Andrew Douglas
@andydouglas1967.bsky.social
Spiders, inverts, botany, birds, wine, beer, food, pottery, aircraft. Not necessarily in that order. See @andydouglas1967-IT.bsky.social for IT/Computer Science stuff. West Norfolk and South Northamptonshire.
Everything seems to have got so expensive. I've been looking at little electric kilns. The 40L kiln I bought in 2006 was about £900. They're nearly £3000 now! And bags of powdered clay - I paid about £450 in 2017 for about 800kg of material - £1000+ now. Too much.
October 8, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Everything seems to have got so expensive. I've been looking at little electric kilns. The 40L kiln I bought in 2006 was about £900. They're nearly £3000 now! And bags of powdered clay - I paid about £450 in 2017 for about 800kg of material - £1000+ now. Too much.
Not going to Oxford - didn’t think we’d need to but worth the check with the eye clinic. See what happens tonight, back to Norfolk tomorrow hopefully.
October 5, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Not going to Oxford - didn’t think we’d need to but worth the check with the eye clinic. See what happens tonight, back to Norfolk tomorrow hopefully.
And now a harmonica! I approve. We are about half an hour behind so don’t know went through yet. All superb anyway.
October 4, 2026 at 8:18 PM
And now a harmonica! I approve. We are about half an hour behind so don’t know went through yet. All superb anyway.
Accordion lad on young musician - I hope he goes through. Superb.
October 4, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Accordion lad on young musician - I hope he goes through. Superb.
Supposed to head back Norfolk tmrw but mum getting headaches. Trying to convince her to run the eye A&E like getting blood from a stone. May be back in Oxford tmrw but hopefully not.
October 4, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Supposed to head back Norfolk tmrw but mum getting headaches. Trying to convince her to run the eye A&E like getting blood from a stone. May be back in Oxford tmrw but hopefully not.
Two pairs of merino socks purloined from Mountain Warehouse. £20 a pair, but half price with any other purchase. Bought a flapjack for a pound, got £20 off!
October 2, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Two pairs of merino socks purloined from Mountain Warehouse. £20 a pair, but half price with any other purchase. Bought a flapjack for a pound, got £20 off!
Back from the JR with mum. Too many hours waiting, but all done and saw a doctor for a change, so no complaints. Car doing funny things. Brakes still binding a bit. Decided the bonnet was open, but that went away. Once switched off, the fan was whirring away but went off after a while. Dunno.
September 29, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Back from the JR with mum. Too many hours waiting, but all done and saw a doctor for a change, so no complaints. Car doing funny things. Brakes still binding a bit. Decided the bonnet was open, but that went away. Once switched off, the fan was whirring away but went off after a while. Dunno.
Mums Christmas triffid, doing better than it did before having been out all summer. Four blooms plus another coming. Ones been eaten by a snail unfortunately.
September 28, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Mums Christmas triffid, doing better than it did before having been out all summer. Four blooms plus another coming. Ones been eaten by a snail unfortunately.
I was thinking, you know those walking sticks where you pull out the handle to reveal a sword blade? I want one of those but with the sword replaced with a collapsible canvas sweep net. For surreptitious sweeping.
September 27, 2026 at 7:26 PM
I was thinking, you know those walking sticks where you pull out the handle to reveal a sword blade? I want one of those but with the sword replaced with a collapsible canvas sweep net. For surreptitious sweeping.
Four Araneus species from Lakenheath Fen today. They had very recently mowed the paths and there weren't many spiders to be seen, and NO pyramidatus anywhere, which is usually the spider I see the most. Tetragnatha and Metellina also seen.
September 27, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Four Araneus species from Lakenheath Fen today. They had very recently mowed the paths and there weren't many spiders to be seen, and NO pyramidatus anywhere, which is usually the spider I see the most. Tetragnatha and Metellina also seen.
A friendly Salticus on my garden chair. Jumped when I got the tube out but somehow got back up and was happy to jump on my hand. Wonder if it’ll come back for a third go?
September 26, 2026 at 4:00 PM
A friendly Salticus on my garden chair. Jumped when I got the tube out but somehow got back up and was happy to jump on my hand. Wonder if it’ll come back for a third go?
Reposted by Andrew Douglas
if you say "The Museum of English Rural Life" three times in a mirror, nothing happens. but if you speak it a fourth time, a man in a smock appears and asks you to incant the poem on the side of this rather menacing jug
September 25, 2026 at 1:52 PM
if you say "The Museum of English Rural Life" three times in a mirror, nothing happens. but if you speak it a fourth time, a man in a smock appears and asks you to incant the poem on the side of this rather menacing jug
What's going on today? Almost nothing seems to be working on the internet for me. I've tried different browsers, different operating systems, different email accounts to sign up for something, trying to log in to a secure email acct - nope nothing doing.
September 25, 2026 at 1:42 PM
What's going on today? Almost nothing seems to be working on the internet for me. I've tried different browsers, different operating systems, different email accounts to sign up for something, trying to log in to a secure email acct - nope nothing doing.
Reposted by Andrew Douglas
Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller
September 24,1956
September 24,1956
September 24, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller
September 24,1956
September 24,1956
Popped into the library to ask about extended my inter library loan. They'd just been talking about in fact - new instructions in the booklet - so spent fifteen minutes there while they worked it out. An extra 9 days! I asked how many people use the ILL system. Oh, no one, just you.
