Vermilion Sands
An occasional journal
Cloud of the Day: Iridescent Cirrus fibratus
Jun 15th 2018
And here’s the crowd of the day: Jill’s leaving party at the library. Booze for breakfast!
Admin2 is reading Salt by Adam Roberts, actually a rather nasty war book.
Cloud of the Day: Cumulus mediocris
Jun 14th 2018
Storm Hector blew in today with a lot of blustery winds but hardly any rain. We have only had 3mm this month so far.
Admin1 has been rewatching Wire in the Blood and is now rereading The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid.
Cloud of the Day: Virga
Jun 10th 2018
Airborne jellyfish.
Admin1 is reading The Rat Stone Serenade by Denzil Meyrick (amateurish, cliche-ridden, feeble humour). Admin2 is reading The Reckoning by Yrsa Sigurdardottir.
No. 1 song on our 14th birthdays (a current meme allegedly): Admin1: Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Admin2 (oh god): Johnny Remember Me, but she remembers the most memorable song of those days as I Remember You.
We scored 9.33 on the GWQ.
Sunny Afternoon
Jun 9th 2018
This brilliant segment of halo briefly appeared in the sky and nobody on the crowded street looked up; they were all engrossed in their phones.
Coffee of the day: Java Jampit.
Sun
Jun 7th 2018
Admin1 is reading After the Crash by Michel Bussi (compulsively readable, and full of Frenchness). Admin2 is reading The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths.
Out of the Door
Jun 3rd 2018
The cats went outside for the first time today.
Admin1 is reading The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths. Admin2 is reading A House of Knives by Willam Shaw.
Coffee of the day: Colombia Finca las Mercedes la Isla; rich and dark like the Sultan of Brunei.
We scored 11 on the GWQ, mostly through wild guesses.
Waiting at the Window
Jun 2nd 2018
The cats still have not been let outside. Tomorrow maybe.
Admin1 is reading Dead Silent by Mark Roberts. Admin2 is reading The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths.
Flower of the Day: Peony
May 31st 2018
This May has been our sunniest month of all time (and not only for us). The solar panels did 286.060kWh, over 23kWh more than our previous best month of July 2014 and the first time we’ve averaged over 9kWh/day. It was also the driest and warmest May since our records began: there was only 18.9mm of rain, and the average daily high temperature was 23.1°C.
Admin1 is reading Blood Mist by Mark Roberts, which was a bit weird — more horror than crime.
Woods Fire
May 30th 2018
A small fire in a pub called The Woods.
Admin1 was reading Twisted Prey by John Sandford (reliably entertaining) and is now reading something else so we have to keep posting to keep up. Admin2 is reading A Song from Dead Lips by William Shaw.
Allotments
May 28th 2018
We went to the allotments open day hoping to get some beans or tomatoes but they were all gone. We did get some random plants and Admin1 got an oak tree.
Admin1 is reading The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths.
Café del día: Rancheros Mahogany Roast: chocolatey. We scored 8 on the GWQ.
Sunshine
May 27th 2018
Another >12kWh day; probably the last this month which has already outshone all previous Mays. Admin2 is reading the unseasonal Snow by Adam Roberts.
Admin1 is reading A Book of Scars by William Shaw, the third in a really excellent crime series set in London in the late sixties. Beautifully characterised and plotted, and superbly written; there are cameos from various 60s luminaries, including art dealer Robert Fraser, the Apple Scruffs, John Lennon and George Harrison, and visits to such 60s landmarks as the Roundhouse and Middle Earth, and the Albert Hall during the ‘Alchemical Wedding‘ event, famed for Lennon/Ono bagism. The legacy of African colonialism also plays a large part. Terrific books.
Raindrops on Rhododendrons
May 25th 2018
A rainy day for a change. Admin1 is reading A House of Knives by William Shaw.
Happy Birthday Dave
May 24th 2018
Admin1 is reading A Song from Dead Lips by William Shaw. Admin2 is reading The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths.
Coffee of the day: Kenya AA Blue Mountain: bitter and citric but tasty.
We scored 10.5 on the GWQ, which we had saved for Dave’s birthday, thanks to Dave.
Cloud of the Day: Manspreading
May 23rd 2018
Admin1 is reading The Reckoning by Yrsa Sigurdadottir. Admin2 is reading The Killing Connection by TF Muir.
Pigeon Post
May 20th 2018
This crazy bird perched on the weather station and went for a spin on the anemometer.
Admin1 is watching Doctor Who series 10 and reading The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths. Admin2 is reading The Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood: fun stories about old people getting up to dirty tricks.
Cats’ Cradle
May 18th 2018
Meet Titan (big and bright orange) and Ganymede (pale and pretty). Titan was originally the forthcoming cat but he turned very shy while Ganymede came out of his shell and amused everybody with his entertaining acrobatics. Now they are both out and proud.
Admin2 is reading The American Lover by Rose Tremain.
Crescent Moon and Venus
May 17th 2018
A lovely sight that we almost missed. Minutes later the moon dived behind the trees.
Admin1 is reading The Killing Connection by TF Muir, an excellent crime novel set in St Andrews with an engaging plot and sharp dialogue; reminiscent of Ian Rankin, no bad thing.
Evening Sundog
May 15th 2018
Yesterday was one of our sunniest days ever, and the best for nearly three years: 12.985kWh. Today was not much worse: 12.288kWh.
Admin1 is reading The Darkness by Ragnar Jonassen — disappointing, with a rather incompetent wet hen of a heroine, despite being constantly told what a great detective she is.
We are watching The City & The City.
Say Halo to Heaven
May 13th 2018
Best solar panel day this year: 11.83kWh.
Admin2 got fed up with 4321 and is now reading Fall from Grace by Tim Weaver.
We scored a pathetic 5 on the GWQ.