but these were generally maintained by the landlord, so I made do with gardening in pots. As you can see below:

Then, in 2009, I moved in with my SP** in his large-gardened semi-detached property and suddenly had a whole, proper garden (front and back) to contend with. Here are some photos from our time together:

After we parted in September last year (anything but acrimoniously), I moved in with my sister, Inexcuseable DeVice (maiden name, as she's married). As she and her husband maintain their front and rear, I have been instructed to "do something out the back door as I hate seeing all that concrete!" So, I've made a start and I'm hoping it'll turn out something like my original back passage as the year progresses:

   
As you can see, the plants are coming on nicely. The top photo is from a month ago, and the bottom one from the other day.  Roll on August!


* Because I find the word patio vulgar.
** For those who don't know, or have forgotten, this is an SP.

Keeping up appearances

Right.  Now that we've made the first tentative step from over the Cusp and back into Blogworld, we'd better keep the momentum up so that we don't stall again. 
Let's get on with it then, shall we?
OK, OK! Don't rush me!
* sigh *


I suppose I should let you know some of what's kept us away before we dive headlong back into this blogging lark, having at it as if we've never been away?

Firstly, I think the horror of winning The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts again may have had something to do with it.
Then there was my separation from SP back in September, followed immediately by insinuating ourselves into Inexcuseable's (and her husband's) modest castle. Castlette? Pied-à-Castle?
Recently, we've been contending with the imminent expulsion of Indescribable's demonspawn from her foetid womb, and SP's departure from this mortal realm for somewhere more... satisfying, I hope.

Oh, and then there's the more mundane (and sometimes, more horrifying) reasons:

• Commuting 2.5 hours a day to & from the Host's place of employment.
• Contending with six months of shitting winter!
• Reading.
• Genetically engineering more aerodynamic flying monkeys.
• Contributing to (and getting lost in) Memory Beta.
• Tolerating Inexcuseable's three cats.
• Squeezing in televisual treats such as Criminal Minds, The Middle, Modern Family, Grimm, Futurama, Alphas, Harry Hill's You've Been Framed, Being Human, In The Flesh and even Glee!
• Avoiding buckets of water and falling farmhouses.

Anyway (Piggy's favourite word), enough of me reeling off excuses perfectly cromulent reasons for not blogging, as I know some of you saw mention of The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts and will be beside yourselves in anticipation of the compo. Fear not, I shall be hosting it very soon as I want rid of the despicable things!

Now, be off with you as I have things to attend to.

Babysitting nightmare

So much for a relaxing night in in front of the telly. SP only agreed to 'babysit' Medusa's son - then promptly went out himself leaving me to deal with the gorgon-spawn.
I don't know why he even needs babysitting? I mean, he's bloody 19!

Oh, don't look the image in the eyes - That whole petrification thing still works.

Hmmm... Probably should have mentioned that first...

Where's Witchface?

Well, I expect you want to know what I've been up to seeing as I haven't been around much lately?

Don't you?

Ah, well. Even if you don't I'm telling you anyway!

Firstly, I'm going to let you know why I've been absent: It's because I've been exceptionally tired. And not for the reasons you may think.
No. I've been walking to work for the last few weeks. More, actually. I started walking when the weather was really bad and the foot or so of snow we had didn't disappear because it was so cold! Now, work is only three miles or so away, but navigating through the snow and avoiding incompetent drivers added about 20 minutes to the normal 10 minute drive. Plus, I usually park about a mile from work (because I refuse to pay the extortionate car park prices) which means I have a 15-20 minute walk anyway.
So, I decided to walk to and from work - 40 minutes each way - which meant getting up earlier and, therefore, getting home later than usual. And once home, I still have my Desperate Housewife duties to attend to as well as walking Moom!
To top it all off, work has been exceptionally shit lately which I find tiring. Depressing, stressful and frustrating - These are three of the nicest words I can use to describe it. Ug. I don't even want to talk about it anymore.
Now, you might ask why I don't use Broom for the commute? Well, it's because the mornings are too light now to go flying around for all and sundry to see. Plus, the Civil Service doesn't take too kindly to witchcraft, for some reason, and therefore doesn't provide the requisite landing facilities for non-VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing, for those not in the know) brooms.
[Broom via]
The one good thing about all this walking is that I'm not using Car so much. This is a good thing because petrol is now £1.27 a litre! Or at least it was a week ago when I last filled up - It's probably £1.30 now. £71.00 it cost me to fill up. Seventy one shitting pounds! And to make matters worse, I had to fork out £245.00 for a year of Road Tax. It's ridiculous! I don't want to talk about this anymore, either.

