The moon celebrating the end of this ghastly year with a corona. December was our third coldest and second cloudiest December ever, but 2020 was our second warmest and second sunniest year in the 10 years we’ve been counting.
Admin1 is reading The Secret Life of Mr Roos by Hakan Nesser — a lovely book, funny and mournful without being sentimental. Thanks, Admin2! Admin2 is reading The Dark Isle by Clare Carson.
Month: December 2020
Ice Ice Baby
Today was the coldest day this year, with a top temperature of 2.9 °C, and our coldest night, with a bottom temperature of -3.0 °C. Admin2 nevertheless continued going out without a coat for ease of washing but put on a thermal vest.
Admin1 is reading Death Delivered by Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger. Admin2 is reading Nemesis by Philip Roth; a resonantly topical story of an epidemic and a superspreader.
Weather of the day: Snow
The people who normally draw on the road have been drawing on the snow instead.
And here’s a gratuitous pigeon and clouds on the weathercam.
Admin1 is reading The Witch Hunter by Matt Seek which was rubbish. Admin2 is reading Cross and Burn by Val McDermid which is also rubbish.
We scored 13 out of 30 on the mega super bumper GWQ which was extremely rubbish, our worst score this year, giving us an average of 10.57557692 which is nevertheless our best ever (see last year and step backward though the years).
Coffee of the day: Guji Natural Ethiopia which is absolutely delicious. Thx Gez!
Two Turtle Doves
Well OK, collared doves, and in a cherry, not pear, tree.
Merry Christmas everybody!
Here’s our frugal dinner for 2 [update: we’ve been eating leftover pork every day and finally finished it on 3rd January 2021]
Admin2 is reading Death Delivered by Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger (thx Admin1). We are watching Lethal White (thx again).
God Jul Zoomfest
A celebration in cyberspace for children, parents, grandparents and cats.
Admin1 is reading The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell. Admin2 is reading The Long Call by Ann Cleeves.
Weather of the Day: Frizzle (fog and drizzle)
No planets tonight!
Admin1 is reading Before the Frost by Henning Mankell. Admin2 is reading The Closed Circle by Jonathan Coe.
Grand Conjunction
Jupiter and Saturn visible together for the first time since 4th March 1226. Jupiter is the faint dot near the centre of the picture; Saturn is the even fainter dot slightly above.
Admin1 is reading The Long Call by Ann Cleeves. Admin2 is reading Hell Train by Christopher Fowler.
We scored 12 on the GWQ.
Adventure
Part of the Living Advent Calendar.
Admin1 is reading Cold Justice by Lee Weeks — Cold Comfort Farm without the jokes. Started off OK but descended into ludicrous melodrama.
Admin2 is reading The Explosion Chronicles by Yan Lianke; a parable of untrammelled growth.
Fish Food Frenzy
Coming up for grub.
Admin1 is reading Sidetracked by Henning Mankell. Admin2 is reading Cold Christmas by Alastair Gunn which was bollocks.
Pie
Delicious chicken, leek, mushroom and cream pie, with home-grown apple strudel for pudding; thx Admin1. Admin2 is reading The Rotters’ Club by Jonathan Coe.
Admin1 is reading The Strangler’s Honeymoon by Hakan Nesser.
Festivals of Light
Happy Hanukkah and Lucia Day. Christmas Lights Man displaying as usual, with a giant snowman standing in the hall before he hastily shut the door. And Admin2 saw three Geminid meteors in the night [update: later we each saw dazzlingly brilliant ones].
Admin2 is reading Accidental Agent by Alan Judd; most boring spy novel ever.
We scored 8 on the GWQ; no, let’s make it nine because our answer to “What links Johann Strauss II; John Philip Sousa; Benny Goodman; Elvis Presley?” Blue (Danube, Ridge, Moon, Hawaii) was just as good as theirs (King of).
Weather of the Day: Mizzle (Mist and Drizzle)
The everlasting puddle that has resisted all interventions by the water board and provides great entertainment for splashing drivers.
Admin1 is reading The Return by Hakan Nesser.
Cloud of the Day: Virga
Rain dangling down and never reaching the ground. Coming soon: Geminid meteors, Venus and the crescent moon, Jupiter and Saturn together and Mars at his finest; all likely to be shrouded in clouds.
Admin1 is reading The Mind’s Eye by Hakan Nesser.
Glorious Sunrise
Red sun, red kite … with a faint sun pillar.
Admin1 is reading The Inspector and Silence by Hakan Nesser.
Change of Address
You may have been redirected here from http://vermilionsands.eu/blog.
Please note: this redesigned, commentable, phone-friendly blog now has a new URL:
http://vermilionsands.uk/blog
Fouling a Lamp-post
Two stickers, each featuring a piece of shit.
Admin2 is reading The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee; a Bengali family saga with added maths.
We scored 11.1 on the GWQ; thanks zoomers!
Christmas Is Coming

Our Christmas cactus suddenly in bloom on an unexpectedly sunny day.
Admin1 is reading Woman with a Birthmark by Hakan Nesser.