The debonair Basil Marigold's

... Julius Caesar stood. Looking at the far bank of the Rubicon. The year was 49BC. Caesar was in his prime and with his veteran legions behind him, he was about to gamble his power and his life by crossing into Italy and become a public enemy. I am tonight feeling an empathy with Caesar, which is odd as I often feel more with Marc Anthony. Caesar never knew the outcome, he didn't know if he would win, but he had nothing to lose. Death or Glory for him. Everything he worked for would be crushed with defeat, but still he crossed, uncertain.  Caesar uttered the phrase, ' ālea iacta est' (The die is cast). Today, I may be crossing my Rubicon.

Derby City Council, run by the Lib Dems for the moment, are delivering a new £36m Ring Road development. They have 2 sections to it, both of which need, obviously naming. Now, here's where the genius of Derbyshire marches into its own, and as usual for Derby, on its own. Not for Derby some smoke filled room, were Councillors or officers suggest names such as Rolls Royce way, things like that. Nope, they let the public come up with some Ideas and boy did they not fail us. Merlin Way, named after the Famous Merlin engine developed by Rolls Royce. Steve Bloomer way, famous Derby City footballer, the usual suspects famous sons and inventions. Well, there is one stunning invention created in Derby. I, cyber geek, did not know that Lara Croft was created in Derby, by a geek who  liked his women; tall, thin, massively endowed, dressed in very little, of which is inevitably tight and has a massive knowledge and ability to use experimental Military hardware. So follow this link and vote t

It's pitch black outside, and has been for the last 3 hours, which is the most depressing thing about Winter. So I was sat in front of the PC and felt I needed cheering up and larked about with my new toy and created this, which seems a lot better than what I face out of the window.

Yes, it is. It is that time again. When 'Mr Christmas', dons his Pickling Hat again. Last year was my first effort at the Pickling of Onions, because I felt that the quality of onion I purchased wasn't good. I decided to pickle my own. So this year I am pickling my Xmas batch. And here are my beauties; I am particularly fond, and hopeful of the glass jar in the middle. So much so, I am going to focus on it here; Now, this is where it gets exciting. This little beauty is 'Mr Christmas' experimental jar. I call it the 'Pickled X'. I have used normal pickling spices but for my vinegar I have used a nice Red wine Vinegar, to hopefully give it that deep full bodied pickling experience. I am proud of my baby, and hope in time for christmas it'll be ready to be released and be edible. Exciting times. 

Tonight, we as parents witnessed, what can only be described as epic Vomit, from our daughter, at dinner. Having been fed her Milk at 3pm, and then a fish meal for her dinner at just after 4pm, an average day for her. Then one cough later, and she has been coughing throughout the day, out came this kind of milky green liquid vomit. It didn't dribble it, it came out like water from a fireman's hose. And I would not have been surprised if it could have been high pressure and directional, fortunately the direction in which I happily call the green river of fish and milk, flew straight into the her lipped plastic bib, just below the lip itself. A perfect fill so to speak. It reminded me of my friend Glen, who many years ago now, on a night out, downed a pint of beer in one and then proceeded to insert an exact pint of vomit back into said pint glass, the perfect pint. Astonishing at the time.

Had another quick go just now so, here is my latest effort, which I actually quite like. It's an attempt at a moonlit sea! For those who may think it's a giraffe eating a leaf.