~

So, I suppose I'd better tell you what I've been doing. Sadly, due to the above reasons, I haven't been doing much.

Along with SP, I've entertained various family & friends, including an exceptionally hot demon who works with SP. I'm going to have to keep an eye on their burgeoning bromance. Actually, it's gone well past the bromance stage - They're now calling each other Work Husbands!I've tidied up the garden and got rid of the corpses of those plants that didn't make it through the bitter winter, and there were a lot of them, let me tell you. This spring is going to be very expensive...
One of the casualties was an old 'friend':
Margaret 2.0's whithered carcass has been tastefully interred hacked to bits and dumped unceremoniously onto the compost heap. Unfortunately, SP wouldn't let her in the house due to her size (too many glasses of fertiliser on the paysho, methinks), so she was banished to the sunroom. Which gets very cold in winter due to having no heating and far too much ventilation - Basically, it's shed with windows. Poor Margaret couldn't cope with a second vicious winter in that room and gave up the ghost.

Here she is in happier times with Car:

Last weekend I half prepared the vegetable patch - I'll finish it off this weekend, weather permitting. I also pruned the cherry trees - Well, I pruned one and had a half-hearted attempt at the other before giving up after being stabbed one too many times in the eyes by errant twigs.Only a few books have been read, but plenty of Sudoku has been done!

Today I had a much needed day off work and went clothes shopping. It turned out to be most successful, to my surprise. I managed to find some slim-fit black casual trousers that were long enough in the leg, three fitted shirts and two thin jumpers to go over them, a nicely detailed long sleeve T-shirt plus some bargain hi-cut canvas boots (that I'm sure 'Petra won't approve of).I've also been making other worlds and living other lives.

Right. I'm off to unwind with my iTim.

In case you are watching...

A rose by any other name...

Well, luckily, this rose is actually named Roses! And, yes, she does smell as sweet.
How do I know this? Why, let me tell you a story...


It was a Sunday afternoon. Yesterday, in fact. I had decided to pop into the city to purchase a present for SP - It's his birthday on 6th Feb, you see. However, knowing the parking is horrendous, I decided to take a chance and risk flying in on Broom in the hope that I could land surreptitiously somewhere and disguise my ride as a dead bush, or something.
I should have known it would never be that simple...

Everything was going swimmingly - or flyingly - until I neared the Lanes. There was sufficient low altitude cloud cover to obscure me from the commoners below, and enough chimneys and other rooftop furniture to allow me to descend into a back alley without being seen.
What I hadn't counted on was a flock of roosting pigeons being startled into flight by the sudden strident tones of a, frankly rubbish, busker.

Broom's bristles were soon overcome by the battering of desperately ascending pigeons, as was I. I must've looked like Tippi Hedren from The Birds except not on a boat. Anyway, Broom gave up the ghost and started a headlong plummet, luckily, straight into a deserted Old Post Office Yard which is right next to Frank's Bar. Unluckily, there was someone right where I hadn't intended to land.

"Ow!" she said as I clonked her on the elbow with Broom as I swerved at the last minute.
"Oof!" I said after hitting the trellis in the courtyard.
"What the Hell?!" she exclaimed, advancing on me while rubbing her elbow.
"I'm terribly sorry" I began in way of apology. "I didn't- Roses? Is that you!?"
"IDV?!"
It seemed I had the luck (she obviously didn't) to nearly land on Norwich's only other Infomaniac Bitch - Someone for whom I wouldn't have to make up a ridiculously convoluted story about why I hit her with a broomstick. Yay! I'd clobbered someone I knew!

Anyway, we found ourselves in Frank's Bar enjoying coffee, bread and cakes as we whiled away the afternoon and got to know each other. Look, here we are smiling and everything*:


Roses really is as beautiful as her name. And she's generous - She bought me coffee and cake, even after I almost squashed her!
It's my turn to buy next time, though.

You can read all about Roses version of events - scurrilous lies, the lot of it - here.




* Well, Roses is smiling. I think I'm muttering or something. Why I didn't stop when I took the photo I don't know!