The Best Political Speech of the Decade?

Charmed

Ever since we moved to chez Bigrab in 2005, we have been trying to encourage some of the birds to the garden that we used to have as visitors to our old house. Problem is that in our old place we were surrounded by mature trees whereas we now have open farmland to the back of the house. Whilst we have a great view and there are plenty trees, they are probably a bit far away for the smaller birds to feel secure.

We have had plenty seagulls starlings and crows, but gradually by putting up feeders which attract the smaller birds whilst keeping the bigger ones out, we’ve had sparrows, blue tits, great tits and various finches.

This morning – BINGO! we were visited by a charm (surely the king of collective nouns) of goldfinches. I managed to grab the video camera from which I lifted this still.

From Private Eye

Entitled “EU-phemisms”

Canoe Believe It?

I ordered this item yesterday and now await its arrival. Whilst out cycling alongside Loch Lomond I’ve been watching folk in canoes and kayaks and thought it looked like fun. At Center Parcs we have several times hired a family “Kata-kanu” which is as the name suggests a double hulled craft. For some reason it always has me (in da-da-da style) singing the theme from Hawaii Five O (an alternative opening sequence to the one below had several Hawaiians paddling like fury in a canoe), which galvanises my kids into rare unanimity “DAD!!” “STOP IT!!”

Mrs Bigrab’s main concern (other than that I had perhaps lost my mind) was that a canoe/kayak would “take up too much room” in the garage so the one you see here is an inflatable job which folds away to hold-all size. It’s a Canadian style canoe which is only really suitable for calm conditions or gentle rivers (no white water/knuckle stuff for me!) and can take two adults or an adult and two kids. I think this is going to be fun.

Here is my favourite TV theme of all time.