Various ramblings by the small hobbit

2026 Photo #8

2026-04-17T12:26:41Z

There really could be nothing else!

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Books - April 2026

2026-04-16T16:30:01Z

6 books, and I'm planning on reading another when I'm away, but that will go into May. Total books to date is 33.

The Judge's House by Georges Simenon
Maigret has been sent away from Paris, there's no indication why. It's a small coastal town with some very strange goings on, and odd relationships. Despite being in exile, Maigret slowly works out what has happened in a very satisfactory way. Once more, it's a different set up and fascinating to see the way people behave.

Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J Farmer
One of the runners up for the Shedunnit book connected month. Too long and the plot was too drawn out.

The Retired Assassin's Guide to Orchid Hunting by Naomi Kuttner
In order to read this book I had to buy a new copy, which is not something I would generally do. However, it was so enjoyable that it was well worth it. It's cosy crime, the second in the series, with a retired assassin, an ex-art thief, and a young man who is in contact with the ghosts of dead residents. It's set in a small town in New Zealand, I really like the characters, and there's a cat, also, orchids.

Three Bedrooms in Manhattan by Georges Simenon
Not a Maigret this time. It's a story of two people in Manhattan who meet and their emotions and relationship. Very different from the other Simenon books I've read, but his grasp of character still shines through.

Broken Light by Joanne Harris
I read the book very quickly, but in the end, although the concept was really interesting, and the ideas behind it extremely relevant, I found it disappointing. Although not a fantasy, I think it uses ideas from that genre, which is not one I enjoy, so that may have had something to do with it.

Odd One Out by Lissa Evans
I'm currently reading the library books by Lissa Evans that I haven't already read, and wasn't sure about this one to start with. However, it was another book I read quickly - wanting to finish it before I went away - and this time I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a number of different individuals, each with their own story, who for different reasons are the odd one out. Taking place in a large town, they all come to interact in different ways, and as the story unfolds, the different layers of the characters become visible, so that by the end I was wanting things to work out for all of them.

( book challenge and bingo )

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Writing - April 2026

2026-04-15T12:27:57Z

Like yesterday, I'm posting early on this. It's unlikely I'll have the time for writing while I'm away, so, although there might be a few drabbles, I don't expect to make much progress. This month I've written about 4.5K words, bringing my total to 37.5K, which, hopefully I will make up for over the summer.

For allbingo Flower Challenge, using the Dancing with Daffodils prompts, I wrote four double drabbles, A Spring Morning in the Garden, an ACD Holmes retirement story.

And whatif_au is running a bingo challenge again this year, so I've written Hudson's Modelling Agency - The New Models a BBC Sherlock/Hamlet crossover and Joining A Band which is a Hobbit movie story.

And here's my banner from last month's allbingo:

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Crafts - April 2026

2026-04-14T10:56:51Z

Early, but I'm away for over a week, so I won't finish any more of my current projects.

( May crafts )

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End of Year Goal Review 2025/26

2026-04-12T12:43:15Z

Slightly early, but I've basically achieved everything I had in my goals for 2025/26.

Goal No 1: Do a Themed Monthly Post
Posting Views from the Window every month has been fun and in particular interesting as it's shown the change in the trees over the year. My last post will be at the end of the month, so I can include views from the upcoming holiday.

Goal No 2: Accept the Unexpected
We decided at the beginning of March we'd go away for a couple of nights and would take my car. Unfortunately when I got in the car that morning a warning light came on. So we had to hurriedly move everything over to J's car. Which worked fine in the end, and the car was soon sorted once we came home - no time to do anything that morning. And The Daughter and I have booked a holiday for July 2027. I mentioned it to her as being of interest, she agreed, so we booked - all within a day.

Goal No 3: To Embrace My Personal Interests
That's gone well, although I do sometimes look at my Library Want To Read list and wonder. However, it's entirely up to me and if I want to do some of the Goodreads Seasonal Challenge, then I shall. And I have bought rather a lot of audiobooks from a recent Audible sale, but I'll get round to listening to them :)

So yes, it's been a good year. I don't always achieve all my goals, but it is pleasing when I do, especially when I will carry on with the ideas behind the goals.

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Wildlife - April

2026-04-09T14:32:44Z

A quick first post on my encounters with wildlife, to introduce the challenges I'm involved in.

British Trust for Ornithology
Garden Bird Watch: I began this last summer, as part of my 25 Things in 2025. I continue to record my sightings (such as they are) every week.
Birds in Green Spaces: The project is running from April to June this year and asks for a count of the birds seen in specified green spaces. There are two designated green spaces near where I live, so I'm aiming to visit them once a week.

UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme
Flower Insect Timed Count: Runs from April to September, and asks for 10 minutes to count insects on certain flowers. It requires a warm, preferrable sunny, day.

Butterfly Conservation
Big Butterfly Count: Happens from the middle of July to the middle of August
Garden Butterfly Survey: I'm waiting for warmer weather and the flowering of some of our bushes
Butterflies for the New Millennium: An ongoing count, which I'm currently doing when I do the birds in green spaces count

While there may be other opportunities which are less structured, these are the ones I'm using when I go for a walk locally.

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2026 Photo #7

2026-04-04T10:20:15Z

As usual we made Easter cakes, J baked them, I decorated them. One is for us, one for TD (posted and received) and one for TS.

