Vermilion Sands
An occasional journal
Two Fools
Jul 11th 2019
Admin1 made these delicious puddings from garden raspberries, strawberries and mint. We felt virtuous cultivating our own desserts.
Admin1 is reading Down Cemetery Road by Mick Herron and Admin2 is reading Joe Country, also by Mick Herron. The northern sky is filled with noctilucent clouds, additionally illuminated by the moon.
Face of Food
Jul 8th 2019
No interesting weather today so here is Audrey’s dinner, featuring our new plates and table mats.
Admin1 is reading Falling Freely, as if in a Dream by Leif GW Persson, but gave up after 100 pages ‘cos it was dull. Admin2 is reading Truecrime by Jake Arnott, a sardonic story of the London crimimal underworld and the acting profession.
We are drinking Yirgacheffe coffee (fruity and tasty) and scored 9 on the GWQ
Critter of the Day: Painted Lady
Jul 6th 2019
Vanessa Cardui, a migrant from Africa, sitting on the road. Fun fact: it is the only species of butterfly ever recorded in Iceland.
Admin1 is reading The Shadow Killer by Arnaldur indridason.
Iridescence
Jul 5th 2019
One of many fine clouds in the sky today.
Admin2 is reading The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh; an Indian family saga.
Out Today
Jul 3rd 2019
First passion flowers and waterlilies.
Admin1 is reading The Wanderer by Michael Ridpath. Admin2 is reading Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, a 100-year old novel about miserable Japanese men; about half of which is literally a suicide note.
Critter of the Day: Red Admiral
Jul 1st 2019
First this year.
June 2019 was our second least sunny June (200.302kWh), the wettest month since September 2017 (93.9mm) and the coldest June since 2012 (averaging 21.6°C).
Admin2 is reading Murder in the Crooked House by Soji Shimada; a 350-page logic problem.
Fly Away
Jun 29th 2019
A small plane flies over on the hottest day of the year so far: 31.7 °C.
Admin2 is reading The Vinyl Detective: Flip Back by Andrew Cartmel.
We scored 10 on the GWQ.
I’m in Love and It’s a Sunny Day
Jun 27th 2019
Clear blue skies after a cloudy start and >12kWh.
Admins1 & 2 have been married for 18 glorious years.
We are watching Better Call Saul (thx Dave) and drinking cold brewed coffee.
Hymn and er…
Jun 26th 2019
This monumental piece of manufactured plagiaristic trash has appeared in the city centre, and it looks like nobody cares.
Purple Rain
Jun 25th 2019
It has been a horrible cold cloudy wet day today but it has brought out some fine colour coordinated flowers.
Admin1 is reading Joe Country by Mick Herron — thanks Admin2! Admin2 is reading Falling Freely, as if in a Dream (good title) by Leif GW Persson; a fictitious investigation into the murder of Olof Palme.
Happy Birthday Chris
Jun 24th 2019
Burgers, beer and pigs in blankets. A proper manly meal. And look at our Matisse.
Street Party
Jun 23rd 2019
A view from the drone. Not as sunny or as well-attended as previous years, but the rain held off until 6pm.
Admin1 is reading Yellowhammer by Henry, James. Admin2 is reading Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh; mythology, migration and an Indian merchant of Venice.
We are drinking Rwandan Maraba coffee and scored 10.5 on the GWQ.
Solsticial Noctilucents
Jun 21st 2019
The drone soars above another fine crop of noctilucents at 11.30pm; here’s its view:
They were still high in the sky in the midnight hour. Happy Birthday Twins!
Cloud of the Day: Teddy bear with one ear
Jun 19th 2019
It’s coming for you.
Admin1 is reading The Absolution by Yrsa Sigurdadottir. Admin2 is reading The Wanderer by Michael Ridpath; more trouble in Iceland.
First Noctilucent Clouds of the Year
Jun 18th 2019
Taken from the drone, just after midnight; ISO400, 1 second exposure.
And here they are from the ground:
Rainbow at Sundown
Jun 17th 2019
A glorious double rainbow in a golden evening sky marks the end of a grey cloudy day.
Admin1 is reading The Island by Ragnar Jonasson
Flower of the Day: Roadside poppy
Jun 16th 2019
Admin2 is reading The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman, a steampunkish story of photography, spiritualism, magic, financial advice and a Victorian weapon of mass destruction.
We scored 12 on the GWQ
Critters of the Day: Ladybirds
Jun 15th 2019
The ladies are a bit blurred because they wouldn’t stop twerking.
Today is St Swithun’s Day. According the legend the next forty days will be wet and gloomy. Already we have had more rain this month than in any month since March 2018, and we’re only halfway through.
Admin2 has been reading Keep Your Friends Close by June Taylor, a melodramatic crime novel set in Leeds and full of misdirection and implausible coincidences.
Raindrops on Foxgloves
Jun 13th 2019
Another in a long line of cold wet miserable days.
Admin2 is reading La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman; a boy, a girl and a baby canoeing through apocalyptic floods; evocative and gripping.
Mazel Tov Sarah and Ian
Jun 9th 2019
And props to Gez for these sublime vegan wedding cakes.
Admin1 is reading Tombland by CJ Sansom. Admin2 has been reading Normal People by Sally Rooney: boy meets/loses/finds again/loses again/finds again girl, rinse and repeat.
We scored 12 on the GWQ with a little help from Dave.