Author Archives: rpg

About rpg

Scientist, poet, gadfly

A Long December

Posted on 5 January 2025 by rpg

Last winter seemed to go on for ages. At least, way back at the end of January I remember desperately longing for summer. And then I was made redundant, which hadn’t been on my bingo card for 2024. Some good … Continue reading →

Posted in Don't try this at home, Me | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Chemistry

Posted on 27 November 2024 by rpg

I got distracted from what I wanted to do by looking for some cufflinks I’ve lost. They’re lovely—in the shape of Spitfires, and a present from Jenny. And I got distracted from that task by discovering some old USB sticks … Continue reading →

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It’s Only Natural

Posted on 20 October 2024 by rpg

My daughter got married a couple of weeks ago. Read that again. The Elder Pawn got married. It was one of those glorious days we often get at the end of September, with the sun low in the sky and … Continue reading →

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Reasons to be cheerful

Posted on 16 September 2024 by rpg

It’s one of those typical mid-September days with the sun shining and the temperature promising to push the low-20s by the afternoon. And I’ve got the day off. We seem to have had a whirlwind summer that was gone before … Continue reading →

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This song has no title

Posted on 14 July 2024 by rpg

Jenny has mentioned the non-existent summer. It’s certainly been ‘variable’, with autumnal mornings and more than an inch of rain in 12 hours one day last week. I haven’t quite kept to my commitment to blog ‘about once a week … Continue reading →

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Sunny Afternoon

Posted on 25 June 2024 by rpg

What do you do with 6 lbs cherries? Actually, that’s quite an easy problem, compared with the years we’ve had nearly 30 lbs from the tree at the back of the garden. It’s an old tree, and I’ve put the … Continue reading →

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Our House

Posted on 17 June 2024 by rpg

It’s not just the wrens. This is Shorty. Shorty is a year-old robin, one of the expanding family that lives in the shaggy old laurel tree out the front, and together with his (or her—difficult to tell with robins) parents/sibs, … Continue reading →

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Three Little Birds

Posted on 28 May 2024 by rpg

I’ve said elsewhere that our garden is a wildlife paradise. Turns out that the house is, too. I often see our family of robins just outside the kitchen door, by the hen house. I’ve taken to shaking the hen feeder … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Nature | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Paperback Writer

Posted on 21 May 2024 by rpg

I made a list. I’m doing quite well with it—ticked off more than half, and others are ‘in progress’. I’m not going to finish it before I start work again, but I’ve given myself permission not to get through everything, … Continue reading →

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We need medicine

Posted on 13 May 2024 by rpg

I caught up with Wanda on Friday. She’d managed to inspect the captured swarm the day before, and all seemed hunky-dory. No eggs yet, but you can expect to wait a couple of weeks before a newly mated queen will … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments