Various

[poliphilo]

1.The wooden fence on the other side of the back alley has been replaced by heavy duty wire mesh. Two advantages. One: the kids won't be able to set it in fire. Two: standing at an upstairs window, I can see through it to the lawn beyond and it's almost as if our back garden had been extended.

2. My first attempt at growing tomatoes has been a dismal failure. I've got three plants and they've produced five nuggety green fruits- about the size of strawberries. My father in law- who gave me two of  the plants- says it's been a bad year for everyone. Blame it on the weather.

3. My latest jigsaw is a picture of a village wedding by one of the younger Breughels. I don't suppose I've ever spent more time poring over an old master. The posh people are sitting under a tree in a meadow and their retainers and bodyguards and poor relations are standing behind them watching them eat. One or two of the faces seem to be portraits. I haven't counted the faces but there must be getting on for a hundred. Differences in style suggest this is a studio work and all the apprentices took turns at painting faces and areas of foliage. "Here, Jacob, you're not doing anything important. Come over here and do me a wedding guest." 

4. Professor Dawkins was bashing the New Age last night. And, yes, it deserves to be bashed. But I'm not easy.  He was testing dowsers and this poor woman who had scored no better than average was genuinely distressed- suggesting that normally- out in the field with the wind blowing free- she gets results.  Is she a fraud or a self-deceiver or is it just possible that application of the scientific method causes psi abilities to freeze?  "Which side are you one, boy?" Well neither, actually. Put me down as a conscientious objector. Science on one side, superstition on the other? No, I just don't think it's as simple as that.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I generally have one on the go. The current one has 2000 pieces (twice the size I usually attempt) and has taken me ages.

[zoe-1418.livejournal.com]

We have such a small house -- and we have cats -- that we can't leave a puzzle out for very long, except maybe around Christmas.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ah, I have the answer to that. It's called a Puzzlekaddy. It's a big board with a felt surface- to hold the pieces in place- and folding covers that velcro into place. It allows you to protect your part-completed puzzle and also move it from room to room.