It's another snippets post, dear reader (but this one's almost all about me!):
At the end of April, I finally got around to making this Forest Cottage, a Tiny Treehouse kit that Inexcuseable got me for my birthday. It was one of the more fiddly kits and took me several hours - on and off - to complete. Well, I say complete, I have one piece left over - I just hope it isn't structural!
This is my favourite tree in Norwich - or at least the bits of Norwich I walk through on my way to work. However, I don't know what type of tree it is, so perhaps one of you, dear readers, can enlighten me?
My giant vipers buglosses (Echiums) started to flower on the last day of April - you should be able to make out a couple of the pale purple/blue flower buds in the close-up. There are loads of flowers on them now - I'll be posting more photos soon.
Saturday morning's walk with Bitey found us walking along the promenade and over the base of the cliff (because the tide was right in) to the east beach. Or the narrow strip between the revetments and cliffs. I tried to get Bitey to strike some poses on the steps over the revetment, and eventually (after looking at me like I was losing my mind), he managed one.
Bluebells blooming in The Gardener's Retreat behind the garage.
Oh, Bitey. What have you got?
Don't worry, this is not Raspberry. It is Raspberry's 'friend' though. He died quickly.
Another weekend over, just like that! [ s n a p s f i n g e r s i n e f f e c t u a l l y ]
Except... It's Bank Holiday Monday here in the UK, so work can wait another day! However, it's a bit of a grim start weatherwise - cool, misty, and overcast (we might get some sunshine this evening) - so there won't be much going on in the garden. Fortunately there are plenty of indoor jobs to do.
Anyway, I think it's supposed to be a Tacky Music Monday at Jon's, but I just can't think of anything suitable. So instead I've taken a leaf out of Mago's book - or blog - and gone with something more akin to what might be found in his regular Sunday Music (on Monday) posts instead. (Well, there's some sort of stringed instrument being strummed so it's close enough.)
Who let Jon go on holiday without sorting out the blogging rota first?? Mago and Maddie too, for that matter. In fact, where is the rota? Did it get updated? Who's down for today?
[ s i l e n c e ]
Is it me? It's me, isn't it. Drat.
Hang on a mo...
[ s o u n d s o f p a n i c k e d b l o g c o p y i n g ]
Ahem. We had hazy sunshine all day, but that didn't stop us getting out there to complete a few more tasks in the extensive gardens allotment here at Dolores Delargo Towers in the vicinity of Hexenhäusli Device - mainly weeding and strimming the grass paths. Oh, and making sure Bitey didn't bite the strimmer or dig too deep a hole...
EDIT 06:46 04/05/2026: Meanwhile... The bastard gnomes at Google/Blogger are still playing silly buggers. I published this post at around half past five yesterday. It remains in Limbo, as far as the Blogger Reading List is concerned as it's not showing up on any of your Sideboards.
WTF leads these creatures to think that this sort of delay is acceptable is beyond me! Yet another blogging annoyance... Sigh.
Never mind, eh? Here's something soothing from perennial House faves, Robbie Williams and the Pet Shop Boys singing about another House fave, Our Glorious Leader, to ease our troubled souls...
Ah, that's better...
STOP PRESS:
I don't know when - or even if - you will actually see this, dear reader, what with the Google Blogger feed delays. However, please note that there will be daily posts here until Jon returns (all being well, of course). I hate the Google gnomes.
Drat it! Who stood on that twig and startled my woodsman? Now I'll have to leave him be for a while before I can sneak up again and snatch that horrid flannel shirt away. Bah!
Well, seeing as you're all here, we might as well get on with the closing ceremony.
Thank you to everyone who took part in this year's Event. Whether you shared your garden photos, visited and left comments, or just wandered around gazing at the various botanical specimens on show (and avoiding the triffids - unless you didn't, in which case, thanks for acting as fertiliser!).
The gardens and greenery were full of gorgeousness once again and, as always, served as inspiration for next year.
Here's what we got up to:
Programme of Events
TheI N F O M A N I A CGARDEN PHOTOS EVENT 2O25
began on Hallowe'en with the now traditional TERRIFYING TRIFFIDERY!