September 24, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Popped into the library to ask about extended my inter library loan. They'd just been talking about in fact - new instructions in the booklet - so spent fifteen minutes there while they worked it out. An extra 9 days! I asked how many people use the ILL system. Oh, no one, just you.
The first bad news. One of the bits for the car didn't arrive 'in the van' so won't be done til tomorrow now. The even worse news - I'm almost out of milk. The good news seems to be that no new calipers are required, so bill stands at stupid money, rather than excessively stupid money.
September 23, 2026 at 1:57 PM
The first bad news. One of the bits for the car didn't arrive 'in the van' so won't be done til tomorrow now. The even worse news - I'm almost out of milk. The good news seems to be that no new calipers are required, so bill stands at stupid money, rather than excessively stupid money.
Reposted by Andrew Douglas
We really need to reinvigorate the word "stonking", because I can't think of any other way to say that this is an absolutely stonking beast! Araneus diadematus draped in an intense brick red. You'd be excused for mistaking it for A. alsine, as I did for a second! @britishspiders.bsky.social
September 21, 2026 at 6:46 PM
We really need to reinvigorate the word "stonking", because I can't think of any other way to say that this is an absolutely stonking beast! Araneus diadematus draped in an intense brick red. You'd be excused for mistaking it for A. alsine, as I did for a second! @britishspiders.bsky.social
My bedroom window has been open all day, and now the room is filled with about a 1000000 of these tiny tiny wasps again. There was a single Trachyzelotes too but don't know where that's gone. The Pholcids seem more interested in eating the Giant House Spiders. It's an ecosystem that isn't working.
September 22, 2026 at 2:37 PM
My bedroom window has been open all day, and now the room is filled with about a 1000000 of these tiny tiny wasps again. There was a single Trachyzelotes too but don't know where that's gone. The Pholcids seem more interested in eating the Giant House Spiders. It's an ecosystem that isn't working.
Reposted by Andrew Douglas
Today is #HobbitDay because Bilbo and Frodo Baggins were both born on September 22nd.
Normally we'd shire a hobbit pun or two but it might just feel like a tolkien gesture and we don't want to embarrass our elves.
Anyway it's a good day to come and boromir #Tolkien books. 📚
Normally we'd shire a hobbit pun or two but it might just feel like a tolkien gesture and we don't want to embarrass our elves.
Anyway it's a good day to come and boromir #Tolkien books. 📚
September 22, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Today is #HobbitDay because Bilbo and Frodo Baggins were both born on September 22nd.
Normally we'd shire a hobbit pun or two but it might just feel like a tolkien gesture and we don't want to embarrass our elves.
Anyway it's a good day to come and boromir #Tolkien books. 📚
Normally we'd shire a hobbit pun or two but it might just feel like a tolkien gesture and we don't want to embarrass our elves.
Anyway it's a good day to come and boromir #Tolkien books. 📚
Reposted by Andrew Douglas
When I find Cyclosa conica I like to keep an eye on them, to see how they embellish their webs. These two have added lines of birch seeds. @britishspiders.bsky.social
September 22, 2026 at 10:13 AM
When I find Cyclosa conica I like to keep an eye on them, to see how they embellish their webs. These two have added lines of birch seeds. @britishspiders.bsky.social
Garage have got back to me fairly quickly. Can't do all the work today. Over £1000! Might be more if the calipers need replacing. F**k f**k f**k f**k f**k. Needs to be done - leaving things to fail would cost more. Might be raiding the pension again a bit sooner than I thought.
September 22, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Garage have got back to me fairly quickly. Can't do all the work today. Over £1000! Might be more if the calipers need replacing. F**k f**k f**k f**k f**k. Needs to be done - leaving things to fail would cost more. Might be raiding the pension again a bit sooner than I thought.
Assuming this is Silene x hampeana, flowering today on the cut off channel?
September 22, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Assuming this is Silene x hampeana, flowering today on the cut off channel?
Reposted by Andrew Douglas
A couple of nice Jumping Spiders from West Norfolk - Salticus cingulatus and Marpissa muscosa. Found with @jeremybartlett.bsky.social
#arachnids #spiders
#arachnids #spiders
September 21, 2026 at 4:03 PM
A couple of nice Jumping Spiders from West Norfolk - Salticus cingulatus and Marpissa muscosa. Found with @jeremybartlett.bsky.social
#arachnids #spiders
#arachnids #spiders
My local garage - usually very good - car booked in for tomorrow, now rearranged til Tuesday as they're over running. I need the car by, well, 23rd for a fungi foray, but 26th at latest as need to take mum to Oxford JR on 28th. Pushing it a bit, hopefully it's just the brakes and not worse.
September 17, 2026 at 4:23 PM
My local garage - usually very good - car booked in for tomorrow, now rearranged til Tuesday as they're over running. I need the car by, well, 23rd for a fungi foray, but 26th at latest as need to take mum to Oxford JR on 28th. Pushing it a bit, hopefully it's just the brakes and not worse.
New Crème de Mûre in last years bottles plus a litre vodka bottle. I drank the rest so won’t be going anywhere today. It’s ok - could be a bit more extracted but nice enough. Found 750ml of last years plus a bottle of Fleurie I’m the cupboard. I don’t drink really.
September 16, 2026 at 1:09 PM
New Crème de Mûre in last years bottles plus a litre vodka bottle. I drank the rest so won’t be going anywhere today. It’s ok - could be a bit more extracted but nice enough. Found 750ml of last years plus a bottle of Fleurie I’m the cupboard. I don’t drink really.