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Bingo cards

2026-04-02T16:16:22Z

First up allbingo Flower Fest for which I've chosen the Dance with the Daffodils theme:

Replete	Fulfilment
Landscape	Hunter Morn

And then whatif_au Bingo challenge

Modelling	Movie/TV Fusions	Immortal
Music	WILD CARD	Sports
Good Guys Go Bad/Bad Guys Go Good	Characters as Celebrities	Regency

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Goals 2026/27

2026-04-02T10:58:17Z

Normally I would set my new goals towards the end of April, but this year I'm planning on beginning them this month, and running them with a month's overlap - my goals, my rules.

Goal No 1: Do a Themed Monthly Post
This is the same as this past year, when my theme was 'The View from the Window'. That will be completed at the end of the month - we're on a coach tour through parts of Germany for a week towards the end of the month, so I shall be including a selection of hotel bedroom views. I find having a theme to concentrate on for a year helpful, so this year my theme will be Water. My intention is that there will be at least one photo from the canal, plus anything else suitable.

Goal No 2: Concentrate on Some Knitting Projects
Like most crafters I have a selection of books and magazines. Many of which have projects which appeal, but remain in the book/magazine. While I shall continue knitting my jumper, it's not something I can pick up for the odd 10-15 minutes, due to the pattern, so finding smaller projects would be a good move. Last year with 25 in 2025, one of my 25 was to reduce the number of cross stitch kits I had. That worked well, and I'm continuing to do so. Also, I've finally found a knitting magazine I like, so I'm aiming to achieve 4 projects from the issues I have (I bought a number of back issues), plus at least one thing from the Christmas volumes.

Goal No 3: Engage More with Nature
I've bought a new notebook (of course) and intend to keep a weekly record of what I'm doing. Last year I had grander plans of visiting places, but this came to nothing, as it would have been too time consuming. I've realised that what works for me is to go out in the local area, so a 5-10 minute walk, and spend an hour outside (give or take, in view of the weather) two or three times a week. I should probably do a monthly post, so that I keep myself accountable. No-one needs to feel they have to comment, it's for my benefit!

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Crafts - March 2026

2026-03-29T12:24:41Z

I'm part way through a number of cross stitch projects, so will share them next month when they will probably be finished.

( March crafts )

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Books - March 2026

2026-03-28T18:22:27Z

8 books this month, so I'm well ahead of my annual goal.

DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
Recommended by nagi_schwarz it's a department store which sells dreams, in which a new employee learns what people need in the way of dreams. It's not within my usual genres, but I enjoyed reading it, so, if you're looking for something different, it might be worth trying.

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
I read this for the current Goodreads Winter Challenge. It brings together two people, one a teenage girl working in the library during her summer holiday and the other a lonely widower, with a series of books which they both read and how it affects them. Set in Wembley in N W London. Not something I would have read in the ordinary course of things, but I'm pleased I did.

Liberty Bar by Georges Simenon
Continuing my Maigret reads, set in published in 1932, it sees Maigret in Antibes in the south of France. The story is slightly different, in the fact that Maigret is very affected by the heat and sultriness of the place and this comes through in the story, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett
One of the standalone stories within the Discworld series. A student assassin is suddenly recalled to become the next king of the kingdom of Djelibeybi, when his problems really begin. However, assassin training stands him in good stead, and we learn what happens when the biggest pyramid that's ever been conceived is built - no, it doesn't work out as expected. Highly entertaining

Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman
Recommended by therealsnape this is a cosy crime set within a knitting retreat. An easy read, with knitting, so happily entertaining. The first of a series and I plan to read some more.

Green for Danger: The Official Anthology of the Crime Writers' Association edited by Martin Edwards
Recent short stories set in the countryside. I enjoyed a few, but on the whole I wasn't taken with them.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney
Another book for the Goodreads Winter Challenge. This one, written by a rare book seller in the States, looks at the women writers who Jane Austen enjoyed reading. It was interesting seeing how many women writers fell out of circulation, deemed far inferior to Austen, when she herself admired them. For anyone interested in the period or women writers in general I'd definitely recommend this.

Nobody's Boy: Sans Famille by Hector Malot
Recommended by therealsnape this was written in 1878 and tells the story of Remi, a young orphan, and the trials of his upbringing. Sold to a travelling showman, he learns to earn money from the shows, deals with a number of misfortunes while tramping across France. The story is told from Remi's viewpoint and so has a childlike air, but despite that is worth reading.

Here's my book bingo card:

( bingo card )

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Writing - March 2026

2026-03-27T16:33:05Z

So far this month, although there are a few days left, I've written 6,500 words, so it's a good job I had some in hand from the last two months giving me an annual total of 32K.

There is therefore not a lot to record!

As anticipated last month I did have an additional work for A Family Saga which is a Spooks (MI5) series reflecting on Lucas North's family situation. An Unexpected Situation And there will be another in the series at some point.

allbingo held a National Crafting Month bingo, for which I wrote Pulling the Strands Together a retirement era ACD Sherlock Holmes story.

I've also written, and is being posted each day, my entry for no_true_pair four character challenge The Meeting on the Island another Spooks work, this time including werewolf!Lucas.

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Wales - Aberglasney Gardens

2026-03-22T16:16:43Z

At the beginning of the week we had a couple of days away and once more visited in Aberglasney Gardens in Wales (not far from Carmarthen).

( Aberglasney Gardens )

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View from the Window - March

2026-03-21T11:30:47Z

Not much changes with the view as yet, although the sky is bluer (behind the clouds!)

( views March )

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2026 Photo #6

2026-03-20T17:34:43Z

Early in the week we visited Aberglasney Gardens in Wales. In the Ninfarium the Bird of Paradise plant was flowering.

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Seven Days - Seven Covers: 2026 - Day Seven

2026-03-14T11:53:06Z