Finally a few pictures for the Garden Photo Event, much too early, sorry.*
It is Plant A (I still call her so, despite the fact that it is not the original "plant A" of some years ago) - Plant A, I say, in total, from below, and an apple.
Welcome to the 15th annual I N F O M A N I A CGARDEN PHOTOS EVENT, and the 6th to be hosted here at Inexplicable Device!
Thank you to everyone who sent in photos - and to those of you who haven't yet got around to it but will do soon. And certainly by Tuesday the 4th! Without you - even the slackers and lallygaggers (whom do not include Savvy this year as she got her photos in BEFORE the original deadline!!) - there would be no Garden Photos Event.
As of this writing, there are 11 sets of your garden and/or pot plant photographs waiting in the wings to be published throughout November.
And also, in the continued absence of the Infomaniac Duck (and last year's stand ins, the Hexenhäusli Device Dove & Jackdaw), may I present our special guests, the Canberran Cockatoo & Magpie:
Some of you may recognise the above pair from another blog, Elephant's Child, run by Dinahmow's friend Sue. Sadly, Sue lost her battle with cancer at the end of September, so Dinah asked if we could feature her garden as she left it - bright, colourful, and full of the joys of spring. Of course I agreed, so you'll be able to see Sue's spring bulbs and other blooms about midway through the Event (garden #5).
Ah, here you all are - Welcome to the 6th annual Terrifying Triffidery extravaganza!
Gathered here for your bewilderment and horror are some of the finest specimens of triffidery from across the globe. And possibly from other globes, too.
As always, the Bloggerati who supplied them did not see fit to provide any labels so it is up to you to identify these menacing monstrosities and from whom they originated. The originators are listed on the poster above and, to make things a little more complicated, some of them supplied more than one triffid. Good luck!
A word of warning: Some of the specimens are mobile or have prehensile tendrils, so do keep your distance from the enclosures as you go by, and be sure to strap yourselves in.
The Hexenhäusli Device woodsman is on hand to ensure your safety and provide a demonstration of how to secure your extremities should you need it.
(I have personally gone through this with him several times - for certification purposes, of course - and still find myself somewhat breathless such was his enthusiasm and vigour!)
Oh, and please note: The Management cannot be held responsible for loss of limbs/head/life, and We hope you all manage to get through the tour relatively unscathed. Or at least manage to Stay Alive...
Yes, we watched Romy and Michele's High School Reunion the other day. I love their dance routine to N-Trance's version of "Stayin' Alive" which is why I've featured it here!
In fact, I've picked another Hallowe'en-adjacent song from Romy and Michele for later in this post.
Here's the full track for those who are interested:
Yes, that's right, this is NOT the Infomaniac Garden Photos Event. Because, as you all know, the GPE doesn't begin until the end of this month - Hallowe'en, in fact.
It is, however, a reminder to most of you - and a wake-up call to one or two - that I'll need your garden photos by Wednesday 29th October if you'd like to take part. Your Terrifying Triffidery photo/s MUST be submitted by the 29th so that I have time to put them together for the Hallowe'en post. I may allow a little leeway for the main event photos because I'm a soft touch - BUT NOT TOO MUCH!
More on that at the end of this post, but for now, here are some photos from Thursday's visit to the Old Vicarage Gardens at East Ruston:
What? Since when was two people showing a polite, vague interest "popular demand"?
Since now. Go and interfere somewhere else. This is my post!
I think you'll find it is our post. After all, whose name is on all those header images further down, hmm?
Oh, hush. Why don't you go and see to that ever widening Cusp interface before someone - or someones - falls in!
Fine. I'll leave you to your little doodles, then!
Right. Now that Witchface has gone, here is the Art vs Artist thingy I mentioned in the last post. It's something I saw on BlueSky so I thought I'd have a go, too.
The majority that I saw are 3x3 square grids with a photo of the artist in the centre square surrounded by eight pieces of their work, so I followed the same pattern (it's all Star Trek stuff as I rarely produce any other kind):
I remembered to take Camera with me on this morning's Bitey walk into the village. I did this with one thing in mind: to take a photo of the "visitors' guide to Overstrand, past and present" map because it answers some questions that dear Mago asked last month. I have still to look through the history books downstairs for more info, but I've made a start at least.
