Recent content by Harvestman

The fruits of today's labour. No-sew pouches. Take one old pair of cargo trousers that has an unrepairable hole. Cut carefully around all the pockets with the wife's fabric scissors. Result: two large popper - fastening pouches, two button fastening medium pouches, two small popper fastening...

Ja! That and the full yellow stripe down the cheek.

German wasp

I am another vote for the Swedish M90 parka. I have yet to be cold in mine.

I love apple days, but have managed to miss all my local ones this year, apart from the one next weekend. I can spend fortunes buying apple varieties I have never heard of.

I've tried putting a silver foil blanket in a hammock, under a layer of insulation. I didn't get a condensation problem, but it was like sleeping in a crisp packet at the slightest movement.

Makes a lovely little tent, thought I have made some take-down poles for mine (an internal tripod) as it gives more space, but to be honest I use it more as a poncho. Wore it tonight for walking the dog along the canal after dark, as it was chucking it down. Works brilliantly.

That thing is so big I'm not sure it counts as a macro!

I've been away from the group for a bit, but here is my favourite picture from the summer. A beautiful male Fen Raft Spider, very rare (schedule 5 protected species) and the largest spider in Britain

As has been said, these big guys are Swan Mussels, and are pretty common. The culinary verdict on them seems to be "not worth the trouble unless you are starving".

Nephrotoma appendiculata is the likely candidate, but I doubt you would get it to species without a specialised key.

The first ones are solitary bees, which are beyond my skill. the last one on the forget-me-not is a Nomada bee-wasp, which is a nest parasite of solitary bees, laying eggs in their nests for its larve to feed on the bees and their food stores. Yours might be Nomada goodeniana, though I cannot be...

For violets a side view of the flower is best, so I can't say for certain but I suspect Common Dog Violet.

First is definitely ground ivy. Bugle has rounder, shinier leaves. Violets are more difficult.

Looks like a fracture to me. A sprain wouldn't produce that level of brusing and swelling. At least, that's what my doctor said two months ago when I busted my ankle and it swelled up and went purple.