Nope!

A pair of Paradise Shelduck did their level - raucous - best to entice Bean and me away from the side of the creek paddock, around which we walked this afternoon. They evidently have a nest somewhere close by.

Bean is a veteran of such shenanigans and studiously ignored their very best efforts to convince her that they were pathetic injured birds which could be easily chased down and consumed. 

She was far more interested in delicious smells in the grass. A hare had been here earlier and had that appeared again she would have been after it in a heartbeat.

It has been another mizzly day (after 16mm of rain and mizzle yesterday). As a result there has been a bit more cooking: crackers, a tub of mayo and Moroccan carrot salad. 

Much of the afternoon I have been lying on the windowseat reading Wade Davis' latest book "Beneath the Surface of Things". It is a collection of essays - many written during lockdown - covering topics such as the US response to the pandemic, the generational context of World War 1, reflections on the conflict in Gaza, and broadening the debate about climate anxiety. 

All the essays educated me, challenged my thinking and gave me cause to consider deeply my views on the topics he covers.

He is a marvellous communicator and I discovered him when I read The Wayfinders which looks at how Pacific peoples have navigated that enormous ocean. 

Once I'd finished reading I browsed through what was being broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra (which usually come up with something interesting) and I stumbled across Max Cotton's Going Solo: a tale of 12 months' self sufficient living in Somerset. What a gem it is. 

I found myself nodding at many of his self-revelations, particularly a comment about the sheer obscenity of the variety of food choices in supermarkets.

I couldn't exercise my body much in the wet weather, but my mind has been fully active. What a good day.