Having been so impressed with that new footbridge across the railway line, today I decided to head out for a hike in country. Get some fresh air, exercise, and a few cool pictures of no possible use to anyone. Of course I did the requisite job search at the library first. Always see to your chores.

There we go. A bunch of cool pictures taken and time to head off into the hills. I did make a half hearted attempt to photograph a passing train, just for the heck of it you understand, but I wasn't in the best place so I abandoned the attempt. Not a problem.

Fives minutes later an orange helicopter flew low and slow along the railway. Didn't realise photographing trains was actually illegal. How do those magazines get away with it? And the americans think railfanning is under threat in their country. We get pounced on by helicopter gunships.

Back On Form

I see in the news that someone is planning to make the entire town of Swindon a 20mph zone. That'll make it the safest town in the world won't it? Stolen cars will stand no chance of getting away at those speeds. Even helicopters fly in fear of speed cameras these days it seems. The thought does occur to me however that traffic jams won't get any better even with all these schemes being put in place manage traffic through the town. I mean, they're still arriving at 60mph aren't they?

Never mind. At least Swindon is still on form. Back in the slow lane.

Vice Girls

Another news headline on the local billboards is that vice girls are back. Vice Girls? Are they a pop act? I mean, like the Spice Girls but sexy?

Oh... I see... Ahem. Well you can sort of tell I don't indulge in that sort of service. I imagine it's only going to get easier for them too. After all, the helicopter gunships are currently busy chasing me away from railways.

Condemned

Sadly it appears that bovine tuberculosis is being spread by badgers so the badgers must go. As someone who enjoys the rare sight of wildlife going about its wildness, naturally that saddens me. It's easy for me to say that. I don't live in the country, and I don't have to deal with diseases that afflict farming.

I remember walking past Wroughton Airfield once and seeing a badger impaled on a stick, left by the roadside for someone to see. There's a hardline attitude toward wildlife in some quarters, something I think our american friends particularly would understand. Where does expedience end and cruelty begin? I don't have an answer for that.

It's no use complaining that our lads haven't enough helicopters in Afghanistan. We've got to keep our own green zones free of fundamentalist badgers and railway photographers.

Ooops.. Oh No! Not Again!

Every so often I make a complete pigs ear of making a simple ordinary everday action and look a complete idiot. Most of us do sooner or later, though I tend to when I'm sober. And today is no different. I crossed a road in town at the lights and intended to cut across the supermarket car park as a shortcut home. One quick leap onto the low brick wall, and...

Having just arrived back in town from a ten mile hike I inadvertantly let my trailing foot drop. So I tripped, big time. In full view of the shoppers and drivers of vehicles on the road too. Hey, just another gig, yeah?

I'd like to thank the driver of a passing lorry for looking to see if I was hurt. No-one else worried. They glanced over their shoulder while I screamed and fell headlong onto the pavement before continuing about their lawful business. At least the driver slowed down a bit. Cheers mate.