Before we get to the map, here are some photos of the North Sea:
I'm sure it won't come as any surprise when I tell you that I've been somewhat slack with regards to blogging this year - both posting here, and reading all of yours. And the Host hasn't been much better, either.
Hey!
Well, isn't it true?
Yes. I suppose so. Except for June and November.
Anyway, June and November aside, we've pretty much given up on our annual "Year of..." extravaganza, and instead focused on one very important award that always features towards the end of said extravaganza. And that award is, the Most Inconvenient Birthday Award.
Only this year, it's the Most Convenient as it's saved us from exploding with frustration and exhaustion in an attempt to pack two or three days worth of work into just a couple of hours!
And so, we'd like to present this golden, hazelnutty, chocolatey award to, none other than Savvy!
I'm not sure how to start this post, so I'm just going to dive right in with this lightly edited response to a very kind email from Mr Mago:
"There a few reasons for my blogging absence, but, sadly, bumping into Mr Adonis on the beach* is not one of them. Time (as in "lack of") and work are the main culprits I think, and the Winter darkness hasn't been conducive to making any particular effort either. Combined, these reasons have culminated in the loss of my blogging "mojo". I've sat down with Blogger open now and again, but can't muster up the enthusiasm to write anything - even posting images seems like a big effort. I've visited other blogs now and again - including yours, of course - in the hopes of getting the wind back in my sails, but I can't even think of anything to say in the comments. Plus, I've missed so much that catching up with everything seems like a chore - and it shouldn't be! (That's work's influence. Work has been relentless for the past year or so, and sitting in front of my PC doing something other than reading feels like work, so I end up aimlessly following links until I get fed up then go and watch something fun on telly to get over it all - such as Bluey, those Australian animated dogs from my previous post.)
"However, I have nearly two weeks off work from the middle of next week with no plans except for gardening & sorting out the allotment, so I'm hoping the extra time and the brighter days will help in getting that blogging mojo back! I do miss it and you and the rest of our little community - and I even have some Star Trek art I can post until something else catches my attention that's worth blogging about."
So, I sat down to finish this post which entailed opening up YouTube to get the code for a new song I like (see below), but that meant I had to listen to it all as well (and "Wicked Game" by Girls Aloud). Then I remembered that Ms Scarlet had emailed me with some questions of a highly personal nature that I'm not going to share here, so I opened up my emails to reply before I published this post, but clocked a notification from Wonky Words about the NEW POST Ms Scarlet had threatened to publish in her email so I had to read that (I didn't send the rook, by the way. I can manage a jackdaw and occasionally a crow, but rooks are out of my comfort zone). And then the washing machine beeped its shrill annoying beeps to let me know it had finished turning my bed linen inside out (how does it do that?!?) and that I had to empty it RIGHT THAT MOMENT! So, down the stairs I went to decant the pillowcases and duvet cover and the like from the washing machine to the tumble dryer - turning everything the right way around as I did so. But as I type this, I'm thinking I should have left it all inside out because the tumble dryer also turns everything inside out - if it doesn't twist it all up into a hot, tight, damp little ball first (why does it do that?!?).
Oh, and my coffee is going cold and is almost finished so I'm wondering if I should go and make another one or finish this post first? While I'm dithering, here's that new music I mentioned:
Bright Light Bright Light & Ultra Naté - Every Emotion
* There is a Mr Adonis at the pool, though: The handsome, surly, golden-brown fox of a lifeguard who sits in his lifeguard observation chair looking bored and/or slightly angry and, therefore, very sexy.** There hasn't been any bumping, though.
P.S. While I was searching for that description of Ryan-the-Foxy-Lifeguard, the tumble dryer insistently beeped at me, so I had to go down and untangle the hot, damp, tight little ball of bed linen and set it going again!
P.P.S. I didn't reply to Ms Scarlet's email! Must do that next.
As you may have noticed, we haven't been around much this year. Certainly not as much as I'd've liked, and not even as much as in last year's Lazy Baggagery! So that means that our grasp on the year's happenings and your reportings thereof is weak at best. Sorry.
However, there was certainly enough memorable stuff (and things I'd thought to make a note of when they happened) to create this end-of-year extravaganza!
Extravaganza? That's pushing it, don't you think?
