Err, forgotten where this is

In the Forest

Bantry House

Cliff Clamber

Somewhere off the southwest corner of Ireland, this cliff walk led to wondrous views. There were even a few minutes of sunshine in between the rain showers.

What a Corker

Cork was a delightful city. More interestingly, I managed to drive there from Dublin without a GPS. It felt so retro to be navigating using a map and road signs, but it worked - I've not lost my sense of direction yet.

Cashel

As recently as a thousand years ago, the Kings of Munster (an early Goth Rock band) made this place their home. 

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Trinity College

When in Dublin, if you want to feel sophisticated, visit Trinity College. This is where Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and Samuel Beckett studied. It's not as pretty as UWA, but it's decent.

I'm Still Posting !

Hello thousands of my fans. My wilderness expedition to remote Ireland and the UK is over, and I survived, soggy but well. Here are some photos from week 1, the wild Atlantic west coast of Ireland.

Double Rainbow

Over Fremantle Oval last Saturday.

Epic Clouds

At the Claremont Showgrounds 10 days ago.

Stormy Fremantle Oval

It was about 7 degrees on Saturday afternoon. This was in between hail and heavy showers, at quarter time.

Sunrise

.. otherwise known as dawn.

This morning over Lake Monger on my way to work.

Gamifying Work

Do you have an office job? Does it thrill you with excitement and joy every day? If not, then try gamifying it. Follow these steps.

• If you have a team, then regard them as meeples. You can allocate meeples to various tasks or locations, where they can do their thing. 
• If you don't treat your meeples well, their output for the week is reduced. Or they're eaten by a dragon.
• Assign each task Victory Points, awarded on completion. 
• Write up the rules of the game (e.g. you play for just 7 hours a day, Mon to Fri). 
• Decide how to win the game for the week. Perhaps 100 Victory Points will do it. 
• Decide how to lose the game. Perhaps losing all your meeples will do it. Or if you're cursed more than three times in a week. Or if you use up all your resources.

Turn your workplace into a game and you'll be super-keen for the weekends to end, just so you can start a new game on Monday.

Birthday Deception

If you're a fan of birthdays, then I have a sneaky trick you can play. Rather than celebrating once a year, announce to different circles of friends different birthdays. You can't fool your family, so they can celebrate on your actual birthday, but tell your work colleagues another date, your tennis friends another date, and your wine club comrades yet another date. Soon enough, you'll be celebrating your anniversary every month or two. It may go horribly wrong if your circles ever meet and uncover your deception, but it's worth the risk.

Top Ten Films of 2016

We're nearing the middle of the year, and although I've only seen 58 films so far, there have been enough decent ones to merit a top ten list.

10. Steve Jobs - scenes in the life

9. Trumbo - biopic of the blacklisted screenwriter

8. Eye in the Sky - morality play

7. Sisters - Tina Fey and Amy Poehler comedy

6. Spotlight - Boston child abuse investigation

5. Star Wars; The Force Awakens

4. The Witch - 17th century spookiness in New England

3. Carol - 1950s romance

2. The Finest Hours - sea rescue 

1. The Revenant - epic 19th century true story

Lewk's Tip of the Day

Only shave when you're in the shower. Not only does this save water, it's also a handy reminder to clean: you can tell when you last showered by the length of your facial growth. A bushy beard indicates that you've not had a wash for a few months, and it's probably time for another one.

Matilda Mist

On Friday I went past Matilda Bay early, before the sun had burnt away all of the night's mist.

Woodlands Sunset

Last Thursday ended with a splendid sunset. The whole western sky glowed orange for a few moments. I sped to a vantage point and made it to Jackadder Lake just as the colours were fading. But I still captured the last of it.

Setsun

Cruising back to Perth after the game, we followed the setting sun.

And just before the sun disappeared, we made it to Corrigin's dog cemetery.

Claremont vs West Perth

In attending thousands of footie matches, this is the first time I've been able to drive around the oval and park on the boundary. Sadly it's not possible to do so at Subiaco Oval.

Spot the hundreds of galahs taking flight 

Epic Flatness

More from the weekend.

Day Trip to Kulin

The wheatbelt is full off little hills with boulders sitting on top. Here are some near Kulin from last Saturday, although the date is irrelevant, given the scene is probably unchanged from one decade to the next.

Haunted Forest

Closer to Perth after a day in Kulin, I wanted to look at the stars so parked the car beside the woods, and got out. With the car headlights off, the complete darkness enveloped me. The black clouds smothered any light, and with no sources of light from any civilisation, it was eerie being unable to see a thing. The sensory deprivation was so complete that I wandered into the middle of the highway without realising it.

Getting back in the car, I turned the headlights on and this is what I saw in the woods ahead of me.

Nothing weird yet.

Now a bevy of phantoms are shimmering into view:- one floating on the left. and a Brady Bunch of red and blue ones on the right

The floating one is now in the centre, and has elongated, while several of the redshirts dance behind it

Brookton Blaze

Passing through the outskirts of Brookton in the wheatbelt last night, we came across a coven of people, dancing around an enormous bonfire in the woods. They were near a truckstop and had somewhat blatantly ignored the clear signs outlawing fires. But given the bitterly cold conditions (it was 13 degrees that afternoon), it was understandable they needed fire to keep warm and to toast their marshmallows. And of course the Satanic sacrifices were just for fun.