Nah. A sprinkle of glitter (thanks to Jon) will cover the cracks and gaping holes in this rather haphazard (as always) round up and turn it into the Event of the season!
If you say so... Shall we get on with it, then?
Yes. Oh, hang on! I've got to add a bit at the end about the return of the "Did I Win Yet?" Award/Quiz/Competition/Event/Festival thingy!
Well, you'd better hurry because I'm launching this thing now. Be ready with your Champagne flutes all you glamorous Blogorati!
Oops! Wrong signage. Try this one:
Strap in. Here we go!
January
Quote : "My smut well has almost dried up." ~ What a way to start the year: The Very Mistress answering a question nobody asked.
Event : The 6th January was National Cuddle Up Day, apparently. Although I'd want to cuddle up to those freckles EVERY day! Adorable.
Thank you for bringing this auspicious occasion to our attention, Mr Tonking.
Art : Nouveau, of course. I love the fantastical, soft intricacy of Art Nouveau, and don't indulge myself in it as often as I should. Fortunately, Maddie popped up with a themed Mood Board this month which hit the spot.
Sorry about that. The Official Hexenhäusli Device Woodsman is clearly keen to get going with my wood and couldn't wait for me to finish the introduction.
Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes: Thank you all for taking part in the Garden Photos Event this year! Whether you opened your gardens for the event or just visited and made approving noises in the comments (or just to yourselves if you didn't comment), we hope you enjoyed the show and maybe took away some inspiration for your garden/courtyard/balcony/windowbox/windowsill next year.
Oh, before I forget, two years ago Mr Tonking suggested a little music to accompany these GPE recaps. I don't know why I didn't make good his suggestion last year, but I've picked three tunes for this year.
First is "Since Yesterday" by Strawberry Switchblade - one of my favourite 80s songs. I picked this to go with Ms Scarlet's and Mr Tonking's strawberries (and mine!) - as well as those lurking behind Melanie's pitchers.
[Strawberry Switchblade recorded a demo track suitably called "Trees and Flowers" but it's a bit wishy-washy for my tastes]
As I seem incapable of putting together any of the blog posts that have been lurking at the back of our mind recently, here is a quick update on some of the books and doujinshi manga we've read recently instead.
I stopped reading Smoke and Mirrors as it was too miserable and grim. To help the Host get over it, while I was waiting in the Cusp departure lounge for my portal home, I picked up a copy of The Sunday Blogger Club. But only because it came with a free blogging rota.
You see, I've been on a "business trip" Over the Cusp; The Very Mistress took to her fainting chaise in 1973 and has barely been seen since; Jon is on holiday and jetting off to Amsterdam or somesuch; Maddie seems to have only just got back and she's off again; Mago managed a Sunday Music on Saturday - No, not the following one, Saturday before - which has thrown us all for a loop; And Ms Scarlet emigrated from Wordpress to Blogger and now needs a prompt to get her going!
Yes, I think that rota will come in very handy.
Anyway. Back to the reading material:
A Fine Life - The story of a nascent witch whose unwanted commitments and obligations are arranged away by an unseen imp. Although the witch is vaguely aware of the imp and its interventions, they do not know the full extent of the imp's arrangements and the subsequent consequences wreaked upon their friends and family. Although, they are beginning to suspect.
The Furtherest Ones - A collection of tales of unobtainable love and inappropriate lust in a beautiful but terrible land beyond the reach of mere mortals. One such tale is about a sea spirit who yearns to touch the sun, even knowing that should it be possible, they'll evaporate. They are teased by the Moon, and are drawn to him as a tide, but the Moon always releases them before they can overcome their world's gravity and join the Sun and the Moon as they dance together in the sky.
Spindle: Wind the Thread Around Xem - A book about how to structure and write novels of the classic Karskat genre. It's a bit awkward - translated as it is from ancient Andorii.
Star Trek Costumes: Five Decades of Fashion from the Final Frontier, by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann
This is my first Trek book purchase for a LONG time. And I only got it because it was a fiver instead of £35!
I've only had time to flick through it so far, and seems not as comprehensive or detailed as I'd like, but it does have some wonderful concept art and gorgeous photographs. My favourite Trek film, STIII: The Search For Spock appears to be well served with a good covering of the civilian clothing and Vulcan garments.
Definitely worth £5.
T.S.D. Master of Poison Radio Wave and other selected manga of Dokudenpa Jushintei, by Kobucha Omaso.
Some of these tales of young men coming to terms with their sexuality and dealing with first love/lust are very dear and quite charming. They're illustrated with adorable looking young men sporting perfect bodies and seemingly endless reserves of energy - which ends up being used for a LOT of gleefully drawn, enthusiastic sex! But that's only a part of it - it's the emotional stuff that's most important, of course.
Only a few are translated into English, and even that's rather hit-and-miss, but it's quite fun to imagine what's going on and what the characters are saying. (I've run a few through Google Translate images and that's even more hit-and-miss, but I get the gist)
Oh, and there are some that are definitely not my cup of tea, such as the ones with chibi or too young looking characters, and the ones with tentacles (I just don't get it).
Danger:RUDE!For the gentlemen who prefer to travel up the chocolate escalator or are a receiver of swollen goods*, and anyone else who may be curious, click here for T.S.D. vol.1. And once you're there, I'd recommend right-clicking any link to open in a new window - even if only clicking to the next page - to prevent unwanted video sex websites opening. I use Firefox which blocks most pop-ups, but doesn't seem to catch them all on the linked to BaraMangaOnline site.
And then, of course, there are the blogging stalwarts who show up every day come rain or shine (except when they're on holiday - remember to fill in the Holiday Rota!): Jon, Mistress Maddie, and Mr Tonking.
Anyway, in the absence of anything more interesting, may I present the photos of Bertie Bitey on the beach (which I didn't get around to last week), my Little Red Bush, and something from this morning.
It's not a toilet seat! It's a folded up robe, albeit with a collar that looks a lot like a toilet seat depending on one's frame of mind...
Anyway, enough from the depths beyond the U-bend of Mago's subconscious, what I want to do is publish an explanatory post complete with screenshots and lines from the various episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks that inspired the following artistic lascivious dalliances with my current infatuation and muse, Ensign Sam Rutherford.
But, as I said over at The Very Mistress's place in answer to her question about how the year is going for her faithful bitches, today* has been "filled with far too many irritants and annoyances already, and I can't seem to get anything done." So, there's precious little explanation, just some pervy Rutherford 'art' which probably won't mean anything to anyone who hasn't watched Lower Decks eleventy-billion times...
* The "today" in question was actually last Sunday, 5th Feb.
This past week didn't get much better - I'm only publishing this so that you know I'm still alive.
That's right, We are the Lazy Baggage in question. I'm sure you can't have failed to notice a glut of lazyitis in the vicinity of Hexenhäusli Device this year? In fact, I'm so lazy that I can't even be bothered to come up with an excuse think of the reason for not actually blogging that much. I'm sure there was one, though...
As luck would have it, a certain someone's penchant for Monday GIFs has come in handy as this one from January illustrates the horror and despair I felt upon opening this draft post and realising that it was so unfinished as to be barely started!
Look, we haven't got time to appear terrified-yet-glamorous while trotting about in the garden encrusted in jewels and wearing something far too skimpy for this time of year! We've got to try and remember what happened this year, then wrap it up and bundle it in the back of the sideboard so that the New Year can start on time!
Oh, cripes. We'd better get on with it, then. It's a good job that everyone else has been quite productive:
January
Event : After years and years and years of deliberation, cogitation, and waiting for just the right moment, Ms Scarlet banished her FGES anxiety and launched the New Year by holding the Freakin' Green Elf Shorts Caption Competition!
Rimpy's sigh of relief could be heard across the globe...
Two weeks later, Maddie, the Mistress Borghese, won the competition and became the 28th person to become inflicted with the 'Shorts!
And two weeks after that, Ms Scarlet prepares herself to go through Post Shorts Syndrome...
Discovery : I was almost beside myself when I discovered a modern, live-action clip from one of my favourite 80s cartoons - Dungeons and Dragons!
My excitement was dulled somewhat when I realised that it was from a Brazilian Renault advert, but I still live in hope of a car-less reboot (fan-edited English language version here).
February
Quotes : "An erect stud at 16 hands is something to behold and rather terrifying I must say!", and...
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